Review : Long Way Down With Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman

Long Way Down is the follow up series to ‘Long Way Round’. The new TV show sees Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman ride their motorbikes from Scotland all the way down through South Africa. This time, unlike before they have a full team with them made up of cameramen, medics and security as parts of South Africa are notoriously dangerous. I thoroughly enjoyed the first series, watching Ewan and Charley tackle the big trip and not quite knowing what to expect was half the fun of it all. This time it does all feel a little choreographed at times and a bit too ‘controlled’. Although despite that, the show is still great entertainment. I absolutely love Ewan McGregor, and Charley is great fun, the two of them seem to have a really strong friendship and do rely on each other completely to get through each day.

As well as riding through various different countries the guys also spend a lot of their time working with the charity UNICEF so you get to see what they do and how much the charity really means to them. I’ve watched all the episodes so far, but there are still plenty more to be aired. Some of the things that shocked and touched me were just how friendly and generous the people they encountered were to them. Some of the poorest people in the world welcomed both Charley and Ewan into their homes, shared what little food they had and made them feel completely at ease.

The team just couldn’t get over their generosity especially after having been warned by just about everyone of the dangers facing them on this trip. Another classic moment was when Ewan and Charley went to the old Star Wars set and absolutely no-one recognised Ewan so he was free to wander round and enjoy the experience as a tourist. That in itself is a large part of appeal about this show, the guys aren’t acting or putting on a front for the camera’s it really is just two men riding around on motorcycles taking in and appreciating the different things that each place offers. Long Way Down has a brilliant mix of humour and serious issues. One minute there can be a scene of Ewan falling off his bike in the sand and everyone laughing and the next stop he could be moved to tears by tragedy of a towns history or a school massacre. You never quite know what is going to happen next! For those who are interested in finding out more about ‘The Long Way Round’ or ‘The Long Way Down’ you can visit the BBC website. For video clips, Ewan’s diary and more. http://www.bbc.co.uk/longwaydown/index.shtml Seen the show? Leave a comment here!