GREECE IS THE WORD (THE TRIP TO GREECE)

Michael Winterbottom's 'The Trip' series should have exhausted itself by now.

Over four series, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon have developed a pretty well worn formula.

Playing fictional versions of themselves, they drive around England, Italy, Spain or, In this series, Greece, while working on an article about their adventures.

They stop off for a bit of fine dining - cue shots of chefs conjuring up delicious gourmet meals.

Over the dinner table, they engage in a battle of mimickry - duelling over who does the better Roger Moore/Michael Caine/Al Pacino impersonation.

At some stage, one of them flirts with and sometimes charms a woman into bed.

One of them, often Coogan, also struggles with a personal crisis at home.

So why in the fourth series, which both stars insist will be the final one, does this formula still not feel tired?

'The Trip to Greece' begins with Coogan and Brydon in Turkey making their way to Lesbos, where they run into an extra on Coogan and Winterbottom's recent movie 'Greed'.

They take Kareem Alkabbani's Kareem to the gate of a refugee camp - a sobering start to the series given Turkey's recent decision to open its borders for Syrian and other refugees trying to gain entry to the EU.

Afterwards they embark on an odyssey that will see them head to the Temple of Athena, Stagira, Damouchari Beach (where 'Mamma Mia' was filmed), Delphi, Athens, the Epidaurus Amphitheatre, Hydra, the Caves of Diros, Pylos and Ithaca.

Throughout the journey, they bicker over Greek mythogy, history and literature, Brydon's Ronnie Corbett, Al Pacino and Neil Diamond impersonations and end up challenging each other to a swimming race.

Coogan's ego remains fragile and he is as competitive as ever, often reminding his companion of his more numerous BAFTA wins and nominations and the acclaim he received for his work as a serious actor on films such as 'Stan and Ollie'.

Meanwhile Brydon reprises his cheesy Henry Kelly-style quizmaster game 'Guess the Bill' and continues to occasionally burst into song and make cheesy pop culture references to 'Grease' and Chris de Burgh.

Coogan wrestles with a big family crisis at home, checking in with his son Timothy Leach's Joe who is looking after his ailing dad back in Manchester.

There are also strange dream sequences.

And yet... there are a few subtle tweaks.

Brydon is less deferential to Coogan in this series - even mimicking his friend to his face and in front of others.

At times in this seried, Coogan seems even less tolerant of Brydon's favourite impersonations - dismissively shutting them down. Very rarely does Brydon pierce his armour and get a laugh from him.

Claire Keelan returns as Coogan's loyal assistant Emma who plans the logistics for the trip and ends up bringing Marta Barrio's photographer Yolanda along with her. 

Rebecca Johnson turns up too as Brydon's wife Sally and Justin Edwards is in good form as Coogan's agent. 

Watching 'The Trip to Greece' is a bit like catching up with two old friends who happen to be very entertaining dinner companions.

Their chemistry and wit is so sharp, you never tire of it.

As usual, the whole package is wonderfully directed by Winterbottom, one of Britain's best film and TV directors of the past 30 years, who instinctively knows when to sit back and let his leads just free form.

Like Richard Linklater's 'Before' trilogy , 'The Trip' still feeld refreshingly languid, yet deceptively spiky.

This seried is beautifully shot by James Clarke against a soundtrack of its appropriately melancholic piano music. 

If this does turn out to be Winterbottom, Coogan and Brydon's final bow, 'The Trip to Greece' is a terrific note to end on.

If it doesn't, I, for one, will certainly not be complaining.

Much like Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke's own Greek odyssey in Linklater's 'Before Midnight', you cannot help feeling it all does not have to end there.

But that is very much Winterbottom, Coogan and Brydon's call.

 ('The Trip to Greece' aired on Sky One in the UK and Ireland from March 3-April 1, 2020)