The Odd Couple do the North

When I heard Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan would be acting opposite in a new BBC comedy, I wasn't sure what to make of it at first. I like Rob Brydon, I like Steve Coogan, but the two together? Hmmm...

The Trip sees the pair playing versions of themselves on a culinary road-trip for the Observer magazine. Originally intended as a trip for Coogan and his girlfriend, he is forced to settle for Brydon as his girlfriend heads off to America instead.

The six episodes are split over the six inns with each following a formulaic pattern: they drive to the inn, they check into their rooms, they have their tea (or dinner), they phone they’re wife/ex/agent/PA, the end. The improvised banter between the two along the way is testament to their comic prowess. They bicker, have impression wars, which Brydon usually wins (did you see his Al Pacino? Brilliant!), they compare careers, competing to see who's the most successful but at the same time they make each other laugh and you can even see a hint of admiration in these moments.

Of course there are the odd scenes built in to reveal more about their characters, like the scene at Dove Cottage in this weeks episode. Coogan's utterly charmless attempt to cajole the woman at the counter to let them visit the cottage even though admittance stopped 5 minutes ago, is contrasted by Brydon's pleasant and good humoured attempt, which, of course, pays off. It's also helped by the fact that the lady recognises Rob Brydon and she even gets his man-in-box voice thrown in, lucky thing! It highlights what we already knew; Brydon appears more warm and likable than Coogan. Their awareness of their public personas is clear and they play up to it fantastically.

Their restaurant conversations have delivered the most enjoyable slices of chat for me. The fact that it's all improvised is cleverly played upon in this weeks episode when Brydon asks Coogan, 'Do you think we just have the same conversation in every restaurant?' Coogan's reply reveals the structure of their conversations, 'We start out being a bit awkward with each other, have a little bit of wine and exchange a few frivolities...have a bit more wine, get cantankerous and pick faults with each other and it descends into a kind of bitter, unhappy end to the meal.' And that is basically it but it's well worth seeing how they get there.

It's squirm-some viewing watching Coogan's character slowly unravelling, his relationship is on the rocks, his plans to 'do films' and break America are falling through and we see him crack-up a tiny bit this week as he shouts Partridge's catchphrase, 'AHA!' across the hills. Maybe this Coogan feels his life is going the way of Partridge. Meanwhile Brydon flirts and jokes with his lovely wife over the phone. Is Coogan's character going to lose it at some point? I hope so.