Billy Connolly: Journey to the Edge of the World

[scottography]

Saw the first episode of Billy's new ITV travelogue: Journey to the Edge of the World on 7 last night (for those in Oz)

It traces his voyage around the top of Canada and looks like it's going to be a great series. See more here:

http://www.itv.com/Lifestyle/BillyConnolly/default.html

So in the first episode he headed up through Nova Scotia, Cape Breton and Newfoundland. When in Cape Breton he visited an area where they were having a large Highland Gathering/Games. Lots of kilts naturally. What was interesting is that Billy said he doesn't like the kilt. In fact he said, "people in kilts worry me. I've never understood it. At school we used to tease people in kilts and called them 'kilty, kilty cold bum'. I'm very wary of people in kilts."

Even though he doesn't like kilts he loves the bagpipes, "God's own music," and the stirrings he gets inside from hearing the music of his homeland. He asked a fellow at the highland games why all these people are trying to pretend they're in Scotland and pretending to be Scottish (which seemed to worry Billy) and the bloke said, "We're not trying to be Scottish, we're enjoying who we are and that happens to be largely Scottish." (I may have this quote slightly off).

For most of the show Billy wore trews with screen printing and a hat he picked up at the Highland Games.

Hope you get a chance to see it!

Chris

[McClef]

Of course he HAD to be kilted when he played John Brown!

Did he worry about himself then?

[skauwt]

i watched that program when it was on a few weeks back and to be honest Ive grown to dislike billy in some ways his stand-up humor which made him famous around the world is for me like listening to my mates/family and friends telling jokes thats how folk i know tell jokes and talk on a every day basis in this part of scotland,

he goes on about being a welder and all that which i find rather amusing some my family have worked with steel/iron for over 150 years i myself work with wrought iron with my welder uncle i have been for 18 of my 30 years on earth and to hear him going on about it as if its magical well its a bit daft to be honest billy is no welder

when he was in cape breton and said what he said it was a bit below the belt these folk are proud of there ancestry ther heritage and who they are and for him to go on about it as if there some sorta of wannibies who are silly well what can i say billy should be ashamed of himself but he is allowed his view so fair doo`s to the guy i just see him as a rich ignorant man full of one liners that is full of himself

[cajunscot]

Obviously Billy didn't do much research about Cape Breton and Nova Scotia (New Scotland) before he went there, eh?

T.

[scottography]

I agree with what you guys have said. I feel much the same and I defo think he's gone off the boil too.

That said, I enjoyed the show for the places that it visited and the people he met.

Scotty

[Redshank]

I saw the series when it was aired here in Scotland,
I love Billy, much of what he say's is crap, but then he knows it,
and it's all part of his wonderful persona, but I thought in this series
there where few laughs, "come with us, we'll have a laugh" was the tag line
to the series, however I personally felt Billy was in very much a sombre mood, he appeared to be taking it all in but not giving anything out,
I think he found the whole journey and the people he met and spent time with very moving, he took time to think and refelect on the meaning of life.

It wasn't a belly laugh a minute, don't expect that, and his views of the Cape Breton folk wearing kilts in honour of the ancestors is a view held widely in Scotland, I know of one clan chief that thinks this, he once said to me as he was preparing to attend a highland games in the USA that he was having to go and spend time with Americans pretending to be Scottish.
Now then not all folk in Scotland think that way, I for one don't especially as the clan chief in question ancestor sent the Americans pretending to be Scots ancestors to the new world as part of the clearances.

Maybe Billy understands and appreciates that fact as I do, maybe, just maybe he put the question that way in order to allow the Cape Breton folk a chance to let the world know that they are proud of their Scottish heritage.

Thats how I see it anyway.

Chris

[scottography]

You're right. He is certainly more quietly contemplative on this journey (although only the first ep has aired thus far) compared to his other travel shows which always seemed to be more alive. I guess that is why I felt he has gone off the boil in this show.

There was a bit in the middle part of his career where I found him to be exceptional (after the overtly crass early era and before this burgeoning sombre phase). But that is the arc of life and it is interesting to see that in others. I guess part of me wishes he could have prolonged the middle bit. Maybe he's still in the middle bit and this series is an exception.

Either way, I enjoyed the first episode... even if it gave me cause to consider what one Scot thinks of this Scott wearing his kilt... I can't imagine what he'd think of this forum!

Chris

[cessna152towser]

people in kilts worry me. I've never understood it.

People like Billy Connolly worry me. His vulgar sense of humour is an embarrassment to his fellow Scots and I've never found him in the slightest bit amusing.

[Redshank]

People like Billy Connolly worry me. His vulgar sense of humour is an embarrassment to his fellow Scots and I've never found him in the slightest bit amusing.

as in all aspects of life one mans meat is anothers poison.

[Jimmy]

That's rich coming from Connolly, what a supercillious, nauseating character he is, along with being the most vulgar person(I would hardly call him a comedian) on the planet. When he is not hob - nobbing with Royalty and trying to obtain his knighthood, he has created his own Highland games in Scotland where he openly wears the kilt and gets some of his like minded vulgar pals from Hollywood to wear the kilrt also.
I would'nt waste a penny going to see one of his shows or bother to watch his vulgarity on the telly. What an embarrassment to Scotland he is!