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Hairy Bikers' Restoration Road Trip (The): The Complete Series (TV)
R2 - United Kingdom - Simply Media Review written by and copyright: Matthew Crossman (14th November 2016). |
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The Show
 David Myers and Simon 'Si' King are best known for their series of television programmes featuring cookery. In August 2013 the BBC premièred a series of shows that showed the duo working and restoring a series of steam related projects. The projects are of a importance to the duo due to their family ties in regards to steam engines and coal mining, where steam was an important factor. There are three episodes on this DVD (the complete series). They are; #1 Steam Engine Inspection (58.45). Dave and Si first visit a Derbyshire coal mine where they help to restore a large steam winding engine, a large lift, that took the men to the coal face and also brought the coal to the surface. The duo then go to London where they celebrate 150 years of the Tube network by putting MET 1, the tube's oldest working steam train through it's paces. #2 Ploughing With Steam (58.36) In the second episode Dave and Si go to Wiltshire and help rebuild an early traction engine and look into how the machine revolutionised the farming industry. From there they go back to Derbyshire to work on a 100 year old cotton spinning mule before heading over to Cheshire to restore a barge that used to transport Britain's coal around the country. #3 A Hairy Train Driver (59.09). In this, the final episode of the series, Dave and Si work on the reconstruction of the steam train 'The Night Owl'. For Dave this is an emotional task as his, and his Father's, first jobs were working in the industry. Dave also has the task of checking over the cylinder of the oldest steam train still on site in the World. All three episodes are interesting to a degree without going into masses of detail. The duo of Dave and Si are amiable and enthusiastic and do there best to draw the viewer into subjects that they are both passionate about. From a historical point of view the programme is at it's most interesting as it delves into the social history of labour in the 1930's onwards and the rigours that men who worked on steam trains, in the farmer's fields, and on the railways had to go through. Some pertinent questions are ask by both the bikers (such as where does a coal miner go to the toilet) by more often than not these questions are brushed over when I would have liked to have heard more detail. By having two or sometimes three projects per episode the details are sometimes lost and I imagine this is so the viewer does not get too bogged down in each projects intricacies but for me this meant that each project felt a little rushed. Still, despite having no real interest in the steam era I did find myself enjoying what I was learning about the subject matter to a degree that I wanted to know more than was being revealed. In that respect the programme succeeds as it's a fine jumping on point for the subject of steam driven machinery but is still light in tone.
Video
The DVD presents each episode exactly as it was shown on the BBC in August 2013. Each episode is shown in it's original anamorphic aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The picture, as you expect from a programme just over three years old, is faultless. The DVD features all three episodes that can be watched as one or can be watched separately. Each episode is broken down into six chapters which can be negotiated from the episodes menu.
Audio
The only soundtrack option available is the original broadcast soundtrack which was English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. The sound is clear and precise throughout. Not exactly a dynamic soundtrack but perfectly acceptable. No subtitles have been made available.
Extras
Sadly there are no extras available.
Overall
This is an interesting look into the history of steam machinery in Britain even if it is a little shallow in regards to the details. Dave and Si are enthusiastic and amiable presenters and imbue a sense of fun into the programmes. The duo play off each other well and do a decent job of interacting with the workers and volunteers that run each project but anyone considering buying the DVD should be aware that the programme, in my opinion, should be considered as light entertainment rather than a documentary on steam.
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