Rob Brydon has shared insights into the latest installment of his comedy travel series with Steve Coogan, set against northern Europe's icy landscapes. The six-part show, directed by Michael Winterbottom, focuses on fine dining, conversations, and the aurora borealis. Brydon highlights a shift toward health discussions as both stars reach age 60.
Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan reunite for 'The Trip to the Northern Lights', their first collaboration in over five years. The series follows the duo through northern Europe, blending culinary pursuits with banter and pursuits of the aurora borealis. Filming immersed them in Scandinavian customs, including frequent saunas and cold plunges in Nordic waters.
Brydon described the experience to The Times: "We also stripped down to our pants quite a lot." He called the saunas and plunges "wonderful". Off-camera, a memorable moment occurred when Brydon rented a classic car for a mountain drive, prompting Coogan to narrate in the voice of Alan Partridge: "Now, I wouldn't call Rob's style 'sports driving' exactly, but it's certainly very spirited."
Brydon reflected, "If Michael had been there, the cameras would have rolled," but appreciated the privacy: "It was a moment just for us. Because from my side at least, there is a lot of warmth and real love to our relationship and a lot of people don't get that."
At 60, their dynamic has evolved. Health now dominates real-life chats, Brydon noted: "That is something else Steve and I talk about a lot in real life. Health. 'What are you taking for this or that?' You tend to at our age." This contrasts with earlier series like 'The Trip to Italy' in 2014, where heavy drinking featured: "In some scenes, I'm totally smashed. We'd never do that now."
Brydon's busy slate includes his podcast 'Brydon &', appearances on 'Would I Lie to You?', and a new BBC sitcom 'Bill's Included' starting in February. In it, he portrays Bill Beam, a divorced man renting rooms to students to avoid financial trouble, leading to generational clashes.