Alexander Armstrong In America | Preview (5)

Alexander Armstrong embarks on a journey across the United States to explore how a nation founded on bold ideals has grown into one of the world’s most powerful and complex countries. From historic heartlands to modern extremes, this is a country shaped by its past but constantly reinventing itself.

In this series, Alexander travels from the historic streets of Pennsylvania to the rugged heart of West Virginia, from Florida’s sun-soaked coastlines to the neon-lit spectacle of Las Vegas - before arriving in the vast, otherworldly landscapes of Utah. Crossing thousands of miles, he encounters the people and places that capture the spirit of modern America, exploring a nation of bold ambition and sharp contrasts at every turn.

In this first episode, Alexander Armstrong begins in Philadelphia - the birthplace of the United States, where the Declaration of Independence was signed and a nation built on the power of the people was born.

Starting at Independence Hall, he sets out to discover how those founding ideals play out in modern America, before diving into local life with a lesson in the art of the Philly cheesesteak.

Then, leaving the city behind, he heads into rural Pennsylvania for a hands-on journey aboard America’s oldest steam railroad, before uncovering Philadelphia’s past with its crucial role in the fight against slavery and also the Underground Railroad with historian Morgan Taylor.

But this is a city of striking contrasts. In Kensington, Alexander comes face to face with the devastating opioid crisis on an outreach with Savage Sisters. On the Schuylkill River, he meets a group of teenage rowers, gaining insight into the ambitions and outlook of a new generation.

He ends this chapter with a Pennsylvanian Dutch family, sharing in a traditional song - a warm, human glimpse of a different side of modern American life.

Alexander Armstrong In America begins Saturday 27th June on 5.