Great Canal Journeys

I'm going to sound ancient, but here me out. This show is so much more than a travelogue. It's a documentation on how a couple who've been together for over 50 years are still going strong. Compare that to most couples today who split up. It's also a release from watching copious amounts of sex, swearing and violence, as well as D-list celebrities in the jungle munching down on kangaroo privates or gangs of orange, fake-tanned morons who can barely count past two.

This programme caught me completely by surprise, I tuned in assuming it would be full of great scenery, amazing vistas and a little bit of history about the canals themselves... and it was, in fact the history aspect was extremely well covered by Tim, who is a very well informed man and a joy to listen to as his passion for the subject matter is mesmerising... but here comes the punch, through Tim and Pru, who are well into their 80s you get this fantastic insight into love, relationships and getting older. I found the journeys quite emotional, Tim and Pru's spirit of adventure lifted my heart so much as I watched them navigate the waterways. Absolutely brilliant, a hidden gem.

A wonderful TV series reviving many memories of the locations and the personalities involved especially of course Prunella and Tim a great pity one cannot view on line especially the 2017 series containing the Norfolk Broards where we lived for many years while living in the UK before moving to New Zealand

This programme is ostensibly a travelogue about canal and river journeys on barges, riverboats and other small craft.

But that's not why we watch it, I don't think. Two of the great British character actors of a former generation, they are two personalities redolent of our childhoods.

And they have a truly special relationship to which most can only aspire. GCJ charts their journey into an old age beset by Pru's failing health.

It's a true love story, and one of the most heartwarming programmes I've ever watched.

Having been a long time fan of Prunella Scales, I approached this series with interest. She was great as the long suffering Sybil Fawlty, and better still as Miss Mapp in the miniseries Mapp and Lucia.

Seeing her with her husband of many decades traveling down canals was a great treat. I was amazed that the couple found so many unusual and out of the ordinary places to visit.