Actor Bill Murray travels to Ireland in the golf-themed travel series A Course Called Ireland, which premieres on BBC One on Friday at 10:40 pm, The Irish Times reported. The production features Murray alongside a British production crew and American golfing companion Tom Coyne as they set off on a tour filled with musty stereotypes, faux-traditional muzak, and the strategic use of the word “feck.”
Travelogue Relies on Irish Clichés and Stereotypes
The travelogue leans heavily into clichés and the traditional “othering” of the Irish. Instead of having Murray narrate, a Cobh woman reads the script with an assumption that viewers will find her ways amusing. During a segment where Murray and Coyne go road bowling in Cork, a producer interviews an organizer in a manner compared to an anthropologist interacting with a member of a “lost” tribe for a 1965 BBC natural history documentary. The program also features jokes about spelling “Cove” as “Cobh.” Later episodes of the series are set to feature interactions with celebrities including Chris O’Dowd and Joanne McNally.
Murray Struggles to Connect with Everyday People
Murray begins his journey on the Old Head of Kinsale golf course but struggles throughout to connect with everyday individuals, appearing unable to fathom not being the center of attention. While the actor is a lively presence, he is never exactly funny—with the most amusing moment occurring when a passerby confuses him for Bill Cosby. However, Murray is at his most engaging when speaking from the heart, recalling how Irish people were marginalized when he was growing up in Chicago. Sitting at the harbour in Cobh with tears practically welling in his eyes, he delivers a very Irish American moment that is nonetheless extremely affecting, though these reflections are ultimately eclipsed by schmaltz.
More on Course Called Ireland
‘A Course Called Ireland’ review: Bill Murray’s shambolic golf trip around Ireland wastes our time and his talents https://t.co/dQ6qhP6KYv
Hollywood star Bill Murray is heading for the Irish countryside in a new BBC series set to hit screens this week.The six-part show follows the actor as he takes a trip around the island to explore some of the country’s most impressive golf courses. https://t.co/oPko8AgsIq
Bill Murray finds craic is par for the course in ‘funniest country in the world’ https://t.co/iZvWQyJc2O
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