Jet Lag: The Game
GenreReality competition
Created bySam Denby
Adam Chase
Ben Doyle
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons7
No. of episodes41
Production
Production companyWendover Productions
Original release
NetworkNebula
ReleaseMay 25, 2022 (2022-05-25) –
present

Jet Lag: The Game is an American travel competition show produced for the streaming platform Nebula and also released on YouTube. Created in 2022 by Sam Denby, Adam Chase, and Ben Doyle, each season features a board game-inspired contest that sends players to achieve a geographical objective in different parts of the world.

As of October 2023, the show has been streamed for more than 1 million hours on Nebula and accumulated 527,000 YouTube subscribers.

Background

Jet Lag was created by Denby, the founder of Wendover Productions and chief content officer of Nebula, with writers Chase and Doyle, all of whom compete each season. The first season was released in May 2022.[1][2]

Jet Lag's format was partially developed during a previous Wendover show, Crime Spree, which had Chase and Doyle pursuing Denby as he attempted to break obscure state laws across the United States.[3] Denby has also cited The Amazing Race as a point of inspiration, although he also notes that Jet Lag works to improve on some of its deficiencies by focusing more on travel.[4]

The show is created primarily for streaming on Nebula, whose paying subscribers support its relatively expensive per-video budget. Episodes are released first on Nebula and a week later on YouTube.[4]

Format

Each season features a game structure unique to the geographic area and transportation modalities available there.[5] The first official season required teams to travel to U.S. states in order to claim a Connect Four-style row or column. Later seasons had the contestants circumnavigate the globe via air travel, play tag across western Europe, drive the vertical length of New Zealand and compete in a game of capture the flag across increasingly large portions of Japan.[6]

Players must complete challenges in order to earn coins or currency, which provide the ability to continue traveling as well as, in later seasons, purchase power-ups.[3] Multiple seasons have involved challenges that result in Ben becoming drunk.[5]

The logo of "The Snack Zone"

Beginning in season five, Chase and Doyle introduced a recurring segment, "The Snack Zone", in which they offer pithy reviews of food items unique to their locality. The following season, Denby and his guest, Strange Parts creator Scotty Allen, spun off a competing snack-based segment, "Choo Choo Chew."[5]

Chase, Denby, and Doyle are often joined by a guest educational video creator; Chase and Doyle compete on a team while Denby allies with the guest. Guests have included Joseph Pisenti, Toby Hendy, Brian McManus, and Scotty Allen; season eight will feature Michelle Khare.[7]

Production

Filming locations are chosen based on the availability of "strong, frequent, reliable, or semi-reliable, public transportation," according to Denby; while seasons have taken place partially or completely using cars, the team felt they lacked the strategic intrigue of public transit.[5]

Jet Lag is filmed using iPhone 13 Pros and Røde lavalier microphones, a configuration that Denby says allows the competitors to focus on creating content rather than cinematography.[4]

To address the climate impacts of the show's use of air travel, Wendover purchases Gold Standard carbon offsets worth ten times the show's estimated emissions. "We knew from the get go that we would get some criticism for what is clearly somewhat frivolous travel," Denby told The Globe and Mail.[8]

A companion podcast, The Layover, discusses game design and production details from a behind-the-scenes perspective. It is exclusive to Nebula subscribers.[9]

Reception

The show was nominated in the editing category of the 13th Streamy Awards.[10] As of October 2023, the show has been streamed for more than 1 million hours on Nebula and has accumulated 527,000 YouTube subscribers.[11]

Seasons

Jet Lag: The Game has released seven seasons.[12][7]

Seasons of Jet Lag: The Game
SeasonTitleEpisodesOriginally airedLocationGuest
First airedLast aired
1Connect 4 Across America3May 25, 2022 (2022-05-25)June 9, 2022 (2022-06-09)United StatesBrian McManus
2Circumnavigation5June 29, 2022 (2022-06-29)August 3, 2022 (2022-08-03)EarthJoseph Pisenti
3Tag EUR It7September 7, 2022 (2022-09-07)October 19, 2022 (2022-10-19)Western Europe—
4Battle 4 America5December 7, 2022 (2022-12-07)January 11, 2023 (2023-01-11)United StatesBrian McManus
5Race to the End of the World8March 1, 2023 (2023-03-01)April 19, 2023 (2023-04-19)New ZealandToby Hendy
6Capture The Flag7May 31, 2023 (2023-05-31)July 12, 2023 (2023-07-12)JapanScotty Allen
7Tag EUR It 26September 6, 2023 (2023-09-06)October 11, 2023 (2023-10-11)Western Europe—
8Arctic EscapeTBADecember 13, 2023 (2023-12-13)TBANorth AmericaMichelle Khare

Sources:[13]

References

  1. ↑ Esch, Josiah (13 April 2023). ""Jet Lag" Is a Travel Show Like No Other". The Weather Vane. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  2. ↑ Gutelle, Sam (28 September 2023). "TierZoo, Lindsay Ellis headline "dynamic" original content slate at streaming hub Nebula". Tubefilter. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 Walker, John (14 July 2023). "These YouTubers Turned Planet Earth Into A Board Game". Kotaku. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Anderson, Pearse. "This Travel Game Takes Connect Four to the Extreme". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Maas, Jennifer (19 October 2023). "Inside Hit Web Travel Competition 'Jet Lag': Team Reveals Where They Can't Film, Why They Won't Leave Indie Platform Nebula for Big Streamer". Variety. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  6. ↑ Mizell, Destiny (18 July 2023). "Seasons of "Jet Lag: The Game" in order from worst to best". Sidelines. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  7. 1 2 Maas, Jennifer (23 October 2023). "'Jet Lag: The Game' Season 8 Set at Nebula With 'Challenge Accepted' Star Michelle Khare as Guest Contestant (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  8. ↑ Griffiths, James (16 September 2022). "Are travel-centric reality shows like The Amazing Race worth their carbon footprint?". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  9. ↑ "The Layover - Jet Lag: The Game". Nebula. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  10. ↑ Iasimone, Ashley (24 July 2023). "2023 Streamy Awards Nominations Announced: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  11. ↑ Maas, Jennifer (11 October 2023). "'Jet Lag: The Game' Hosts on How a 'Strategic Blunder' and 'Two of the Rarest Moments' in the Entire Series Led to Season 7 Finale Twist". Variety. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "Jet Lag: The Game". Nebula. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  13. ↑ "Jet Lag: The Game Seasons". Nebula. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
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