Legendary rocker and his son embark on a world history tour
|||BY DEBASHINE THANGEVELO
THE OSBOURNES are no strangers to reality TV or making headlines for their shenanigans. Jack Osbourne, a father of two, has been more in the news for his health after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Meanwhile, his Black Sabbath singer dad, Ozzy, has made many headlines pertaining to his drug and alcohol abuse, which has put immense strain on his marriage to Sharon.
This family are known for taking fame, controversy and success in their stride. Now the father and son make their return to TV. This time Jack, who is fascinated by history, ropes his dad into a road trip and they visit iconic spots like Mount Rushmore, Stonehenge, The Alamo, Roswell, The Jamestown Settlement and Sun Studios. They also meet myriad experts along the way.
In an interview, Jack explains the genesis of the series. “I’ve been working in TV since The Osbournes. I had a TV show in England called Adrenalin Junkie for, like, five years. And I’ve done some stuff in America. I had a discussion with a woman I worked with who is a TV producer. We were just discussing ideas and she was like: ‘Hey, what about doing a history show with you and your dad?’ I was like: ‘It will never happen; my dad doesn’t like doing TV’. When I asked my dad a couple of weeks later, to my surprise, he was like: ‘Yes, I’ll do that; that sounds fun.’”
A few weeks later, a few networks expressed interest in the show.Jack reveals: “He (Ozzy) was really excited at first. He was really involved and helped us think about where we were going and what we were doing.”
Of course, when the time came for them to actually hit the road, the reaction was not as promising. Jack admits: “There was a bit of hesitation, but once it got going, he put on his work hat and off he went. My dad is used to operating in a certain level of comfort that you don’t have working in this kind of TV (show). There were no private planes and a bunch of people to run after him. So it was a bit of an adjustment for him.”
He hints that some of the funniest moments weren’t on camera. Jack offers: “My dad is really sarcastic and makes really inappropriate jokes at times. There is a lot of stuff that we just couldn’t put on the air. Every night at dinner with the crew and us was pretty funny. My dad liked pulling pranks on the crew.”
On how his historical knowledge compares to visiting the places he has gleaned so much about, he points out: “Obviously, when you research history and read about stuff on the internet, or at school, or whatever, it’s a limited view. When we go to these places, talk with the experts and ask questions... that you can’t get with a book.”
There are no long treks or any tasks that were physically exhausting as it would detract from the main objective of the show. As for Jack’s TV plans going forward, he offers: “I produce the show as well. I have a TV production company and I produce other shows. I’ve been doing that for five years. I’ve worked in television since I was 15. When it comes to work, it’s all I know.”
While Ozzy reveals his funny side, he also astounds Jack with his knowledge in this perfect father-and-son bonding reality series.
• Ozzy and Jack’s World Detour, History (DStv channel 186), Tuesdays, 8.30pm.