The World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys

Sat down to watch the Pretoria to Durban rail journey with Rovos. The programme kicked off with horrible, over-dramtic background music, and never stopped. I could only watch 20 minutes. Why do programme makers do this? It just detracts from the scenry and commentary. Silence is good!

The scenery is very interesting but Bill Nighy's torpid narration is better than a bottle of sleeping tablets. He sounds bored, mostly. Droning on, and on.

Hardly changes his delivery at all - Ho hum I hope they get someone else soon.

It appears that the Narrator (Bill Nighy) was provided with no guidance on pronunciation of place names in the New Zealand episode and no review of the narration was done by anyone with knowledge of New Zealand. Mountain and region names are almost incomprehensible for New Zealanders or those with knowledge of New Zealand. The episode is an embarrassment for this accomplished actor and questions regarding the production crew.

The episode could benefit from re-recording of the narration and leaves question marks regarding pronunciation in other episodes in the series.

Given the narrative structure of the trip is from North to South the editing has resulted in some notable moments that are clearly out of chronological order.

The "world" apparently consists of the UK and nowhere else according to the makers of this for-TV pile of garbage. The makers really should be fined under the Trade Descriptions Act. There is also nothing remotely "scenic" about most of the routes they pick.

Is this really the state of TV in the UK? Yes, of course it is. Insular, stuck in the past and BORING.

I wouldn't make my dog suffer watching this. You shouldn't either..

Great views camera work editing. In fact very well made travel films. But here comes the but! Why oh why voice over from Bill Nighy? Dogry me wrong I admirehim as an actor in his no rush, English gent style but voiceovers of a railway travel series, no he sends me to sleep! It's rather outdated as well doing voice overs. Can you imagine Portillo not appearing in Great British Railway Journeys? Or Chris Tarrant being absent in his series?