Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father

Full of witty banter, this show highlights two very different perspectives on travel between laid-back comedian Jack Whitehall and his uptight, aristocratic father, a retired TV producer and talent agent. Each of the show’s four seasons—ranging between two and six episodes—explores a different region of the world. But unlike other travel shows, this one tends to avoid the obvious touristy attractions. Instead, with the occasional help of local guides, it digs deeper into each destination to reveal lesser-known gems. The father-son duo sample street food, observe local customs, and experience primitive forms of transportation, which provides a more in-depth look at each locale.

Even those who aren’t already familiar with the younger and more famous Whitehall should still find his wicked sense of humor and the banter between him and his dad highly entertaining. In one episode, Jack deceitfully convinces Michael to sleep in a straw beach hut for the night in Phuket. In another, they travel to Odessa to attend one of Europe’s biggest clown festivals, and both wind up dressed as clowns. While visiting Las Vegas, Jack tricks his dad into sitting through a raunchy live performance of Magic Mike by telling him it’s a magic show. Michael is good natured about all of this (most of the time), and sometimes even tries to outsmart his son. The fact that they continue to travel together after all this is a testament to their close relationship.

The experiences of this English pair highlight the generational divide between them in a laugh-out-loud kind of way. Despite their antics, though, they also share deep and heartwarming moments as they bond over the importance of treasuring time with family.