Peking Express
Peking Express | |
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![]() Official logo | |
Created by | Ludo Poppe |
Theme music composer | Brian Tyler |
Country of origin |
Belgium Netherlands |
Original language(s) | Dutch |
No. of seasons | 6 |
No. of episodes | 76 |
Production | |
Producer(s) | Gert van Kerckhove |
Release | |
Original network |
Net 5 VT4 |
Original release | 2004 – present |
Chronology | |
Related shows | Amazing Race |
External links | |
Website |
Peking Express is a Dutch–Flemish reality game show that follows a series of couples as they hitchhike to or from Beijing (only in the first three seasons; seasons four and five are set in South America). The series has already gone through five seasons. In the Netherlands it is screened by Net 5 and in Belgium by VT4. A German version was shown in 2004. The concept has also been sold to Scandinavia where it was broadcast for the first time in the autumn of 2007. The Scandinavian version is shown on Kanal 5 in Sweden, TVNorge in Norway and Kanal 5 in Denmark. A French version named Pékin Express is screened by M6, with ten seasons aired from 2006 to 2014. It can be seen on TV5 outside France. In Spain, the first four seasons of local version Pekín Express aired on Cuatro from 2008 to 2011; Atresmedia acquired the rights in 2015 and has produced two seasons since.[1] An Italian version has been produced since 2012 by RAI and shown on Rai 2 successfully.
General theme
The theme of the show is to demonstrate how various couples deal with the challenges and pitfalls of attempting a long-distance hitchhike to a strange city, together with all the difficulties presented by trying to communicate in a language they don't understand. Tension was added by including couples who had broken up "in real life", but were willing to work together for the sake of winning the race.
In somewhat similar fashion to The Amazing Race, couples that come in last at various checkpoints along the way are eliminated from further competition. In the second series, each of the couples was given €1 per person/per day as their stipend along the route.
Theme music
The music used during the opening sequence is "Summon the Worms" from Brian Tyler's soundtrack to the 2003 miniseries Frank Herbert's Children of Dune.
Winning couples in the international versions around the world
Africa
Moroccan Seasons
Dakar Fès Express | Season | Winning couple | Route | Visited countries |
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2011 | Hind & Abd el Hakim | ![]() ![]() |
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2012 | Samid Ghilan & Younès Lazrak | ![]() ![]() |
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America
Colombian Seasons
Asia Express | Season | Winning couple | Route | Visited countries |
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2016 | Jairo & Eliseo | ![]() ![]() |
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Mexican Season
Abandonados Asia | Season | Winning couple | Route | Visited countries |
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2016 | Gabriel & Guillermo | ![]() ![]() |
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Europe
Belgium/Netherlands/Flemish Seasons
Peking Express | Season | Winning couple | Route | Visited countries |
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2004 | Rani & Hans | ![]() ![]() |
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2005 | Karla & Sophie | ![]() ![]() |
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2006 | Yves & Wendy | ![]() ![]() |
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2006 VIP |
Chimène & Bart | ![]() |
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2007 |
Pascal & Miranda | ![]() ![]() |
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2008 |
Mark & Marlinde | ![]() ![]() |
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2012 |
Annebet & Quintin | ![]() ![]() |
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Denmark/Sweden/Norway Seasons
Peking Express | Season | Winning couple | Route | Visited countries |
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2007 | Tyra & Stefan | ![]() ![]() |
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German Seasons
Peking Express | Season | Winning couple | Route | Visited countries |
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2005 | Anja & Marc | ![]() ![]() |
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French Seasons
Pékin Express | Season | Winning couple | Route | Visited countries |
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2006 | Fathi & Médi | ![]() ![]() |
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2007 | Nadine & Sylvie | ![]() ![]() |
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2008 |
Gérard & Cédric | ![]() ![]() |
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2009 |
Albert & Laurence | ![]() ![]() |
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2010 |
Cécilia & Mathieu | ![]() ![]() |
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2010 VIP |
Taïg Khris & Chloé (saison 5) | ![]() |
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2011 |
Jean-Pierre & François | ![]() ![]() |
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2012 |
Ludovic & Samuel (saison 7) | ![]() ![]() |
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2013 |
Linda & Salim | ![]() ![]() |
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2014 |
Caroline & Sabrina (saison 4) | ![]() ![]() |
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Italian Seasons
In this version, there are mainly VIP couples.
Pechino Express | Season | Season's subtitle | Host | Winning couple | Runner up | Third placed | Continent | Route | Visited countries |
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2012 | Avventura in Oriente | Emanuele Filiberto | Alessandro Sampaoli & Debora Villa (Gli Attori) | Andrés Gil & Anastasia Kuzmina (I Ballerini) | Costantino della Gherardesca & Barù (Zio e Nipote) | Asia | ![]() ![]() |
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2013 | Obiettivo Bangkok | Costantino della Gherardesca | Massimiliano Rosolino & Marco Maddaloni (Gli Sportivi)[2] | Francesca Fioretti & Ariadna Romero (Le Modelle) | Daniel Moreno Mendoza & Laura Caratelli (I Laureati) | ![]() ![]() |
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2014 | Ai confini dell'Asia | Stefano Corti & Alessandro Onnis (I Coinquilini) | Amaurys Perez & Angela Rende (I Pérez) | Eva Grimaldi & Roberta Garzia (Le Cougar) | ![]() ![]() |
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2015 | Il nuovo mondo | Antonio Andrea Pinna & Roberto Bertolini (Gli Antipodi) | Christian Kang Bachini & Son Pascal (Gli Espatriati) | Giulia Salemi & Fariba Mohammad Tehrani (Le Persiane) | America | ![]() ![]() |
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2016 | Le civiltà perdute | Alessio Stigliano & Alessandro Tenace (I Socialisti) | Diego Passoni & Cristina Bugatty (I Contribuenti) | Lory del Santo & Marco Cucolo (Gli Innamorati) | ![]() ![]() |
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Polish Seasons
Azja Express | Season | Winning couple | Route | Visited countries |
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2016 | Michał Żurawski, Ludwik Borkowski | ![]() ![]() |
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Spanish Seasons
Pekín Express | Season | Winning couple | Route | Visited countries |
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2008 | Fernando & María (couple in crisis) | ![]() ![]() |
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2009 | Carmela & Antonio (rural friends) | ![]() ![]() |
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2010 | Sandra & Belinda (sisters) | ![]() ![]() |
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2011 | Mar & Vanesa (sisters) | ![]() ![]() |
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2015 | Ángel & Bea (brother- and sister-in-law) | ![]() ![]() |
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2016 | Matías & Nabil (geek cousins) | ![]() ![]() |
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International versions
Name | Country | Host | Route | Channel | Website |
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Peking Express | ![]() ![]() |
Ernst-Paul Hasselbach (2004) Art Rooijakkers & Roos Van Acker (2005-2008) Sol Wortelboer (2012) |
2004: Moscow – Beijing ![]() ![]() ![]() 2005: Peking – Mumbai ![]() ![]() ![]() 2006: Rach Gia – Lhasa ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2006: Gangotri – Kochi ![]() 2007: Rio de Janeiro – Lima ![]() ![]() ![]() 2008: Mexico City – Caracas ![]() ![]() ![]() 2012: Seoul – Manila ![]() ![]() |
NET 5 VT4 |
Official website Netherlands Official website Belgium |
Pékin Express | ![]() |
Stéphane Rotenberg | 2006: Paris – Pskov – Beijing ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2007: Beijing – Mumbai ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2008: Rio de Janeiro – Lima ![]() ![]() ![]() 2009: Ha Long Beach – Bali ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2010: Equator (Nueva Loja) – Ushuaia ![]() ![]() ![]() 2010: Gangotri – Pondicherry ![]() 2011: Cairo – Cape Town ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2012: Seoul – Sydney ![]() ![]() ![]() 2013: Habana – Miami ![]() ![]() ![]() 2014: Man Lawae – Colombo ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
M6 | Official website |
Peking Express | ![]() |
Patrice Bouédibéla | 2005: Moscow – Beijing ![]() ![]() ![]() |
RTL | |
Peking Express | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
– | 2007: Moscow – Beijing ![]() ![]() ![]() |
TVNorge Kanal 5 |
Official website Norway |
Pekín Express | ![]() |
Paula Vázquez (2008) Raquel Sánchez-Silva (2009–2010) Jesús Vázquez (2011) Cristina Pedroche (2015–) |
2008: Pskov – Beijing ![]() ![]() ![]() 2009: Beijing – Mumbai ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2010: Hanoi – Bali ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2011: Rift Valley – Cape Town ![]() ![]() ![]() 2015: Mandalay – Singapore ![]() ![]() ![]() 2016: Anuradhapura – Mumbai ![]() ![]() |
Cuatro (2008–2011) Antena 3 (2015) laSexta (2016) |
Official website (Cuatro) Official website (Antena 3) Official website (laSexta) |
Dakar Fès Express | ![]() |
Hicham Mesrar | 2011: Dakar – Fez ![]() ![]() ![]() 2012: Wori – Manado ![]() |
2M | Official website |
A Grande Aventura | ![]() |
Fernanda Serrano | 2012: Manado Tua – Manado ![]() |
TVI | Official website |
Pékin Express | ![]() |
Michel De Maegd | 2012: Wori – Manado ![]() |
RTL | Official website |
Abandonados Asia | ![]() |
Paola Nuñez | 2016: Hanoi – Bangkok ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Azteca 7 | Official website |
Pechino Express | ![]() |
Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia (2012) Costantino della Gherardesca (2013–) |
2012: Haridwar – Beijing ![]() ![]() ![]() 2013: Hanoi – Bangkok ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2014: Mandalay – Bali ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2015: Quito – Rio de Janeiro ![]() ![]() ![]() 2016: Bogotà - Mexico City ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rai 2 Rai HD Rai Premium |
Official website |
Asia Express | ![]() |
Ivan Lalinde | 2016: Hanoi – Bangkok ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Caracol TV | Official website |
Azja Express | ![]() |
Agnieszka Woźniak-Starak | 2016: Hanoi – Bangkok ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
TVN | Official website |