Travel Man - Joe Lycett

[MigraineBoy]

Kicks off the first week of April with James Acaster in Bilbao.

Dunno who else is in the run but Mo Gilligan & Katherine Parkinson did recordings pre-pandemic.

[Pink Gregory]

I do like some of them on thwir individual merit but one really does tire of it being the same group of same 15 comedians that all know each other staffing these shows.

[gilbertharding]

I do like some of them on their individual merit but one really does tire of it being the same group of same 15 comedians that all know each other staffing these shows.

'Staffing' really is the mot juste, isn't it?

[Joe Qunt]

Channel 4 really is just insufferable at the minute. Mo Gilligan is alright, Katherine Parkinson obviously. But their stable of Millenial hacks really get on my tits.

[Icehaven]

I do like some of them on thwir individual merit but one really does tire of it being the same group of same 15 comedians that all know each other staffing these shows.

I have similar thoughts when listening to the Adam Buxton podcast and his current guest starts getting texts from another recent guest.

[gilbertharding]

I can't say I've watched much of the Joe Lycett incarnation of this, but I had to take the Richard Ayoade ones in small doses. It seemed almost to revel in its dumbness, and by deciding to 'laugh at foreign-ness' - it somehow managed to have its 'laugh at foreigners' cake and eat it. I presume the new ones are similar.

I did enjoy watching Sara Pascoe getting absolutely hammered on booze in one episode, but that is very much my problem.

[sevendaughters]

Travel Man is definitely approaching Taskmaster in the televisual crisps stakes. Always on some platform somewhere, being consumed, sort of being enjoyed, not really adding much nutrition, just a kind of strange ballast with a pleasant and familiar taste, but just crisps.

[Icehaven]

I blame Michael Palin.

[The Mollusk]

I can't say I've watched much of the Joe Lycett incarnation of this, but I had to take the Richard Ayoade ones in small doses. It seemed almost to revel in its dumbness, and by deciding to 'laugh at foreign-ness' - it somehow managed to have its 'laugh at foreigners' cake and eat it. I presume the new ones are similar.

This makes it unwatchable for me. Checked out the Barcelona episode and Ayoade goes to the football ground and spends the whole time going "football is rubbish, why would anyone want to come here" and then later at a wine tasting "I know nothing about wine, why do people care about wine it's literally just a drink". Unfunny twat. If other nationalities were to use his behaviour as the base of their argument that British people are smug entitled arseholes I would honestly say fair enough.

[Icehaven]

This makes it unwatchable for me. Checked out the Barcelona episode and Ayoade goes to the football ground and spends the whole time going "football is rubbish, why would anyone want to come here" and then later at a wine tasting "I know nothing about wine, why do people care about wine it's literally just a drink". Unfunny twat. If other nationalities were to use his behaviour as the base of their argument that British people are smug entitled arseholes I would honestly say fair enough.

So basically a Footlights version of Karl Pilkington. Marvellous.

[Joe Qunt]

It's quite sad to realise that Richard Ayoade has essentially 'Flanderised' himself through all these Channel 4 appearances. Instead of the mild-mannered geek persona that I'd say the majority of us are familiar with, he's pigeoned-holed himself into this smug holier-than-thou nerd which is unfortunately en-vogue at the minute.

I think he's quite a talented guy – judging from his writing and directing – it's just a shame that he's not any fun to watch on TV anymore.

[jobotic]

Aren't we all marvellous rich mates on a free holiday being witty?


They should have to pay through the nose to go to Leysdown with someone they hate and not speak.

[Joe Qunt]

"I'm here in Antwerp with famed punchy-man Dereck Chisora. We have 48 hours to sample the cultural charcuterie board on offer in the Diamon Capital of the World."

*10 minutes in*

"You're really starting to piss me off you sarcastic punk."

"That's my job Dereck."

*Chisora snaps Ayoade's neck like a glowstick*

[Ray Travez]

I liked Ayoade on this. I think I'm going to struggle with Joe Lycett being put at the helm, much as I struggled when Sandi Toksvig was put at the helm of, well anything she's ever been put at the helm of.

I always thought that Lycett was very ambitious and careerist even when I would see him doing WIP and twenty minute spots in Manchester circa 2013. He's clearly set his eyes on a particular prize and then gone for it. It's as if he saw Romesh Ranganathan or Sarah Millican when they were at their most overexposed and thought 'yeah that's what I'm after. Total saturation'. The guy's everywhere. But is he funny? He's more than a bit annoying- my sense when I would see him in Manchester was that he thought himself a cut above anyone else, whether they were other comedians on the same bill, or his audience.

I like the Ayoade persona, it's one that I find entertaining. It's a shame he sold out with the the bank adverts, but I understand it; I expect the filming of one advert paid the same as the entire set of series of Travel Man put together.

[BeardFaceMan]

But is he funny? He's more than a bit annoying- my sense when I would see him in Manchester was that he thought himself a cut above anyone else, whether they were other comedians on the same bill, or his audience.

Totally agree with this, the guy comes off as a complete cunt, especially with his public bothering, a spiteful and sneering little man.

[dothestrand]

Aren't we all marvellous rich mates on a free holiday being witty?


They should have to pay through the nose to go to Leysdown with someone they hate and not speak.

Good Lord, I wouldn't wish Leysdown on anybody.

Basically, I like watching travel shows of places I'd like to go to. But I'd rather watch Jane McDonald. She at least enjoys the places she goes to, rather than sneering at eccentric things the researchers dig out.

[Famous Mortimer]

Totally agree with this, the guy comes off as a complete cunt, especially with his public bothering, a spiteful and sneering little man.

I hate that stuff like I hate all prank calls / public bothering comedy - it's just people trying to live their lives, and some smug fucker of a "comedian" comes along to bother them.

[BeardFaceMan]

I hate that stuff like I hate all prank calls / public bothering comedy - it's just people trying to live their lives, and some smug fucker of a "comedian" comes along to bother them.

Yep, fucks me off no end, the stuff he used to do on 8 out of 10 Cats was fucking dire, emailing customer services about paying to use a toilet and being all hilarious. I remember there was one where he was trying to sell something stupid on ebay and someone tried to join in on the joke and he lost it, straight up telling the the bloke to fuck off. The joke was him to laugh at others, not for those being laughed at to join in too. Sneering little prick. Still, he did tweet that Hugo Boss has a smelly bum bum, he's a man of the people!

[imitationleather]

Modern British telly comedy needs to be put in that big machine from those YouTube videos that can crush absolutely bloody anything .

[Catalogue of ills]

Totally agree with this, the guy comes off as a complete cunt, especially with his public bothering, a spiteful and sneering little man.

He did do a very poor taste stand-up joke that got a big laugh out of me and then made me instantly think "Did I really just laugh at that?". It still makes me laugh when I think about it. So to me he's not all bad.

[jobotic]

He did one of those "honestly this really happened" stories about his mate telling his mum he was gay as she came out the bathroom wrapped in a towel, and her response was to let the towel drop and say "I won't be needing this then!".

Still makes me smile.

He seems personable enough outside of his horrible low paid council worker baiting. Does he even do that anymore?

[PlanktonSideburns]

So basically a Footlights version of Karl Pilkington. Marvellous.

Urban clarkson

[non capisco]

It's quite sad to realise that Richard Ayoade has essentially 'Flanderised' himself through all these Channel 4 appearances. Instead of the mild-mannered geek persona that I'd say the majority of us are familiar with, he's pigeoned-holed himself into this smug holier-than-thou nerd which is unfortunately en-vogue at the minute.

I think he's quite a talented guy – judging from his writing and directing – it's just a shame that he's not any fun to watch on TV anymore.

He is good value as a total prima donna prick director in both of Joanna Hogg's 'The Souvenir' films, particularly the second one. It's genuinely in a different register to his default schtick.

[Twilkes]

I liked him in Sewing Bee.

[mippy]

I like him a lot on Radio 2.

[Wayman C. McCreery]

I think Lycett's naturally funny and very likeable, so it's a shame his standup material is real three-star stuff. I've seen him a couple of times and, yeah, he's an absolute pro - but I want him to do something more than read out embellished Twitter interactions.

Like others have said, he's definitely had his eyes on the TV personality prize since the beginning. I think he's good at it.

[Fr.Bigley]

Lycett is insufferable. The pseudo smart "I'm a consumer hero prankster" schtick is getting very tedious. Has the same vibe as Tom Allen. Very insincere and not an ounce of authenticity.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I saw him do a stand-up set a few years ago and thought he was very funny. I assume the "I'm better than you" thing is just part of his act.

This also made me giggle a lot.

I've no great interest in his presenting gigs though.

[Pink Gregory]

Lycett is insufferable. The pseudo smart "I'm a consumer hero prankster" schtick is getting very tedious. Has the same vibe as Tom Allen. Very insincere and not an ounce of authenticity.

I don't have a lot of time for Tom Allen's shtick but I've heard him on a few podcasts being interviewed (Book Shambles and Adam Buxton, I believe) and when he is being genuine, ie when he's not 'performing' quite as much, he's quite interesting and personable.

[chutnut]

I understand the Joe Lycett hate (although I don't think he's that bad), but not the Richard Ayoade hate. He's easily one of the most tolerable people on these sorts of shows, and I really enjoyed him hosting Question Team