Greatest Cities of the World with Griff Rhys Jones

Griff Rhys Jones returns with a new series in which he explores some of the world's most exciting cities. His journey starts in Rome, the eternal city. Over two thousand years old, it is home to 2.5 million people, and Griff discovers what life is like for the citizens who are living in what is effectively the world's largest museum. He also learns how to direct traffic at Europe's busiest road intersection, meets a silent order of nuns, and talks to the city's mayor about the smooth running of a city that is a miraculous blend of ancient and modern. And finally, he witnesses the passage of the Madonna icon down the Tiber to be received by the enthusiastic hordes in Rome's city centre.

In this episode he visits Sydney, which began life as a penal colony but is now regarded as one of the most desirable places in the world to live. He examines how the metropolis has evolved over the last 200 years, and discovers that despite its appeal, it is still struggling with its colonial past and with being a small outpost in a vast country. Griff also saves a swimmer from a possible shark attack, helps rid the city from a plague of bats, and observes a peculiar local custom that involves jumping into an ice-filled swimming pool.

Griff Rhys Jones explores some of the most amazing cities of the world. He concludes this second series in Hong Kong, a city of contradictions where the ancient and modern collide and consumerism and spirituality live side by side. He visits an exotic fish shop that opens in the middle of the night to cater to a wealthy businessman's obsession, learns about the 3000-year-old Chinese hobby of bird fancying, and discovers how Britain's colonial influence lives on in the shape of a thriving Boy Scout movement.