Transeuropean Rail Travel in BBC drama "Us"

[squizzler]

Rail travel features very strongly in a new series running on Sunday nights on BBC1 called "Us". Most of the Western European networks and their stock feature to some extent. The better news is the drama itself is quite watchable - it follows a dysfunctional family who are persevering with a previously booked holiday in Europe despite no longer wishing to be in each others presence. There is admittedly the odd blooper where the pacing shot of the train does not match that which the characters might be aboard at the time (but of course this happens even on specifically rail documentaries like those by Portillo, Tarrant etc). Great telly.

It is really encouraging to see rail travel being normalised through television as a means to travel Europe. I suspect it is very much a success of the "flight shaming" movement and will hopefully raise awareness amongst the general public that they too can visit Europe without flying.

 

[yorksrob]

Is this a light hearted comedy or gloomy drama ?

If the former, I may give it a try.

 

[squizzler]

The former. I found it very well written. I linked to the player in the OP, but the brevity of the programme name might make the link hard to pick out depending on how your browser renders links.

Last Sunday's episode even featured a small - presumably 950mm gauge - Italian line.

 

[yorksrob]

Great, I'll give ot a try.

 

[AY1975]

There is admittedly the odd blooper where the pacing shot of the train does not match that which the characters might be aboard at the time (but of course this happens even on specifically rail documentaries like those by Portillo, Tarrant etc). Great telly.

In one of the flashback scenes from 24 years ago when the parents first met, you see a London Overground Class 378. Obviously the 378s didn't exist 24 years ago. A lot of films and TV shows have trains and other forms of transport in them that aren't authentic for the era or the area in which they are set.

 

[yorksrob]

A rather enjoyable and thought provoking series I thought (even speaking as someone who doesn't do 'relationships').

 

[AY1975]

In the second episode you see them going through the ticket gates onto the platforms at Amsterdam Central, and you then see a station with an overall roof but the trains don't look like Dutch trains. They look more like Italian trains. I would guess that it's Milan Central (Milano Centrale in Italian).

 

[crablab]

In one of the flashback scenes from 24 years ago when the parents first met, you see a London Overground Class 378.

I obviously wasn't watching very closely, as I completely missed that!