The Trip (2010 TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Trip is a BAFTA award-winning television sitcom series which was first broadcast on BBC Two
and BBC HD
in the United Kingdom. The series stars Steve Coogan
and Rob Brydon
as fictionalised versions of themselves undertaking a restaurant tour of northern England
.
The six episode series, which is partly improvised, was first broadcast on Monday nights at 10:00pm on BBC Two starting on 1 November 2010. The series was edited into a feature film which premiered at the Toronto International Film festival in September 2010 and was released in the US by IFC Films in 2011.
. In an interview with The Guardian
, Steve Coogan said:
American girlfriend, Mischa, Steve Coogan has accepted a commission from The Observer
newspaper to go on a restaurant tour of the north of England. However, when Mischa (who was meant to accompany him on the trip) insists that they take a break from their relationship and returns to America, Steve is forced to invite colleague and friend-of-sorts Rob Brydon.
Throughout the series the two constantly bicker and attempt to undermine and outdo each other, especially in the presence of any attractive women they encounter. Steve has a number of one-night stands but is increasingly revealed to be in a rut both professionally and personally: at one point – as Steve gets stuck attempting to cross a river using a series of stepping stones
– Rob shouts out to him, "You're stuck in a metaphor!"
The competitive atmosphere between the two is occasionally broken by passages of amicable and spontaneous comic improvisation, with each riffing off the other's ideas.
saying that "on paper, The Trip sounds bloody awful: a cosy, luvvie giant in-joke for Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon", but goes on to describe it as "completely brilliant" and "hilarious", while Brian Viner of The Independent
said, "There's been precious little else on the box these last few years that has got my wife and me shedding big fat tears of laughter, but The Trip never fails to oblige. I love it for its originality and its daring." John Crace of The Guardian
described the show as "one of the funniest things on TV".
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
and BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
in the United Kingdom. The series stars Steve Coogan
Steve Coogan
Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...
and Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
as fictionalised versions of themselves undertaking a restaurant tour of northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
.
The six episode series, which is partly improvised, was first broadcast on Monday nights at 10:00pm on BBC Two starting on 1 November 2010. The series was edited into a feature film which premiered at the Toronto International Film festival in September 2010 and was released in the US by IFC Films in 2011.
Origins
Coogan and Brydon's roles as fictionalised versions of themselves are a continuation of their performances in the Michael Winterbottom-directed A Cock and Bull StoryA Cock and Bull Story
A Cock and Bull Story is a 2006 British comedy film directed by Michael Winterbottom...
. In an interview with The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Steve Coogan said:
Premise and plot
In an effort to impress his gourmandGourmand
A gourmand is a person who takes great pleasure in food. The word has different connotations from the similar word gourmet, which emphasises an individual with a highly refined discerning palate, but in practice the two terms are closely linked, as both imply the enjoyment of good food.An older...
American girlfriend, Mischa, Steve Coogan has accepted a commission from The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
newspaper to go on a restaurant tour of the north of England. However, when Mischa (who was meant to accompany him on the trip) insists that they take a break from their relationship and returns to America, Steve is forced to invite colleague and friend-of-sorts Rob Brydon.
Throughout the series the two constantly bicker and attempt to undermine and outdo each other, especially in the presence of any attractive women they encounter. Steve has a number of one-night stands but is increasingly revealed to be in a rut both professionally and personally: at one point – as Steve gets stuck attempting to cross a river using a series of stepping stones
Step-stone bridge
A Step-stone bridge is a simple bridging allowing a pedestrian to cross a natural watercourse or pond, or a garden's water feature where water is allowed to course between stone steps. Unlike other bridges it has no spans. Step-stone bridges, along with log bridges are likely to be the oldest...
– Rob shouts out to him, "You're stuck in a metaphor!"
The competitive atmosphere between the two is occasionally broken by passages of amicable and spontaneous comic improvisation, with each riffing off the other's ideas.
Reception
The series has received mostly favourable reviews, with Andrea Mullaney of The ScotsmanThe Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
saying that "on paper, The Trip sounds bloody awful: a cosy, luvvie giant in-joke for Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon", but goes on to describe it as "completely brilliant" and "hilarious", while Brian Viner of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
said, "There's been precious little else on the box these last few years that has got my wife and me shedding big fat tears of laughter, but The Trip never fails to oblige. I love it for its originality and its daring." John Crace of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
described the show as "one of the funniest things on TV".
Awards
The Trip was nominated for the 2011 BAFTA Television Award for Best Situation Comedy, and Steve Coogan won the award for Best Male Comedy Performance.Episodes
| Number | Title | Airdate | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Inn at Whitewell Whitewell Whitewell is a hamlet within the Ribble Valley borough of Lancashire, England, in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Historically, it lay on the border of the former West Riding of Yorkshire. It stands above a picturesque bend in the River Hodder.The hamlet comprises Upper... " |
1 November 2010 | 2.300 million (10.3%) |
| 2 | "L'Enclume L'Enclume L'Enclume is a restaurant located in Cartmel, Cumbria, England. In 2008, the restaurant held one star in the Michelin Guide.... " |
8 November 2010 | 1.539 million (7.5%) |
| 3 | "Holbeck Ghyll Holbeck Ghyll Holbeck Ghyll is a restaurant located in Windermere, Cumbria, England. , the restaurant holds one star in the Michelin Guide."The late 19th century building was once Lord Lonsdale's hunting lodge and only became a hotel in the 1970s... " |
15 November 2010 | 1.35 million (6.5%) |
| 4 | "Hipping Hall Hipping Hall Hipping Hall is a country house hotel on the border of Lancashire, Cumbria and North Yorkshire, near Kirkby Lonsdale.Opened in 2005 by chemist-turned-hotelier Andrew Wildsmith, the five-star retreat dates back to the 15th Century and has nine bedrooms and a two AA rosette restaurant serving a ... " |
22 November 2010 | 1.199 million (5.6%) |
| 5 | "The Yorke Arms Yorke Arms The Yorke Arms is a restaurant located in Ramsgill in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire, England. , the restaurant holds one star in the Michelin Guide.... " |
29 November 2010 | 1.234 million (5.6%) |
| 6 | "The Angel at Hetton Hetton Hetton is a small dales village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England, situated 6 miles north of Skipton.Nearby places include Rylstone, Cracoe, Flasby, Threapland and Winterburn. It also houses Hetton Amateur Swimming Club, who are based at the Hetton Sports Centre.... " |
6 December 2010 | 1.077 million (5%) |
External links
- BAFTA Interview with Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon and Andrew Eaton recorded at Latitude Festival 2011