Take a break on Travel Man’s greatest trips!

Whether it’s Alexander Armstrong exploring the Arctic Circle; Joanna Lumley on the Great Wall of China, or Bradley Walsh and son Barney singing their way across America in a gigantic RV. Now all of the above are outstanding examples of the genre: super slick productions whose pieces to camera usually involve a juggling act that defies belief, as Ms Lumley’s recent behind-the-scenes shows on ITV have proved.

Back in the day, Clive James, that much missed master of the genre, would potter from location to location and later add his beautifully scripted comments in a recording booth. We didn’t give two hoots that he wasn’t doing a long walk up to camera while rhapsodising about Sydney’s Opera House or wherever. But in these strange times, things have to be snappy, colourful, in your face and that dreaded word: quirky.

But the latter element can backfire. As great as Paul Hollywood’s recent series about Japan was, some of those animated graphics made him look more out of place.

One man who’s done a terrific job of juggling the assorted balls essential for a good celebrity travelog is Richard Ayoade. With wit drier than the Sahara, he and his fellow travelling companions have enjoyed the sort of mini breaks many of us can only dream of. Whether you soaked up every minute and want to see it all again, or are late to the party and just wondering what all the fuss is about, then the latest Travel Man compilation is a feast for the eyes.

This week’s collection of celebrity-driven clips is themed around arts and crafts. There’s a drawing tour of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum with Joe Lycett, and a look around New York’s smallest museum, The Mmuseumm, with Katherine Ryan. Richard and Morgana Robinson discuss their final dining choices stood before Da Vinci’s Last Supper in Milan, and there’s an in-depth analysis of Michelangelo’s David with Rebel Wilson in Florence.

But what you really want to see is the street art of Athens and Paris, don’t you? Well, you’re in luck because Dawn French and Mel Giedroyc respectively will be doing just that. Plus, there is alfresco art in Tenerife with Girls star Lena Dunham. She is on a sculpture trail, while in Hamburg, Richard shares his love of a good statue with Bob Mortimer.

One of the best episodes saw Richard in Hong Kong with Jon Hamm, so don’t miss highlights from that edition. In Krakow, Ayoade and Joe Wilkinson create their own masterpieces in a stained-glass workshop, and there’s also a look at an embroidery workshop in Madeira with Robert Webb. And while it meant nothing to Midge Ure, Vienna meant excitement for Chris O’Dowd when he and his fellow IT Crowd star visited the birthplace of the ultimate souvenir: the snow globe.

Given these uncertain times, this collection of glorious video postcards is the next best thing to being there.

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