Indian travelogue shows with British TV presenters are as predictable as they are popular. Here, let me sketch the formula on the back of this samosa. Take, I don’t know, Sue Barker and James Redmond. Whack them in front of the Taj Mahal, then in a tuk tuk. Let them eat pav bhaji. Earnest closeup, while regarding temple carvings. Shot of begging children, while they reflect on what a country of contrasts this is. Much saris and smiling. Close on moment of spiritual epiphany, which evaporates by the airport. It’s a hit!
So I am unaroused by the prospect of Rob and Rylan’s Passage to India (Sunday 14 September, 9pm, BBC Two), the genesis of the three-part series being that Rob Rinder’s favourite novel is the namesake title by EM Forster. Should we send Patrick Kielty to a Kyoto entertainment district because he likes Memoirs of a Geisha? Still, the pair won a Bafta for their previous jaunt around Italy, so I decide to give them a chance.
