Getaways, BBC Scotland, episode one, review

Gone are the days when viewers watched Judith Chalmers on Wish You Were Here…? in the evening and popped into the local high street travel agent the next day to see if they could afford to follow in the sandal steps of the perma-tanned host.

Now the pendulum is swinging back, with some holidaymakers shunning booking it themselves online - all those forms to fill out - in favour of an old school, face to face chat with an agent who might actually have been to the hotels and attractions they are selling. Hence independent firm Hays Travel snapping up more than 500 Thomas Cook shops after the latter collapsed last September.

Right on time to catch this back to basics wave comes new BBC Scotland travel programme Getaways. Presented by JJ Chalmers (no relation, as far as I know) and Holly Hamilton, Getaways is like supermarket own brand grub compared to the fancier offerings to be found elsewhere in the schedules.

The primetime half hour kicked off with the programme introducing itself, somewhat riskily, as “the show that goes where you want us to go”.

The first destination was Menorca, and very nice it looked too with its mix of beaches, harbour, and small towns to explore. Scottish viewers already picturing themselves there would have been pulled up short, however, at being told that the flight was just under three hours “from Northern Ireland”. Bit of a detour from Scotland, is it not?

But then Getaways is a co-production between BBC Scotland and BBC One Northern Ireland, so has to apply to both sets of viewers. Hopefully holidays starting in Scotland will feature in future shows, evening out the balance, otherwise what is the point?

Chalmers and Hamilton made a likeable pair. She is a BBC Sports presenter from County Down, he is a former marine from Edinburgh who was injured in Afghanistan.

He turns out to be a television natural, his presenting skills honed at the Paralympics and the Invictus Games, where he had previously been a competitor. Unlike other travel show hosts he doesn’t have what marketers call a unique selling point. He is not an actor, or a comedian, or a chef, just a husband and dad who worries about beaches becoming overcrowded, or loungers being too dear, and that is fine. Rather sweetly, he ended up sunburned. Now that never happened to Judith Chalmers. Get the sun cream on, mate, set a good example.

Hamilton seemed to tire easily, though the producers did have her snorkeling, lobster fishing,at a horse show, kayaking, and shoe shopping (the homemade sandals, £22 a pop, were pronounced “sturdy”. Victoria Wood would have been delighted). By the end of the break, Hamilton looked as if she needed a holiday to get over her holiday.

Everywhere they went it was quiet, which pointed to filming in low season. The show did have a gimmick, with viewers’ opinions popping up like text messages over the pictures. As for Chalmers and Hamilton, their commentary ranged from the blandly informative to the bleedin’ obvious. Their “top tip” about the water park, for example, was that it was cheaper in the afternoon when half day prices were offered. Given only half a day would be left by then it would be a surprise if the tickets were not discounted.

Proceedings took a break from Menorca to show This Morning host Eamonn Holmes on a short getaway an hour north of Belfast in County Antrim, where he used to spend his childhood holidays. A lovely place, though I suspect Mr Holmes was over-egging the pudding when he described a waterfall as “Northern Ireland’s very own Niagara Falls. You can take the fanciness out of travel shows, but doing away with travellers’ tall tales is clearly something else.

Next week the presenting duties fall to Northern Ireland/Scots combo Joe Lindsay and Jennifer Reoch, who travel to Philadelphia, city of brotherly love, while actor Atta Yaqub visits does an Eamonn Holmes in Perthshire.

Getaways, iPlayer

Postcards from the past and present of travel shows:

Wish You Were Here …?

1974-2003 Long term host was Judith Chalmers, whose choppy blonde hairdo was the “Rachel” cut of its day. When the ITV programme came back in 2008 it was presented by Chalmer’s son, Mark Durden-Smith, and former Scotland Today newsreader Sarah Heaney.

Holiday 1969-2007 The longest running travel show on British television, and the supposedly “up market” counterpart to Wish You Were Here …? Hosts included Des Lynam and Cliff Michelmore. Replaced by The One Show.

Weir’s Way 1976-87 Writer and climber Tom Weir introduced Scots to the treasures in their own back yard in this STV show. When a statue to the late broadcaster was unveiled at Loch Lomond in 2014 the crowd turned up the red bobble hats he made famous. Weir’s Way DVDs are still available.

Long Way Round 2004 Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman got on their motorbikes and rode from London to New York via France, Russia, Siberia and Canada, stopping off at Unicef projects to highlight the humanitarian organisation’s work. Followed by Long Way Down, from John O’Groats to Cape Town.

The Trip 2010, 2014, 2017 Comedians and actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon explored the North of England, Spain and Italy, stuffing their faces at the finest hotels as they went. Features competitive Michael Caine impersonations. New show, The Trip to Greece, coming to Sky One and Now TV this year.