WHY JUST WATCH THE MOVIE WHEN YOU CAN LIVE IT?

TRAVEL CHANNEL’S ‘TRIP FLIP’ HOST BERT KREISCHER SURPRISES TWO J.R.R. TOLKIEN SUPER FANS WITH THE ULTIMATE ‘HOBBIT’ EXPERIENCE – A JOURNEY TO THE REAL MIDDLE EARTH, COMPLETE WITH AN OSCAR-WORTHY SURPRISE!

One-Hour Special “Trip Flip: A Hobbit Adventure in Middle Earth” Premieres

Sunday, December 14 at 8:00 pm ET/PT

Left to right: Host Bert Kreischer dons a Gandalf costume; Peter Jackson surprises ‘Trip Flip’ travelers Cynthia and Agustin; Traveler Agustin explores Hobbiton

On Sunday, December 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT, just a few days before the debut of the next feature film, Travel Channel premieres “Trip Flip: A Hobbit Adventure in Middle Earth,” a one-hour special that surprises a pair of lucky J.R.R. Tolkien super fans with the ultimate Hobbit experience in the real Middle Earth – New Zealand. In “Trip Flip,” host Bert Kreischer will try just about anything – and he’s looking for adventurous travelers to join him. At San Diego’s ComiCon, he finds the perfect twosome – Agustin and Cynthia.

The California couple is blown away by a week filled with all things Hobbit, immersing themselves in the iconic locales of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit movie trilogy. The couple crosses off a bucket list item when they herd Merino sheep that produce the same high-quality wool used to make Gandalf’s costume. Each day is jam-packed with fantastical activities from the film, including: rappelling into Waitomo Caves, where some of the audio was recorded for Gollum; dining on lamb and field greens at Beorn’s house, the shape-shifting character; trekking amongst the Shire’s Hobbit holes; and an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Weta Workshop special effects studio…with a Gandalf-garbed Kreischer and the founder and creative director of Weta as their guides! Dropped into the actual milieu of these mega-movies, the action never stops with surprise after surprise. The final reveal for this blockbuster adventure is, quite literally, Oscar worthy!

  

BERT KREISCHER, Host of “Trip Flip”       

Bert Kreischer is a comedian, author and – since his college days – has mastered the art of fun.  For the past 15 years, he has been entertaining audiences throughout the world as he journeys from city to city with his unique brand of comedy.  Kreischer found his way to Travel Channel in 2009 and stands among the Network’s most popular hosts.  He is currently the host of Travel Channel’s series “Trip Flip,” which features Kreischer as he takes two people on a spontaneous surprise adventure.  As a professional fun seeker, Kreischer delivers an action-packed and customized itinerary stacked with the kind of VIP-access, accommodations, gourmet food, unexpected twists and celebrity appearances that only Travel Channel can deliver.

When Kreischer is not passionately discovering local adventures, traditions and thrills for Travel Channel, viewers can find him touring comedy clubs and colleges throughout the United States.  Prior to becoming Travel Channel’s adventure-seeker on his first series for the network, “Bert the Conqueror,” Kreischer began his career at the Boston Comedy Club.  His hilarious storytelling grabbed the attention of Hollywood A-lister Will Smith, who signed him to a television development deal.  He has co-hosted FX’s “The X Show” and made his acting debut starring in the CBS/20th Century Fox pilot, “Life with David J'’ with Elliot Gould.  Kreischer had his own stand up special, “Bert Kreischer: Comfortably Dumb,” and hosted Spike TV's “Fresh Baked Video Games.”  His numerous television appearances include Comedy Central’s “Shorties Watchin’ Shorties,” FX's “Hurt Bert” and “The Shield,” and NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.” Kreischer has also guested on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Late Show with David Letterman” and “The Rachael Ray Show.”

Most recently, Kreischer penned the book, Life of the Party (St. Martin’s Press; on-sale May 27, 2014). A guidebook on how not to grow up, Kreischer shares some of his most outrageous stories and more. From his fraternity days, to his rise as a standup, to his marriage and first brushes with fatherhood, Kreischer takes readers down a path that may not be mature, but will be fun and guaranteed to make your jaw drop.

A Florida native, Kreischer attended Florida State University.  He currently resides in Los Angeles, California

ABOUT “TRIP FLIP”

In Travel Chanel’s heart-pumping original series “Trip Flip,” professional fun-seeker Bert Kreischer finds two random people and gets them to spontaneously agree to a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Kreischer delivers an action-packed and customized itinerary stacked with the kind of VIP-access, one-of-a-kind accommodations, mouthwatering food, and unexpected twists that only Travel Channel can deliver. And forget about guidebooks and tour buses, because every “Trip Flip” veers off the beaten path in surprising ways large and small, giving each couple the unforgettable experiences that inspire us all to travel in the first place.