Billy Connolly's Tracks Across America

Watch Billy Connolly's Tracks Across America

  • 2016
  • 1 Season
  • 7.9  (117)

Billy Connolly's Tracks Across America is a travel documentary show that follows Scottish comedian Billy Connolly as he takes a journey across the United States of America by train. The show was produced by NBCUniversal and aired in 2016. Throughout the series, Connolly takes viewers on a train journey covering over 6,000 miles across the United States. The series is not just about the trains, but also about the people, towns, and landscapes that Connolly encounters along the way. The show gives viewers a taste of the beauty of America and its people, through the eyes of a famous and funny outsider.

Connolly’s infectious charm and wit make this show incredibly engaging. As he chugs along in Amtrak’s cross-country trains, Connolly tells jokes, sings songs, speaks to locals and shares stories of his travels. Through his dry humor and the breathtaking scenery, viewers are entertained while they learn about the culture and history of the places and people he visits.

The journey begins in Chicago, where Connolly embarks on his first stop on his across-country expedition. He takes the Empire Builder train from Chicago, which brings him all the way to Seattle, and covers an amazing 2,206 miles. Along the way, he stops in various towns like Minneapolis and Montana, exploring the local landmarks and speaking to the colorful characters that he encounters, including musicians, cowboys, Native Americans and more.

The second leg of the journey takes him to New Mexico, where he jumps on the Southwest Chief train. This journey features stops in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and eventually his final stop, New York City. In these stops, Connolly meets prison inmates in Santa Fe, explores the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles and visits a ghost town in New Mexico.

The third leg of the journey takes a shorter route and covers the northern states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. While the journey is shorter than the previous ones, the landscapes are no less breathtaking, and the people no less interesting.

Throughout the series, Connolly sets out to discover the “real” America - not the one presented through the movies or the TV shows, but rather the one that is inhabited by the people and their unique perspectives. By focusing on these different perspectives and cultures, he aims to take viewers on an emotional and intellectual journey that reveals the true essence of America.

The show’s stunning visuals provide a sensory tour of the United States. The camera captures wide-open plains, Pacific beaches and dense forests that reflect the exceptional natural beauty of the country. The series also captures the hustle and bustle of the cities, revealing the unique character of each place.

The show is not just a travelogue, it is a show of humanity. Billy Connolly’s ability to communicate with people from all walks of life, regions, and cultures is the real highlight of the show. His remarkable talent and humor make the show accessible to audiences beyond documentaries, and he brings an extraordinary level of warmth and empathy to his interactions with the locals.

In conclusion, Billy Connolly’s Tracks Across America is a highly entertaining and informative travel show. It offers an intimate perspective of the varied landscapes and cultures of the United States while providing a sense of humor that is uniquely Connolly’s. The show captures the real America and delivers it in a format that is both educational and entertaining. Overall, it is a fantastic show for anyone who loves travel, trains, and laughter.

Billy Connolly's Tracks Across America
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Seasons
Episode 3
3. Episode 3
April 15, 2016
Episode 3 sees Billy travel from San Antonio Texas and up the soulful Crescent Route to New York. This final episode kicks off in a spectacular fashion - a Friday night in Texas, which can mean only one thing - Football. Billy chews hot dogs with the best of them at the ten thousand seat stadium where soccer moms, ambition and marching bands collide. From there it's on to the swamps of Louisiana where Billy braves an attack from jumping Asian carp and meets the genteel frog princesses of Rayne, the frog capital of the world. After a moving tribute at the graveside of one of Billy??s hero's - Hank Williams, it's onto Birmingham, Alabama to hear the startling stories of the child crusaders who changed the course of history and segregation in the south. Billy's penultimate stop is Baltimore, but don't let a visit to the city's morgue put you off! Here Billy uncovers the incredible tale of the multi millionairess who became known as the Mother of CSI and her collection of creepy dollhouses
Episode 2
2. Episode 2
April 8, 2016
Episode two is the jewel in the crown of America's rail network. Hurtling past jaw dropping vistas of land and sea - this is the West Coast and Pacific Ocean in all it's cinematic glory. Beginning in Portland, Oregon with Famer Tom a prize winning vegetable farmer who's turned his green fingers to organic cannabis growing, next stop is the stunning California coast - home to a cacophonous elephant seal rookery - the largest in the world. Along route Billy will hear the extraordinary tales of a real life hobo, who's been train hopping since the 1930's and makes himself at home at Nitt Witt Ridge, one man's two-finger salute to architecture and town planning. From there, it's back on the train to the deserts of Arizona to meet the men and women on the frontline of US border control. Deep underground, Billy learns of America's biggest cold war secret and meets the former wing commander who literally had her finger on the button of World War 3. In El Paso, Texas Billy succumbs to the charm
Episode 1
1. Episode 1
April 1, 2016
The first episode sees Billy travel from Chicago to Seattle on the mighty Empire Builder. Travelling from East to West, across 6 states Billy stops off to witness a true slice of Americana at the Minnesota State Fair, where giant butter sculptures, corn beauty pageants and live animal births are just some of the bamboozling entertainment on offer! He tackles a world famous juicy lucy burger in Saint Paul before skirting the badlands of North Dakota to experience the highs and lows of an oil boom town. He'll marvel at the thousand upon thousand acres of uninterrupted prairieland before arriving at Montana's answer to Glasgow, Scotland. This is small town America in all its glory. A land of cowboys and ranching families who have worked these lands for generations. Billy's journey's end is in windswept Seattle - not in the glamorous tech city but Tent City, Seattle's unique answer to homelessness; here Billy is moved by the tales of its residents.
Description
  • Premiere Date
    April 1, 2016
  • IMDB Rating
    7.9  (117)