Great Canal Journeys Explained

Genre:Documentary
Presenter:
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English
Num Series:10
Num Episodes:35
Runtime:48 minutes
Network:Channel 4

Great Canal Journeys is a British television series in which a pair of presenters take canal barge and narrowboat trips in the United Kingdom, Europe,[1] [2] India and Egypt. The series was originally aired on More4 before transferring to Channel 4 with Series 2.

The original presenters were husband and wife Timothy West and Prunella Scales. Both are keen narrowboaters and were involved in campaigning to revive the Kennet & Avon Canal.[3] West and Scales both talk frankly about Scales' dementia during the series, which was praised by Alzheimer's Research UK.[4]

In 2020, West and Scales were replaced by TV personality Gyles Brandreth and actor Sheila Hancock for series 11.[5] In the first episode Timothy West gave the two novice canal boaters a crash course in narrowboating.[6]

Episodes

Series 1

Episode NameOriginal date airedStation airedEpisode informationViewing figure*[7]
10 March 2014More4The series started with Tim and Pru celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary by travelling 21 miles along the Kennet & Avon canal from Bath to Devizes.0.83m
17 March 2014More4Tim and Pru start at Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire, travelling through Mytholmroyd to reach the summit of the canal 600 ft up the Pennines[8] –
The Llangollen Canal24 March 2014More4Tim and Pru visit Llangollen where they spent their honeymoon. They travel through the Vale of Llangollen, the Montgomery Canal before visiting the Horseshoe Falls by horse drawn barge.[9] 0.83m
Canal du Nivernais, France31 March 2014More4Tim and Pru visit the Burgundy region of France. They travel along the Canal du Nivernais taking part in the grape harvest in Chablis before ending the trip in Auxerre.[10] –

Series 2

Episode nameOriginal date airedStation airedEpisode informationViewing figure
Oxford Canal15 March 2015Channel 4Tim and Pru start in Oxford for a trip on the Oxford Canal which was the first trip they had on a canal 40 years previously. They meet Sonia Rolt, a canal campaigner and author Philip Pullman. They are joined on the journey through the Cherwell Valley by the first canal laureate Jo Bell and their son, actor Sam West.[11] 2.55m
London Ring22 March 2015Channel 4Tim and Pru start in Brentford, travelling along both the Grand Union Canal and Regent's Canal to Limehouse. On the way they met up with Andrew Sachs and Ian McKellen and visit the grave of Harold Pinter at Kensal Green Cemetery.[12] 1.88m
Canal du Midi, France 29 March 2015Channel 4Tim and Pru travel along the Canal du Midi, which was built nearly 100 years before the British canals and is designated a World Heritage site. They visit the town of Béziers and travel in the Europe's first navigable canal – the Malpas Tunnel. They try lamb's brain fritters and drink 200-year-old whiskey.[13] They are joined on the journey by their son Joseph West and his family.1.65m
5 April 2015Channel 4Tim and Pru travel along the two Scottish canals in a coast to coast trip from Edinburgh to Glasgow. Along the way they travel Scotland's highest aqueduct and go through its longest canal tunnel.[14] They also visit 21st-century canal technology with the Falkirk Wheel.2.02m

Series 3

Episode nameOriginal date airedStation airedEpisode information[15] Viewing figure
London's Lost Route to the Sea 25 October 2015Channel 41.86m
Birmingham to Braunston 1 November 2015Channel 41.93m
Shannon–Erne Waterway8 November 2015Channel 41.82m

Series 4

Episode NameOriginal date airedStation airedEpisode information[16] Viewing figure
The Göta Canal, Sweden20 March 2016Channel 42.22m
Stockholm and the Archipelago, Sweden27 March 2016Channel 41.5m
3 April 2016Channel 41.44m

Series 5

Episode nameOriginal date airedStation airedEpisode information[17] Viewing figure
Venice, Italy17 August 2016Channel 41.68m
Amsterdam, Netherlands24 August 2016Channel 41.38m
Leeds and Liverpool Canal31 August 2016Channel 41.37m

Series 6

Episode nameOriginal date airedStation airedEpisode information[18] Viewing figure
Bristol and North Devon23 October 2016Channel 41.44m
The Caledonian6 November 2016Channel 41.75m
13 November 2016Channel 41.66m

Series 7

Episode nameOriginal date airedStation airedEpisode informationViewing figure
Kerala, India16 June 2017Channel 4Tim and Pru start their trip in Kochi, before travelling to the Kerala backwaters. They also visit the ancient fort in Tangasseri and visit Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple.[19] 1.66m
Brahmaputra, India23 June 2017Channel 4Tim and Pru explore the Brahmaputra River. They follow an old tea trading route, meet a community of monks and take a ride on an elephant.[20] 1.58m

Series 8

Episode nameOriginal date airedStation airedEpisode informationViewing figure
Norfolk Broads29 October 2017Channel 41.51m
Marne–Rhine Canal, France5 November 2017Channel 41.42m
Rio Douro, Portugal30 November 2017Channel 41.66m
Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal7 December 2017Channel 41.56m

Series 9

Episode nameOriginal date airedStation airedEpisode informationViewing figure*[21]
River Nile, Egypt7 October 2018Channel 41.36m
Lake Maggiore, Naviglio Grande, Italy14 October 2018Channel 41.39m
28 October 2018Channel 41.4m
Paraná Delta, Argentina 4 November 2018Channel 41.53m
11 November 2018Channel 41.39m
Rideau Canal, Canada18 November 2018Channel 4

Series 10

The series has been subtitled Asian Odyssey and is billed as Prunella Scales and Timothy West's last canal journey.[22]

Episode nameOriginal date airedStation airedEpisode informationViewing figure*
Vietnam9 June 2019Channel 4Tim and Pru start their trip in Halong Bay, before travelling along the Red River to visit both Hanoi and Hoa Lu. They also visit the ancient port town of Hoi An and take part in its famous lantern festival.[23] 1.63m
Cambodia16 June 2019Channel 4Tim and Pru start their trip in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, exploring its local customs before crossing into Cambodia. There they visit the capital city Phenom Penh before travelling onto the ancient abandoned city of Angkor Wat, where they discover how the city and the surviving temple were built with the aid of canals.[24] 1.53m

Series 11

Episode nameOriginal date airedStation airedEpisode informationViewing figure*
The Thames8 November 2020Channel 4Gyles and Sheila are introduced to canal boating by Timothy West along the upper reaches of the Thames.1.76m
The Lea Navigation15 November 2020Channel 4Gyles and Sheila travel the Lea Navigation, visiting the former Royal Gunpowder Mills and tackling their first manual locks before travelling up the Thames.[25] 1.69m

Series 12

Episode nameOriginal date airedStation AiredEpisode informationViewing figure
Staffordshire's Waterways (Part 1)15 March 2021[26] Channel 4Sheila and Gyles tour Staffordshire's waterways – the Caldon and the Trent and Mersey Canals on a tour of the Potteries and Stoke-on-Trent.
Staffordshire's Waterways (Part 2)22 March 2021Channel 4Sheila and Gyles tour Staffordshire's waterways – the Caldon and the Trent and Mersey Canals on a tour of the Potteries and Stoke-on-Trent.

Special

DVDs

With the exception of the London Ring episode in series 2, all of first eight series have been issued on DVD; the series numbering, however, is different.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Great Canal Journeys – All 4.
  2. Web site: Timothy West and Prunella Scales dubbed 'inspirational' as Great Canal Journeys returns. Shaun. Kitchener. 21 March 2016.
  3. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Series 1 Episode 1 – Radio Times. 4 January 2019.
  4. Web site: Timothy West reveals Prunella Scales' "painful" battle with dementia – Radio Times Webb.C p.4 March 2014. 4 January 2019.
  5. Web site: Great Canal Journeys – Series 11 – Episode 1. The Radio Times. David Brown. 1 December 2020.
  6. Web site: Gyles Brandreth details 'frightening' boat problems he suffered on Great Canal Journeys. The Express. Michelle Marshall. 8 November 2020. 1 December 2020.
  7. Web site: BARB Top 30. 23 November 2018.
  8. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Series 1 Episode 2 – Radio Times. 4 January 2019.
  9. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Series 1 Episode 3 – Radio Times. 4 January 2019.
  10. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Series 1 Episode 4 – Radio Times. 4 January 2019.
  11. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Series 2 Episode 1 – Radio Times. 6 January 2019.
  12. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Series 2 Episode 2 – Radio Times. 8 January 2019.
  13. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Series 2 Episode 3 – Radio Times. 25 January 2019.
  14. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Series 2 Episode 4 – Radio Times. 25 January 2019.
  15. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Series 3 – Radio Times. 30 January 2022.
  16. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Season 4 – Radio Times. 30 January 2022.
  17. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Season 5 – Radio Times. 30 January 2022.
  18. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Season 4 – Radio Times. 30 January 2022.
  19. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Episode 1 Series 7- Iris Holidays. 13 January 2017.
  20. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Season 7. 30 January 2022.
  21. Web site: BARB Four-screen dashboard. 23 November 2018.
  22. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Series 10 Episode 1 – Radio Times. 13 June 2019.
  23. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Episode 1 Series 10 – Radio Times. 13 June 2019.
  24. Web site: Great Canal Journeys Episode 2 Series 10 – Radio Times. 17 June 2019.
  25. News: Great canal Journeys – Series 11 Episode 2. . Jane Rackman. 1 December 2020.
  26. Web site: Great Canal Journeys - All 4 .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Great Canal Journeys".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.