Long Way Up
Long Way Up is an English television series which debuted 18 September 2020, documenting a motorcycle journey undertaken in 2019 by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, from Ushuaia in Argentina through South and Central America to Los Angeles in the United States.[2] It is a follow-up to 2004's Long Way Round where the pair rode from London to New York and then again in 2007 Long Way Down, when they rode south from John o' Groats in Scotland through eighteen countries in Europe and Africa to Cape Town in South Africa.
Long Way Up | |
---|---|
![]() Opening title shot for Long Way Up | |
Genre | Documentary |
Created by | Ewan McGregor Charley Boorman David Alexanian Russ Malkin |
Starring | Ewan McGregor Charley Boorman |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 11[1] (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Producers | David Alexanian Russ Malkin Lucy Trujillo |
Cinematography | Claudio Von Planta Jimmy Simak Anthony Von Seck |
Running time | 45 minutes |
Distributor | Apple Inc. |
Release | |
Original network | Apple TV+ |
Original release | 18 September – 13 November 2020 |
Chronology | |
Related shows | |
External links | |
Website |
The first three episodes of Long Way Up premiered globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, 18 September 2020, and seven further episodes rolled out weekly through to 13 November 2020.[1]
Overview
The journey covered 13,000 miles, through 13 countries over 100 days starting in September 2019 and finishing on 14 December 2019. They rode Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycles manufactured by Harley-Davidson that had been converted into adventure bikes. Accompanying Ewan and Charley are the same key team members from Long Way Round and Long Way Down, including director/producers David Alexanian and Russ Malkin and directors of photography Jimmy Simak and Claudio Von Planta. Also joining is associate producer Taylor Estevez and cinematographer Anthony Von Seck. The production team followed Ewan and Charley’s route in prototype Rivian electric trucks built especially for the journey.[3] They were supported by diesel powered vehicles and generators and back up bikes.
Route
The series follows Ewan and Charley as they journey through Latin America including the countries of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and up through Colombia, Central America and Mexico.[4]
- Episode 2 route
- Ushuaia
- Tolhuin
- Rio Grande
- Border Crossing Argentina/Chile
- Onaisin
- Episode 3 route
- Onaisin
- Porvenir
- Punta Arenas
- Episode 10 route
- Tehuantepec
Episodes
No. | Title | Original release date [5] |
---|---|---|
1 | "Preparation" | 18 September 2020 |
2 | "Ushuaia" | 18 September 2020 |
3 | "Southern Patagonia" | 18 September 2020 |
4 | "The Andes" | 25 September 2020 |
5 | "Atacama Desert Into Bolivia" | 2 October 2020 |
6 | "Bolivia" | 9 October 2020 |
7 | "Peru" | 16 October 2020 |
8 | "Ecuador" | 23 October 2020 |
9 | "Colombia, Panama & Costa Rica" | 30 October 2020 |
10 | "Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala & Mexico" | 6 November 2020 |
11 | "Oaxaca to L.A." | 13 November 2020 |
Music
The title song was performed by Welsh group Stereophonics, and is similar to the Long Way Round and Long Way Down theme with the lyrics "round" and "down" replaced with "up".[6] Other artists to feature include: Jhony Rojas (two songs under Astronauta, two with Passto and four with Últimos Glaciares), Totó la Momposina, Aurelio, Sidestepper, Los de Abajo and Charlie Winston.[7] [8]
Critical reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 100% based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 6.75/10.[9]
UNICEF
During Long Way Round, Ewan and Charley visited three UNICEF programmes in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia and then after they were made UK ambassadors, the pair embarked on their second adventure Long Way Down and saw UNICEF’s work with child soldiers in Uganda and land-mine awareness programmes in Ethiopia. The Long Way Up series sees the duo visit three more UNICEF programmes in Bolivia, Peru and Honduras.[10] In Bolivia, Ewan and Charley visit the UNICEF supported Quechua indigenous Challamayu School and attend a bilingual lesson taught in Spanish and traditional Quechuan. The UNICEF program is designed to give indigenous Bolivian children the opportunity to learn and further their education in their own language.[11]
References
- "Apple TV+ review: Ewan McGregor goes electric in engaging "Long Way Up"". Apple Insider. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "Long Way Up YouTube trailer released ahead of Apple TV+ debut", Motor Cycle News, 1 September 2020
- Fletcher, Brekke (18 September 2020). "Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman ride again on 'Long Way Up'". CNN. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- Morris, Lauren (17 September 2020). "What route do Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman take on The Long Way Up?". Radio Times. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- "Long Way Up – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- Hogan, Michael (18 September 2020). "Long Way Up, Apple TV+ review: like watching a slow-motion midlife crisis". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- "New Apple TV+ series 'Long Way Up' to feature music by Real World artists". realworldrecords.com. 17 September 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- "Johny Trip's songs will be part of a chapter of "Long Way Up"". lostiempos.com. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- Long Way Up: Season 1, retrieved 14 January 2021
- Rellihan, Kathleen (19 September 2020). "Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman Ride Into the Future on Electric Harleys in 'Long Way Up'". newsweek.com. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- "The journey of a lifetime with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman". UNICEF UK. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
External links
- Long Way Up – official site
- Long Way Up – promo site
- Long Way Up at IMDb
- Long Way Up at Metacritic
- Long Way Up on Rotten Tomatoes