Miriam's Big American Adventure - Season 1

In episode one, Miriam is in search of the American dream - whether it still exists, if it's available to all - and asks, why would you want it anyway?

Miriam Margolyes continues her road trip through the heartlands of middle America, heading almost a thousand miles from Chicago to New Orleans to meet the people whose voices and votes are reshaping the nation. Her adventure starts in Indiana at summer camp. Miriam joins the young campers as they begin their days pledging allegiance to God and the US flag and end them sharing thanks around a fire. She meets camp counsellor Bobby and is persuaded to try her hand at pottery. Miriam heads to Ohio, one of the leading states for drug overdose deaths. She meets antidrug sheriff, Richard K Jones who runs a jail in Butler County. In the mountains of Tennessee, Miriam stays with a bunch of preppers. Fearful about imminent terrorist attacks, financial meltdown and tensions with North Korea, they fend for themselves, storing supplies of freeze-dried food to survive the next 25 years out in the woods if necessary. Miriam stays with Heidi, a dedicated prepper since 1987.

This final episode finds Miriam smack in the middle of cowboy country - rural Arkansas - hanging out with Wild West cattle farmers and western goods emporium owners Dan and Peggy Eoff. Seduced by the landscape,Miriam feels the stark divide between city and country folk and sees first-hand why they feel Trump is their man.