It’s time to pack the bags, practise those celebrity impressions and prepare for another meal that will almost certainly descend into an argument. Sky has released the teaser trailer for ‘The Trip to the Northern Lights‘, confirming that Steve Coogan (Philomena) and Rob Brydon (Barbie) will be back on our screens this December.
The six-part Sky Original comedy marks the fifth outing for the pair, arriving six years after ‘The Trip to Greece’ seemingly brought their culinary adventures to an end in 2020. Thankfully, neither of them appears quite ready to hang up the car keys just yet.
This time, they’re swapping Mediterranean sunshine for Scandinavia, travelling through the spectacular landscapes of Northern Europe in search of excellent food, interesting places to stay and, naturally, the Northern Lights themselves. Their journey takes them from striking Swedish hotels to remote Norwegian fishing huts, with plenty of opportunities to argue about who does the better impression and who has achieved more in their career.
As ever, the series isn’t really about reviewing restaurants, although the food is certainly a decent perk. It’s about watching two old friends, playing exaggerated versions of themselves, use increasingly elaborate jokes and impressions to avoid admitting they’re getting older. Expect discussions about fame, family, ambition, BAFTAs and the terrifying prospect of retirement, probably interrupted by another impression before anyone gets too sincere.
Director Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People) returns to oversee the trip, keeping the show’s distinctive mix of travelogue, comedy and occasional existential crisis intact. The original ‘The Trip’ began on BBC Two back in 2010, before the duo continued their culinary travels through Italy, Spain and Greece. Four series later, the combination of beautiful locations, excellent meals and wonderfully petty one-upmanship remains the main attraction.
Speaking to the BFI ahead of the new series’ London Film Festival premiere, Winterbottom explained that the restaurant conversations are still largely improvised. The production films for four or five hours during each meal, with Coogan and Brydon building on a loose outline rather than following a conventional script. He also revealed that each episode begins with a dream sequence paying homage to Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, which sounds like wonderfully pretentious territory for Steve and Rob to explore.
The Return That Was Accidentally Announced In Court
Of course, longtime Geektown readers might remember that this particular trip had one of television’s more unusual unofficial announcements. We first heard about the fifth series back in February 2025, not through a Sky press release, but because Steve Coogan had mentioned it while trying to avoid a lengthy driving ban.
After being caught speeding on the M6, Coogan told magistrates that he needed to drive for the upcoming production and that a six-month disqualification could put filming, and the work of the crew, at risk. He was given five penalty points rather than six, avoiding the automatic six-month ban, and was also fined.
As we reported when Sky officially confirmed the series, the court revelation came as quite a surprise after Winterbottom had previously suggested the Greek adventure would be their last. It’s certainly one way to generate publicity for a travel comedy. Most shows make do with a cryptic social media post.
The new series is produced by Revolution Films, Baby Cow Productions and Small Man in association with Sky Studios, with Winterbottom, Melissa Parmenter, Coogan and Brydon among the executive producers.
For anyone who fancies getting an early taste of the comedy on a big screen, Picturehouse cinemas will host special previews of the first two episodes, followed by a Q&A, on Monday, 30th November 2026. Tickets go on sale on Thursday, 29th October 2026, through Picturehouse.
Sky hasn’t yet announced a specific December premiere day, but the teaser confirms there isn’t much longer to go before the pair are back bickering their way through another European road trip. Fingers crossed they actually spot the Northern Lights between arguments.
‘The Trip to the Northern Lights‘ Season 5 premieres in December 2026 on Sky and NOW.
If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
Login to Geektown