Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams On Tour, review: the year’s most touching series (2024)

Freddie Flintoff’s return to television would be a five-star watch even without the insight he provides into his horrific Top Gear crash. That accident happened midway through filming Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams On Tour (BBC One), and during the programme he speaks about the psychological trauma he has suffered. The physical trauma is plain to see on his scarred face in a video shot a week-and-a-half after the crash.

Yet the sense of joy, humour and hope that infused the first series of this show – in which Flintoff took a bunch of kids from his home town of Preston and introduced them to cricket – is also here in abundance. I’ll wager it’s the most entertaining, touching series you’ll watch this year.

This time, Flintoff is taking the boys on tour. “Lancaster?” ventures the head coach. “Benidorm?” asks one of the lads. No, it’s India. Some of the team have never even been on a plane. One excitedly rings his family to tell them, and when he says that he has some amazing news, the worried voice on the other end of the line asks: “She’s not pregnant is she, Dylan?”

Then the crash happens. This is the first time since the December 2022 accident that we have seen or heard him talk about it, and the images in that first video diary are shocking. “Genuinely shouldn’t be here after what happened. It’s going to be a long road back and I’ve only just started,” he says.

It is 11 months until we see Flintoff again. He speaks openly and honestly about how he has been affected: nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety about leaving the house. “I’m different to what I was. It’s something I’ll have to deal with for the rest of my life. Better? No. Different.” But he hasn’t forgotten the promise he made to the kids, and finally the trip goes ahead. It’s clear that this project is part of his healing process.

They set off for Kolkata, the boys’ suitcases packed with sweets and instant noodles. A first visit to India is a culture shock for anyone, and their faces as they’re driven into the city are a mix of delight, astonishment and terror. Flintoff, who was once in their shoes, understands that this is about more than playing cricket. It’s about pushing the boys to go out into the world and experience new things. They’re not going to make it as professional cricketers – with the possible exception of Adnan, an Afghan refugee with a talent for the game – but everything they learn here will help them as they make their way through life.

“I feel like I’m father to nine lads at the minute,” says Flintoff. He would actually have made a great teacher: doling out pep talks and disapproving looks when the team is late to breakfast, but otherwise treating them with encouragement, kindness and humour. Flintoff pays particular attention to those who are overcoming challenges: Josh, who is autistic and finds it hard to deal with the bustle and unfamiliar food of India; Sean, who has the potential to go off the rails.

Some of the boys are more mature than others, but all seem to cope admirably with the demands of the trip. There is a sweetness about them, especially their (possibly misplaced) confidence in their sporting abilities. “If we do this in India, I don’t see a team that beats us,” says one after a training day in Loughborough, blissfully unaware of the calibre of player they’re going to encounter in a cricket-mad country.

Flintoff, who has lost none of his sense of humour, gives a more realistic assessment. “I think we need to find the worst cricketers in Kolkata and ask them for a game,” he jokes. In the end, he finds a bunch of kids from a children’s home playing gully cricket – tennis ball, underarm bowling, plastic wicket set up in a narrow street – as a starting point for the tour.

Occasionally, the programme-makers can’t resist a reality-TV flourish. Would any tourists in India, let alone a bunch of teenagers, really go out to source ingredients for dinner, including a stomach-churning trip to a meat market? But that’s a minor criticism. Field of Dreams is great. And it’s good to have Freddie Flintoff back.

Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams On Tour, review: the year’s most touching series (2024)

FAQs

How many series of Freddie Flintoff are there in Field of Dreams? ›

Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams On Tour is available now on BBC iPlayer, and has recently been recommissioned for a third series.

Who is Adnan from Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams? ›

A promising young cricketer from Lancashire who was talent-spotted by Freddie Flintoff has inspired TV viewers once again, during the reunion show. Adnan, now 18, captured millions of hearts when he was featured in Freddie's Field of Dreams documentary, which was filmed for the BBC in Preston in July 2022.

What channel is Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams on? ›

"He had a passion for geography as well as his cricket, playing for Priory's school team and appearing in the BBC One documentary Freddie Flintoff's Field Of Dreams.

Was Matt Damon an extra in Field of Dreams? ›

Kevin Costner remembers meeting a teenage Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on 'Field of Dreams' set. Affleck and Damon were extras in the Oscar-nominated 1989 drama. Before they were Hollywood A-listers, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were two youngsters with big “dreams.”

What field was Field of Dreams filmed in? ›

Scenes of the Kinsella farm were taken on the property of Don Lansing in Dyersville, Iowa; some of the baseball field scenes were shot on the neighboring farm of Al Ameskamp.

How rich is Freddie Flintoff? ›

The former cricketer is reported to have a net worth of around £16 million. Much of this has come from his TV work, as well as his cricket career, with Flintoff landing presenting gigs on the likes of Total Wipeout and Ninja Warrior as well as Top Gear and Field of Dreams.

What is Adnan Cricketer doing now? ›

Adnan, who arrived in Preston in the back of a lorry in April 2021, spent his first night with foster carers Barry and Elaine. There were plans in place for Adnan to find a permanent place but after a few weeks, he decided he wanted to stay with Barry and Elaine.

Did Adnan get asylum in Field of Dreams? ›

While Freddie tried to turn an unlikely group of teenagers into a cricket team, his attention was drawn to Adnan, who is a refugee from Afghanistan. He was so awed by his skill that he appealed for asylum from the government for Adnan, which was granted.

How can I watch Field of Dreams on TV? ›

Currently you are able to watch "Field of Dreams" streaming on Netflix, TNT, TBS, tru TV, Netflix basic with Ads. It is also possible to buy "Field of Dreams" on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store as download or rent it on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, Spectrum On Demand online.

Is there going to be a sequel to Field of Dreams? ›

A small-town Iowa farmer who, fed up with the NFL lockout, decides to build his own football field after hearing voice instructions from beyond.

Who was Kevin Costner's daughter in Field of Dreams? ›

Hoffmann began acting in commercials at the age of four to help pay the family bills. In 1989, she starred in her first movie, Field of Dreams, with Kevin Costner. She portrayed the main character's daughter, Annie, who almost chokes to death on a wiener.

Is the Field of Dreams in the same place as the movie? ›

The "Field of Dreams" site near Dyersville has cemented its place in Iowa sports history. For years, the "Field of Dreams' movie site has been a tourist draw for baseball fans and people who love the 1989 film featuring Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones.

Who owns the Field of Dreams movie set? ›

Consolidation of land and Go the Distance operation

In August 2007, Rita Ameskamp sold the land containing her portion of the baseball field to Don and Becky Lansing – the owners of the remainder of the field. As a result, the movie site was, for the first time, entirely owned by the Lansing family.

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