In which we learn that Jon Hamm is the perfect travel companion

December 22, 2022 8:22 PM

Festive Travel Mayhem with Richard Ayoade & Jon Hamm in Hong Kong: FULL Episode | Travel Man is 47m of exactly what it says on the tin. "Christmas" special, sort of.
posted by hippybear (13 comments total)

After binging Travel Man (most, if not all, episodes are available in the US on Tubi, which somehow is a streaming service; there may also be some episodes on Amazon Prime but they come and go or may require additional subscriptions) we have adopted Richard Ayoade's "to better times" as our regular toast.
posted by fedward at 9:22 PM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]

I was thinking recently of Cate Blanchett what I also think of Jon Hamm, so beautiful and talented and also really nice people? I mean, what a life!
J: How long is an English football field?
R: You don’t really know me, do you?
I always love Richard Ayoade. The mini-series Garth Marenghi's Darkplace is something else, worth a visit!
posted by Glinn at 9:29 PM on December 22, 2022 [4 favorites]

damn hilarious - a welcome relief
posted by From Bklyn at 1:25 AM on December 23, 2022

silk pajamas, Rolls Royce, eating just the sauce on its own ... these lads are roughing it!
posted by chavenet at 3:20 AM on December 23, 2022

I binged Travel Man early in the pandemic. It was good escapism.

It's not Christmas-y, but the one with Paul Rudd is also so charming. The one with Chris O'Dowd is also fun just because you can tell how much he and Ayoade get along. I have friends like that where we just start making jokes and start laughing and eventually, we forget what we were even laughing about. It's great!
posted by edencosmic at 3:54 AM on December 23, 2022 [1 favorite]

We watched all the Travel Mans (Men?) on Tubi as well. They are great fun, although if you watch a lot of them in a row the rigidity of the formula (tour of the city on an unusual vehicle, cooking class in the local speciality, visit to a quirky shop or museum) becomes especially noticeable.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:47 AM on December 23, 2022

As with the many British panel shows, though, the premise/formula isn't the point; it's just a flimsy structure that allows funny people to be funny. And I at least am very happy about that!
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:28 AM on December 23, 2022 [5 favorites]

I was sort of annoyed for a while, though, at finding out what their travel expenses were like. Like they'd fly from London to Lisbon for £35 for the weekend like it was no big deal. And I mean I guess I could fly from Chicago to Miami for like $70 on an airline I've never heard of, but at the end of the day I'm not somewhere like Lisbon or Milan or Hamburg or wherever. No offense, Miami. And I mean I get the differences in continental scale and all, and some of them are more like flying from Chicago to New York, but still that's going to be around $200 here.

It's insane! It's wild! $35 gets me a bus trip to the state capital 90 miles away! You lunatics!

Any word on whether Lycett is getting a second season?
posted by Kyol at 8:38 AM on December 23, 2022

If it's any consolation, a £35 ticket is probably going to be with Ryanair or Easyjet and take you to Lisbon in that the airport they land at is somewhere on the same continent as Lisbon and then you take a bus for a very long time.

(Actually, I just checked and Lisbon is Lisbon, but a lot of Ryanair flights in particular are like that.)
posted by Grangousier at 9:13 AM on December 23, 2022 [2 favorites]

a flimsy structure that allows funny people to be funny

And in some cases, allows "funny" people to make you wonder what they're even supposed to be famous for and who thought it was a good idea to put them on a travel show. But that's not what this thread is about. Yet.
posted by fedward at 9:15 AM on December 23, 2022

I was impressed by Jon's quickness of wit a couple of times. And then Richard just didn't respond at all to his quick comebacks. I guess a part of this was for Jon not to be THAT funny to let Richard be Richard.
posted by hippybear at 9:42 AM on December 23, 2022

I thought this was fantastic and now I must see more. Also, I love Jon Hamm.
posted by sundrop at 9:57 AM on December 23, 2022 [2 favorites]

After exiting the Rolls Royce that cost 78 euros to drive them across the street in their silk pajamas:
J: You know we literally just went across the street.
R: That’s right. That’s why I’m happy to pick up the tab for this one.
J: I would have walked
R. Well. That’s not what your agent said.

I took a break when I wrote my earlier comment due to those organ skewers, but returned to finish it because they are very charming guys. Both.
posted by Glinn at 11:12 AM on December 23, 2022