The concept was created by Alex Boylan, Emmy-nominated editor and director Zsolt Luka, and Burton Roberts, who was also the producer of Camp Reality and was a cast member on Survivor: Pearl Islands.

[3] Relying on strangers' kindness, Boylan and Luka visited 16 countries including the United States, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Trinidad & Tobago, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, India, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam on four continents over a period of 159 days and logged 45,000 miles.

In July 2009 Sony Entertainment Television (South Africa) brings the show to Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe.

Alex Boylan announced that season 2 would start filming that summer with a new host, Big Brother and The Amazing Race alum Jeff Schroeder.

Shallow has visited 12 countries, including United States, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Guyana, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Kenya.