I have to say, I’m wondering why it is that travelogue programmes are filling up our TV schedules, and especially on the BBC channels? I mean, haven’t we had more than enough of them already? Did we really need to watch Charley Boorman – sans Ewan McGregor – going from Sydney to Tokyo for no discernible reason?

It’s not meant as a dig at Boorman himself; he’s a nice enough bloke and there are worse ways to spend time on a Sunday evening than listening to him declare that pretty much everything he sees is “beautiful”, but what’s the point of it?

Does anyone, anywhere need to get from Sydney to Tokyo by Any Means? Can’t that anyone just get a plane if they want to do that trip? Sorry for all these question marks but these were my thoughts while watching this show.

It seems to me that this was nothing more than a video diary of Charley’s travels and unless you’re a huge Boorman fan – and I like the guy but wouldn’t tune in just to see him in various vehicles – then it was rather unnecessary.

The premise of it is similarly pointless and I suspect just a good excuse to pay Charley to travel. Nice work if you can get it.

I guess if there were any redeeming features of the show, they would be the many “beautiful” shots of the scenery from Charley’s travels, and especially those of Sulawesi which, if you recall, also featured in Blood, Sweat and Takeaways when the spoiled brat kids were learning that tuna doesn’t just miraculously turn up in a tin somewhere.

Overall, the show was the kind of thing you might watch accidentally or have on in the background while you’re answering emails or playing solitaire, but I can’t think of even one good reason to tune into it unless you personally know Charley Boorman. Nice guy, pants show. Nuff said.