It’s been 20 years since the docuseries and accompanying book Long Way Round, so now it’s time for Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman to get back on their motorbikes for Long Way Home. The Apple TV+ series returns to the format of Long Way Round – and the sequel series Long Way Down and Long Way Up – to find the longtime mates leaving their families to ride motorcycles on lengthy, rambling journeys. The directing and production team of Russ Malkin and David Alexanian also returns, as well as the Long Way chase bike cameramen. So Long Way Round has the celebratory feel of an anniversary as the duo and their team prepare to depart Scotland and travel indirectly to England via a meandering route through various countries.
Opening Shot: It’s Ewan McGregor on his diary cam. “In 2004, my best friend Charley and I rode around the northern hemisphere and documented our trip.” Then it was London to Cape Town in 2007, and then it was South America all the way up to Los Angeles in 2020. And now, McGregor says, “we’ve decided to do it again.”
The Gist: Once properly geared – we’ll get to that in a second – McGregor and Boorman will depart Scotland, cross to the continent, travel up through Scandinavia all the way to the Arctic Circle, return to mainland Europe through Finland, head across the Alps and France, and finally reach England. Or as Boorman puts it, “We’re spending the summer riding a spectacular loop through 17 of our closest neighbors.”
These guys are avowed motorbike freaks. Long Way Home shows us a snapshot of a fresh-faced McGregor, right out of drama school, perched on the back of his very first Moto Guzzi. And as for the lure of the road, Boorman has sacrificed himself physically – he bears considerable scars from two major bike accidents, and these days walks with a limp. The two-decade anniversary of their first expedition is a good peg for a new docuseries. But you know these pals also didn’t really need a reason. McGregor talks up the freedom of the road, and a big trip, to get away from life’s responsibilities for a while. Laurie, his young son with Mary Elizabeth Winstead – they met on Fargo – disagrees, and cries a lot as the day of departure nears.
But the early going of Long Way Home is all about not having left yet. While they used electric-powered motorcycles for their previous series together, this time around it’ll be on vintage bikes that sport their share of creak and rust. McGregor’s choice is one from his own collection of motor vehicles, a 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado 850, while Boorman opts for a BMW R75. Both require considerable servicing before a trip of thousands of miles, and while we see that prep, we also meet Malkin and Alexanian. The support team will make the trip in all-electric Rivians, which prompts debate over the availability of charging stations in the Balkans.
Their camping gear is stowed. Extra fuel tanks have been placed onboard. Waterproof riding leathers are donned. And in Scotland, Ewan McGregor’s high school pipe band arrives to see them off, alongside his parents and Mary and Laurie. “Don’t worry about us,” the riders tell their loved ones. And before long, they’re off and touring, and approaching Forth Road Bridge. “I had to run half-naked across this in Trainspotting 2,” McGregor offers to Boorman over their bike-to-bike radios.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? We’ve mentioned the previous Long Way installments. And Charley Boorman was also the presenter for the BBC’s By Any Means, where he had to get from Ireland to Australia with limited support from air travel. But while it’s on two wheels instead of four, it’s The Grand Tour that Long Way Home most emulates in form and feel.
Our Take: If you were disappointed when Grand Tour closed up shop, then maybe you can fill the Jeremy Clarkson/Richard Hammon/James May-sized hole in your heart with some jaunty traveling energy from Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. These two are not nearly as bickering forward as those Top Gear vets. But McGregor and Boorman have an easy rapport clearly built across decades of friendship, and they share a fuck-with-each-other kind of streak that, while mild, should add some spice to the miles to come. Off duty from being a movie star, McGregor still displays loads and loads of charm, and he sounds genuine when he contrasts the inviting unpredictability of a long motorcycle journey to the more regimented timeframes on a film set. And Boorman is more thoughtful, tying the trip to his friendship with McGregor, but also to his feelings of post-COVID restlessness, and a sense of proving himself. From what we see of his past surgeries, that he’s even standing seems like a win, let alone using the kickstarter on a motorbike.
Sex and Skin: During the planning for their route, the spectacular sights and uniqueexperiences of Scandinavia are discussed. “Naked saunas: you in?” McGregor defers to Boorman. “I’m not gonna let Charley dangle alone.”
Parting Shot: “Amsterdam here we come!” Rainy and foggy UK weather has led the team to Port of Tyne, Newcastle, and while they board the ferry to Europe, we catch scenes from future episodes of Long Way Home. Hey, who let that horse into the pub?!
Sleeper Star: No offense to the personalities riding them. But on a show like this, the bikes are the stars. We share McGregor’s soft spot for the Moto Guzzi brand, and are particularly into the patina on the front fender of his Eldo – a little added veteran character – plus its cushy pillion seat, tall police-style windscreen, and sturdy metal side panniers. A touring bike for the ages.
Most Pilot-y Line: “Don’t love them to death, Ewan!” He corrects himself out loud. “For Christ’s sake! Motorbikes are dangerous enough as it is…”
Our Call: STREAM IT. Long Way Home has an ambling quality about it that suits a travel-centric show, all of the scenic shots you’d expect – from the Scottish highlands to Scandinavian fjords and onward through Europe – and a level of bff banter between Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman that’s enjoyable as we become their companions for their latest two-wheeled adventure.
Johnny Loftus (@glennganges) is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift.