REVIEW: ‘Martin Clunes’ Islands of America’
Photo: Martin Clunes and ukulele player Taimane talk music and culture on Islands of America. Photo courtesy of Acorn TV / Provided by press site with permission.
If Martin Clunes headed into a raging fire, I might follow him.
The British actor and TV presenter is one of the most beloved presences on a variety of shows, including his many seasons on Doc Martin, his starring turn in Manhunt and his documentaries that look at wildlife, culture and geography.
Acorn TV recently released his stellar Islands of America miniseries, which highlights his trips around the coastal waters of the United States. He takes in stories and stunning vistas in some of the remotest areas of the country, stopping everywhere from Hawaii to Maine to Alaska to Florida.
In each of the four episodes included on Acorn’s DVD set, Clunes delivers his thoughtful commentary on America’s islands, all while breaking down cultural barriers and testing his preconceived notions about the country and its populations. What’s so great about the series is that he doesn’t hold back his genuine interest in the people and cultures he encounters, and his line of questioning is perpetually interesting, never PR-ish, like he were selling airplane tickets to these locations.
The first episode is split into a Hawaii segment and a visit to Alaska’s Kodiak Island. In Hawaii, Clunes does a little island hopping, stopping in at the largest Hawaiian shirt store in the world, visiting with a ukulele player, checking in on the erupting volcanoes of the “Big Island,” and learning about the history and spiritualism of the remote Molokai.
When he walks the streets of Honolulu or peers out the windows of a helicopter at the greenery below, Clunes offers his realistic assessment. If he doesn’t like souvenir culture in these faraway locales, he’ll say it. If he thinks something is slightly off, it becomes part of the monologue. He is true and authentic.
The TV host is at his best when interacting with the people he meets on his travels. His one-one-one session with ukulele expert Taimane is revealing, educational and fun. After hearing a spirited, ukulele-infused rendition of classical music from the instrumentalist, he then tries out the small guitar himself. This is cultural immersion, and the program benefits from Clunes’ willingness to give it a go.
In Alaska, also featured on episode #1, Clunes goes looking for the largest brown bears in the wild. On Kodiak Island, these bears are the kings and queens of the landscape, and it doesn’t take long for the TV host and his field guide to find the big bruins. Again, because this is Clunes and because this is not like other travel shows, he has an honest conversation about the controversial act of bear hunting on the island. He quite clearly says he doesn’t like it because he finds the bears so majestic. That’s a startling admission for a travelogue series, which are usually much more sanitized and lacking in genuine thought. Not so for Clunes and Islands of America.
The cinematography that accompanies Clunes’ adventures is wonderfully evocative, especially the aerial shots that come from helicopters or drones. Because the series is meant to see these islands from Clunes’ perspective, some of the images are more subtle, giving viewers the chance to see the wilds as if they were looking through binoculars. So some of the brown bears are faraway, and that’s because Clunes is keeping a safe distance — so why not the camera, too.
Other episodes on Islands of America cover the communities and wilds of Washington State, California, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, New York, Massachusetts and Maine.
Islands of America, much like his other Islands series, feels different than typical travel-minded shows, and that’s because it’s host — the ever watchable Clunes — doesn’t play a different character. He is simply himself, a human with a boundless amount of curiosity and the desire to learn.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Martin Clunes’ Islands of America is now available on DVD from Acorn. It can also be streamed on Acorn TV. Four episodes on one disc. Running time: 196 minutes. Rating: 
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