The Trip (2010) - Experimental Comedy

“The Trip” is a British television sitcom series first broadcasted in the UK on BBC Two and BBC HD in 2010. ‘The Trip’ is directed by Michael Winterbottom and stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. We watch fictionalized versions of themselves undertaking a restaurant tour of Northern England. Steve is a food critic for the UK’s Observer who is joined on a working road trip by his friend Rob when Steve’s romantic relationship fell apart.

In one scene of the episode we were shown, we see Steve Coogan outside on the phone to his girlfriend and we can hear her voice in response to what he’s saying as a voice over. ‘The Trip’ was also nominated for the BAFTA Television Award for the Best Situation Comedy in 2011. Steve Coogan won the award for the Best Male Comedy Performance. In the 2012 Broadcast awards in London, ‘The Trip’ won the best new programme award.

Humour within this episode is created with the fact that Steve does not want his friend with and the arguments created between them. As we see Steve on the phone to his wife outside in the cold, as the audience, we could hear the voiceover from the other side of the phone call he is having. “The Trip” follows two work friends on a journey and how they put up with each other, which creates humour.