Robbie Coltrane: Incredible Britain

British actor and comedian Robbie Coltrane (familiar to audiences as Hagrid in the Harry Potter films) travels in a vintage Red Jaguar during this offbeat, amusing tour that takes viewers from London to Glasgow, Scotland via scenic back roads. Along the way, Coltrane highlights two of the most beloved British traits: reverence for tradition and notable eccentricity. So, in addition to the expected old churches and stately country manors, Coltrane discovers a troop of female biplane wing walkers, the man who invented “disc golf” (a sport which involves flinging frisbees around obstacles and into traps), a town that claims to have coined the concept of the cock-and-bull story, and a castle reputed to be the most haunted spot in Britain. Coltrane also stumbles upon some rather odd festivals, including a rugby match in which players carry beer kegs instead of a ball, and an annual celebration in which the mayor is weighed to determine whether he or she isn't getting too fat off municipal taxes. Full of interesting stops—ranging from a drag strip named in honor of Shakespeare, to a restaurant boasting the best spicy curry cooking in Scotland—Robbie Coltrane: Incredible Britain benefits from the host's ready quips and wry observations. Sure to appeal to both Anglophiles and armchair travelers, this is recommended. Aud: P. (S. Rees)