Great Canal Journeys

Great Canal Journeys
GenreDocumentary
Presented by
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series12
No. of episodes37
Production
Running time48 minutes
Original release
NetworkChannel 4
Release10 March 2014 (2014-03-10) –
22 March 2021 (2021-03-22)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Great Canal Journeys is a British television series in which a pair of presenters take canal barge and narrowboat trips in the United Kingdom, Europe,[1][2] India and Egypt. The series was originally aired on More4 before transferring to Channel 4 with Series 2.

The original presenters were husband and wife Timothy West and Prunella Scales. Both are keen narrowboaters and were involved in campaigning to revive the Kennet & Avon Canal.[3] West and Scales both talk frankly about Scales' dementia during the series, which was praised by Alzheimer's Research UK.[4]

In 2020, West and Scales were replaced by TV personality Gyles Brandreth and actor Sheila Hancock for series 11.[5] In the first episode Timothy West gave the two novice canal boaters a crash course in narrowboating.[6]

  1. ^ "Great Canal Journeys – All 4".
  2. ^ Kitchener, Shaun (21 March 2016). "Timothy West and Prunella Scales dubbed 'inspirational' as Great Canal Journeys returns".
  3. ^ "Great Canal Journeys Series 1 Episode 1 – Radio Times". Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Timothy West reveals Prunella Scales' "painful" battle with dementia – Radio Times Webb.C p.4 March 2014". Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  5. ^ David Brown. "Great Canal Journeys – Series 11 – Episode 1". The Radio Times. Retrieved 1 December 2020.[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ Michelle Marshall (8 November 2020). "Gyles Brandreth details 'frightening' boat problems he suffered on Great Canal Journeys". The Express. Retrieved 1 December 2020.