Rory and Paddy's Great British Adventure

Rory and Paddy's Great British Adventure
Title screen from Series 1
Also known as	Rory and Paddy's Even Greater British Adventure
Directed by	Marc Heffernan Jamie Goold
Presented by	Rory McGrath Paddy McGuinness
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	10
Production
Producer(s)	Marc Heffernan Jamie Goold
Production company(s)	IWC Media
Release
Original network	Five
Original release	13 August 2008 – 10 October 2010

Rory and Paddy's Great British Adventure was a television documentary series presented by comedians Rory McGrath and Paddy McGuinness. The series was broadcast on Five between 13 August and 3 September 2008. The series followed McGrath and McGuinness travelling around Great Britain, taking part in, "strange but quintessentially British sporting events". Examples of sports that appeared in the series include cheese rolling, pie eating, bog snorkelling, Eton Fives and Egg Throwing. A second series, Rory and Paddy's Even Greater British Adventure, began on 20 September 2010 and ended on 18 October 2010.

Rory and Paddy's Great British Adventure saw McGrath and McGuinness competing against both the public and themselves in unusual sports around Britain. For the first series, the contest was split into four parts: Middle England; Scotland and Northern England; Wales and the Shires; and Southern England. In each edition, McGrath and McGuinness go head-to-head at different sports, and also take part in a separate sport each. The results were recorded in their "Black book", with McGrath and McGuinness fighting each other to see who is best.

In the second series, the contest was split into six parts, with results recording their "Red book". The separate sports were removed from the show, so now each contest is a head-to-head between McGrath and McGuinness.

The series received mixed reviews. The programme was originally broadcast during the 2008 Summer Olympics, which resulted in some media outlets saying that Britain should play in sports depicted in the show, rather than actual Olympic events. Andrew Tong wrote in The Independent on Sunday that; "we mustn't play them at their own game. Rather we should regale them with all the sports we invented but which the IOC won't allow in the Olympics. Not cricket and rugby, but games at which we're the best in the world, such as toe wrestling, mountain bike bog snorkelling, egg throwing and, of course, worm charming."