It's all astonishing, unbelievable, sublime, savage, quite overpowering. She flirts with vikings, paints a bit, and gushes an awful lot, as she journeys north. Sometimes it's hard to know when she's being sincere or a bit mischievous, but I don't think any of the people - well, men - she meets mind being teased a bit by Joanna Lumley. 'Fish facts are fascinating,' purrs Joanna. The locals use them to forecast the weather, apparently. And she doesn't look like a cod at all, though she does find a dried one, hanging in her room, in a place called Å (pronounced Or). You can name a whole bunch of stuff that Joanna Lumley's been in, and there's a reason for that: she's fabulous, dead glam, a bit mad, and very funny. There's something in her trip that was lacking in the other: a point.īut the main reason this one works as television is simpler still: the traveller herself. In fact, her whole trip - northwards, up Norway - has a story to it: a lifelong longing to see the northern lights, a children's storybook, a penguin called Ponny. But actually, Joanna's suitcase isn't just stunning, like Charley's it has a story to it, involving childhood, red paint, and quaysides in tropical ports.

Joanna's even got the requisite leather suitcase. Another bloody actor goes on a self-indulgent holiday with a film crew. Ireland to Sydney, what's that about? What's any of it about?Īnd look, here's another, straight afterwards, Joanna Lumley: In the Land of the Northern Lights (BBC1, Sunday). Eh? Oh, so they can come back to England for more goodbyes and hugs, before setting off again, for Sydney. Ewan drops by - for a really big hug.Īnd then, finally, Charley and his new non-movie-star pals set off. There are dozens of people to thank, hug, and say 'I love you' to, and then hug again. He gets a handsome leather suitcase, from his friend Richard. He learns how to ride a horse, and sail a boat, and drive a steam train - presumably so that if he's travelling somewhere remote on a steam train, possibly Tibet, and the driver drops dead or kind of has his steam train taken away from him, then Charley can step in. 'It's kind of a country that's been taken away from them, really.' 'I feel sorry for the Tibetans really,' he says, humanely. Occasionally he will get involved, especially if it's on a matter of international politics. Charley skateboards round his office, while his team of people try to sort out visas and stuff. Actually, because this is the first one (of six!), it's mostly about the preparations. Heavens knows why - I think it's simply about boys trying out as many toys as possible. Which means a scallop trawler, a Routemaster, an old Land-Rover, a lifeboat.

Ireland to sydney by any means