Sam Wollaston
In Kevin McCloud’s Grand Tour (Channel 4, Sunday) the Grand Designs man is off in the footsteps of the posh, floppy-haired young men who used to go touring and whoring round Europe in the olden days. It was a rite of passage, just as the TV travelogue is now a rite of passage for the 21st-century TV presenter. To get into the spirit of things, Kevin gets drunk, sleeps with unsuitable women, and fritters away his enormous fortune (from several series of Grand Designs) as he meanders round Europe. Unfortunately none of this makes the final edit. We do see him getting a little bit involved, though: being suited and booted in Paris to look the part, trying out frogs’ legs, and at least speaking to a Genoese prostitute. He’s a good guide, striking just the right balance between doing and telling, trying things out for himself and explaining stuff.
