Interview with Simon Reeve who discovers adventure closer to home with two new travel series

Pictured: Simon in Cornwall

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BBC TWO

BBC Two has commissioned two new travel series with adventurer and author Simon Reeve, set to air this autumn and winter.

BBC Two has commissioned two new travel series with adventurer and author Simon Reeve, set to air next month.

In a year when travelling abroad has been so difficult, Simon Reeve and BBC Current Affairs have come up with two new series to satisfy the appetites of viewers who are craving escapism, as well as those looking for adventure a little closer to home this year.

The first series, Cornwall With Simon Reeve, is an exploration of the glorious county as it emerged from lockdown, investigating what the future holds for one of Britain’s favourite tourist destinations.

In his first UK-based travel adventure programme for the BBC, Simon, who lives in Devon, explores the natural beauty of neighbouring Cornwall, its beautiful coastal locations and stunning moorland, and gets under the skin of one of Britain’s most popular holiday destinations.

Cornwall With Simon Reeve is produced by Cornwall-based independent production company, Beagle Media.

The second series, Incredible Journeys With Simon Reeve, takes a look back at some of the most remarkable and remote destinations Simon has visited, from arctic glaciers to tropical reefs, from the forests of Borneo to the deserts of central Asia. This immersive and incredibly personal series is a chance to get to know Simon better and learn more about what he’s discovered on his extraordinary travels around the world.

Incredible Journeys with Simon Reeve is produced by The Garden Productions.

Simon Reeve says: “Events this year have knocked us all for six, and travelling the planet has become a bit tricky. So in these two series we thought it was a good time for me to look back, and also have a look at life closer to home.

“Travelling around Cornwall I met so many fantastic characters who were warm and welcoming, talked with incredible honesty, and challenged my stereotypes of the county and really made me think.

“In Incredible Journeys I wanted to reflect on the joy of travel, show viewers some of the most inspiring people I’ve met, and share what I’ve learnt about the challenges and solutions for our incredible planet. The pandemic has put a stop to many of our travels, but eventually the pandemic will pass, and we will start travelling again. I can’t wait.”

Harry Anscombe, CEO, Beagle Media said: “With more miles of beautiful coastline than any other County in the UK, Cornwall has a kind of romantic and even iconic status. It also means that more than ever, Cornwall relies on tourism, and during the pandemic lockdown many people's livelihoods here were uncertain.

“Beyond the pandemic and the beaches, Cornwall has long been a post-industrial region, with some of the most extreme poverty in Western Europe. As a regional Indie based in Cornwall, attempting to tell this story has been a creative challenge and a responsibility.

“Simon's journalistic ability to bond with people from all walks of life, in this case from seasoned miners to young chefs, has meant we witness some genuinely inspiring stories. Our hope is that this series will show Cornwall in a way that many people haven’t seen before."

John Hay, Chief Creative Officer, The Garden Productions, says: “When we came to putting Incredible Journeys With Simon Reeve together, I couldn’t believe that it had been 17 years since Simon’s travels for the BBC began. He’s managed to cover 130 countries in that time, so looking back through those journeys has been an enormously pleasurable armchair world tour, and it’s a privilege to be working with him as he revisits that incredible record himself.”

Patrick Holland, Controller of BBC Two, says: “Simon is one of the faces of BBC Two, so I’m delighted that he’s returning to our screens with these two very different series. Cornwall promises to bring his unique curiosity and intelligence to the stories closer to home, whilst Incredible Journeys will allow the audience to reflect on some of the most ambitious travel journalism in modern television.”

Cornwall with Simon Reeve is a weekly, two-part series, airing on BBC Two in November.

Incredible Journeys with Simon Reeve is a weekly, four-part series, airing on BBC Two winter 2020/21.

Q&A with Simon Reeve

How has the pandemic affected your work this year?
Events this year have knocked us all for six, and travelling the planet has become a bit tricky. So in these two series we thought it was a good time for me have a look at life closer to home, and also to look back.

Why Cornwall?
I’ve always loved Cornwall and filming there sounded like a brilliant idea. As soon as you start learning more about the county you realise that not only is it one of our favourite holiday spots, but many of the challenges we face as a nation are found there in sharp focus.

Cornwall has real extremes, with great beauty, plus real wealth and deep poverty. Travelling around Cornwall I met so many fantastic characters who were warm and welcoming, talked with incredible honesty, and challenged my stereotypes of the county and really made me think.

What more can you tell us about Incredible Journeys?
It started off as a simple compilation show, but then we realised we could do something a bit more than that. We track down some of the people I’ve met in the past to hear what’s happened to them, and also film with me and draw some bigger lessons from my travels around the world. I’ve been to something like 130 countries and I’ve met thousands of wonderful people on my travels.

In Incredible Journeys I wanted to reflect on the joy of travel, show viewers some of the most inspiring people I’ve met, and share what I’ve learnt about the challenges and solutions for our incredible planet. I even get to talk about how I became a telly traveller in the first place - it’s been a strange journey from unemployed teenager.

How has filming changed due to restrictions?
For both series of course we faced filming challenges, but we followed all the government advice, and we stayed outdoors and kept our distance from people.

What do you think the future holds for travelling and adventure abroad?
It’s been a tough year for all of us, and I found it very painful to be locked down away from family, friends and the wonderful people I would normally get to meet on an adventure abroad.

I miss travel, of course I do. But I also know that humans have travelled from the beginning of our species. It’s written into our DNA. Almost all of us crave to know what’s over the hill, or round the corner. The pandemic has put a stop to many of our travels, but eventually the pandemic will pass, and we will start travelling again. I can’t wait.

Source BBC TWO

October 13, 2020 4:25am ET by BBC TWO  

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