BriteSpark East and Channel 4 take a road trip to Europe’s most spectacular places in… Kevin McCloud: Scenic Drives in Stunning Cars (wt)

BriteSpark East, part of Argonon, has been commissioned by Channel 4 for a brand-new series, Kevin McCloud: Scenic Drives in Stunning Cars (wt). Across six visually stunning episodes, the award-winning presenter and designer takes the wheel of some of the most beautiful cars ever conceived in an enticing European road trip across the continent’s most breathtaking scenery.

With echoes of the golden age of motoring – an era before budget airlines and endless grey motorways – Kevin sets out to learn about each head-turning car through the country of its origin, and about the heritage, history and unique culture of the countries through the cars.

In each episode, Kevin is handed the keys to an iconic classic vehicle – each one a feat of timeless engineering and aesthetic excellence – to explore a different region with direct links to the model. In France, he travels from Cannes to Monaco, exploring the incredible architecture, art and amazing views on a winding coastal cruise. The Volvo P 1800, immortalised by The Saint, takes Kevin across Sweden’s stunning scenery, arcane archipelagos and idyllic seaside towns. And in Italy, Kevin manoeuvres a magnificent Maserati 3500 GT through the provincial piazzas, medieval hilltop villages and ancient cities.
Further episodes see Kevin explore England’s Peak District in a Jaguar Mk2; traverse Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route in a DeLorean MC12; and visit modernist masterpieces in Baden-Württemberg, one of Germany’s most creative regions, in a classic Mercedes SL.

En route, Kevin discovers each car’s heritage and design and immerses himself in each region. He explores the local communities, culture and cuisine, takes in the stunning sites where architecture and art have defined the landscape and hears the secrets and stories from the people who live there.

Kevin McCloud said: “This is an exciting new venture for me. A chance to explore how classic vehicles - themselves time-space machines that connect us to our collective past - can embody and tell the stories of a place, perhaps a year, and an exciting moment. How also, by return, the spirit of a region and a people can be expressed in these engineering wonders.

“Old cars are also a joy to explore and to drive; they demand more from us and usually therefore give more back than any modern motor; they put us in spiritual contact with the generations that went before us. So it’s a genuine privilege to be able to get to know some of these modern fabled creatures. And to learn from them.”
Tom Porter, Creative Director, BriteSpark Films, said: “We are incredibly excited to transport viewers on this pan-European ride in some of history’s most exciting cars. Kevin’s deep knowledge and unbridled enthusiasm for the vehicles and his destinations will make this series a joy to watch.”

Ian Dunkley, Commissioning Editor, Channel 4, commented: “Behind the wheel of some remarkable cars, Kevin McCloud takes the scenic route through incredible landscapes for an unforgettable series of scenic drives. From the French Riviera, Sweden and Italy to the Peak District and Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal route, this series combines iconic cars, extraordinary landscapes and Kevin’s indelible curiosity, for a programme that feels both nostalgic and fresh.”

Kevin McCloud: Scenic Drives in Stunning Cars (wt) is a 6 x 60’ series commissioned for Channel 4 by Ian Dunkley, Commissioning Editor, Factual Entertainment. The series is executive produced by Tom Porter for BriteSpark East, part of Argonon, series produced by Chris Richards and the series director is Salvatore Assenza. The series has been pre-sold to Australian broadcaster ABC and is distributed internationally by Sphere Abacus.

 [p]About BriteSpark Films

BriteSpark Films is an award-winning production company co-founded in 2013 by Nick Godwin in partnership with Argonon, who fully acquired the indie in 2018. Former Channel 4 Commissioning Editor Tom Porter joined the company in 2019 as Director of Programmes and is now Creative Director. Headquartered in London and East England, BriteSpark has produced around 300 hours of distinctive and innovative programming for broadcasters, networks and streamers across the world, in the genres of popular factual, documentary, observational documentary, current affairs, factual entertainment and features. Their diverse programming slate includes multiple hard-hitting commissions for the iconic current affairs strand Dispatches (Channel 4) including the Prince and the Paedophile, Royals for Hire and Deep Fakes: Can You Trust Your Eyes and Coronavirus: How Britain is Changing. Recent series commissions include Titanic: Secrets of the Shipwreck and Tsunami: The Day The Wave Hit (multiple broadcasters), Billionaires Who Made the World (Channel 4) Porn King: The Rise and Fall of Ron Jeremy (Channel 4), The Man With a Penis on his Arm (Channel 4), Elon Musk: Superhero or Supervillain (Channel 4), World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys; World’s Most Scenic River Journeys (both Channel 5) and Engineering Catastrophes (Science Channel). Further commissions include Diamond Geezers and Gold Dealers (ITV); Banged Up: Teens Behind Bars (Channel 4); Left for Dead; Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords, Kent: Garden of England (all Channel 5) and Welcome to Murdertown and Murder in the Wicked West (both Investigation Discovery). BriteSpark recently announced brand new series: Paul Merton: Driving Amazing Trains for Channel 4 and the international market.

About Argonon

Founded in 2011 by CEO James Burstall, Argonon is one of the largest independent global production groups, producing hundreds of hours of content every year. Headquartered in London, Los Angeles, New York, Oklahoma and Glasgow, Argonon consists of several companies producing multi award-winning content for a wide range of major broadcasters, platforms and brands in the UK, US and across the world. The companies produce content across all genres and of all lengths, specialising in factual, factual entertainment, entertainment, drama, arts, comedy, and children’s programming. Argonon has won over 160 awards including Emmys, BAFTA and RTS Awards.