Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s “Long Way” series shouldn’t just be required viewing for all motorcyclists, but all human beings. “Long Way Round” remains a perfect example of adventure motorcycling, but each entry in the series is worth its runtime many times over — even the odd entry out, “Long Way Up,” which came years later and with an Apple TV+ budget. Now, that budget is coming back for an even odder entry in the series: “Long Way Home.”
“Long Way Home” is unique among the series for having the shortest distance between its start and end points: The trip is from McGregor’s home in Scotland to Boorman’s in England. But, much like “Long Way Home,” the pair won’t be taking the most direct route between the two destinations. Instead, they’ll take a nine-week trip through 17 countries, through Scandinavia and the Arctic all the way to continental Europe and the English Channel. A totally reasonable detour.
Got sun on my face, sleeping rough on the road
Unlike the last three series, “Long Way Home” seems to lack a bike sponsor. Rather than a pair of brand-new BMWs or Harleys, McGregor and Boorman are on vintage bikes — a Moto Guzzi for the former, and a BMW for the latter. McGregor has been talked about his love for Guzzi since “Long Way Down,” which included a trip to the company’s headquarters, but it seems BMW has fully won Boorman over from his KTM roots. At least his Beemer is orange.
Most of the crew seems to be returning from the rest of the “Long Way” series. McGregor and Boorman are back on the bikes, and David Alexanian and Russ Malkin are back in the support trucks. A suspicious omission from the trailer, though, is camera operator Claudio von Planta — a series mainstay since he finally passed his motorcycle licensing test back in “Long Way Round.” Von Planta was also omitted from the trailer for “Long Way Up” despite his participation in that project, so it’s entirely possible he’ll be back for the new installment. His visual style is as much a part of the “Long Way” identity as anything else, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed that he’s back for this one.
“Long Way Home” premieres on Apple TV+ on May 9, and I for one will be watching every episode as soon as it airs. I’m a former BMWGS owner, it’s mandatory for me — and I’d love the series even if it wasn’t. “Long Way” will always have a place in my heart, and I’m glad to see more of it.
