SeriesFest 8 Event Spotlight: truTV’s ‘101 Places to Party Before You Die’ Screening

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is definitely safe to say, that the travel television show, has grown… comfortable if you will. Simply because anyone that tunes into that type of show, knows exactly what they are going to get. In that, the host will take the viewer to a beautiful or exotic place and show them everything it has to offer and what the local culture is like before moving onto their next destination, and no one has a problem with that for one simple reason. Because it gets the job done. Plus, it is informative, and it is so much a standard that it really appears as though, there is no other way to approach this kind of show. 
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But as it turns out, there is. For later this summer, truTV is going to debut its new series, 101 Places to Party Before You Die and this is… a revolutionary travel show, that outright takes you by surprise. Because at first glance it really does seem to be nothing but the norm. Since Adam Pally and Jon Gabrus take the audience along to the party destination of their choice, making it appear as though they’re going to spotlight why these places are a great place to let loose in the traditional manner. But once Adam and Jon settled into their destination it quickly became clear to those of us at the screening of this show at SeriesFest… that this was in fact, going to be a travel show unlike any other.

Because it isn’t enough for Adam and Jon to just venture to a town or location and look at a party destination… and talk about how cool it was to go there. They straight up party there, and they party hard. Since the audience watched these two dudes get wasted before our eyes and just take us on a wild journey around their chosen party town and that was just refreshing to enjoy. Since it basically allows for the viewer to experience what they did in a real-time manner, and it also doesn’t hurt… that the show is extremely funny. Because Adam and Jon let their comedic chops loose while they’re out and about and that leads to some rip-roaringly hilarious moments… the kind that actually managed to extend beyond the screening.

For the Q&A session that followed, was basically an extension of the show. Since Adam and Jon riffed about their experiences and once again let their best friend vibe take control. Not to mention, they cracked open a couple of beers during the panel, and Adam was enjoying a pizza while he spoke since he had a flight to catch and wanted a little food in his belly before taking off. Not to mention, these guys were so chill and so relaxed, they did some shots with an audience member. Something that nicely bookended the beer shot gunning that preceded the screener. Which really just made this… one of the most entertaining Q&A’s that this writer has ever attended.

But… all fun aside, what matters more, is that this screening really did liven up the travel sub-genre of television. By informing us that travel shows don’t have to be so formal and so robotic. They can allow for the host to really immerse themselves in the experience of the locale and enjoy it to the fullest and hopefully when this show hits in July, it will serve as a blueprint to change this type of show going forward. Because this really is a special and unique travel show, one that is fun and engaging and just a blast to watch, and we here at NTG cannot wait to break this series down further when it arrives on truTV.

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