Old pals Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are off in search of the best restaurants in northern England as The Trip kicks off.

Equal parts friends and sparring partners, the pair find themselves trading jabs and celebrity impersonations as they indulge in some of the best food the north has to offer.

But amid their squabbles and in-depth talks comes a reflection on their life as it stands at that moment, and what’s important to them: success or contentment?

First airing in 2010, semi-improvised and semi-fictional, the celebrity duo play exaggerated, fictional versions of themselves as the six episodes play out.

Here’s what you need to know about the first series of the pair’s adventures.

The Trip series 1-4 are available to watch via Sky now.

Series one and two are available on BBC iPlayer (which you can access via Sky), while three and four are on Sky Comedy.

The Trip to the Northern Lights was announced in June 2025, with filming set to commence later in the year.

The Trip runs for six, half-hour episodes, and starts with Steve Coogan splitting from his girlfriend, Mischa. Rather than face the restaurant tour alone, he contacts his old pal, Rob Brydon.

After girlfriend Mischa is ‘unable to make it’, Steve Coogan convinces pal Rob to take a gastronomic trip away from his wife and child for a week in the name of a piece for The Observer – at a 60/40 split, of course.

As they begin to navigate the motorways in Steve’s Range Rover, the pair debate the positives and negatives of maps v sat navs, and run into trouble when it becomes clear that only one room is booked at The Inn.

Heading to dinner, the duo update each other on their family, the identity of the North of England vs Wales, and battle over Michael Caine impersonations.

But as night falls, Steve can’t resist giving Mischa a call.

Steve is haunted by a nightmare involving Ben Stiller as he continues to crave a serious Hollywood acting role.

While Steve and Rob head towards Cartmel, Steve gets a call from his ex-wife, Catherine, who tells him their teenage son, Joe, has misbehaved at a friend’s house.

They head to French restaurant L’Eclume, where they enjoy an experimental taster menu and several glasses of wine, trading impersonations of Stephen Hawking and Liam Neeson from Taken.

Later, the pair take some time alone – with Steve getting a call from his agent.

For their next stop, Steve and Rob stay at Greta Hall in Keswick – the former home of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge and where Steve had hoped to share a romantic “frisson” with Mischa.

Finding out the history of Coleridge, Steve can’t help but see some parallels with the traveller’s life who felt domesticity was a burden to his creativity.

From there, they visit Dove Cottage and dine at country estate, Holbeck Ghyll, while debating the perils of success and achieving greatness too early, the moral behind The Tortoise and The Hare fable, and how drugs affect creative flair.

Steve dreams about being confronted by a fan at a newsagent after a story breaks about his behaviour. Heading to their next stop, Rob offers Steve a Coleridge poem about sleep.

The duo are joined by manager Emma and young Spanish photographer Yolanda at their hotel, before heading to dinner at Hipping Hall – where they end up once again duelling over Michael Caine impressions.

However, Steve is left uneasy when it’s suggested Rob is included in the photographs, and he realises he’s met Yolanda before – and getting on extremely well with her. As the shoot commences, Steve is given a tempting proposal from his American agent, while Rob is left alone drinking wine with Amy.

Back on the road, Rob and Steve go sightseeing and visit the world famous Malham limestone pavement – which later prompts Steve to head off on his own.

After that, it’s dinner at The Yorke Arms, where Rob begins to question Steve’s ability to write the article. In response, the pair bicker about their abilities as actors.

Finding phone reception in the middle of a field, Steve finally gets to speak to his son.

As the trip comes to an end, Steve and Rob head to Bolton Abbey, where they reflect on their legacy and potential funeral plans, before grabbing breakfast at The Angel at Hetton and heading home.

However, on the way back to London, they make a quick stop to visit Steve’s parents.

As Rob returns home to his wife, Steve makes a big decision about where his future lies.