John Gibbard

As the dust settles and the bright autumnal days descend into a more wintry gloaming, the only remedy is to start planning the sequel. It won’t be Italy, or Spain. As discussed in my earlier post, Italy is a less achievable facsimile. And Spain, the destination of the completed but un-aired third series, is entirely unknown.

It’s time to be brave. Original to a point but clearly derivative and domestic.

It’s an uncontroversial view to say that The Trip has a proven formula. Road trip + picturesque locations + fine restaurants and accommodation + a cultural (literary) thread. Surely that formula can be applied to any number of locations in the UK. It is not entirely subjective to say that the UK is blessed with beautiful landscapes, fine dining and a rich cultural narrative. It is perhaps also no coincidence to postulate that these things combine most happily in areas…