Pole to Pole with Michael Palin

Pole to Pole with Michael Palin is an eight-part television BBC documentary travel series, first broadcast on BBC 1 in 1992, and presented by comedian and actor Michael Palin. The programme is the sequel to Around the World in 80 Days with Michael Palin, and was the second of Palin's major journeys, the series focusing on a journey along the 30-degree east line of longitude from the North Pole to the South Pole, sticking to using mainly cars, buses, trains and ships to make the 5-month journey, while travelling through northern and eastern Europe (including through the territory of the Soviet Union before its collapse), and Africa; a last-minute change of plans led to the journey diverting through South America, in order to reach Antarctica .

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
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
Around the World in 80 Days with Michael Palin Full Circle with Michael Palin

The series' broadcast rights were later sold on to various countries around the world, and later released onto VHS taps 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 by Full Circle with Michael Palin in 1997.

Synopsis

Countries visited during Pole to Pole.

In 1991, Michael Palin decided to conduct a new journey that would take him from the North Pole to the South Pole, with the decision being that the journey would stick as close as it could to the line of 30th degree meridian. The planned route involved passing through countries in northern and eastern Europe, Turkey, and then across Africa along the eastern half of the continent, in order to reach a supply ship that made a yearly trip to Antarctica .

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 of Spitsbergen. However, plans had to be changed once the journey reached Africa - a detour was required to avoid war-torn regions of southern Sudan affected by the Second Sudanese Civil War at the time of filming, whilst Palin and his film crew had to travel from South Africa to South 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 ship Agulhas 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.

Episode list

No.	Title	Original air date
1	"Cold Start"	21 October 1992 (1992-10-21)
Michael Palin engages in a new journey, attempting to get form the North Pole to the South Pole. From journey's start, he leaves the North Pole to make for the remotely inhabited island of Spitsbergen, learning how life can be from some of its isolated inhabitants, before catching a supply ship for Norway. Reaching Tromsø, he explores the city described as the "Paris of the North", before later he goes panning for gold in the Karasjohka River. Moving on to Finland, Palin visits Santa Claus at his Arctic village, then heads for Helsinki, where he experiences a Finnish sauna. Finally, he moves on to Estonia, exploring how preserved the city of Tallinn, and how much people there dream of gaining independence from the Soviet Union, before heading onwards to Russia. 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.
2	"Russian Steps"	28 October 1992 (1992-10-28)
Arriving in Leningrad, Palin receives a tour of the city by a local Vladimir Lenin impersonator, before taking time to witnesses a Russian Orthodox baptism ceremony, and visits the resting place of Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky. Heading southwards to Novgorod, Palin befriends and dines with a local Russian film director, before partaking in a ceremony on behalf of the British city of Watford. Reaching Ukraine, Palin visits Chernobyl, completely evacuated following the 1986 nuclear disaster, before exploring the capital of Kyiv. Reaching the shores of the Black Sea, Palin visits the port city of Odesa, experiencing an unusual mud bath treatment, before catching a ferry to take him to Turkey. Notes: Filming of the Odessa stage and the departure for Turkey took place a few days before the Soviet 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 reaches Istanbul, where he experiences the full treatment of a Turkish hamam, explores the local bazaar, and admires a procession of Janissary soldiers at Topkapi Palace. Heading south to the Greek island of Rhodes, he learns much of its history, and gains an astrological assessment for his journey. Heading for Cyprus by ferry, Palin enjoys cream tea refreshments with British soldiers stationed on the island, and attends a huge Cypriot wedding celebration. After making for Egypt, and dealing with minor delays, Palin heads southwards on the Nile River, exploring ancient Egyptian ruins and tombs, before catching a ferry in Aswan for Sudan, bracing himself for the difficulties that now lay ahead of him in Central Africa.
4	"Shifting Sands"	11 November 1992 (1992-11-11)
At Wadi Halfa, Palin makes prepations for the train journey to Sudan's capital, Khartoum, on a service that is anything but straightforward. At the capital, Sudanese authorities prevent travel to the southern regions of the country, leading Palin to spend time exploring, visiting a British sports club for food and a game, and later witnessing a Muslim Sufi ceremony. With the aid of an Eritrean company, Palin and his film crew make for the border with Ethiopia, where they find themselves dealing with poor road conditions, made worse by the late ending of the annual rainy season, and entering border territory made unsafe by the conclusion of the Ethiopian Civil War, as he attempts to reach the border town of Gedaref.
5	"Crossing the Line"	18 November 1992 (1992-11-18)
Entering Ethiopia, Palin, accompanied by his guide Graham, travels in safety in order to reach the country's former capital of Gondar, learning of its history and that of Emperor Haile Selassie. Following concerning news that could lead to problems in their next country, Palin proceeds onwards regardless to the current capital of Addis Ababa, witnessing the downfall of communist symbols, and the people's desires for a new political system. Hitchhiking to Kenya, Palin makes contact with his next guide, Wendy, travelling southwards to for a special visit to the village of Lerata, and to the equator for an interesting lecture. Finally, reaching the capital of Nairobi, Palin prepares himself for a safari and discovering how big a business such excursions are.
6	"Plains and Boats and Trains"	25 November 1992 (1992-11-25)
Still in Kenya, Palin takes time to study the wildlife alongside Wendy, coping with sudden downpours, and taking an aerial view of the landscape with a hot-air balloon ride. Parting ways with his guide, Palin travels onwards across the border to Tanzania, where he fulfils a lifelong dream of visiting and exploring the Ngorongoro Crater. Making for the capital of Dodoma, Palin endures another train journey to Kigoma, where he meets a local doctor who reveals the risks associated to malaria in this part of Africa. After visiting Ujiji and the site where David Livingstone and Henry Stanley met, Palin boards the oldest ferry in the world, the MV Liemba, to travel down Lake Tanganyika to Zambia.
7	"Evil Shadow"	2 December 1992 (1992-12-02)
In Zambia, Palin meets a witch doctor, witnesses the celebrations surrounding the recent election results, and meets with the Harvey family at their Shiwa Ngandu estate. At the Victoria Falls, he tries his hand at whitewater rafting on the Zambezi River. Despite troubles soon arising, Palin head into Zimbabwe, taking time to explore the impact Cecil Rhodes had on this part of Africa, before heading to Bulawayo to meet members of a bowlers club, and enjoy music in a local nightclub. Eventually, Palin makes it to South Africa, watching a football match, and then exploring the gold mining industry that benefitted the capital, Johannesburg, before pressing on for Cape Town aboard the Blue Train, where bad news awaits his arrival.
8	"Bitter End"	9 December 1992 (1992-12-09)
Unable to board the S. A. Agulhas in South Africa, Palin learns a travel adventure company is the only means he has to reach the South Pole. With a detour to Chile, he takes the opportunity to explore the capital of Santiago and the country's recent history. Reaching Punta Arenas, he braces himself for the flight that will bring him to Antarctica, accompanying others seeking to visit the continent with their own goals in mind. Arriving at the company's base camp of Patriot Hills, Palin spends time surveying the landscape, before catching one more flight that brings him to the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, and to his final destination - the South Pole.

External links

• Palin's Travels – the official website
• Pole to Pole at IMDb