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Long Way Round - Bob Pickett watches and raves over the DVD of the series

Click here for more info or to order this book When I first heard that Ewan McGregor was planning a round the world motorcycle ride, which was to be made into a TV series, I will be honest enough to say I had my doubts. First impressions were that this was going to be some grandiose publicity stunt, probably with huge back-up crews and the rest.

But then I heard a little more - and as news came through of incidents like McGregor and travelling companion Charley Boorman being held up at a border as they didn't have the right paperwork, it started to get a more interesting. Suddenly it seemed these guys were really going for it - and with simple human error like that taking place, maybe this was what it seemed - a genuine attempt to ride round the world, taking in some truly inhospitable places.

So when the series finally aired, I decided to take a look and see what it was about… and was hooked from the word go. This was compulsive, 'must see' viewing in the Pickett household, with the pair of us literally counting the days until the next episode.

So just what were the pair of them doing? It almost seems simple - 20,000 miles in about 115 days, starting from London, then heading across Europe, into Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia, Alaska and Canada, finally arriving in the USA. The reality is something else altogether.

In the early days, their sheer naivety at the scale of the task ahead is worrying - you also start to wonder if they have any chance when they (well Ewan, Charley Boorman seems to be one of life's natural bikers) are struggling at the offroad training. It is amazing they even got going, what with so-called 'experts' doubting the route they chose - and the appalling attitude from KTM (they deserve slagging off in public, so here it is) in pulling out of the project just days before the start. Praise is also due, so well done to BMW for stepping in and supplying the boys with bikes, kit and whatever else.

But the series really gets going once McGregor and Boorman cross into the old Eastern Bloc. The beauty of the countryside is wonderful - as is the kindness of people, often quite poor themselves, supplying beds and food to the travellers with no want of recompense. The pair were also travelling as representatives for UNICEF and visited childrens homes and centres along the way (McGregor has since announced he will be sponsoring the upbringing of one little girl he met living in an old sewer), which provides some touching and at times heart-rending scenes.

Sadly, the pair get shanghaied on more than one occasion by local dignitaries looking to use them as a publicity stunt. But more often than not, they are able to get on with the job in hand, riding into these unknown areas, meeting and mingling with local people and getting a truly unique perspective on life in these lands.

I'm guessing a lot of people will be brought to watch this DVD because of Ewan McGregor. But for me, the real star of the show is Charley Boorman. Without his infectious humour, refusal to give up and general cheer and encouragement, I am sure the whole project would have foundered well before America. Boorman is also one hell of a rider - we both, on more than one occasion found ourselves saying "How can he ride like that"!

The DVD contains all seven episodes of the series (though it is quite likely you'll find yourself watching the whole lot in one go), plus some fairly standard extras. Of the extras, the additional interview with McGregor and Boorman is well worth watching and there is a lot more detail on the first few days of the journey, which had to be cut from the original broadcast.

Verdict: This is a truly inspirational piece of television and utterly compulsive viewing. Even if you don't ride a bike yourself, there is much to be enjoyed and taken from this series. Buy this DVD, you will not be disappointed.

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