From Travel Show, To Fantasy Show, and Beyond, Host Teddy Wilson Says Season 4 of MIGHTY TRAINS Heads in the Right Direction

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede MIGHTY TRAINS, hosted by Teddy Wilson, has always been a fun and informative travel-adventure series. But as Season 4 begins, Thursday, Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery, there may be something more magical at play. It’s no secret that travel – be it across the country, or around the world – has been severely curtailed by the pandemic over the past two years. So as MIGHTY TRAINS continues to tell tales of exciting excursions in far-away places, does the show now have a fantasy element to it? Can we expect to see Wilson in a pointy wizard’s hat during the new campaign? “Well, as a hardcore fan of sci-fi and fantasy and wizards, I think that’s an awesome way to frame it,” Wilson said. “If only we’d had the foresight, maybe I would have traveled with a wizard’s hat.” Just to ease viewers’ minds about safety and travel restrictions as they watch the six new episodes in Season 4 of MIGHTY TRAINS, it should be stated that everything was filmed just before the pandemic began – virtually hours before, actually. “We wrapped this season right as the world turned upside down – we got back from our last shoot, which was in New Zealand, I think a day before the first lockdown,” Wilson said. “I know a lot of other shows were kind of in mid-production, so with this type of show, we were very lucky with the timing to get the season in under the wire.” So now, one might argue that MIGHTY TRAINS is uniquely positioned to be even more special and relevant to the audience. In some ways it’s a reminder of what life was like before the pandemic, and in other ways it can provide some vicarious comfort, in the belief that things will return to normal at some point. “I think the show has always had an element of escapism, and my hope has always been that it prompts people and inspires people to travel more, see more of the world, and ideally make train travel a part of that,” Wilson said. “Because I really do feel that train travel is the most exciting, and interesting, and at times introspective way to travel.” Well, this is all lining up in a good way for MIGHTY TRAINS, because just about everyone has become an expert at introspection, given recent circumstances. “As you say, now that the landscape has shifted so much, I believe we’re all thinking about, well, when can we get back out there and travel?” Wilson added. “First and foremost, you want everybody to be safe and healthy, and I feel very fortunate in that regard. But once the world really opens up again, and once it’s safe to do so, I really hope people get back out there and travel, and I hope they make trains a part of that. And so even though elements of the show may feel like fantasy at the moment – and certainly it has felt that way for the past year and a half – I hope it becomes real life again, real soon.” So let’s get this straight: After transitioning from a travel-adventure show to a fantasy show, MIGHTY TRAINS is now aspiring to become a reality show? “I like that,” Wilson said. As for the new season specifically, it begins with a trip to Peru. “We ride a train that is the second-highest rail line on Earth, it goes almost 5,000 metres above sea level, way up into the Andes Mountains – that’s more than half the height of Mount Everest,” Wilson said. “It starts up the coast in Lima, Peru, a dizzying journey, I get altitude sickness, I have to get oxygen. It’s a really exciting trip. That first episode, right out of the gate, this Peru one, is one of my favourite episodes we’ve ever done. And it’s just a really strong season. I’m really happy with it, the producers did an amazing job. I truly think it’s the best season yet.” Let the wizardry begin! billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv