The Real Marigold Hotel
British factual reality series
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The Real Marigold Hotel (known in Australia as The Indian Dream Hotel) is a British travel documentary series created by Twofour productions, directed by Aparna Sanyal and broadcast on BBC One and BBC Two. The show, whose name is based on the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, follows senior celebrities as they travel around India and experience the culture. In 2017, the show was nominated for a BAFTA in the category of Best Reality and Constructed Factual.[1][2]
| The Real Marigold Hotel | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Travel documentary |
| Narrated by | Tom Hollander |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 50–60 minutes |
| Production company | Twofour |
| Original release | |
| Release | 26 January 2016 – 28 May 2020 |
Episodes
The Real Marigold Hotel
| Series | Episodes | Air date | Participants | Location | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 26 January – 9 February 2016 | Miriam Margolyes, Sylvester McCoy, Wayne Sleep, Roy Walker, Rosemary Shrager, Bobby George, Patti Boulaye, Jan Leeming | India, Jaipur | [1][3][4] |
| 2 | 4 | 15 February – 15 March 2017 | Bill Oddie, Paul Nicholas, Rustie Lee, Sheila Ferguson, Amanda Barrie, Lionel Blair, Dennis Taylor, Miriam Stoppard | India, Kochi | |
| 3 | 4 | 1 – 22 August 2018 | Stanley Johnson, Selina Scott, Stephanie Beacham, Susan George, Bob Champion, Syd Little, Janette and Ian Tough, Peter Dean | India, Udaipur | |
| 4 | 4 | 30 April – 28 May 2020 | John Altman, Duncan Bannatyne, Susie Blake, Henry Blofeld, Barbara Dickson, Britt Ekland, Paul Chuckle, Zandra Rhodes | India, Puducherry & Rishikesh | |
The Real Marigold on Tour
| Series | Episode | Air date | Participants | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 27 December 2016 | Miriam Margolyes, Wayne Sleep, Rosemary Shrager, Bobby George | United States, Florida |
| 2 | 30 December 2016 | Japan, Kyoto | ||
| 2 | 1 | 4 December 2017 | China, Chengdu | |
| 2 | 11 December 2017 | Miriam Margolyes, Wayne Sleep, Jan Leeming, Bobby George | Cuba, Havana | |
| 3 | 20 December 2017 | Sheila Ferguson, Rustie Lee, Paul Nicholas, Dennis Taylor | Iceland, Reykjavík | |
| 4 | 31 December 2017 | Rosemary Shrager, Sheila Ferguson, Paul Nicholas, Dennis Taylor | Thailand, Chiang Mai | |
| 3 | 1 | 13 February 2019 | Miriam Margolyes, Bobby George, Sheila Ferguson, Stanley Johnson | Russia, Saint Petersburg |
| 2 | 20 February 2019 | Wayne Sleep, Paul Nicholas, Sheila Ferguson, Jan Leeming | Argentina, Buenos Aires | |
| 3 | 27 February 2019 | Wayne Sleep, Rosemary Shrager, Stephanie Beacham, Syd Little | Vietnam, Hanoi | |
| 4 | 6 March 2019 | Rosemary Shrager, Paul Nicholas, Janette and Ian Tough | Mexico, Guadalajara & Ajijic |
Reception
First aired on BBC Two, the series was described as heart-warming by The Independent and credited by The Daily Telegraph as exposing the contrasting perceptions of ageism in India and the United Kingdom. The Radio Times called it funny and charming.[5] The show was nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Reality and Constructed Factual. The first series was the highest rating factual series on BBC Two in 2016 with an average of 4.1 million and a 13.6 per cent share. It was also awarded a prestigious Rose d’Or Award for Reality and Factual Entertainment, a Grierson Award for Constructed Documentary Series, and a Broadcast Award for Popular Factual programme.[6]
After the popularity of the first series, the show's second series was moved to BBC One where it continued to receive mostly positive reviews despite a different cast of celebrities.[7] After the series ended, a new series named The Real Marigold on Tour was commissioned which saw celebrities travel to Florida and Japan. A second series was also produced which was broadcast at the end of 2017 with celebrities visiting China, Cuba, Iceland and Thailand.[3]
