Roger Estlack

From shark cage diving in South Africa, to swimming with pigs in the Bahamas, to exploring Buddhist caves along the legendary Mekong River in Laos, traveling Donley County residents Nikki and Dusty Green are off on another action-packed adventure around the world. And once again, you’re cordially invited to come along. But this time, they say, it’s going to be a little different.

As much of the travel world remains under lockdown in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Greens and their grassroots-to-riches travel show “Two for the Road” are back for a thrilling fourth season, featuring all new episodes that will begin premiering on public television stations around the country beginning October 1st. And the timing, they say, couldn’t be better.

“We’re incredibly excited to get the new season out there of course, but especially now, given all that’s happening in our world,” said Dusty. “Not just because we could all certainly use a feel-good escape from our day-to-day, but it’s also important to keep in mind that there’s still this big, beautiful world out there. Life is still happening. Travel will come back. And it’s a great time to remind folks of all that.”

And in their engaging new episodes (all of which were filmed before the pandemic took hold) the Greens are taking viewers around the world once again. Over the course of six new half-hour shows, Nik and Dusty dive into a wide variety of spectacular destinations and fascinating cultures spanning three continents. And yes, the Greens say there are certainly plenty of thrills and adventure in the offing in the new season, but loyal viewers especially will notice a few major differences from seasons past. One of them, they say, is a greater focus on storytelling.

“There’s plenty of adventure for sure,” said Nik, who also takes a terrifying leap off the world’s largest swing later in the season. “But this season we really tried harder to focus on improving our storytelling, so that it’s not just adrenaline and go-go-go all the time. In every episode there are at least one or two really great stories that are really touching. Stories that really helped us as travelers really connect to these places and the people and these cultures. And we want our viewers to be able to feel that connection for themselves.”

A few of her favorites, Nik says: a story about Namibia’s legendary Himba tribe, and how their culture is disappearing amidst an historic drought. The story about the tradition of Boo Boo Hill in the Bahamas. The street artists who are bringing new life and color to South Africa’s cities. And the Buddhist ritual of morning alms giving in Luang Prabang. Overall the Greens say look for a softer, more organic “Two for the Road” this year.

“We love the adventure part of it all, of course,” said Nik. “But what we really love the most about travel is the connections we make with the people we meet along the way. And hearing their stories. And learning about their cultures. It’s really uplifting, and really beautiful. And we want to share more of that with everybody.”

And a big part of what helps them connect with locals around the world, they say, is the fact that they actually shoot the program themselves, without the need of a traditional TV production crew. Which they say not only makes their show incredibly unique, but gives their show a grounded, real-world style of storytelling that is more organic and more authentic.

“We don’t have a director and a field producer and a sound person and all that,” said Dusty. “It’s just the two of us, shooting the show entirely on the fly and entirely in the moment. It’s completely experiential. We don’t rehearse or script anything or know what might happen on any given day. Which makes it a tremendous challenge of course. But at the same time, because we look like a couple of regular tourists, we can blend into a place extremely well and not damage the authenticity of a scene or an interview with the kind of attention that a big TV crew can bring. So it’s all very real, and all very heartfelt.”

And season four represents another milestone for the Greens, whose dream of traveling the world and producing Two for the Road was born in 2007, when at the age of 35 the couple quit their jobs, sold all their possessions and decided to hit the road on a one-way ticket to South America, cameras in hand. In the years since the couple has traveled to roughly 50 countries across six continents, they’ve been nominated for three Lone Star Emmy awards, and they have a growing nationwide audience on public television. And it is today, just as it’s always been: just the two of them.

In addition to filming the show themselves, the couple also writes, edits, produces and markets the show from their home in the tiny hamlet of Howardwick, Texas, in the Texas Panhandle, where they were both born and raised. New York City is 1684 miles from Howardwick. Los Angeles is 1137 miles. And Howardwick’s population? 402. Plus or minus a few, they say. But the Greens say living out on the Texas plains not only helps keep them connected to their families (and the show is very much a family affair – the Greens actually credit their cat Willie Nelson as an associate producer at the end of each show), it also allows them to approach travel – and television production – from a unique perspective.

“I think it’s safe to say like a lot of folks in middle America especially we weren’t taught a great deal about other countries growing up,” said Dusty. “And very few of us have the means and/or the time to be able to travel the world. So I think it’s great to be able to share these fascinating and beautiful places and cultures through the wide eyes of a couple of small-town folks. We hope it’s relatable. And we hope that as we learn more about the world through our travels, that others do too. We think of what we do as both a privilege and a responsibility. And we take that very seriously.”

Having said that though, the Greens are already in pre-production for Two for the Road season five, which will be shot entirely here in the United States – a first for the show. A decision that they say was only partly dictated by the ongoing COVID pandemic and related travel restrictions.

“We’d actually been wanting to do a season of entirely domestic shows because there are truly so many incredible places to see and things to do right here in our own backyard,” said Nik. “We’d been thinking about that for season six, so COVID really just forced that to happen sooner than it might have otherwise. And that’s actually going to work out really well. We’re really excited! But right now season four is definitely the focus. And we can’t wait to get it out there.”

Two for the Road Season Four premieres on many public television stations beginning October 1, 2020. Contact your local public television station for airdates and times.