James May: Our Man in...

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James May: Our Man in...
James May Our Man in Japan.jpg
Series 1 intertitle
Written byJames May
Henry Dalton
Directed byTom Whitter [1]
Presented by James May
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of series3
No. of episodes15
Production
Executive producersWill Daws
Tom Whitter
ProducersKate Godfrey
Henry Dalton
Frankie Fathers
Mark Richardson
Production locations Japan
Italy
India
CinematographySean Carswell
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time47‒53 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Amazon Prime Video
Release3 January 2020 (2020-01-03) –
present (present)

James May: Our Man in... is a travel documentary television series hosted by James May and released via Amazon Prime Video. Each series follows May as he travels a country and undergoes various local activities.

Contents

In the first series, titled James May: Our Man in Japan, May's travels are presented as a linear journey traveling from the north end of Japan, via Sapporo and Tokyo to the south island. [2]

Series two saw May touring Italy, titled James May: Our Man in Italy. [3] The series takes him from Palermo in Sicily to the Dolomites. [4] [5]

A third series titled James May: Our Man in India was ordered in February 2023, [6] and released on 5 January 2024. [7]

Series overview

SeriesTitleEpisodesOriginally released
1 Our Man in Japan63 January 2020 (2020-01-03)
2 Our Man In Italy615 July 2022 (2022-07-15)
3 Our Man In India35 January 2024 (2024-01-05)

Episodes

Series 1: Our Man in Japan (2020)

During the episodes May is accompanied by a series of guides/translators. [8]

No.TitleOriginal release dateLength
1"Go!"3 January 2020 (2020-01-03)50 min.
May begins the journey through Japan at Cape Soya, the northernmost tip of Japan on the island of Hokkaido, where he tries dog sledding, yukigassen competitive snowball fighting, plus fishing and eating octopus. He learns about the making of samurai swords and attempts to order Japanese noodles from a food ticket machine restaurant.
2"Cabbage Roll"3 January 2020 (2020-01-03)47 min.
May visits the northern region of Tohoku, where he engages in a Gundam-style giant robot duel piloting "LW-Mononofu" against "Land Walker". James bathes in a natural onsen hot pool following a Yamabushi retreat to the Three Mountains of Dewa. In Sendai, he goes to a Zenryoku Boys J-pop concert followed by clothes shopping. James travels to the deserted town of Namie, Fukushima on the edge of the Fukushima Exclusion Zone, before arriving into Tokyo on-board the Shiki-shima luxury train.
3"Deodorant"3 January 2020 (2020-01-03)51 min.
May starts in a helicopter above Tokyo before meeting guide Yujiro Samurai Taniyama in a cat café. Together they celebrate cherry blossom, eat bento, sing karaoke with salarymen, take part in the Kanamara Matsuri fertility festival, and review automated toilets in Japan. James gets pulled over by the police, then meets Minoru Mukaiya, a train melody composer, to write a jingle for "James May Sumimasen" station. The segment ends with consuming conveyor belt sushi, James voice acting as a dog at the Yoyogi Animation Academy, and walking through the TeamLab Borderless interactive digital video exhibit at Mori Art Museum.
4"Hey Bim!"3 January 2020 (2020-01-03)52 min.
May travels from Tokyo to Kyoto, where an unhelpful robotic guide repeatedly informs James about the Sanjō Ōhashi bridge over the Kamo River. He joins a biker gang, riding a Kawasaki ZZR1400 motorbike, to view Mount Fuji where he attempts to interpret the mountain in a painting. Finally James is entertained by a geisha who treats him to a traditional tea ceremony.
5"Peach Boy"3 January 2020 (2020-01-03)50 min.
May arrives in Osaka, where he attempts pachinko but spends his winnings on takoyaki octopus balls and Kobe beef. James and Yujiro perform British humour to a comedy audience to see if it will survive translation. He also visits a sumo wrestling stable, the Korakuen Garden in Okayama, the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, and the Itsukushima Shrine at Miyajima.
6"Pickled Plum"3 January 2020 (2020-01-03)51 min.
May starts in Shikoku, where he cycles across a series of suspension bridges. In Takamatsu, James tries his hand at kyūdō Zen archery and makes soba noodles, after which he visits Nagoro, a deserted village filled with scarecrows. For the final leg of his journey, he travels to Kyushu; in the city of Beppu, he cooks his lunch in geothermal steam, and along with Yujiro is buried in hot sand. He visits a Honda motorcycle factory, rows a small boat through the Takachiho Gorge, dabbles in pottery and ikebana, and acts in a bunraku play, before finishing his journey at Kagoshima.

Series 2: Our Man in Italy (2022)

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleOriginal release dateLength
71"God’s Apology"15 July 2022 (2022-07-15)53 min.
Mays journey begins with him exploring the sunny shores of Sicily, a fascinating island where cultures collide under the shadow of Mount Etna. James explores the simple pleasures that have sustained people for generations, such as chopping bits off statues, Canoe Polo, and bagpipes. [9]
82"House of Pain"15 July 2022 (2022-07-15)51 min.
In the rural south of mainland Italy, James is forced to confront a vision of hell courtesy of Dante's Inferno, and Bettina goat who urgently needs milking. The Amalfi Coast offers some much-needed respite before he dives headfirst into the chaotic, city of Naples for ancient catacombs and pizza.
93"Dark Matter"15 July 2022 (2022-07-15)51 min.
All roads lead to Rome, so it was inevitable James would end up in Italy’s magnificent capital. However, it’s not just Romans and ruins. James is schooled in how best to drive his Fiat Panda through the city, boards a virtual reality bus tour that takes him back 2000 years and meets Italy’s own Gandalf.
104"Really, Really Nice Cheese"15 July 2022 (2022-07-15)51 min.
James puts his Renaissance man credentials to the test with a spot of medieval sport, art, science, and modern-day alchemy in the Tuscan capital, Florence. A little further North in Emilia-Romagna, he sets his sights on the world of fast-moving cars and slow-aging cheese before he wraps up his visit in a town with a slightly different feel to it.
115"Hey Pesto"15 July 2022 (2022-07-15)51 min.
Size really does matter, as James visits the marble quarries of Carrara and the massive container port at Genoa. Then it’s from the big to the elusive, as James searches for truffles, learns the noble art of falconry, and faces off with a few killer robots. James learns some hard truths along the way; that Italians rule at penalty shoot-outs, whilst the British are more skilled in tea-making.
126"Bye, Bim"15 July 2022 (2022-07-15)51 min.
In Milan, James finally submits to a long-overdue wardrobe update. Dressed to impress, it’s time to try his hand at some exquisite Italian craftsmanship – and bid a final goodbye to an old friend. Next stop: Venice, by land, air, and lagoon, while in the snowy Dolomites James investigates the darker side of Christmas.

Series 3: Our Man in India (2024)

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleOriginal release dateLength
131"John"5 January 2024 (2024-01-05)49 min.
142"A Bit Like Glasgow"5 January 2024 (2024-01-05)51 min.
153"Calamari"5 January 2024 (2024-01-05)53 min.

Production

Production for the first series started in Japan in March 2019, [1] with the show being filmed over the course of three months. [10] In August 2021 it was confirmed that a second series, set in the United States, had been commissioned. [11] [12] However, in October 2021 it was announced that filming in the United States could not go ahead as planned due to various restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and instead series two saw May touring Italy. [3]

The concept had originally been pitched to the BBC a number of years earlier, but not commissioned. [13]

Release

Lucy Mangan for The Guardian gave the first series three out of five stars. She praised the travelogue's inclusion of "under-publicised aspects of the [Japanese] culture" but noted James May's interaction with the television crew as low-brow and "strenuously jocular". [14] Joel Keller for Decider enjoyed the series and appreciated that May's "sincere desire to get a feel for Japanese life is worth watching." [15]

Regarding the second series, Anita Singh for The Telegraph gave it four out of five stars. She found the series "enjoyable, even if it does meander", and approved of May's presenting style stating he "is a very pleasant travelling companion". [16]

Like the first two series, the third also received positive reviews. For The Telegraph, Singh gave the series three out of five stars. She found the series derivative of previous travelogues but praised May's style of "slightly bewildered Englishman, resigned to losing his dignity". [17]

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References

  1. 1 2 Clarke, Stewart (11 March 2019). "'The Grand Tour' Star James May Heads to Japan for Solo Amazon Series". Variety . Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2020. Production started this week.
  2. ↑ Mangan, Lucy (3 January 2020). "James May: Our Man in Japan review – penis festivals are no place for jokes!". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 4 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  3. 1 2 Harrington, Alex (1 October 2021). "James May's 'Our Man In The USA' Travel Show Has Been Cancelled… But There's Good News!". Grand Tour Nation. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  4. ↑ Singh, Anita (15 July 2022). "James May: Our Man in Italy, review: an amiable, food and wine-filled meander at Amazon's expense". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "James May: Our Man in Italy". Amazon Studios. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  6. ↑ Kanter, Jake (1 February 2023). "Amazon Renews 'James May: Our Man In…' For A Third Season". Deadline. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  7. ↑ "Watch the trailer for 'James May: Our Man in India' ahead of the launch on Prime Video on 5 January". aboutamazon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  8. ↑ Prizmi Tripathi (4 January 2020). "Will There be a James May: Our Man in Japan Season 2?". The Cinemaholic. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020. other cast members are Yujiro Taniyama, Masayo Fujii, Makiko Kobayashi, Hacchan Hatanaka and Mai Nishiyama.
  9. ↑ "James May: Our Man in Italy". Prime Video. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  10. ↑ Kanter, Jake (12 December 2019). "'The Grand Tour' Star James May Planning To Pitch Version Of His BBC Show 'Man Labs' to Amazon". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  11. ↑ Miller, Adam (26 August 2021). "The Grand Tour's James May hoping 'not to get fat' in new US travel show". Metro. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  12. ↑ Creamer, Jon (26 August 2021). "Amazon confirms new James May travelogue". Televisual. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  13. ↑ May, James (24 December 2019). "'The Grand Tour's James May On His Japan Adventure For Amazon, The Future Of TV & Spending Less Time With Jeremy Clarkson". Deadline Hollywood (Interview). Interviewed by Jake Kanter. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  14. ↑ Mangan, Lucy (3 January 2020). "James May: Our Man in Japan review – penis festivals are no place for jokes!". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  15. ↑ Keller, Joel (3 January 2020). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'James May: Our Man In Japan' On Amazon Prime, Where The 'Grand Tour' Host Sees What Makes Japan Tick". Decider. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  16. ↑ Singh, Anita (15 July 2022). "James May: Our Man in Italy, review: an amiable, food and wine-filled meander at Amazon's expense". the Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  17. ↑ Singh, Anita (5 January 2024). "James May: Our Man in India, review: wisely steers clear of Top Gear's diplomatic tussles". the Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
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