Rob Brydon's Honky Tonk Road Trip Review: Proof That Steve Coogan Isn't Necessary for an Entertaining Travelogue

While the Euro-hopping competitive reality show the travel contest might not have been the seasonal hit the BBC had anticipated, it did give presenter Brydon a lovely glow-up. The complex bus journey aimed to give off a globetrotting atmosphere, so the show's host got dressed in deluxe tailoring: boldly coloured three-piece suits, silky cravats and yacht-ready blazers. All of a sudden, Brydon had the debonair look to match his classic Roger Moore impression.

Costume Changes with Musical Roots

The newest three-part series, Rob Brydon's Honky Tonk Road Trip, also features some Mr Benn-style thematic wardrobe. The affable comedian goes full western rancher sporting plaid tops, rugged jackets and the occasional cowboy hat. This complements the concept where he driving a massive American truck across thousands of miles of the southern US to learn quickly about the musical genre.

His mission involves celebrating the centenary of country music – specifically the 100th anniversary of the Nashville radio show which became the Grand Ole Opry, foundation and star-maker of country music for generations – through the classic star-led journey approach involving driving around, gabbing to locals and immersing himself in the culture. This anniversary has coincided with country becoming, according to him, “the most rapidly expanding genre in the UK” – thanks to global superstars and new country-inspired records from multiple artists, famous singers and others – provides additional perspective for examination.

Road Trip Experience and Personal Doubts

We know he enjoys a road trip and conversations because of the various incarnations of The Trip with Steve Coogan. Initially he appears uncertain if he is truly qualified to be our guide. Watching him speak with a dashboard-mounted camera certainly brings back recollections of a character, the melancholy driver from his early career, a beloved series. En route to Music City, he phones his sitcom collaborator Jones to boost his confidence. She recalls his authentic music credentials: a past charity single of Islands in the Stream topped the charts. (“Dolly and Kenny reached No 7!” she notes.)

Conversational Talents and Cultural Immersion

If the “full sensory overload” during an evening in the city proves challenging for Brydon – a line-dancing attempt alongside a performer turned country singer results in him tap out during the opening Shania Twain song – the veteran comedian is far less steady in the interview segments. His polite lines of questioning seem to gel local etiquette, gathering anecdotes about legends and reflections about the essence of country music from silvery-haired veterans like the institution's mainstay a renowned figure and nonagenarian celebrity clothier Manuel Cuevas. His gentle manner is effective with younger guns, like the bearded hitmaker Luke Combs and the instrumental virtuoso Tray Wellington.

Although several the stories seem familiar, the opening episode does contain a single genuine curveball. What on earth is the pop star spending time in a cozy recording space? Reportedly, he's been coming to Tennessee to refine his compositions since the 1990s, and cites a country icon as an influence on Take That's bulletproof ballad a classic song. Here, at last, is an interviewee he can tease, mock and playfully provoke without fear about creating any offense. (Barlow, bless him, participates willingly.)

Cultural Context and Unscripted Moments

Given a hundred years of country to contextualise and honor, it's reasonable that this southern-fried tour across two states (with pit stops in Virginia, Alabama and Mississippi to come) wants to focus on the art and without needing to engage with the current political moment. Yet it inevitably includes a little. While guesting on the polished program of the Nashville radio station the established creator of the Grand Ole Opry – Brydon jokingly wonders if the US and Canada maintain good relations, which throws his slick hosts from their rhythm. We do not get the likely presumably icy aftermath.

A Natural Fit in This Role

But for all his visible insecurity, he is obviously a good fit for this type of breezy, bite-size format: friendly, interested, self-effacing and always ready to dress the part, even if he struggles to find a fancy cowboy shirt that comes in a medium. Should Coogan be concerned that his wingman can do solo hosting without him? Definitely.