TV series

Pole to Pole

Name: Pole to Pole
Released: 1992
Cast: Michael Palin

1992· 1 season· 50 min episodes★ 7.9Ended

On BBC One — From BBC · A+E Studios

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Where to watch

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Synopsis

Michael Palin undertakes an epic journey of 23,000 miles, traveling from the North to the South Pole across 17 countries with a minimum of air travel, all on a tight deadline.

Themes

travel miniseries north pole south pole travelogue nature documentary travel show adventure countries

Episodes

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E1 Cold StartNext upOct 21, 1992 · 50 min
Synopsis
The first leg takes Michael Palin from the North Pole to the gates of Russia.
Guest stars: Lasse Lehtinen (Self)
E2 Russian StepsOct 28, 1992 · 50 min
Synopsis
Second leg of the journey: Palin has 12 days to cross Russia and reach the port of Odessa.
E3 Mediterranean MazeNov 4, 1992 · 50 min
Synopsis
Palin travels from Istanbul to Aswan on the Nile.
E4 Shifting SandsNov 11, 1992 · 50 min
Synopsis
In this part of the journey Michael Palin crosses the Sudan. He crosses the Nubian desert in the north of the country and traverses a region ravaged by drought, poverty, famine and civil war. Unable to follow the line of 30 degrees east, he is forced to take a route along the border with Northern Ethiopia.
E5 Crossing the LineNov 18, 1992 · 50 min
Synopsis
Having struggled through the Sudan, Michael Palin is now faced with the difficulty of getting across Ethiopia, where the armed remnants of the fallen dictator Mengistu's defeated army roam. He makes a dash to Addis Ababa with a military escort. He continues his journey to reach the Kenyan border and travels on to Lerata. He passes Mount Kenya, the significance of which is that now he has completed half of his journey.
Guest stars: Graham Hancock (Self)
E6 Plains and Boats and TrainsNov 25, 1992 · 50 min
Synopsis
Michael Palin begins this week with a tented safari in a Kenyan game park. He travels via the Ngoronoro Crater and arrives at Lake Tanganyika.
E7 Evil ShadowDec 2, 1992 · 50 min
Synopsis
In this week's episode, Michael crosses Zambia and Zimbabwe towards Johannesburg.
E8 Bitter EndDec 9, 1992 · 50 min
Synopsis
Michael Palin fails in his attempt to get a berth on board the SA "Agulhas" on its once yearly sail to the South Pole. The search is on to find some other way of reaching the South Pole, abandoning all self-imposed restraints such as following 30 degrees east or using only surface transport.