Welsh brothers trace their family roots across America in new S4C series

Nation.Cymru staff

Two Welsh brothers are set to trace their family history as they explore the United States in a new S4C series.

In Pitts Stop America, Iwan and Hywel Pitts will travel across the United States in an RV, experiencing the country at a pivotal and often turbulent moment in its history. Journeying from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia and New York, the pair will meet Americans from across the political spectrum, asking provocative questions and offering their own unique perspective every step of the way.

Like many Welsh families, the Pitts brothers have ancestral connections to America. As they trace their family history, they will also explore a bigger question: does America today still offer the same promise of opportunity and a fresh start that drew so many people there generations ago?

Hywel Pitts is well known to S4C audiences as a member of the musical comedy group Cabarela, whose live shows and online content have built a devoted following across Wales. His brother, Iwan, is familiar in a different way – many viewers may recognise his voice as that of Wales’ most popular orangutan, Gareth the Orangutan.

Speaking while filming in the USA, Hywel said:”The first few days have been absolutely wild. Arriving in New York and seeing the scale of the place for the first time was breathtaking, but what has stayed with me most so far is how welcoming everyone has been.

“We’ve met incredible people, visited places we’d never have had access to as ordinary tourists – including the Jim Henson Creature Shop – and started to discover the real America beyond the stereotypes.

“As we continue our journey through Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Scranton, I’m excited to see what else this country has to offer. It’s challenging, exciting and sometimes downright crazy, but it’s a privilege to make this journey and gain an insight into life in America today – in the big cities, the smaller towns and everywhere in between.

“If these first few days are anything to go by, this series will take people on a journey that makes them laugh while also showing them a different side of the United States.”

Llinos Wynne, S4C’s Head of Docs and Specialist Factual said:”The United States dominates headlines around the world, while politicians and commentators debate its future endlessly. This series offers a chance to see America through the eyes of ordinary people, with plenty of provocative questions and a lot of humour along the way.”

Ben Smith, Creative Director of Tŷ’r Ddraig said:

“Embarking on the first project from our Factual Tender package was always going to be exciting, but for that first project to be a series so ambitious that genuinely pushes the boundaries of the TV travelogue genre is doubly so. We can’t wait to share the laughs and discoveries that Iwan and Hywel will make on their journey on PittStop America.”

Pitts Stop America is a four-part series commissioned as part of the factual programming tender awarded to Tŷ’r Ddraig and Captain Jac earlier this year. It will be available on S4C and the channel’s digital platforms this winter.