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Every week, the Must Watch podcasters review the biggest TV and streaming shows.

This week, Scott Bryan and Hayley Campbell review Joe Lycett’s United States of Birmingham.

Comedian Joe Lycett has set himself the mission to put his hometown, Birmingham, back on the map…

Setting off to North America, home to no less than eighteen Birminghams from Canada’s Saskatchewan province, down the East Coast, through the Midwest and into the Deep South, Joe will look at history, cultural commonalities and an official ‘Friendship agreement’ with his global pals.

But what will the team make of it?

Naga:“Is it a must watch, Scott?”

Scott: “Yes, but it shouldn't work, but it does, because it becomes quite clear. So he's visiting all of the Birminghams. There's one on the moon. He can't get to the moon. He's not going to the one in Belgium. It turns out that the one in Canada is not really worth going to, I think it's only a couple of houses.”

Scott: “Then it becomes quite evident that some of the Birminghams in America or BirmingHAMs in America are not really worth visiting either. One's a cemetery. One's a lay by, one, he sort of emails and then they say, no, sorry, we're not Birmingham. And he just basically keeps harassing the person who lives there to say, 'Are you in Birmingham or not'? and he goes and visits them. And I think it's fair to say I'm not going to visit these places. Quite a few of them are quite underwhelming, essentially settlements a few people, but the commitment to it.”

Scott: “There's one bit, I think in episode two, where he's in the glider and there's no reason why he's in the glider, he's just a bit like, 'Look, I've got Sky's money and we're going to spend it on the glider'. And he flies above one of the Birminghams and it's literally just a selection of four or five houses and he goes, look.”

“And now, on to the next Birmingham and you just sort of go like if anyone else was doing this it would just be tedious. Like, who on earth would have signed it off? But because it's with Joe's surreal left-field sense of humour, and he's great with people connected with him talking about them, it just sort of works.”

Scott: “I particularly liked that he had not only this sort of NATO-ish agreement between all of the different Birminghams, he also had a box of gifts, essentially cultural exports from Birmingham and it contained HB Sauce, Curly Wurlies, Cadbury's Chocolate. It's the home of Ryvita, never knew that, a pot of Brylcreem and a photo of Jack Grealish's calves.”

Naga: “I used to use Brylcreem because I've got really curly hair, so it was really good for really curly hair when it was long.”

Scott: “I used to whack way too much on my head when I was 13,14.”

Naga: “Yeah, you can go bad. You have to get your measurements bang on.”

Naga: “Anyway, I digress. Hayley, was it a must watch for you?”

Hayley: “Yeah, it was, because I think there are a few things stronger in this world than Joe Lycett's commitment to a joke. It's extraordinary, his commitment. I love it.”

Naga: “And yeah, it's another travel documentary with a celebrity, and we've got hundreds of them.”

Hayley: “But this is Lycett, and he's engineered a point to it, which, as you say, is linking all of these Birminghams.”

Naga: “Yeah, and we will explain because the Americans say BirmingHAM and when he said Birmingham, which we would all say, he was berated. Yeah, so he had he has to change his ways.”

Hayley: “But it kind of works as a concept because of that strangely a very American desire to have a long family history like the ones who say they're Irish because they had somebody immigrate in the 18th century.”

Hayley: “So it works because there is a need there – they want it. It’s also very silly and as Scott says with some of these BirmingHAMs, there's nothing there but a post office and a gun shop.”

Hayley: “It's Joe Lycett talking to people and doing things. That's the whole show. And if that doesn't sound like something you'd be into, you'd hate it. It works because it's Joe Lycett. And I'll be honest, I'd watch any old nonsense he does. But it's really fun. And there's nothing evil in it.”

Naga: “I think it's joyous.”

Hayley: “Yeah, exactly.”

Naga: “It just brought me such great joy. For regular listeners, they won't be surprised because Joe Lycett was talking to Matt Chorley. And I was saying to Matt that I was spoiling it because it was the week, the Pope last week when we couldn't do this because of course the Pope died. And so we reshuffled our programme.”

Naga: “But I was talking to Matt and I just said, this brought me such joy, it just made me smile. Cause I was expecting to sit there. Cause sometimes I do see Must Watch as my Sunday homework. Or my Friday or Saturday homework, you know, depending on I've got some time to watch the stuff and how early we get the links. But I sat and watched it and it just made me smile and I've been watching... What's that thing where they all the comedians are together and they're not allowed to laugh?”

Scott: “Last One Laughing.”

Naga: “There you go. That's funny.”

Scott: “Huge hit for Amazon.”

Naga: “Brilliant. It's very, very funny. And so I've kind of been more familiar with Joe Lycett with that and other bits and bobs, but I'm not like you, Hayley, I'm not stalking the poor man. But it's like there's this sweet innocence, yet knowing cynicism. And yet he doesn't insult anyone. He approaches things wide-eyed. Not innocently, but wide-eyed and open-minded.”

Naga: “Like, he's never lifted a gun before and he goes to this gun shop and he just taps into how people are seduced by guns.”

Hayley: “Yeah, he is open-hearted.”

Naga: “Are we changing Must Watch to the Joe Lycett fan club?”

Hayley: “I think it was already that. It's been pre-existing.”

Naga: “If you want something to watch that is going to take you away from all the nonsense and has no side to it, and just will leave you smiling and bemused, this is it.”

Hayley: “I also love the fact that on the bus, he's playing only music made by Brummies. So he's got ELO on the go, which is basically like going on a road trip with me.”

Naga: “And don't forget his driver.”

Hayley: “His incredible driver.”

Naga: “His amazing driver who is the star, the spin-off, unexpected star of this show…”

Scott: “I just like that with this show, there is no point to it, but that is very much the point, which is why I enjoy it.”

Naga: “I should ask Scott, must watch? It is for me. Hayley? Surprisingly, yes.”

Joe Lycett’s United States of Birmingham airs Tuesdays at 9pm on Sky Max and NOW.

But before all that, why not contact the Must Watch team with the shows you’ve been loving, loathing or lamenting on mustwatch@bbc.co.uk.

This week, the team also reviewed Genius Game and Feud.

Must Watch is released as a podcast every Monday evening on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Sounds.