Stop paying comedians to go on holiday

A TV commissioner once pitched a simple idea: film a comedian travelling somewhere, and send them along with their mum. That concept, light on premise but heavy on personality, has come to define a strikingly crowded corner of broadcast schedules. Recent examples range from Alexander Armstrong in India to Lucy Beaumont filming with her mother, and include formats such as Travel Man (Richard Ayoade), Joe and Katherine’s Bargain Holidays (Joe Wilkinson and Katherine Ryan), The Reluctant Traveller With Eugene Levy, Russell Howard & Mum, Wonders of the World I Can’t See (Chris McCausland), Griff’s Great Kiwi Road Trip (Griff Rhys Jones) and Bradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad.

Michael Palin’s travel work helped shape the subgenre, and even tongue-in-cheek takes like The Trip have not stopped imitators such as Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father springing up.

India

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