Danny Dyer’s ascent to national treasure status continues.
Once a staple of mediocre, low-budget action films (despite his status as something of a protégé to Harold Pinter) the actor risked becoming remembered merely as a less Hollywood version of Jason Statham.
And yet, since he joined the cast of EastEnders and got hold of the keys to the Queen Vic, his star has risen: resulting appearances as a talking head and panel guest have displayed his no-nonsense approach to politics, while his episode of Who Do You Think You Are? revealed a rare find: a genuine royal lineage.
He was endearingly floored to discover links to Edward III, and it’s no surprise the BBC was keen to continue what is a genuinely fascinating journey.
Edward III was, it turns out, the tip of the royal iceberg. Dyer’s heritage, he learns here with the help of guest historians, goes almost as far back as one can: to Rollo, a Viking leader who marched on Paris and was given Normandy as a peace settlement. This is, as Dyer extols at the beginning of his quest, a “right nutty royal caper”.
The statement sets the tone effectively: Dyer seems genuinely excited to be involved in this pursuit and is clearly thrilled to discover new ancestors with their own significant stories.
He also throws himself fervently into activities that aim to teach him how these descendants lived: for example, he is shown how Rollo and his army would have fought, with spears and shields. “That’s it, go on!” he shouts at a fellow soldier. “Clump him!”
Indeed it is this cheeky Cockney vibe that makes it watchable: Dyer’s repeated use of “gaff” to describe actual castles, for example, or his response when he is offered a sample of Viking cheese: “Tastes like Philadelphia.”
The programme does, however, eventually fall into the trap of many a modern history show: the dreaded amateur dramatics. At first, Dyer dresses up in costumes merely to learn how it feels to be in the garb but later the approach changes. Actors pretend to be courtiers, addressing him earnestly and obliviously. The shift is irritating, the acting clunky and it doesn’t aid the educational aspect of the programme.
Nevertheless, exploring such an ancestry with an everyman figure proves interesting. Sending an expert has its benefits, of course, but Dyer is as surprised as we are to find out nuggets of information - the origin of the term “humble pie”, for example - which is charming.
As does his almost embarrassed look to a crew member off-camera when it looks like he’s about to be asked to butcher a deer. “I’m not going to be doing that am I?” he checks, evidently receiving a shake of the head. “Thank f*** for that.”
It’s a refreshing way of presenting a historical programme, and Dyer is a welcome change from the academics who usually front such shows. When, for example, was the last time you saw the host of history programme give every academic they came across a bear hug? Granted, history buffs may not learn an enormous amount, but most of us will gain a few new facts for the next game of Trivial Pursuit.
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