The Great Outdoors
BBC Four · TV Week · 27 Jul 2010 · by: BBC
Going for a nice walk in the British countryside: millions of people do it. It should be the simplest thing in the world – but for Bob, Christine and their friends, it never is. The Great Outdoors is a brand-new, three-part comedy written by Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil which follows the hikes, heartaches, friendships and rivalries of a misfit rambling club. There are lovely views, stolen kisses, packed lunches ... and punch-ups.
Each episode follows a single one-day walk. In this first instalment, Bob begins a titanic battle of wills with the newest member, Christine, for the heart and soul of his treasured walking group. She is freshly arrived from Barnstaple, exiled for a rambling crime she won't speak about. Christine's got a GPS and a lot of state-of-the-art hiking socks; technophobic Bob quickly marks her out as a nemesis in breathable fabrics.
Meanwhile, Bob's teenage daughter Hazel is mortified at the arrival of geeky Victor from her school. Then there is married couple Joe and Sophie. She comes on these walks to relax, but they do tend to get a bit stressful, and now Sophie's looking for another release in her life – which might be Victor.
As the lives of the walkers intertwine, they must face perhaps the greatest horror lurking in the British countryside – the previously cosy village pub which has "gone gastro". How will the group be able to afford lunch at £20 for a main meal, and will the tensions blow Bob's precious group apart for ever?
For Bob and Christine, each at a crossroads in their life, a small thing like a walking club can take on epic importance. Every episode of The Great Outdoors is a voyage of personal discovery – like a miniature road movie, but with sturdy footwear instead of a car.
Bob is played by Mark Heap, Christine by Ruth Jones, Hazel by Gwyneth Keyworth, Victor by Joe Tracini, Sophie by Katherine Parkinson and Joe by Steve Wight.
The Great Outdoors is simulcast on the BBC HD channel – the BBC's High Definition channel, available through Freesat 108, Freeview 50, Sky 143 and Virgin 108.
