Three Men in a Boat (TV series)

For the 1889 novel, see Three Men in a Boat.

Three Men in a Boat
Starring	Dara Ó Briain, Rory McGrath and Griff Rhys Jones
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	8
Production
Running time	60 minutes
Production company	Liberty Bell Productions
Original release
Network	BBC Two
Release	3 January 2006 (2006-01-03) – present

Three Men in a Boat is a BBC Television Comedy produced by Liberty Bell Productions for BBC Two starring Dara Ó Briain, Rory McGrath and Griff Rhys Jones, first shown in January 2006. In this first rendition, the three participants rowed in a replica wooden skiff from Kingston Upon Thames to Oxford.

The BBC have since gone on to commission and air Three Men in Another Boat, Three Men in More Than One Boat and Three Men go to Ireland; broadcast in January 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively. Filming is also now underway in Scotland for a fifth series, set to broadcast in Christmas 2010 or the new year.

Three Men in a Boat

Ó Briain, one of the three participants in the adventures

Dara Ó Briain, Rory McGrath and Griff Rhys Jones take to the river Thames in their original recreation of the novel.

Embarking their wooden skiff, a replica of that described in the original novel, the trio take it in turns to row and to steer the skiff along the Thames, from Kingston Upon Thames to Oxford making numerous halts along the way.

Episode 1

First broadcast on Tuesday 3 January 2006 at 21:00 - 3.83 million viewers

Episode 2

First broadcast on Thursday 5 January 2006 at 21:00 - 2.60 million viewers

Three Men in Another Boat

In their second adventure Griff Rhys Jones, Dara O'Briain and Rory McGrath are sailing from Tower Bridge to the Isle of Wight in Undina, the classic yacht owned by Jones. Having never sailed before, it is down to Griff to teach Dara and Rory how to sail in preparation for a race against Undinas sister yacht. This series heavily utilised the sound tracks from the films Apollo 13 and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Episode 1

First broadcast on Tuesday 1 January 2008 at 20:00 - 3.80 million viewers

Episode 2

First broadcast on Wednesday 2 January 2008 at 21:00 - 3.96 million viewers

Three Men in More Than One Boat

In their third trip, the trio attempt to get from Plymouth to the Isles of Scilly using several boats. The soundtrack from the Harry Potter films was used heavily in these episodes.

Episode 1

First broadcast on Thursday 1 January 2009 at 20:00 - 3.70 million viewers

Dara, Rory and Griff get their hands on a variety of vessels in the county of Cornwall. Starting in Plymouth they are making their way to the Isles of Scilly. They are hampered however by Rory's lack of knowledge with regards to boats leading to begging, borrowing, stealing and hitchhiking on numerous vessels along the south coast. Along the way they crash into a harbour, find themselves aboard a round the world racing yacht, play their part in the Lobster repopulation and take part in an amateur production of the Pirates of Penzance.

Episode 2

First broadcast on Monday 5 January 2009 at 21:00 - 3.22 million viewers

Dara manages to hitch a lift with a tug and learns to respect the power of the sea. Back on land Griff explores the tin mine in Redruth, Rory's home town where he pays a visit to his place of birth. As the winds pick up the trio struggle to find a ship capable of carrying them through the force eight gale lying between them, the Scilly Isles and their final destination - the Bishop Rock Lighthouse.

Three Men go to Ireland

The fourth outing sees Dara, Griff and Rory take to the rivers and canals of Ireland, starting in Dublin and making their way to Limerick.

Episode 1

First broadcast on Wednesday 30 December 2009 at 21:00 - 3.69 million viewers

Starting in Dublin the three make their way along the Grand Canal on board the last original Irish Guinness barge, hampered by the 80 year old boats lack of speed, difficult engine and the canal locks that the trio have to endure. The Royal Canal is therefore tackled using a car with a difference, namely that it can float. Dara, Rory and Griff are met in Mullingar by a street parade before making their way to see the greyhound part owned by Dara take part in a race.

Episode 2

First broadcast on Friday 1 January 2010 at 20:00 - 3.32 million viewers

Griff, Rory and Dara begin sailing down the Shannon, stopping along the way at Ireland's most haunted castle. From here they make their way through Ardnacrusha, the largest lock in Europe. In Limerick, Griff and Dara sample power boat racing, Rory hosts a poetry festival for nothing but Limerick (the first Limerick Limerick Competition). The journey ends on the Aran Islands where the trio take a Galway hooker to the fort of Dun Aengus.

Series 5 (Three Men go to Scotland)

Filming is now underway for a fifth series, set to be broadcast in the Christmas/New Year period of 2010/2011. Whilst no title has been officially announced, this trip sees the trio make their way to Scotland.