S4C has announced a brand new travel series that will see two Welsh brothers explore the United States at what the broadcaster describes as a pivotal moment in the country’s history.
Pitts Stop America follows brothers Iwan and Hywel Pitts as they travel across America in a motorhome, meeting people from across the political spectrum while discovering the country’s culture, communities and their own family connections.
The four part series was announced on America’s Independence Day, also known as Freedom 250, and will take viewers from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia, Scranton and New York.
Along the way, the brothers will trace their ancestral links to America while asking whether the country still offers the same promise of opportunity that attracted so many generations ago.
Hywel Pitts is well known to S4C audiences as a member of the musical comedy group Cabarela, while his brother Iwan is familiar to many viewers as the voice behind Gareth the Orangutan.
Speaking while filming in the United States, Hywel said:
“The first few days have been absolutely wild. Arriving in New York and seeing the scale of the place for the first time was breathtaking, but what has stayed with me most so far is how welcoming everyone has been.
“We’ve met incredible people, visited places we’d never have had access to as ordinary tourists – including the Jim Henson Creature Shop – and started to discover the real America beyond the stereotypes.
“As we continue our journey through Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Scranton, I’m excited to see what else this country has to offer. It’s challenging, exciting and sometimes downright crazy, but it’s a privilege to make this journey and gain an insight into life in America today – in the big cities, the smaller towns and everywhere in between.
“If these first few days are anything to go by, this series will take people on a journey that makes them laugh while also showing them a different side of the United States.”
Llinos Wynne, S4C’s Head of Docs and Specialist Factual, said:
“The United States dominates headlines around the world, while politicians and commentators debate its future endlessly. This series offers a chance to see America through the eyes of ordinary people, with plenty of provocative questions and a lot of humour along the way.”
Ben Smith, Creative Director of Tŷ’r Ddraig, added:
“Embarking on the first project from our Factual Tender package was always going to be exciting, but for that first project to be a series so ambitious that genuinely pushes the boundaries of the TV travelogue genre is doubly so. We can’t wait to share the laughs and discoveries that Iwan and Hywel will make on their journey on PittStop America.”
Pitts Stop America has been commissioned as part of the factual programming tender awarded to Tŷ’r Ddraig and Captain Jac earlier this year.
The four part series will air on S4C and be available across the broadcaster’s digital platforms this winter.
