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While the Euro-hopping competitive reality show the travel contest might not have been the summer smash the BBC were hoping for, it did give presenter Brydon a stylish transformation. The complex bus journey clearly wanted to give off a jet-setting vibe, so the show's host was outfitted with premium suits: boldly coloured three-piece suits, silky cravats and yacht-ready blazers. All of a sudden, he acquired the debonair look to match his vintage Roger Moore impression.

Costume Changes with Musical Roots

His latest three-part series, Brydon's Country Music Expedition, also features some Mr Benn-style thematic wardrobe. The genial Welshman transforms into western rancher in a parade of flannel shirts, rugged jackets and sometimes a cowboy hat. This complements of a premise that sees him driving a massive Ford Ranger pickup truck on a 2,000-mile circuit through southern states for a crash course about the musical genre.

Brydon has been tasked with marking the hundredth anniversary of country music – or at least the 100th anniversary of the Nashville radio show that evolved into the iconic venue, foundation and star-maker of country music for generations – through the classic celebrity travelogue tradition of road tripping, gabbing to locals and immersing himself in the culture. That the centenary aligns with the genre's rise as, according to him, “the fastest-growing genre in the UK” – due to Taylor Swift and recent countrified albums from multiple artists, famous singers and others – offers another angle for examination.

Road Trip Experience and Personal Doubts

We know Brydon is up for a road trip and conversations thanks to multiple seasons of his travel series with Steve Coogan. Initially he appears uncertain if he is truly qualified to be our guide. Observing him confide to an in-car lens evokes recollections of Keith, the sad-sack cabby from Brydon's TV breakthrough, a beloved series. En route to Nashville, he phones his Gavin & Stacey co-star Ruth Jones to boost his confidence. She reminds him his some genuine music credentials: a past charity single of a classic duet topped the charts. (“Dolly and Kenny reached No 7!” she points out.)

Interview Skills and Cultural Immersion

If the “full sensory overload” of a night out in Nashville is a little too much for the host – trying to dance alongside a performer turned country singer results in him giving up during the opening a popular tune – the veteran comedian is much more wobbly legged during conversations. His polite lines of questioning blends well local etiquette, gathering Johnny Cash stories and general musings about the essence of country music from experienced elders like the institution's mainstay Bill Anderson and nonagenarian tailor-to-the-stars Manuel Cuevas. His calm approach is effective with younger guns, like the scraggly-bearded chart-topping singer and the instrumental virtuoso a talented musician.

While some of the anecdotes feel well worn, the first installment includes at least one unexpected moment. What on earth is Gary Barlow spending time in a homely east Nashville studio? Reportedly, he's visited to Tennessee to hone his songwriting since the 1990s, and points to Glen Campbell as an influence on Take That's enduring hit a classic song. Here, at last, is an interviewee Brydon can needle, mock and wind up without fear of causing a diplomatic incident. (Barlow, bless him, is very game.)

Cultural Context and Unscripted Moments

Given a hundred years of the genre to explain and celebrate, it is understandable that this southern-fried tour across two states (with pit stops to other areas upcoming) aims to concentrate on the art and not necessarily address contemporary issues. But it cannot help but seep in a little. While guesting on the glossy morning show of the Nashville radio station the established creator of the Grand Ole Opry – the host humorously asks whether the nations maintain good relations, disrupting the polished presenters off their stride. We do not get the likely chilly response.

A Natural Fit in This Role

But for all his apparent self-doubt, Brydon is clearly a good fit for this sort of breezy, bite-size format: friendly, interested, self-effacing and always ready for costume changes, even if he struggles locating an elaborate western top in his size. Should Coogan be concerned that the co-star can do the whole travelogue thing without him? Definitely.