Rory and Paddy's Great British Adventure
Encyclopedia
Rory and Paddy's Great British Adventure is a documentary
television
series presented by comedians Rory McGrath
and Paddy McGuinness. The series was broadcast on Five between 13 August and 3 September 2008. The series follows McGrath and McGuinness travelling around Great Britain
, taking part in, "strange but quintessentially British sporting events". Examples of sports that appear in the series include cheese rolling
, pie eating
, bog snorkelling
, Eton Fives
and Egg Throwing. A second series, Rory and Paddy's Even Greater British Adventure, began on 20 September, 2010.
; Scotland
and Northern England
; Wales
and the Shires; and Southern England
. In each edition, McGrath and McGuinness go head-to-head at different sports, and also take part in a separate sport each. The results are recorded in their "Black book", with McGrath and McGuinness fighting each other to see who is best.
In the second series, the contest is split into six parts, with results recording their "Red book". The separate sports were removed from the show so now each contest is a head-to-head between McGrath and McGuinness.
, which resulted in some media outlets saying that Britain should play in sports depicted in the show, rather than actual Olympic events
. Andrew Tong wrote in The Independent on Sunday that; "we mustn't play them at their own game. Rather we should regale them with all the sports we invented but which the IOC
won't allow in the Olympics. Not cricket
and rugby
, but games at which we're the best in the world, such as toe wrestling
, mountain bike bog snorkelling, egg throwing and, of course, worm charming
."
Noam Friedlander
in Metro
gave the programme four stars out of five, saying: "The pair packed a lot into the hour but a swifter romp through Middle England would have been more welcome. At least the eccentricities that make Britain 'great' got their minutes of fame. It makes a change to give these genuine characters airtime rather than the caterwauling wannabes we'll be seeing on this weekend's The X Factor
auditions."
However, James Walton
in the Daily Telegraph was more critical of Rory and Paddy's Great British Adventure saying, "that a sense of almost existential pointlessness had soon settled over the entire programme – a sense not banished by perhaps the least alluring pre-advert announcement in TV history. "Coming up," said Paddy, "Rory's a no-hoper at tiddlywinks
.""
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series presented by comedians Rory McGrath
Rory McGrath
Patrick Rory McGrath is an English comedian and writer. He is best known for roles in Who Dares Wins, Chelmsford 123, Three Men in a Boat and its successors. He was also a regular panellist on They Think It's All Over....
and Paddy McGuinness. The series was broadcast on Five between 13 August and 3 September 2008. The series follows McGrath and McGuinness travelling around Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, taking part in, "strange but quintessentially British sporting events". Examples of sports that appear in the series include cheese rolling
Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake
The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is an annual event held on the Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester in the Cotswolds region of England. It is traditionally by and for the people who live in the local village of Brockworth, but now people from all over the world take...
, pie eating
World Pie Eating Championship
The annual World Pie Eating Championship is usually held at Harry's Bar on Wallgate, Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The competition has been held since 1992...
, bog snorkelling
Bog snorkelling
Bog snorkelling is a sporting event that consists of competitors completing two consecutive lengths of a water filled trench cut through a peat bog, in the shortest time possible. Competitors must wear snorkels and flippers, and complete the course without using conventional swimming strokes,...
, Eton Fives
Eton Fives
Eton Fives, one derivative of the British game of Fives, is a hand-ball game, similar to Rugby Fives, played as doubles in a three-sided court. The object is to force the other team to fail to hit the ball 'up' off the front wall, using any variety of wall or ledge combinations as long as the ball...
and Egg Throwing. A second series, Rory and Paddy's Even Greater British Adventure, began on 20 September, 2010.
Plot
Rory and Paddy's Great British Adventure sees McGrath and McGuinness compete against both the public and themselves in unusual sports around Britain. For the first series the contest was split into four parts: Middle EnglandMiddle England
The phrase "Middle England" is a socio-political and geographical term which originally indicated the central region of England, now almost always referred to as the "Midlands"....
; Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
; Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and the Shires; and Southern England
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
. In each edition, McGrath and McGuinness go head-to-head at different sports, and also take part in a separate sport each. The results are recorded in their "Black book", with McGrath and McGuinness fighting each other to see who is best.
In the second series, the contest is split into six parts, with results recording their "Red book". The separate sports were removed from the show so now each contest is a head-to-head between McGrath and McGuinness.
Reception
The series received mixed reviews. The programme was originally broadcast during the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, which resulted in some media outlets saying that Britain should play in sports depicted in the show, rather than actual Olympic events
Olympic sports
Olympic sports, as defined by the International Olympic Committee, are all the sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The Summer Olympics, as of 2012, will include 26 sports, with two additionall sports due to be added in 2016...
. Andrew Tong wrote in The Independent on Sunday that; "we mustn't play them at their own game. Rather we should regale them with all the sports we invented but which the IOC
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
won't allow in the Olympics. Not cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, but games at which we're the best in the world, such as toe wrestling
Toe Wrestling
Toe wrestling is a sport gaining popularity in the UK. World championships started in Wetton in the 1970s and are now held at the Bentley Brook Inn in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Top players include Tom "100m" Martin, Paul "Tomatominator" Beech and Alan "fiesty" Nash , who is the current world...
, mountain bike bog snorkelling, egg throwing and, of course, worm charming
Worm charming
Worm charming, worm grunting, and worm fiddling are methods of attracting earthworms from the ground. The activity is usually performed to collect bait for fishing but can also take the form of a competitive sport...
."
Noam Friedlander
Noam Friedlander
Noam Friedlander is an author, scriptwriter, TV reviewer, columnist, interviewer and feature writer. She has written 13 non-fiction books on subjects ranging from sport, religion, entertainment and children’s names as well as having over a decade of experience as a journalist for various...
in Metro
Metro (Associated Metro Limited)
Metro is a free daily newspaper in the United Kingdom published by Associated Newspapers Ltd . It is available from Monday to Friday each week on many public transport services across the United Kingdom.-History:The paper was launched in London in 1999, and can now be found in 14 UK urban centres...
gave the programme four stars out of five, saying: "The pair packed a lot into the hour but a swifter romp through Middle England would have been more welcome. At least the eccentricities that make Britain 'great' got their minutes of fame. It makes a change to give these genuine characters airtime rather than the caterwauling wannabes we'll be seeing on this weekend's The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
auditions."
However, James Walton
James Walton
James Walton was an English cricketer who played for Kent during the 1875 season. He was born in Woolwich Dockyard, then in the county of Kent....
in the Daily Telegraph was more critical of Rory and Paddy's Great British Adventure saying, "that a sense of almost existential pointlessness had soon settled over the entire programme – a sense not banished by perhaps the least alluring pre-advert announcement in TV history. "Coming up," said Paddy, "Rory's a no-hoper at tiddlywinks
Tiddlywinks
Tiddlywinks is an indoor game played on a flat mat with sets of small discs called "winks", a pot and a collection of squidgers. Players use a "squidger", a disk usually made from plastic to move a wink into flight by pressing down on one side of the wink...
.""
Series 1: Rory and Paddy's Great British Adventure
| Episode | Air date | Sports | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Middle England | 13 August 2008 |
|
|
| 2 - Scotland and Northern England | 20 August 2008 |
Axe throwing Axe throwing is an event in most lumberjack competitions, such as the Lumberjack World Championship in Hayward, Wisconsin.-Rules:The target is thirty six inches wide, consisting of five rings that are each four inches wide. The outside ring is worth one point, the next one in is worth two, then... World Pie Eating Championship The annual World Pie Eating Championship is usually held at Harry's Bar on Wallgate, Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The competition has been held since 1992... |
|
| 3 - Wales and the Shires | 27 August 2008 |
Toe Wrestling Toe wrestling is a sport gaining popularity in the UK. World championships started in Wetton in the 1970s and are now held at the Bentley Brook Inn in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Top players include Tom "100m" Martin, Paul "Tomatominator" Beech and Alan "fiesty" Nash , who is the current world... Bog snorkelling Bog snorkelling is a sporting event that consists of competitors completing two consecutive lengths of a water filled trench cut through a peat bog, in the shortest time possible. Competitors must wear snorkels and flippers, and complete the course without using conventional swimming strokes,... (Paddy's Solo Sport) Worm charming Worm charming, worm grunting, and worm fiddling are methods of attracting earthworms from the ground. The activity is usually performed to collect bait for fishing but can also take the form of a competitive sport... Travel trailer A travel trailer or caravan is towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent . It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places... demolition derby Demolition derby Demolition derby is a motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another... |
|
| 4 - Southern England | 3 September 2008 |
Pedal Car Racing Pedal Car Racing is a circuit racing endurance sport where teams of up to six drivers race single-seater human powered sports cars in races of up to twenty-four hours duration... Eton Fives Eton Fives, one derivative of the British game of Fives, is a hand-ball game, similar to Rugby Fives, played as doubles in a three-sided court. The object is to force the other team to fail to hit the ball 'up' off the front wall, using any variety of wall or ledge combinations as long as the ball... Bat and trap Bat and trap, also known as knurl and spell is an English ball game related to cricket and played at country pubs in the county of Kent.... (Paddy's Solo Sport) Cornish wrestling Cornish wrestling is a form of wrestling which has been established in Cornwall, an area of southwest Britain for several centuries. The referee is known as a 'stickler', and it is claimed that the popular meaning of the word as a 'pedant' originates from this usage... Cornish pilot gig The Cornish pilot gig is a six-oared rowing boat, built of Cornish narrow leaf elm, long with a beam of four feet ten inches.It is recognised as one of the first shore-based lifeboats that went to vessels in distress, with recorded rescues going back as far as the late 17th century.The original... |
|
Series 2: Rory and Paddy's Even Greater British Adventure
| Episode | Air date | Sports | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Scotland | 20 September 2010 |
|
|
| 2 - Wales | 27 September 2010 |
Harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:... Sheepdog trial A Sheepdog trial is a competitive dog sport in which herding dog breeds move sheep around a field, fences, gates, or enclosures as directed by their handlers. Such events are particularly associated with hill farming areas, where sheep range widely on largely unfenced land... Clogging Clogging is a type of folk dance with roots in traditional European dancing, early African-American dance, and traditional Cherokee dance in which the dancer's footwear is used musically by striking the heel, the toe, or both in unison against a floor or each other to create audible percussive... Coracle The coracle is a small, lightweight boat of the sort traditionally used in Wales but also in parts of Western and South Western England, Ireland , and Scotland ; the word is also used of similar boats found in India, Vietnam, Iraq and Tibet... English longbow The English longbow, also called the Welsh longbow, is a powerful type of medieval longbow about 6 ft long used by the English and Welsh for hunting and as a weapon in medieval warfare... |
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| 3 - The North | 4 October 2010 |
|
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| 4 - The South | 11 October 2010 |
Punt (boat) A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole... Hastings Old Town Week Hastings Old Town Week is an annual summer event celebrated in the Old Town of Hastings, East Sussex. The Old Town week typically occurs during the first week of August and is officially opened on Winkle Island, during the week events such as concerts, street parties, charity races and Morris... Bramble Bank The Bramble Bank, otherwise known simply as "The Brambles" is an arrowhead-shaped sandbar in the central Solent which is uncovered at low water spring tides. At other times it presents either a significant navigational hazard or a useful escape from the strong Solent tides. The bank is moving very... (Rory's Solo Sport) Glassblowing Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube... (Paddy's Solo Sport) Street luge Street luge is an extreme gravity-powered activity that involves riding a streetluge board down a paved road or course. Street luge is also known as land luge or road luge... |
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| 5 - The Shires | 18 October 2010 |
Tree climbing Tree climbing is a recreational or functional activity consisting of ascending and moving around in the crown of trees.Use of a rope, helmet, and harness are the minimum requirements to ensure the safety of the climber. Other equipment can also be used depending on the experience and skill of the... Sheep shearing Sheep shearing, shearing or clipping is the process by which the woollen fleece of a sheep is cut off. The person who removes the sheep's wool is called a shearer. Typically each adult sheep is shorn once each year... Farrier A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves... |
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