Goldblum’s gold for Disney’s new channel
He frightened us in The Fly, inspired us in Independence Day and damn-near stole the show in Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok.
Now, Jeff Goldblum is back to educate and enlighten in the new National Geographic series The World According to Jeff Goldblum (now streaming on Disney+).
Part David Attenborough anthropological study, part Anthony Bourdain global tour, in the series the ‘‘actor, musician and curious cat’’ looks into the genesis and evolution of some of his and humanity’s obsessions.
The early season menu includes sneakers, icecream, denim and tattoos. Using a mix of animation, interviews and hands-on activities, the erudite and, let’s be honest, eccentric Goldblum brings each subject to life, peppering the factoids with astute and offbeat observations and his trademark, sometimes hyper-enthusiasm.
Like a kid in a candy store, his eyes almost pop out of his head as he visits Cleveland’s Sneakercon, where ‘‘sneaker heads’’ gather to buy and sell footwear works of art.
‘‘It’s a garish, yet fascinating foreign land,’’ he bubbles, adding that the room is ‘‘Ellen Burstyn with people’’.
Upon discovering that Sneakercon is a place where cash is king and hardball negotiations are commonplace, Goldblum can’t resist quoting The Godfather. Later, at the Adidas Research Centre in Oregon, he frustrates bosses there by having too much ‘‘bop’’ in his gait.
After showcasing his basketball skills, Goldblum visits a famous shoe surgeon for a one-of-a-kind creation (‘‘I’m an open-faced sandwich,’’ he says of his preferences), before receiving a lesson in ‘‘unboxing’’ from vlogger Jacques Slade.
It’s this mix of fascination with facts, throwing himself into his work (Goldblum creates an icecream flavour, designs a pair of jeans and, briefly, becomes a tattoo artist in later episodes) and his warm way with people that makes World a truly compelling watch.
One moment he’s musing on the power of icecream to trigger childhood memories, the next he’s describing his potential key ingredient oxalis as ‘‘sounding like a topical cream’’, before attending an ‘‘icecream social’’ aboard the USS America.
And if you think that’s all just fluff, it comes with added a-ha moments.
Who knew that during World War II, the American naval fleet included a dedicated icecream ship, that tattooing evolved from Thomas Edison’s desire to find a way to make fast multiple copies of writing and that denim is actually a French invention (from ‘‘de Nimes’’)?
Likewise, you’ll learn about why Ben and Jerry’s icecream is so packed with flavour, how modern day Levi’s are distressed and temporary tattoos could be used for health purposes.
Delivering a breath of fragrant, fresh air into educational lifestyle television, World unleashes its increasingly cult host on whimsical detective journeys that could become his true calling and ‘‘delicious’’ third act.