Men In Kilts: A Roadtrip With Sam and Graham is a charming, semi-scripted docuseries starring Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, former co-stars in the historical drama Outlander, also on Starz.
Heaughan, who plays Jamie Frasier in Outlander, and McTavish, who plays his uncle, Dougal MacKenzie, are a joy to watch as they make their way across Scotland. You can tell that the two men are genuinely good friends, and even though some of the situations they find themselves in are clearly scripted or partly scripted, for the most part the banter feels natural and the show succeeds on the charm of its two leads. Both men have a natural charm about them and I found myself grinning throughout the show’s first two episodes.
The docuseries is eight episodes long and will air weekly on Starz, with the season premiere dropping on Valentine’s Day. The first episode focuses on the food and drink of Scotland, and if you have any love of seafood and whiskey you’ll be salivating throughout. If nothing else, Men in Kilts will make you want to go to Scotland and try the food or perhaps take a dive into some barley at a distillery.
The second episode dives into some of Scotland’s sporting traditions including hammer-throwing, rugby and, of course, golf. Sam and Graham start a friendly competition with a high-stakes bet. I won’t spoil who wins and who loses.
After this, Men In Kilts will tackle a number of different bits and pieces of Scottish heritage and culture, though I wish they’d spend a little more time on the food and drink. Future episodes have titles such as “Song & Dance,” “Witchcraft & Superstition,” and “Battle of Culloden.”
You’ll recognize that last one if you’re a fan of Outlander. Men In Kilts routinely dips into old Outlander footage, showing bits and pieces of both men in their roles as Scottish highlanders, and they’ll occasionally chat about the show. But you also see a different side of both men.
Dougal MacTavish is prickly and arrogant and stubborn in Outlander; Graham McTavish is almost the complete opposite. Sam Heughan is more like Jamie, but his red locks are gone and his accent much less thick. Really, both men are just goofy most of the time. You can tell they’re excited to explore their homeland and their excitement is infectious.
Two episodes in and I’m very happy with Men In Kilts so far. It’s not perfect. It might be nice if it felt a little less produced, a little more organic. A somewhat less polished approach might allow Sam and Graham’s friendship to shine through a little more. But this is a minor quibble. Getting to follow these two incredibly likeable actors on their adventure is the perfect little escape from reality. We might not be able to travel to Scotland right now thanks to the pandemic, but the show transports us there without having to leave the couch.
And since we have no idea when the next season of Outlander will air, this is also a nice little snack to tidy us over until then. It’s not Outlander, but it has two of that show’s best actors traipsing about modern-day Scotland and there isn’t any torture or rape or warfare or floggings to contend with. We can just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Definitely give Men In Kilts a try tomorrow on Starz. If nothing else, they eat some very scrumptious looking food and drink some very tasty looking Scotch. What’s not to love?
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February 14, 2021 at 06:14AM
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‘Men In Kilts’ Review: A Delightful Roadtrip Across Scotland - Forbes
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