Paddy and Chris: Road Tripping review: Life after Top Gear doesn’t look good
What does the future hold for the presenters of Top Gear? Freddie Flintoff, whose life-altering accident resulted in the BBC pausing its popular car show for an indefinite time, demonstrated that there is indeed life beyond it with his touching and remarkable follow-up to Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams. Unfortunately, co-hosts Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris haven’t experienced the same success with their new BBC venture, Paddy and Chris: Road Tripping.
If the title of their new series hinted at something similar to the original Top Gear trio's show, The Grand Tour, car enthusiasts might have felt let down. Although it was indeed a road trip, the focus was less on cars as McGuinness and Harris traveled through different European nations looking for the key to a long, healthy, and happy life. "We've chosen to confront aging directly," as McGuinness described it, which is a somewhat ironic choice of words considering Top Gear's history of mishaps.
McGuinness had just celebrated his 50th birthday, and Harris was only a year away from reaching that age, but it still felt like a flimsy reason to send them out on the road. It came across more as a half-hearted attempt at job creation.
Their initial destination was Sweden, known for its flat-pack furniture and Abba, giving them a glimpse into Scandinavian culture. They kicked things off by joining a group of pixelated naked male retirees in a sauna, followed by an outdoor fitness session with a triathlete named Jonas, which included chopping wood and tossing stones. They both found it far more enjoyable than working out in a gym.
Things took a turn towards the comedic as Rob and Romesh found themselves taking part in activities well outside their comfort zone, reminiscent of the Sky series where they tackle various challenges. They even participated in an ice hockey match alongside professional players. The duo further encroached upon Travel Man territory by hopping on a big dipper at an amusement park in Gothenburg, justifying their antics with the claim that "having fun boosts your immune system." The show blended elements from various travel series to such an extent that by the time they got around to tasting seaweed, it wouldn't have shocked me if Joanna Lumley popped up to join them.
The presenters only seemed truly interested when Harris began to rave about the 23-year-old Volvo V70 they were driving. He praised the car's "well-placed pedals" and its distinctive "five-cylinder roar," but McGuinness quickly interrupted him. "You need to cut that out on this trip… we have a different audience." Is that really the case? I anticipate there’s quite a bit of overlap between their viewers and those of Top Gear, especially at first, since dedicated car enthusiasts might not stick around for long.
While reflecting on their thoughts about growing older and insisting they were enjoying themselves, I couldn't help but think of the much better show, Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. There's a reason why duos of comedians excel in this format – they play off each other's energy. McGuinness, who is a comedian, and Harris, who isn't, managed to share a few laughs with their light-hearted banter, especially when they debated the difference between "arse" and "anus." However, their antics on screen didn’t quite generate any real laughter for me.
McGuinness maintained a peculiar focus on private body parts during his time with professional ice hockey players. While showering, he remarked, "I've never seen so much male nudity as I did in Sweden." Harris chimed in with his disbelief, saying, "I can’t believe I went from trying out Lamborghinis to sharing a shower with McGuinness." He clearly wasn't the only one feeling this way.
"Paddy and Chris: Road Tripping" will return next Sunday at 8 PM on BBC One.
