I love Bryson's books immensely. As a fellow American who has spent a few years living in Britain, he captures both cultures with wit and charm.
That said, this TV adaptation of his most popular book leaves something to be desired. It moves slowly, is nowhere near as funny as his books, and is far too subdued for my taste.
Part of the problem is that for a TV presenter, Bryson is a good author. He comes off as too bored, too bland...only occasionally does his true love for Britain shine through. Those moments that it does (episode three is the best example of this) are wonderful. The whole appeal of Bryson is the way he expresses his love for British culture with just enough detachment to be witty, and that is far too absent from this adaptation.
Still, as travelogues go, it's one of the better ones out there. It's a case of "better than the rest, not as good as it should have been." At least Bryson is willing to show us the "real Britain," not the tourism-centered part. He knows the places to explore and bring out the charm that most tourists miss. Too bad he's unable to couple it with the charm he finds on paper.
Cheers, mate.
That said, this TV adaptation of his most popular book leaves something to be desired. It moves slowly, is nowhere near as funny as his books, and is far too subdued for my taste.
Part of the problem is that for a TV presenter, Bryson is a good author. He comes off as too bored, too bland...only occasionally does his true love for Britain shine through. Those moments that it does (episode three is the best example of this) are wonderful. The whole appeal of Bryson is the way he expresses his love for British culture with just enough detachment to be witty, and that is far too absent from this adaptation.
Still, as travelogues go, it's one of the better ones out there. It's a case of "better than the rest, not as good as it should have been." At least Bryson is willing to show us the "real Britain," not the tourism-centered part. He knows the places to explore and bring out the charm that most tourists miss. Too bad he's unable to couple it with the charm he finds on paper.
Cheers, mate.
