Oscar Aitchison on an out-of-touch slice of quintessentially British wish fulfilment in The Reluctant Traveller with Eugene Levy now showing on Apple TV+.
The Royals are a much-debated and ever-present part of British culture – a source of strange fascination for those abroad, yet a contentious political marker in the UK. Are they a family of historic aristocratic colonisers living off the taxpayers’ money and gaining value from the approximately 6.4% that attend private institutions like Eton? Or are they a beacon and valuable representation of the traditional faculties of British culture? Perhaps Prince William is just like us, as Eugene Levy attempts to convince us, “We’re all sweating the small stuff – Work, Health, Family. And that’s true, even for a future king.”
The Reluctant Traveller is now in its third season on Apple TV+. The first two seasons followed actor Eugene Levy travelling around multiple destinations in Europe and beyond, but season three offers us a different approach. This season focuses primarily on Eugene’s “Ultimate Bucket List,” a collection of experiences and adventures he believes need to be experienced at least once in a lifetime. The format of the show itself is a relatively standard travel show, with a mix of voiceover from Mr Levy that injects humour between his experiences and chats with high-profile guests. He’s charismatic and likeable, and a game host even if the material he’s working with isn’t always up to scratch.
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After a glib and uninspired moment on an open-top bus, Eugene receives a letter from The Prince of Wales (or William to his mates) asking if he would like a tour of Windsor Castle. Eugene gushes at the prospect, and as he says, “he would’ve brought a ticket himself!” But oh no, he’s getting the grand tour from the big man himself, something that excites him thoroughly. It’s innocent and sweet to watch Eugene at first, but as soon as the titular Prince appears on screen, this enthusiasm starts to grate.
We first encounter Prince William meeting Eugene by rocking up on an electric scooter that I’m sure we’re supposed to find charmingly common. He’s also late! Eugene makes a point of this to the camera, but the Prince is just so gosh darn charming that he shelves the idea and embarks on a rather straightforward tour of the castles over one thousand rooms.
Of course, the architecture is beautiful and the history rich, but William is hardly a charisma machine. He comes off as inoffensive and pleasant but also rather dull, making obvious jokes and observations while criminally failing to recognise his insane wealth and privilege. There’s a cringe-inducing moment when he and Eugene liken the 1992 Windsor Castle fire to the recent 2025 California wildfires. The castle fire caused only a few minor injuries, and everything destroyed has since been restored at a cost of approximately $36.5 million. Compare that with the estimated 440 deaths and more than 18,000 homes and structures destroyed in the wildfires, and it seems an insensitive attempt at shared understanding. Eugene lost a home in the fires, which is, of course, very sad, but it just doesn’t feel sincere, especially to average viewers, given that the comedian is reportedly worth $30 million.
Episode one of the series focuses on Mexico’s “The Day of the Dead”, while episode two explores Vienna’s classic music scene. This emphasis on art and culture should yield more depth and profundity than the insistent, twee humanisation of the Royals that we see so much of in commercial television, film, and the news. Instead, in this episode, we get Eugene and William going for a walk, then deciding to head for a pint in the local pub. Are they really the sounds of local pub-goers around them? Or has the pub been rented out for filming with the background sound added for ambience? It’s questions like this, combined with blatant attempts to make a man so ludicrously powerful and wealthy seem normal, that make the episode feel wholly disingenuous.
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This episode may be a low point in a season that is an easy and comforting watch. After all, as episode four finished, we got a glimpse into episode five, where Eugene visits Korea, immersing himself in the culture. I couldn’t help but feel I’d rather be watching that. If you’re hosting a travel show in England, there are places like the Peak District, the beautiful shores of Cornwall, and the vibrant arts and cultural scene of Manchester to explore. All these surely deserve screen time more than one of England’s most boring and well-documented obsessions: royalty.
Watch The Reluctant Traveller with Eugene Levy now on Apple TV+.
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