Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan chat at length about their next adventure into eateries, The Trip To Spain… (If youre unfamiliar: series 1 was calledThe Tripand series 2 wasThe Trip To Italy.)

Without further ado, here are some edited highlights from the chitchat…

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Why did you choose Spain for this series?

Then we sort of arrived at Spain.

Rob Brydon:He comes back with a big pile of photos, of the restaurants and the places.

SC:And yeah he decides where were going to go.

We do some homework, a little bit of homework on the history and culture.

So we know something of what were talking about.

How do the plots and themes come together alongside the improvisations?

RB:The themes are Michaels, really.

Before this series, we had a few lunches, and we came up with some little set pieces.

I dont think any of them have ended up being recorded even.

But of course, we have a roadmap, as it were.

A metaphorical as well a literal roadmap.

you could change your plans.

RB:Its like a flexi-ticket isnt it?

So when we improvise, we might start mining some rich scene.

Im mixing metaphors now, but I can do that.

And if its funny and interesting, then well stay with it.

And we might exploit that further.

Its something that might become thematic, if early on we stumble across something.

We might then recall that later on.

Certainly on all three seasons weve done that, in some way or another.

Because we film it chronologically, were not hostage to a narrative structure.

Where are we picking up with the fictionalised Steve and Rob, after Robs affair in series 2?

Um, Steve is still reaching, looking for things…

SC:Im not.

Well, its changed slightly.

Ive moved on from… the first series I was like a philanderer.

Second series I was, um, abstinent, maybe?

This one, Im desperately looking for some sort of permanence, and some sort of stability.

So its not really working out for me the way I want it to.

And Im kind of… Im a… whatever the reverse of restless is.

RB:[deadpan] Rested.

SC:No, well not, its not… its not the reverse then, is it?

Im looking for, yeah, stability, and its alluding me.

How much improvised material doesnt get used?

SC:The first assembly [cut] was really long.

Like eight hours or something like that.

[This was condensed down into six 20-minute episodes.]

RB:Theres loads of stuff we did, set pieces, bits and bobs.

Some of which I was quite fond of.

SC:Theres always an embarrassment of riches, generally.

He plays with it.

Its not… it kicks against the current thinking that people essentially have short attention spans.

Because of social media everything has to be snappy.

[The Trip] is not like that.

RB:For me, it was, we were driving along.

I say Its lovely to be here, isnt this idyllic?

And he says, Yeah, well, you wouldnt be my ideal companion.

And I say who would it be?

And Gemma Artertons name comes up.

And we did a long thing, which I remember thinking was a peak.

SC:Yeah, where Rob pretended to be Gemma Arterton.

RB:I pretended to be Gemma Arterton, driving with him.

[Tepid laughter from the audience.]

It was funnier than that.

We did this and did this and did this, and is it in the show?

No it is not.

How do you choose who to impersonate?

SC:I always get worried about doing fucking Michael Caine again.

I mean, 25 years ago, I didSpitting Image, and I used to do impersonations.

RB:[Al Pacino voice] They pull me back in… [Lots of laughs.]

SC:But we do try and say, Lets try and do something else.

Who can you do?

Try and do someone we can both do a good fist of.

RB:Someone who might be known to the under fifties.

Weve failed in that regard.

SC:We actually did a lot of Tom Courtney that never made it in.

But Tom Courtneys a bit of an esoteric choice, and Rob was pretty good.

RB:Yeah we did him, and to make him distinct from Alan Bennett is quite interesting.

I developed a thing that was Tom Courtney calling for help.

SC:Thats all he can do, though.

RB:Thats true, yeah, that all happened exactly as I described it.

SC:I really am envious of that.

RB:[faux sympathy] Oh, Im sure he would have done, yeah.

SC:I just wish I could locate it.

I cant believe he wouldnt like some of my stuff.

RB:Steve, theres no doubt he wouldve liked your stuff.

He wouldve been aware of you.

But you will never have proof.

SC:Im sure theres someone out there wholl say, I remember chatting with David about you.

Has it made any difference being on Sky, instead of the BBC?

RB:None whatsoever.

SC:Apart from the fact that its for Sky, and not the BBC.

RB:Its just a different [adopts American accent] platform.

SC:Fewer people are going to see it, which is a bit annoying.

But maybe that wont happen.

Maybe people will tell their friends about it and theyll get to see it.

Would you want to revisit the fictional Rob and Steve every few years?

SC:Like a kind of myopic, funnier, less important version of7 Up.

RB:Essentially a worthless version of that.

SC:A less seismic version.

RB:I think theres a fair chance of that.

SC:Um, yeah.

You know some of them didnt want to do7 Upbecause its like watching an egg-timer of your life?

I wouldnt want to think how many moreTripscan we get in before were dead?

You dont want to start thinking like that.

RB:If we kept on doing it, that would be the equation.

SC:Of course it would.

Id rather not think too much about it.

I know were all going to die.

SC:But, interestingly, I was fatter in the first series.

That is a valid observation for a show like this.

Whats it like when youre on the trip but not filming?

SC:Rob and I sometimes eat in the evening together, genuinely, and its quite dull.

We dont take the piss out of each other.

RB:We do.

I enjoy those meals.

Thats just how we would eat.

I mean, its ludicrous.

Were far closer in our tastes and attitudes than we are [on the show].

What we do is try and seek out acrimony and conflict.

RB:With some success.

RB:Not really.

It doesnt really matter, does it?

SC:You were a bit worried about the philandering in series 2, werent you?

RB:I was a little worried about the philandering, in series 2.

SC:Whereas I wasnt worried about it at all.

RB:In series 2, I had a fling.

I feel like Im talking to my wife…

It wasnt an affair.

And its more interesting to…

There are some things I do [in the show] that are very unattractive.

And as I say, it doesnt bother me that much.

Where would you like to go if series 4 does happen?

RB:Ireland would be interesting, because youve got an Irish connection.

[Audience laughter.]

Whats funny about that?

Im serious, he has!

SC:I am half Irish.

SC:Id like to go to Ireland.

SC:It might be a forty-minute Easter special.

RB:Thats the kind of racism that I have to face day in day out.

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, thank you very much!

The Trip To Spaindebuts on Sky Atlantic on Thursday 6th April.

The entire first series will available on Now TV on the same day.