We need a new kind of travel TV program

I am a fan of the travel shows on public broadcasting like those of Rick Steves and Rudy Maxa, but I would love to have series that would be directed to more serious travelers. They might be the television equivalent of the CIA World Factbook (or indeed a streaming video version of the Factbook). They would serve the business man planning a visit to a foreign country to explore business opportunities, or as the first step in the briefing of a diplomat or Peace Corps volunteer about to be assigned to a country.

Think about series of programs devoted to South American nations, the "stans" of Central Asia, East Africa or West Africa. What would an hour long program contain?

• A brief historical statement of why the country exists in its current form.
• The geography: where the country is on the globe, a map with major cities and views of the different ecological zones.
• The population: How many people live in the country? What is the age distribution? How is the country divided among ethnic, religious and other groupings.
• The economy: Is the country rich or poor? How extreme is the distribution of incomes? What are the chief products?
• Politics: The form of government, levels of democracy, and political dynamics.

Instead of interviewing travel guides and chefs, the program would interview former Prime Ministers and university presidents.

I would hope there would be an audience interested in watching such series, and I think there might be a continuing market for DVDs or online versions of such documentaries.

Think about how much one could learn about the world spending an hour a night, weekdays, for a year, watching such a series!