Martin Clunes - Islands of Britain (ITV1)
Men Behaving Badly Star Travels to Remote Island Communities
Martin Clunes’s reinvention from laddy comedian best known for Men Behaving Badly to serious actor and occasional documentarian has been a perfect testament to his talents. No matter what he does Clunes is instantly likeable – even if he is struggling to fill the hefty shoes of Leonard Rossiter in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin remake on BBC One – especially in this new three-part series about living on some of Britain’s remote islands.
Martin Clunes in the Shetland Islands
The expedition starts in the most northerly point in the British Isles, Muckle Flugga in the Shetlands, which has a population of zero and contains a sole unmanned lighthouse. The trek sees the host tackling choppy waters and a health and safety nightmare of jagged rocks and rusted staircases. He then swiftly chin wags with a man who lives a solitary existence on his own independent island and is so passionate about his cause he has even invited the Queen to visit.
“No way is he a nutter,” assures Clunes with no hint of irony. His quest is to discover just what life is like on the outer edges of Britain, and that’s exactly what he does. It’s very easy to travel to secluded areas and patronise the inhabitants about their “strange” lifestyles but that thankfully hasn’t been done here. Instead everything is treated in good humour and shrewd understanding.
As he moves south towards the Hebrides and places such as Eigg, Barra, and Forvik, the importance of communities working together suddenly becomes clear. It’s just a shame that the breakneck pace leaves very few-pause-for-thought moments.
Clunes Kite-surfs, goes Fishing and Meets Vikings on Unst
The reason why Martin Clunes: Islands of Britain is such a pleasant production is down to the man himself whose infectious laugh and child-like enthusiasm draws in the viewer in the way of Stephen Fry or Michael Palin with ample charm, something that Piers Morgan’s grovelling rich man love-in was completely void of. He seems to have a genuine interest and appreciation of the people and their traditions whether they are religious societies or Vikings on Unst.
It’s very similar to Billy Connolly’s Journey to the Edge of the World or Clunes’s earlier documentary work A Man and His Dogs. It’s worth watching simply for the times when he gets his hands dirty by helping locals with their fishing duties or kite-surfing along the sands. Also some of the unspoilt natural views are beautiful, such as breathtaking coastlines or overhead shots of the smaller islands.
Sure, this series is nothing new and the lure of sticking a famous face on the front of what is basically a travelogue is a little cheap but Martin Clunes: Islands of Britain is a fun and interesting show that is TV to make you smile.
Martin Clunes: Islands of Britain is shown on Sundays at 9pm on ITV1.
Eigg sunset
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