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| Pole to Pole with Michael Palin | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Written by | Michael Palin |
| Directed by | Roger Mills Clem Vallence |
| Presented by | Michael Palin |
| Composer | Paddy Kingsland |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Clem Vallence |
| Editor | David Thomas |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production companies | Prominent Television Passepartout Productions BBC A&E |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC1 |
| Release | 21 October (1992-10-21) – 9 December 1992 (1992-12-09) |
| Related | |
Pole to Pole with Michael Palin is an eight-parttelevisionBBCdocumentary travel series, first broadcast onBBC 1 from 21 October to 9 December 1992, and presented by comedian and actorMichael Palin. The programme is the sequel toAround the World in 80 Days with Michael Palin, and was the second of Palin's major journeys, the series focusing on a journey along the30-degree east line of longitude from theNorth Pole to theSouth Pole, sticking to using mainly cars, buses, trains and ships to make the 5-month journey, while travelling through northern and easternEurope (including through the territory of theSoviet Union before its collapse), andAfrica; a last-minute change of plans led to the journey diverting throughSouth America, in order to reachAntarctica.
The series' broadcast rights were later sold on to various countries around the world, and later released onto VHS tapes and DVD. A book recounting the trip,Pole to Pole, was later released by the BBC, containing many pictures captured on the trip, as well as Palin's insights on every aspect of the journey he experienced. The series was later followed byFull Circle with Michael Palin in 1997.
In 1991, Michael Palin decided to conduct a new journey that would take him from theNorth Pole to theSouth Pole, with the decision being that the journey would stick as close as it could to the line of30th degree meridian. The planned route involved passing through countries in northern and easternEurope,Turkey, and then acrossAfrica along the eastern half of the continent, in order to reach a supply ship that made a yearly trip toAntarctica.
Much of the journey mainly used trains, buses and ferries to move between locations and countries, with hire cars, private travel companies and supply ships used for stretches where other arrangements could not be made; a plane ride was also needed to get between the North Pole and the Norwegian island ofSpitsbergen.However, plans had to be changed once the journey reached Africa - a detour was required to avoid war-torn regions of southernSudan affected by theSecond Sudanese Civil War at the time of filming, whilst Palin and his film crew had to travel fromSouth Africa toSouth America to use an aviation travel company to get to the South Pole, after their production office was unable to secure them berths on the supply shipAgulhas prior to its yearly voyage.
As with Palin's previous travel series, each episode covers a particular leg of the journey, and the various sights and people he encountered on his journey, as well the complications and problems he faced on each stage in various parts.
| No. | Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Cold Start" | 21 October 1992 (1992-10-21) | |
Michael Palin engages in a new journey from the North Pole to the South Pole. From journey's start, he visits the remotely inhabited island ofSpitsbergen, as he heads forTromsø, the "Paris of the North". Moving onwards toFinland, he visitsSanta Claus, and enjoys a Finnishsauna nearHelsinki. Finally, he moves on toEstonia and the city ofTallinn, understanding its culture and desires for the future, before heading onwards toRussia. Notes: The initial scene of the episode could not be filmed in May 1991, due to unfavourable weather conditions; as such, filming of the series began from Spitsbergen. The opening scene was filmed in May 1992, after Palin had reached the South Pole.[1] | |||
| 2 | "Russian Steps" | 28 October 1992 (1992-10-28) | |
Arriving inLeningrad, Palin encounters a localVladimir Lenin impersonator, witnesses aRussian Orthodox baptism ceremony, and visits the resting place of Russian composers. Heading southwards toNovgorod, Palin befriends a local Russian film director, and partakes in a ceremony on behalf of the British city ofWatford. ReachingUkraine, Palin visitsChernobyl following the 1986 nuclear disaster, explores the capital ofKyiv, and receives an unusual mud bath treatment inOdesa, before catching a ferry toTurkey. Notes: Filming of the Odessa stage and the departure for Turkey took place a few days before theSoviet coup attempt of 1991, which signalled the collapse of the Soviet Union later that year; the event would be referenced again in the next episode. | |||
| 3 | "Mediterranean Maze" | 4 November 1992 (1992-11-04) | |
Palin reachesIstanbul, where he experiences a Turkishhamam, explores the localbazaar, and admires a procession ofJanissary soldiers. Heading south toRhodes to understands its history, he then moves on toCyprus to enjoy cream tea refreshments withBritish soldiers and attend a huge wedding celebration. After making forEgypt, Palin heads southwards on theNile River, exploring ancient Egyptian ruins and tombs, before catching a ferry inAswan forSudan, bracing himself for travel in Central Africa. | |||
| 4 | "Shifting Sands" | 11 November 1992 (1992-11-11) | |
AtWadi Halfa, Palin travels by train to the Sudanese capital ofKhartoum, where he visits a British sports club for food and a game, and witnesses a MuslimSufi ceremony. Forced to circumnavigate the south of the country due to ongoing fighting, Palin and his crew head forEthiopia with anEritrean company, dealing with poor road conditions, and entering border territory made unsafe by the conclusion of theEthiopian Civil War, in order to reach the town ofGedaref. | |||
| 5 | "Crossing the Line" | 18 November 1992 (1992-11-18) | |
Entering Ethiopia, Palin travels with some security as he heads for the country's former capital ofGondar to explore its history, and then presses on to the current capital ofAddis Ababa, witnessing the downfall ofcommunist symbols as its people move on to a new political system. Hitchhiking toKenya, Palin travels southwards for a special visit to the village ofLerata, an interesting lecture at the equator, and to prepare for inNairobi for asafari. | |||
| 6 | "Plains and Boats and Trains" | 25 November 1992 (1992-11-25) | |
Still in Kenya, Palin continues to study wildlife, and takes ahot-air balloon ride over the country, before heading toTanzania to fulfil a lifelong dream of visiting theNgorongoro Crater. At the capital ofDodoma, he takes a train toKigoma, where he learns of the risks associated tomalaria, and visitsUjiji whereDavid Livingstone andHenry Stanley met nearby. Palin then rides on the oldest ferry in the world downLake Tanganyika, learning of its importance for the locals in the region, as he makes forZambia. | |||
| 7 | "Evil Shadow" | 2 December 1992 (1992-12-02) | |
In Zambia, Palin encounters a witch doctor andjubliant citizens, before spending a day at theShiwa Ngandu estate. Travelling to theVictoria Falls, he trieswhitewater rafting on theZambezi River, before heading toZimbabwe, visiting the grave ofCecil Rhodes, meet members of a bowlers club, and enjoy a local nightclub. Eventually, Palin reachesSouth Africa, exploring the gold mining industry ofJohannesburg, before pressing on forCape Town aboard theBlue Train, where bad news awaits his arrival. | |||
| 8 | "Bitter End" | 9 December 1992 (1992-12-09) | |
Unable to board theS. A. Agulhas in South Africa, Palin detours toChile for an alternate route, taking the opportunity to exploreSantiago. Heading forPunta Arenas, he braces himself for the flight that will bring him toAntarctica, accompanying others seeking to visit the continent with their own goals in mind. Arriving atPatriot Hills, Palin spends time surveying the landscape, before one more flight brings him to theAmundsen–Scott South Pole Station, and to his final destination - the South Pole. | |||