Boozin’ Buddies (video)
Category : Media
The idea of two guys roaming the globe to discover the best in wine and spirits in all their aspects seems to be a natural for television. In fact, many years ago, before the current trend in reality television, one colleague, lamenting the state of the medium at the time, told me this very scenario is “what television ought to be about.” At the time, the only example we had of reality television, was an early 1970s PBS series called An American Family (casually known as “The Louds”). But now, we have two shows that, at least on the surface, would meet my friend’s standard of the ideal television show.
British actors Matthew Goode and Matthew Rhys are the two buddies in The Wine Show, supposedly a quest across the globe to find “the perfect wine” that ultimately informs and delights us. Fans of Downton Abbey will recognize Matthew Goode from his performance as Henry Talbot, Lady Mary’s love interest. Matthew Rhys has been nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of Philip Jennings in The Americans.
In The Wine Show, Goode and Rhys seem to go out of their way to discard their natural British charm in the series — a charm we know they can easily display in various roles on film and television. In fact, at the risk of being cheeky, it can be said that, in this series, they often look like they need to take a shower. And someone should definitely tell them about no-iron shirts. But the end result is also the dispense of any pretentiousness or snobbery that might be associated with fine wine — we get it.
The show is pleasant enough when the boys are not trying too hard at, well, being boys. Yet, it doesn’t really matter if too often they look like they are having more fun than we are watching them, or if the attempts at humor turn into moments of awkwardness, the series is still informative in a fun and unconstructed way.
The Wine Show is neither about Goode and Rhys, nor just about specific wines. It’s about anything regarding wine, including a bit of history now and then, wine gadgets, traditions, food, and etiquette, among other topics.
The Wine Show, produced by British broadcaster ITV, is now available in the United States via Hulu. There are also some segments on YouTube, where you can subscribe to their channel. Below is one such “tasting” in which Goode and Rhys discuss wine cooling gadgets with Joe Fattorini.
Like The Wine Show, Esquire Network’s Best Bars in America is about two guys going around drinking alcoholic products. There, the similarity ends. One way to describe this series is to say that it’s as if the boys in “Route 66” were to stop the plot of their show long enough to describe what they were drinking at every bar they happened to drop in. That description makes it fascinating and, sometimes takes us to the point of uncertainty — as when one of the boys gets so drunk, we’re not sure if he’ll show up at the next bar being featured. But the show must go on… and the drinking.
The boys of Best Bars in America are comedians Jay Larson and Sean Patton. But this is not a comedy — neither comedian goes out of his way to prove that he’s funny. As the title suggests, they roam the country to feature interesting, often unique, watering holes. Proper attention is given to the details, such as specific ingredients of esoteric cocktails, and the people they meet, whether celebrities, customers, owners, players, or bartenders — each is given their 15 seconds of fame. Along the way, we get a little history lesson, some trivia and local lore.
But the appeal of the show comes from Larson and Patton, who are in their element in each new bar, as if they’ve been regulars for years. Like its Esquire Network predecessor, Beer Dogs, the only way it can be any more fun is if we know in advance what the boys will be drinking and imbibe in the same concoctions as we watch at home [Note to reader: this is not an official VizcayaWine.com suggestion].
When he’s not in one of the best bars in America — and sometimes even when he is — Jay Larson is a stand up comedian best known for his “Wrong Number” routine. The quality that I can think of to describe him is “insouciance” — both when he is on stage as a comic or sampling some designer cocktail for the series. Sean Patton, the ultimate buddy in this series, is also a stand up comedian, whose work is known internationally, now equally famous for his “drinking.” Although they don’t seem to have the close friendship that Goode and Rhys do, Jay Larson and Sean Patton are just as affable and convincing in their roles as America’s ultimate barflies.
Seasons One and Two of Best Bars in America are available on Esquire’s YouTube channel. Season Two is also available on OnDemand. It’s unclear whether there will be a Season Three. If Esquire is looking to replace one of the hosts, I will volunteer. I know… it’s a sacrifice, but someone has to do it.
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