The World's First Online Interactive Travel Show Is Coming Back
Nearly two decades after launching Around The World For Free, the original creators are reuniting for an ambitious reboot—and the next traveler could be you.
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, June 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The team behind Around The World For Free has officially begun searching for the next generation of travelers to take part in the groundbreaking series' reboot planned for 2027. Those interested can audition by posting a video of one minute or less explaining why they should be selected and tagging @ATWFF20 or #ATWFF20 on Instagram or TikTok.
As part of the lead-up to the series' 20th anniversary, the team is also re-releasing Season 1 in one-minute vertical episodes each day across social media. The daily content will serve as a digital time capsule of the original journey while giving a new generation of travelers a firsthand look at what made the series so groundbreaking—and what the next traveler can expect.
Nearly 20 years before TikTok travel influencers documented every border crossing, before YouTubers built careers from backpacking adventures, and before the creator economy became a billion-dollar industry, a small team of storytellers attempted something nobody had ever done before.
In September 2007, Survivor alum Burton Roberts, digital media pioneer Zsolt Luka, The Amazing Race winner Alex Boylan, and college intern Ashley Spence launched what is widely regarded as the world's first online interactive travel series. The concept was simple: could someone travel around the world without a penny in their pocket by relying entirely on the internet and local connections along the way?
Today, that premise feels familiar. In 2007, it felt impossible.
Facebook was still in its infancy. YouTube was barely two years old. Smartphones didn't really exist. The term "social influencer" had not yet been coined. Most television executives simply didn't understand the concept.
One person did.
Anne O'Grady, then Vice President of Marketing at CBS, recognized the potential and connected the team with The CBS Early Show. In September 2007, Boylan launched the journey live on national television and checked in weekly as viewers helped guide his adventure around the globe.
The production itself was groundbreaking. The team invested more than $100,000 to build a custom website and relied on satellite technology to stay connected with their audience from remote locations around the world. Built by a team of just four people, the project became one of the earliest examples of audience-powered storytelling.
Moments after Boylan appeared live on The CBS Early Show to launch the series, viewers rushed online to help—and AroundTheWorldForFree.com crashed.
Eventually the audience broke through.
A viewer offered Boylan a train ticket to South Carolina, and the adventure was underway.
Over the next six months, Around The World For Free evolved into a 45,000-mile journey across sixteen countries and four continents. Viewers suggested destinations, arranged transportation, offered places to stay, and helped shape the story in real time.
The series produced 129 original webisodes, was later repackaged into 11 one-hour episodes for WGN America, licensed in more than 50 countries, and expanded into additional seasons featuring Big Brother star Jeff Schroeder and Survivor legend Parvati Shallow.
Now, nearly two decades later, the original creators have reunited to relaunch the franchise for a new generation.
The team is currently re-releasing the original adventure as daily one-minute vertical videos across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok while developing a full-scale reboot.
According to the creators, the next version of Around The World For Free will be larger, more ambitious, and built for today's connected world. Rather than following a single traveler, the reboot is expected to feature multiple adventurers exploring different parts of the globe simultaneously, with original travelers Alex Boylan and Jeff Schroeder hosting a weekly half-hour series that follows, connects, and helps shape the unfolding adventures.
Adding to the momentum, four-time Emmy Award-winning producer Shane Farley has joined the project as Executive Producer. Farley was one of the few television producers who immediately understood the vision behind the original series and later hired the team to create a similar audience-driven travel project for The Rachael Ray Show.
Nearly 20 years after helping pioneer a new form of entertainment, Around The World For Free is preparing to do it again.
For more information go to www.AroundTheWorldForFree.com and follow @ATWFF20 across social media platforms.
Alex Boylan
Around The World For Free
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