It’s the daring innovation that no one ever thought would be possible. A breezy travelogue in which two comedian pals go on holiday together but – get this! – they are both women. Woah!
Worlds have not collapsed by pairing Sara Pascoe and Roisin Conaty for Zero Stars. In fact, the programme has a similar playful vibe to Channel 4’s Travel Man, with a few days in one destination packed with unusual experiences.
The twist is that they are seeking out places with dismal online reviews. Of course, they could have cheated given the internet is full of write-ups calling the Grand Canyon ‘an overblown sandy ditch’ or criticising Ben Nevis for its lack of wifi, but they have genuinely sought out some unpleasant activities.
In tonight’s first episode, they take water bikes on to an Istanbul canal that seems as relaxing as skateboarding on the M6, embark on a trip to a wish-granting tree on an island that’s an absolute bust and visit a fortune teller who just couldn’t focus on the job in hand.
Pascoe and Conaty are real-life mates with a chemistry that comes through the screen and able to laugh together at their shared awful experiences. They attack each event with positivity, determined to get the best out of it, even if that’s not always possible.
Only a psychopath would not wince as Conaty has her nasal hair waxed, while it’s Pascoe’s turn to suffer with a very aggressive massage in the hammam, her pal looking on in the ‘cuck chair’, as she hilariously calls it.
The show – going out in the same TLC slot as the revived Mock The Week – is fun without really reinventing the wheel, down to the cliché of Pascoe telling what she’s ‘discovered about myself’ in the wrap-up voiceover.
The key is that she and Conaty are such great company – the sort of travelling companions you wouldn’t mind getting stuck on a sweaty walk up a rubbish-lined street with, given they’d see the funny side. Definitely not a zero-star effort.
• Zero Stars is on TLC at 9pm tonight
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