Richard E. Grant's Very Modern Odyssey

In celebration of the biggest movie release of this summer – Christopher Nolans' The Odyssey, Richard E. Grant recreates the route of Odysseus' 20-year voyage, travelling to Malta, Sicily, Italy, Tunisia, Turkey, Corfu and Ithaca, exploring the ancient worlds and modern places which formed the inspiration for Homer's masterpiece.

In The Odyssey, the great warrior Odysseus, faces deathly perils as he battles to return home after ten years of war. On his modern Odyssey, Richard encounters a terrifying volcano, performs in an ancient amphitheatre, tries his hand at archery, marvels at a baroque masterpiece, eats intoxicating lotus fruit and discovers a sorceress' cave, as he tries to separate myth from reality and receives a much warmer welcome on his travels than Odysseus!

Featuring breath-taking photography and fascinating encounters with the people who call these ancient places home today, Richard discovers that the temptations that lured Odysseus are still present in the Mediterranean but the dream of home always wins in the end.

Show Info

Network: United Kingdom Channel 4 (2026 - now)
Schedule: Sundays at 20:00 (60 min)
Status: Running
Show Type: Documentary
Genres: TravelHistory
Episodes ordered: 4 episodes

Official site: www.channel4.com

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Previous Episode

Djerba & Circeo

Episode 1x03; Aug 16, 2026

In Tunisia, home to the lotus eaters, Richard looks for the hypnotic lotus fruit. There's ancient fishing. Then it's back to Italy seeking the enchantress Circe.

Previous Episodes

Episode NameAirdateTrailer
1x03: Djerba & CirceoAug 16, 2026
1x02: SicilyAug 9, 2026
1x01: Malta & TroyAug 2, 2026
View full episode list »

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