adi-59541 I'm always on the lookout for comedy series to entertain me during my short lunch break whilst sat in my little office on my own far from civilisation. So far.. Green Wing, Mitchell and Webb, the excellent Big Train, the surreal Garth Marenghis Darkplace, The Great Outdoors, and others have stood the test of my thirty minute sandwich break.This time, its 'The Trip' , and I don't expect to get through it, as its already becoming tedious after three episodes. This is clearly nothing more than a marketing gimmick for the restaurants involved.. its certainly not a comedy. Its basically Rob and Steve sat at a table, doing impressions, and that's as far as the plot goes. They're not comedy impressions though, just regular, everyday impressions. The type of impressions that impressionists with no comedy talent (such as Alistair McGowan) think are funny... ie, they're not funny at all.The best thing about this series is actually the scenery that the UK has to offer. They go to some stunning locations and some nice hotels and restaurants. But, the restaurants clearly have some kind of marketing involvement going on here, as we are treated to full menu breakdowns, shots of the kitchens and chefs, history of said restaurant or hotel, and as yet, not a bad word to be said about any of them by Steve or Rob.Odd program.. sometimes uncomfortable viewing.. certainly not funny.

packoftwenty I thought I was a big Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon fan, until I saw this. I think the words 'self indulgent' spring to mind, and not just on the part of Coogan and Brydon, but the idiotic 'just out of university' camera man and director. My god - was it really necessary to show stupid, wavering close up shots, over the shoulder of Brydon, of his plate, as if to point out for the more intellectually challenged amongst us, what he was eating? The whole thing is just painful to watch, I haven't laughed once, nor even felt like laughing. Who actually enjoys this rubbish? When you compare this to Paul and Pauline Calf, or The Alan Partridge Show, you wonder if this is the same man. I kept waiting for things to improve. Maybe the strange bitterness that Coogan exudes throughout would drop off, but no. And yet more typical 'BBC' direction and camera work, it's simply unbearable. Stupid shots of the motorway, as if to point out "Yes, we know that you must know by now that they are driving on a motorway, but we're going to provide some more obscure shots of a random motorway just to drive that point home."And the sickening shots around 19" into the first episode, where Coogan speaks to his agent... how predictable - the shot from the side, from another office, from in front, cutting from Coogan to yet another random view of his agent. Is this supposed to be 'art' or 'clever'?I can't believe this pile of rubbish actually got made. I can't believe it was actually broadcast. Hang on. I CAN believe it got made, and that it got broadcast, because the BBC is run by a bunch of self congratulating left wing nutcases, who are so used to lying to the entire country, that lying to each other is second nature, so of course a load of old twaddle can get through with flying colours - after all, nobody wants to say that the emperor is naked.As far as I can tell, Coogan has lost it. His 'Alan Partridge Mid Morning Matters' are also completely unfunny - just him, 'being' Alan Partridge, but not being remotely amusing...

Jason-Boulton Words cannot describe how wonderful this comedy is. Steve Coogan has moved up to genius with his wonderful portrayal of 'himself?'. Sad and bitter he feels the world still doesn't appreciate him for the genius he is. The self depreciation is wonderful as is his partner in these adventures Rob whose everlasting cheerfulness and wish to truly help Steve stop worrying about things and just enjoy the comedy he can give to people. I will never tire of 'Whaddyagot' Pacino and 'Mr Chrissssstian' Hopkins from Rob and Steve's bored look as he delivers these lines week in week out.Finest comedy moment - almost to a Chaplin level of pathos - Steve Coogan's vain attempts to recreate in a hotel room mirror Robs 'Man in a Box'. True genius. 30 minutes each week of unbelievable terrific comedy snuck away on BBC2 at 10pm. I have rewatched each episode several times on iplayer and will get the DVD when released. This is one to mention up there with the best and please please watch as many episodes whilst you can. Genius - nothing more or less. Congratulations to all concerned.

mutewitness76 This is the second time that Coogan and Brydon have played semi-fictional versions of themselves on screen together. The first being in the enjoyable full length feature A Cock and Bull Story in 2005 which, like this series was directed by Michael Winterbottom.This series of six half hour vignettes follows Steve and Rob as they tour the north of England visiting top-end restaurants under the auspices that Coogan is writing a review on each establishment for a broad-sheet national paper. I think it's well known that Coogan and Brydon are long-time friends and Steve's Production Company Little Cow Productions (a reference to his popular comic creations Paul and Pauline Calf) has produced a number of Brydon's TV shows. Personally I am a big fan of both men but ultimately that meant that I went into this with high expectations. I was not let down.The key words which keep coming to mind throughout this series are 'subtlety' and 'reality'. The main comedic platforms of the series are the mostly improvised conversations the two men share whilst eating their extended lunches. These interplays tend to descend into ego-fuelled, petty verbal sparring and competitive point scoring. Both men are well known for their spectrum of impressions of famous, mostly British celebrities (Coogan started his career voicing many of the puppets on Spitting Image, the satirical comedy show of the 1980's) We are told at the start that Coogan has invited Brydon because Coogan's companion of choice, his ex-girlfriend is in L.A and others who he has asked have said no. This theme that Brydon is a late stand-in is repeated and referenced throughout the series and is the fundamental dynamic running through most of their time together.What's particularly wonderful about these interactions are the hints at underlying historical frustrations the two men feel towards one another as they try to win a series of mini verbal victories, very often whilst in the character of the celebrity they are impersonating. It makes for some really amusing and genuinely funny viewing.Throughout the piece there are references to well known rumours about the two men. In particular the image of Coogan as an insecure rather clumsy sex-addicted womaniser who struggles with his own professional achievements set against his much publicised history of indulging in excessive drink and drugs. He also references the frustrations he encounters as he tries to gain mainstream acceptance as a bonafide leading actor in Hollywood. Sending themselves up and playing out the characters that the media portrays them as having is a very clever (and I suspect cathartic) way of making light of those very same stereotypes. Brydon portrays himself as a less complicated family man who more often than not defers to Coogan in the heat of witty combat (perhaps because Coogan is paying the bill for each meal and paying Brydon to join him on the trip). He appears to play the reluctant apprentice to Coogan's Master and in doing so he comes across as the more grounded and likable of the two main characters. Coogan, playing the slightly bitter and unfulfilled alpha male regularly reminds Brydon that on paper he is the more successful performer. Brydon's need to constantly communicate in the guise of one his characterisations, disguising his often clever and sometimes cutting observations clearly annoys Coogan. We get the impression that Coogan looks down on Brydon because he so readily jumps into character to impress or amuse, almost as a social defence mechanism. Coogan on the other hand is too cool to need to do this and it's very evident in way he reacts to Brydon's mimicry. The dynamic of the contempt/respect relationship that the two play out is both brilliant and sharp. Playing oneself on screen must be very difficult and in this series the line between reality and fiction is deliberately and wonderfully blurred. One genuinely gets the feeling that this is not far away from how these two friends might interact in real-life although one hopes with a little less ego-driven competitiveness. Apart from the restaurant settings, we see Rob and Steve visit local historical places of interest such as Samuel Coleridge's home and the verbal point scoring is not restricted just to the dinner table. It is whilst the two men tour the countryside in Steve's Range Rover that we get to see some breath-taking scenery and if I was feeling a little more pretentious I would say something about this part being a visual love-letter from the Lancastrians Coogan and Winterbottom to their beloved North of England.This is hugely rewarding television and I can not recommend it highly enough.