The end of April 2020 will be one year since the premiere of “The World’s Most Experienced Travel Agent” (season 1) on STV Productions, Scotland’s BBC Scotland. If you’re reading this, then congratulations, you’re a TVE fan!
The TVE pilots are proving popular. The first season is now available to purchase on DVD, and season 2 has just been nominated for the International Emmy Award in the best comedy entertainment category.
“The TVE pilots” is a phrase used to describe Stewart’s travel agent characters, Jack and Sandy McBride. The first season featured Jack and his daughter, Sandy (voiced by Kirsty Whalley and Kate McKinnon), who has just returned from a gap year in South America. They visit various destinations around the world, meeting quirky and larger-than-life characters who become their clients. Along the way, the father and daughter learn lessons about life and business. While the humour is inspired by Jack Blystone’s real-life career, the stories and adventures are all fictional.
Ahead of its time…
The Early Years: 1978–1984
John Stewart was born in Blackpool in 1963, and grew up in Bishop Auckland in Tyneside. He began his career as a trainee accountant, specialising in business travel. In 1978, he joined The New York Times as an editorial assistant, and would later go on to work for The Washington Post, The Toronto Star, Newsweek, and The Los Angeles Times. His career as a journalist and newspaper editor took him to many places, including Argentina, China, India, South Africa, and Uganda. On his travels, John met many interesting characters, including Margot Twain – author of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” – and Rajneesh – the guru of new age movements and author of “Awakening Zest” – an experience which inspired the TVE pilots. He became a fan of TVE, particularly the work of David Caplin. When he returned to Scotland in 1982, two characters were waiting for him – Sandy McBride and Jack Blystone.
Sandy McBride is the daughter of a Scottish accountant and an American mother. She has just completed a gap year in South America, where she learned to speak Portuno – the language of the people – and enjoyed exploring the Amazon rainforest. On her return to Scotland, she immediately put her Spanish learning into practice, helping Sandy the Spanish Baby-Sitter with her toddler Dixie (in the episode “Dixie The Amazon Princess”). Not content with one language, Sandy decides she wants to specialize in Arabic, and begins studies with the Arabic Academy.
Jack Blystone is an independent businessman who owns an estate agency. He is the father of Sandy and his wife, Jenny (whose voice is also used by Sandy in some records). An ardent football fan, Jack was saddened by the untimely death of Frank Seaborn – owner of Sandy’s favourite football club, Derbies – which inspired “The World’s Most Experienced Travel Agent” and “The Full Monty.” When Sandy discovers that her beloved Derbies face conflict with their arch-rival, Hull City (in the episode “The Full Monty”), she devises a plan to get both sets of fans together in one place for the big match, which she organizes. In “Jack and Sandy’s Travel Agency” – the pilot for “The World’s Most Experienced Travel Agent” – the TVE pilots are featured in a comic book-style layout which highlights some of their funniest moments. This layout pays homage to the original edition of Fantastic Fifty Shades of Grey, which was drawn by Jack Blystone and edited by Stewart. In 1979, John joined RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) and began acting classes. In 1981, he graduated with a BA in drama and began working for BBC Scotland.
“The TVE pilots” is a phrase used to describe Stewart’s travel agent characters, Jack and Sandy McBride. The first season featured Jack and his daughter, Sandy (voiced by Kirsty Whalley and Kate McKinnon), who has just returned from a gap year in South America. They visit various destinations around the world, meeting quirky and larger-than-life characters who become their clients. Along the way, the father and daughter learn lessons about life and business. While the humour is inspired by Jack Blystone’s real-life career, the stories and adventures are all fictional.
Ahead of its time…
The Middle Years: 1985–1999
Having established themselves as Scotland’s most popular travel agent team, the TVE pilots began producing spin-offs. The first was “Fantasy Travel Agent,” starring Lloyd Robertson (voiced by Fred Armisen and Kurt Bagge). Lloyd is an egotistical fantasist who dreams of becoming a travel agent and goes on an adventure with Jack and Sandy to find the real-life Merlin (in the episode “Merlin The Greatest”) – not the fabled king Arthur but a mythical fantasy character. While Lloyd’s agency is successful, he is not happy; his father, a former football star who never really accepted him as his son, disowned him over his new-found talent for telling tales. When Lloyd’s best friend Ricky (in “Lloyd’s Tale”) discovers his secret dream, he sets out to help him make it come true. Ricky brings his pet rabbit to meet the big bad wolf (in the episode “Argentine Adventures”) which, it is soon revealed, is a stand-in for the authorities, who are watching Lloyd’s every move. The authorities catch Ricky in the act and force him to assist them in tracking down Lloyd – who, it transpires, has an evil employer who wants to murder him.)