It's arrivederci Italy, and hola to Espana for Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan, who have revealed that the new third series of The Trip will take place in Spain.
In addition, the show will be moving from the BBC to Sky Atlantic, the channel where Coogan's comic creation Alan Partridge is due to start a new series of Mid Morning Matters tomorrow (Tuesday 20 February).
Rob Brydon confirmed in a tweet last week that another series of the hugely-popular show, which features the duo travelling about, visiting fine dining establishments, trading impressions and playing exaggerated versions of themselves, would be returning.
Now further details have been released, along with quotes from Coogan, Brydon and director Michael Winterbottom. There will be six episodes, with visits to Cantabria, the Basque region, Aragon, Rioja (we imagine there'll be a fair bit of vino blanco flowing there), Castile-La Mancha and Andalusia.
Steve Coogan said: “Having thought long and hard about yet another sojourn into culinary distractions and middle age, I have reluctantly agreed to Eviva Espana. I have a hole in my diary, there will be free food and accommodation and Rob Brydon is surprisingly good company. I also like Michael.”
Meanwhile, Rob Brydon, displaying a fine grasp of the perfunctory, said: “I’m looking forward to reuniting with Steve and Michael for The Trip to Spain.”
Michael Winterbottom added: “It has been more than three years since the last Trip, and travelling with Rob and Steve is always enjoyable – so it seemed like a good idea to go on another journey together – before they get too old.”
Zai Bennett, Director of Sky Atlantic, presumably trying not to gloat too much about pinching the show from the BBC, added: “The Trip is as close to perfection as you get in comedy. It’s a rare chance to watch comic masters, totally authoring their work with creative freedom. It’s an absolutely perfect fit for Sky Atlantic. We are very happy to ensure that this award-winning comedy will continue building on the channel’s relationships with Steve, Rob and Revolution Films showcasing our continued investment in top-flight original comedy.”
Will there be more Michael Caine impressions? There'd better be, that's all we're saying.
