Review of 'Michael Palin: Around the World in Eighty Days'

The first of series of travel adventures by Monty Python alumni Michael Palin sees him taking on the goal of retracing the steps of Phileas Fogg in Jules Verne's classic “Around the World in Eighty Days” (see here for my review), travelling around the world in 80 days. Making allowances for modern conveniences he limits himself to surface transport only but does not use exactly the same transport as Fogg instead relying on things like container ships but at the same time also attempting to use more authentic modes of transport such as a memorable few days on a dhow which Palin himself recalls as being one of his favourite parts of his journey - Many days with nothing to do but spend time with the crew on the tiny boat travelling across the Arabian Sea to Bombay.

This is an interesting challenge for Palin and, despite the connected and relatively safe nature of the world we live in, one that is not without risk. It is a fascinating look at the world of today. Yes, there are also funny bits (the ceremony when the cross the date line is quite amusing) that often harken back to his Python days, but most of the time is spent, unlike Fogg, in appreciating the cultures and landscape he passes through and trying to make the next connection…

One of my favourite television series of all time and certainly my favourite of the Palin documentaries. You can sense the excitement and wonder he experiences as he travels through exotic cultures and locations. He is having the time of his life and we feel the same as we watch. In later series it was never quite the same as this first one I suppose with innocence lost. Never tedious and never boring but a bit dated now. An interesting and entertaining perspective on travel.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2004-06-07

Directed by: Roger Mills

Studio: BBC

Year: 1989

Length: 340 minutes

Genre: Documentary

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096536/