The Trip

[Lucia Lanigan]

The Trip

Of course it's intentionally absurd, but having lived on both sides of the river I have noticed a marked difference on that front. There simply is more visible cultural activity north of the river; more fashiony and culture-vulture types, too. And the rich of Islington or Shoreditch differ on the whole from the rich of Clapham or Wimbledon; I wouldn't have thought that's a particularly bold or controversial statement.

Toro: lets demote Stockwell from 'hellishly expensive' to 'too expensive for creative types to operate comfortably from' then. Ten years ago rents there were generally low enough that they could do so.

[Spearmint Rhino]

The Trip

Bored of Education wrote:

You see on the occasions I've met Brydon he's been pretty quiet and self-effacing. It came up that I'd seen his show in in my home town (which was near enough a homecoming gig for him) and he said "Why did you do that?" as if the idea of someone going to one of his gigs was peculiar.

Don't get me wrong, he was doing the "Back To Me" thing because he was self aware (and self effacing) enough to know that he was playing up to people's idea of him, much like Coogan is doing in "The Trip". My fault, I made it sound like he was more like Coogan's character than Coogan himself.

It shows how unimpressive and parochial this bit of name-dropping is that my, your's, Ruth Jones and Brydon's hometown is the same. Well, Brydon went to school there.

Actually, when he said about all the people who came from Port Talbot, it is amazing when you think about it.

Rob Brydon's Wikipedia entry mostly links him to Swansea, but that's fair enough really, isn't it? Swansea, Porthcawl, more or less the same thing.

[Spearmint Rhino]

The Trip

Harry Truscott wrote:

Coogan's slightly wistful discussion with his son about how long he and Brydon had been friends.

I thought the point of that was that "Wow, eleven years!!!" is an unimaginably long time to a teenager, but to a grown-up it's just "Yeah, I suppose it is..."

Like, the other day I realised I'd been friends with Purves Grundy long enough that we got pissed on Brett Anderson's champagne after a gig when Suede were very much a going concern, and here we are doing it again, Suede having split up, gone away for seven years and come back. Blink of an eye to an adult.

[Bored Of Education]

The Trip

Rob Brydon's Wikipedia entry mostly links him to Swansea, but that's fair enough really, isn't it? Swansea, Porthcawl, more or less the same thing

He's from Port Talbot and went to Porthcawl Comp for the last two years of school. He is vaguely a Jack supporter.

[meregreen]

The Trip

Lucia Lanigan wrote:

Of course it's intentionally absurd, but having lived on both sides of the river I have noticed a marked difference on that front. There simply is more visible cultural activity north of the river; more fashiony and culture-vulture types, too. And the rich of Islington or Shoreditch differ on the whole from the rich of Clapham or Wimbledon; I wouldn't have thought that's a particularly bold or controversial statement.

You're not really comparing like with like though, are you. Why not compare Clapham and Wimbledon with Fulham and Kensington? If you compared Peckham and Brixton to Ealing and Enfield you'd deduce that south London was more arty? But, it's all fairly arbitrary.

I would say though that a place like Southwark, which has Camberwell Art School, several galleries and studios, and whose council has spent heavily on public art in the past decade (we have Anthony Gormley-designed traffic bollards, nah nah nah, nah!), is more likely to be a an artier place than those areas that don't have these elements. The geographical location is irrelevant.

[Lucia Lanigan]

The Trip

It doesn't matter, meregreen. We were discussing how the Shoreditch phenomenon comes about, not whether Shoreditch-y places are preferable to non-Shoreditch-y places (A: no, obviously!). I even said up there that Camberwell and New Cross have had the good arty stuff happening for years without the attendant media glare.

One of the best things about my favourite parts of South London is exactly what you describe: they've got good stuff going on without the attendant hype and hyper inflation; it makes them more sustainable. The attendant downside of that is that people often don't know about them or visit.

[hobbes]

The Trip

I would say though that a place like Southwark, which has Camberwell Art School, several galleries and studios, and whose council has spent heavily on public art in the past decade (we have Anthony Gormley-designed traffic bollards, nah nah nah, nah!), is more likely to be a an artier place than those areas that don't have these elements. The geographical location is irrelevant.

That part of Southwark is honorary North London anyway. Even where I live is further north than Victoria.

[Ray de Galles]

The Trip

The DVD of this turned up last night ( I was not allowed to buy it when it came out as, having a birthday two weeks before Xmas, I am banned from shopping for the latter quarter of the year. No fucker got me it as a gift though) and the second disc of extras look predictably excellent.

I only made it through the 8 differing improvised takes of the "Gentlemen, to bed!" scene and the "Random Impressions" section before my wife told me I had to stop because it was gone midnight and my hooting with laughter was going to wake the children.

[RobW]

The Trip

Rob Brydon has confirmed via Twitter that a second series is going to be filmed soon, in Italy.

As much as I like the show, i'm not sure if it warrants 6 more episodes. In fact, one might say that filming a second series is an extreme measure...

[Ray de Galles]

The Trip

Fair play, Rob, You say at the start of the thread you thought the first series would wear thin and it didn't.

I am concerned that it won't reach the heights of the first series but then again I'm happy that Coogan and Brydon could sustain a series just riffing funnily in an otherwise empty room.

.

[Ray de Galles]

The Trip

The first promo for series two, I think.

I presume the edit that debuts at Sundance will be a movie-length cut as the US had for the first series. Frustratingly no mention of when we actually get it here.

[Ray de Galles]

The Trip

I was really worried that the new series wouldn't live up to the original one, I actually think it might have surpassed it.

[Bored Of Education]

The Trip

The Bale/Hardy skit was just excellent.

[Tony C]

The Trip

Harry Truscott wrote: I was really worried that the new series wouldn't live up to the original one, I actually think it might have surpassed it.

Agreed, I really enjoyed this.

It has a very warm, "shared experience" feel to it - a good friend of mine sent me a text saying how it reminded him of us talking "freestyle bollocks" when we were younger. It probably resonates similarly with a lot of people.

The Italian scenery doesn't harm the ambience, either.

[Jah Womble]

The Trip

Not sure how anyone can tell after just one show, tbh. As with series one, I found the opener amusing - and not hindered by the stunning backdrop - but am beginning to wonder just how long they can sustain this.

I'm not sure The Trip should be viewed as anything more than an entertaining diversion in the careers of both parties.

[Bored Of Education]

The Trip

I would be surprised if there was a third series. However, there seems to be a more poignant narrative added here - that of someone like Coogan realising that he can't be the birder forever - as seen in the hotel balcony scene. Actually, this scene was as good as the Bale/Hardy impressions. Obviously, it is picking up the thread from the end of the series one (and was possibly running through the whole series more than I remember). Coogan's teetotalism probably will be all linked up in it as well.

[Alderman Barnes]

The Trip

I like this. It's certainly got its moments.

The "The actor and comedian Steve Coogan" bit was brilliant.

[garcia]

The Trip

yeah i loved that. really loved the first series and the second run is shaping up well. i thought the second episode was better than the first.

[Giggler]

The Trip

Alderman Barnes wrote:
The "The actor and comedian Steve Coogan" bit was brilliant.

My girlfriend is a newsreader. She was howling as we watched that together.

[Jah Womble]

The Trip

That did amuse me, I must say.

[Bored Of Education]

The Trip

The only jarring moment tonight was the casting of Ronni Ancona as Brydon's agent. Nothing wrong with her, she's great but having a well-known actor playing a part (that isn't themselves) really jarred. I have a feeling that I know Brydon's fling from somewhere else but not so much that it stuck out.

Actually, I am not sure that Brydon's fleeting guilt about sleeping with Lucy did his character justice as the happily married man.

[dalliance]

The Trip

The one bit of the first season that really jarred for me was the failed Brydon pass on the Observer PR girl. He was set up as the anti-Coogan in every single way and that seemed to be an odd and out of character betrayal of the seemingly loving wife and family he had at home.

Interestingly when they put the whole season together to make it into a feature length film, this particular moment was edited out.

[Bored Of Education]

The Trip

Before this week's episode, I must mention that, while it wasn't as laugh-out-loud funny, last week's observation of how men get so competitive around women was excellent.

[Ray de Galles]

The Trip

Coogan and Brydon are permanently that competitive though.

If anything, the episodes where the PA and photographer turn up have been relative low points in both series partly because some of the edge between the two leads is lost.

[Bored Of Education]

The Trip

I liked it. It provided a nice bit of contrast for them to then set off on their own from.