2 Men... 2 Bikes... 20000 Miles...

I have, at long last, found a new love. Strangely enough it's on the Outdoor Life Network, also known as That Channel That I Have To Flip Through To Get From The Space Channel To The Comedy Channel, also known as The Why Won't This Channel Go Away? Channel. The object of my pixelated affection? Long Way Round.


It's actually a wee reality mini-series from 2004, but that's ok. I think by now it's obviously safe to say that I like repeats. The show is a six-part series that trots along with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they take a three and a half month motorcycle trip around the world. They go from London to Siberia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Alaska, Calgary, a bunch of the midwestern US and New York. I managed to catch the last three of the six episodes while on my holiday vacay, and I just saw the first one tonight. Oh, to see episodes two and three! It's fantastic! Beautiful countryside, exciting motorcycle drama and touchy-feely man-friends! You wouldn't see this kind of stuff if it were George Clooney and Richard Kind riding around on hogs. Oh, no. No, no, no. You have to leave this stuff to the Brits.

In case you don't know, Ewan McGregor is, of course, Ewan McGregor: star of moving pictures and heartthrob to heroin addicts and Star Wars nerds everwhere. Charley Boorman is, of course, Charley Boorman: "1st Yuppie Drinker" in the 1996 TV mini-series classic, Karaoke, and "Theif" in the 1990 Jeff Goldblum juggernaut star-vehicle, Mister Frost. I can't believe he let the cameras behind the curtain. Wow.

My favourite moment of the series (so far) is from the episode where Our Heroes are driving through Alberta and some 18ish year old kid hits Ewan McGregor's motorcycle from behind, while they're on a highway going, like, 80km/hr. McGregor and his bike are apparently scooped up by the hand of God, while the front of the kid's Honda is totally fucked. And then the kid has to get out of his car and get a "kids today!" lecture while it obviously dawns on him that he nearly killed Obi Wan Kenobi and he internally thanks his lucky stars that the Force is strong with that one. AWESOME!

So, anyway, these two should totally star in the TV series version of Brokeback Mountain. Check it: