DOC - Oh My Beautiful Country: Journey to the West
Documentary Series
Title: Oh My Beautiful Country: Journey to the West
Project Status: In Development
Logline
An American photojournalist who bicycled across China during the Covid pandemic sets out to rediscover his homeland's beauty, kindness, and grace together with a handful of Chinese cyclists. Cycling in pairs with bi-lingual Americans, we will film Chinese-American communities, liberal & conservative cities, and diverse U.S. towns in between - only to find belonging to multicultural tribes is also our way home.
Synopsis
Imagine teams of American and Chinese bicyclists riding together through the USA’s heartland during the nation’s 250th anniversary summer rather than the “Coming war with China.”
Led by photojournalist and documentary filmmaker Peter Sherman Crosby, this U.S. TV series is companion to Peter’s 4-hour cross-China series broadcast on National Geographic TV / Asia, China Global TV Network, and Bytedance Video in 2021-2022 - and watched by millions.
Chinese bicyclists will be selected by competitive process televised in China. American cyclists will be selected from US bike clubs and US-China friendship groups by social media lottery.
Cycling in bi-lingual relay pairs, the 3,400-mile journey will test endurance, patience, humor, and nonviolent communication skills. Teams will explore the USA’s ideals, diverse cultures, and communities across the political spectrum through semi-quincentennial celebrations, RV life, campfire debates and s’mores.
This TV series is a hybrid of non-scripted documentary and reality TV comparable to The Amazing Race, United Shades of America, and Bourdain‘s Parts Unknown.
Starting with historic U.S. eastern capitals, cycling west through rural midwestern states on the Great American Rail Trail, then biking the first transcontinental railroad bed from Iowa to California. Along the way, teams will join charity cycling events, dragon boat races, motorcycle rallies, and spontaneous adventures.
In-depth location and character scouting of this cross-country route is completed, filmed, and now being published as a 13-part YouTube pilot series to build audience, brand, and partnerships: https://youtu.be/GU5vFjXHIng
Oh My Beautiful Country is the series name because the most common name for the USA in the Chinese language is Meî Guó (美国), beautiful country. Our team will live, document, and share that and more.
Additional Project Information
In 2021, Peter co-produced and starred in a 4-hour TV series about his bicycling across China twice that was broadcast on China Global TV Network, National GeographicTV/Asia, and online via Bytedance Video. But let’s go back to the beginning…
Peter started photographing China in 1987 while riding ponies with Tibetan yak herders on assignment for the LA Times. He fell in love with the curiosity, generosity, and hard work percolating in the People’s Republic.
Then, Peter enrolled in Beijing Film Academy in 1993 to study Chinese and filmmaking. He was fascinated by Chinese films like Farewell My Concubine and Raise the Red Lantern, but his primary goal was to prepare for adventure.
In 1994, Peter cycled 2,855 kilometers from Beijing to Hong Kong on a Flying Pigeon bicycle through dusty cities under construction and rural villages harvesting corn. Peter’s 10,000 photographs and 80 hours of hi-8 video from that journey were featured in a National Geographic TV documentary called Biking the Dragon.
When Peter returned to China – 20 years later – he was shocked, proud, and enchanted to explore the new China Dream. He found old friends who encouraged him to follow up his big 1994 adventure and document the changes.
So Peter moved to Beijing, worked with creative documentary director Zhang Nan, and partnered with Shanghai Media and National Geographic/ Asia to plan his second ride across China with a full film crew.
Then Covid hit, the USA went crazy, and Peter has been documenting these China-USA dynamics ever since….
Team
Peter Sherman Crosby: Executive Producer, cameras, cyclist, and principle talent. Project creator responsible for
Nan Zhang: Renown Chinese documentary film/TV Director who may manage content pre-production, filming, & editing for China cyclist selection process and China-safe TV versions.
LuYao Zhang: Experience Chinese TV Director educated in USA who may manage location production and episode content direction.
Financials
To date...
Exec Producer: $80k funding for R&D, location scouting, pilot series, and marketing
Crowd-funding: $40k in process for pilot series completion, 2026 development, & fundraising
Seeking...
Seeking
Seeking: TV Showrunner, Producing Partners, Development Funds, Investors, Distribution, Marketing. Completion Funds for pilot series post-production & YouTube audience building.
Rights Available
All rights available.
Project Website
Contact
Peter Sherman Crosby, AllTogetherNow Media LLC LLC
peter@alltogethernow.com
650-533-3313