Oz and James Drink to Britain
Oz and James Drink to Britain is a BBC television series[1] in which wine writer Oz Clarke and motor journalist James May travel through Britain and Ireland to discover the array of available alcoholic drinks. The series is a sequel to Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure, and followed the same format, with the established dynamic between Clarke and May of bickering and bantering while drinking alcohol. The chosen vehicle of this series is a 1982 Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible.[2]
| Oz and James Drink to Britain | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Michael Davies |
| Starring | James May, Oz Clarke |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Mark Hill, Chris Stuart |
| Production locations | United Kingdom, Ireland |
| Running time | 30 mins |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two |
| Original release | 6 January – 24 February 2009 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure Oz and Hugh Drink to Christmas Oz and Hugh Raise the Bar |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Upon broadcast the first episode had a viewership of approximately 3.4 million with an average audience share of 15%.[3]
Episode list
| Episode | Subject | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clarke and May travel to Yorkshire and Derbyshire, learn what goes into beer and visit a vineyard. | 6 January 2009 |
| 2 | Clarke and May travel to Wigan and visit a small commercial brewery. | 13 January 2009 |
| 3 | Clarke and May travel to Scotland, receive a blindfolded whisky tasting and meet brewers. | 20 January 2009 |
| 4 | Clarke and May travel to Ireland, test Irish Guinness and host "Strictly Come Drinking". | 27 January 2009 |
| 5 | Clarke and May taste some extreme beers, and attempt to work as barmen. | 3 February 2009 |
| 6 | Clarke and May travel to Wales, sample vodka, perry and wines before having their own Homebrew beer judged at the Worcester Beer Festival | 10 February 2009 |
| 7 | Clarke and May travel to the South West on a traditional cider farm and James makes his own Plymouth Gin. | 17 February 2009 |
| 8 | Clarke and May try British sparkling wine and visit a traditional Kentish hop garden. | 24 February 2009 |
DVD
The DVD of Oz and James Drink to Britain, which contains footage not featured on the original BBC broadcasts, was released in the UK on 16 March 2009.
U.S. Broadcast
The series was also broadcast on BBC America, renamed "James May Drinks to Britain."
References
- Moran, Caitlin, The Times (3 January 2009). "Oz Clarke and James May Drink to Britain". Retrieved 21 January 2009.
- Jeffries, Stuart, The Guardian (7 January 2009). Last night's TV
- Holmwood, Leigh, The Guardian (7 January 2009). TV ratings: Claire Sweeney weight gain show pulls in 3.2 million
