2 Men Eating



The Trip is a witty 6-part series featuring British comics Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon that's just wrapped on BBC Two. In it, Coogan {who appears to play a character loosely based on, well, Steve Coogan} is assigned a stint as guest food critic for a UK newspaper. After being dumped by his American girlfriend, he embarks on a Range Rover road trip through the English countryside with Brydon, his self-deprecating, slightly neurotic friend.

Together, the somewhat bitter Coogan and happy-go-lucky Brydon eat their way through a half-dozen of the better known restaurants in England's Lake District, Lancashire & the Yorkshire Dales. Although there is a bit of good chat about the fabulous food in which they're indulging, the pair also spend a fair amount of on-screen time in this loosely scripted epicurian Odd Couple bickering, singing (ABBA), pontificating, and imitating other actors (both do a bang-on Michael Caine).

With any luck, The Trip will eventually make it to the States -- via either BBC America or {in its edited reincarnation as movie} some sort of highbrow distribution deal. Not really for children. Or the less than clever.  See it if you can.