Flying Scotsmen Sam and Graham are back for more in season two of Men In Kilts. Adam Fresco packs his bagpipes, dons his kilt, and joins the stars as they leave Scotland and hit the high road on a trip through Aotearoa New Zealand.
Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, stars of Scottish historical drama Outlander, return with a second season of their jaunty travelogue. Only this time, they aren’t exploring their native Scotland. No, the two kilted explorers have landed on the other side of the world, seeking out the strange, true, historic, scenic, and wondrous sights to behold, and eccentric people to meet, in Godzone Aotearoa.
What made the first season a delightful distraction was its zippy pace and the hosts’ sense of fun. Each segment was just long enough to offer a taste of the place they visited, and the colourful people they met along the way. That brevity ensured Sam and Graham never outstayed their welcome, or our concentration span, and it’s a trick this second outing deftly repeats.
The show falls somewhere between zippy British car show Top Gear and any number of celebrity-hosted travel shows—from the likes of former Monty Python star Michael Palin to the Big Yin himself, Billy Connolly. What makes Men In Kilts distinctive is the banter between the two actors, who cement their double-act personas for this second trip. Sam is the handsome, chisel-chinned, positive, and energetic one, who gently goads the older, bearded, and far grumpier Graham. Their relationship remains jovial, their sense of fun infectious, and the whole thing moves with the nifty charm of a deftly tossed caber.
Sam and Graham’s onscreen chemistry is again matched by the same sort of sumptuous cinematography that made the first series feel occasionally like a thinly disguised advertisement for the Scottish tourist board, only this time it’s New Zealand’s landscapes that light up the screen. From mountains, to sea, beaches, rivers, and lakes, to cityscapes, Aotearoa fairly pulsates the pixels on high-resolution TV. And whilst it looks great, it’s the characters that Sam and Graham meet that really make the show such fun. From the eccentric, to the everyday, the unusual to the extraordinary, this second trip with our kilt-wearing hosts unearths a plethora of fascinating folk and Kiwi characters.
Season two kicks off with Sam coaxing a reluctant Graham back on the road. Graham’s no stranger to New Zealand, having starred in Sir Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, as Dwalin. In fact, he loved his stay in Aotearoa so much he now lives amongst the Kiwis, All Blacks and Football Ferns. So, (after a quick, shameless bit of promotion for their book), Sam and Graham jump in a minivan and head for the South Island. The breathtaking views are interrupted from comments from our hosts such as: “It’s basically Edinburgh in miniature”, and the delighted observation that Kiwis drive on the same side of the road as the Brits.
Seeing there are even Scottish restaurants where he can grab a haggis, Graham is keen to relax, and take in the Kiwi scenery, but Sam announces that “everyone here is crazy for adrenaline-fuelled action”, before reminding Graham of his fear of heights. We are treated to a quick montage from season one featuring Graham looking queasy every time he’s placed in a precarious position, and before you can blink Sam and Graham are in Glenorchy, being attached to zip lines, as Sam giggles with glee, and a terrified Graham does his best not to soil his kilt. Then poor Graham is dragged by a smiling Sam to the sea, for a dip in the ocean, diving with great white sharks.
By the time Sam shoves Graham into a helicopter for a flight over the jaw-dropping scenery of Milford Sound, it’s abundantly clear why this first episode is titled ‘Adrenaline Country’, moving at such a rapid pace there’s little time to get bored. Fun, frivolous, and fast, this second trip with two old Scottish friends lives up to the first season, swapping the scenery from Scotland to Aotearoa, but retaining the pace and humour that makes Men In Kilts a travel show that’s more than just pretty pictures.
Future episodes include the daring duo’s visit to sample Māori culture—learning traditional fighting techniques, dances, and history—as well as visiting some of New Zealand’s volcanic attractions, from hot springs to taking a mud bath spa, sampling local food, meeting the locals, and basking in some truly spectacular scenery. Plus there’s more bickering promised as Sam continues to wind up Graham, push his buttons, and see just how far, and how high, he can push his grumpy chum.
If you are new to New Zealand, Sam and Graham prove excellent guides, taking viewers on a rapid-fire trip through the best of the best to see and do, whilst keeping things light, breezy, and entertaining along the way. If you know Aotearoa, or live there already then, from land to sea, towns, and cities, to outdoor adventure, and the country’s incredible array of culture, this is a timely reminder of why it’s colloquially known as Godzone.
So, grab a wee dram, put down your bagpipes, and pop your kilt on the sofa for another trip with Sam and Graham as they take in the sights, and perfect their double act down under in a second helping of Men In Kilts.
