Customer Reviews

The Michael Palin Collection (New Europe / Around the World in 80 Days / Sahara / Hemingway Adventure / Great Railway Journeys / Himalaya / Pole to Pole / Full Circle)

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"The Michael Palin Collection" compiles together all of the travel series Palin has made over the past 20+ years. Previously best known as part of the Monty Python comedy troupe, Palin brings an easy wit and disarming everyman style to the programs, as he journeys through some of the most remarkable places on earth. What's particularly notable is how decidedly apolitical Palin's approach is; he simply meets ordinary people, most of whom do not seem to see him as any sort of celebrity, and has as many experiences as he can.

The series sets are identical to the versions available separately, and can be somewhat divided into two types, with the earlier series being more focused on the process of getting from one place to another, and later series being somewhat more traditional travel documentaries as Palin explores a particular region. There are eight series in all:

"Around the World in Eighty Days" 7 episodes on 3 discs
This is the series that started it all (though not the earliest program in the collection), and the standard by which all subsequent series are measured. Palin sets out to approximate the famous journey in Jules Verne's novel, keeping strictly to surface transportation. Unfortunately, the timetable overwhelms the locations, and thus he rarely has time to even see where he is before making the next urgent connection. This is particularly notable near the end; the United States seems given a particularly perfunctory examination, crammed into the last episode with two ocean voyages and the last miles traveled to London. A highlight of the series is a slow journey across the Bay of Bengal on an ancient vessel called a dhow; many people consider it the best sequence in any of the series.
WARNING: At one point Palin visits a restaurant that specializes in snake meat, and during the sequence, a snake is skinned alive on camera. Even non-animal-lovers will likely find the scene disturbing.
The only bonus feature is a years-later interview with Palin, who offers anecdotes and insights about the journey and the production of the series.

"Pole to Pole" 8 episodes on 3 discs
While not necessarily the most ambitious journey ("Full Circle" beats it for sheer scale), this is almost certainly the most arduous, as Palin journeys from the North Pole to the South Pole along the 30th parallel (with a couple of unavoidable divergences). In addition to reaching the two lethally inhospitable Poles, Palin travels through western Russia literally days before the collapse of the Soviet Union, and down eastern Africa through countries where just getting anywhere seems almost impossible. Despite - or perhaps because of - these obstacles, "Pole to Pole" is arguably the best of all the series, balancing a chronicle of the journey with an experience of the locations often lacking in "Around the World." Highlights are many, but one standout is the journey through Sudan aboard the Nile Valley Express, during which Palin even rides on the roof of the train as it lumbers through the desert.
As with "Around the World in Eighty Days," the only bonus feature is an interview with Palin.

"Full Circle" 10 episodes on 3 discs
On his most epic journey, Palin travels around the circumference of the Pacific Rim, a trip that takes him a full year. The series indicates the beginning of a shift away from focusing on the journey, as was required in "Around the World" and (somewhat) artificially recreated in "Pole to Pole," and more toward appreciating the diverse places visited. While more of a focus on the destination is welcome, the reduction of footage of the various rail, ship and other surface transportation modes results in a series that feels somewhat disjointed, and some regions are bypassed entirely. This includes, unfortunately, much of the western United States, which is shortchanged again; it may be that the US was considered too familiar to the audience to merit more than cursory attention. In any case, many sequences are striking. A highlight is the time spent in Eastern Russia, where Palin pays a haunting visit to the ruins of a Soviet gulag accompanied by one of the former prisoners, as well as a visit to the spectacular geothermal basin in the Kronotsky Reserve, a place that has never been visited by more than a handful of people.
Bonus features include an interview similar to those on the previous sets, and a series of deleted scenes, few of which could be considered a great loss from the broadcast episodes.

"Hemingway Adventure" / "Great Railway Journeys" 6 episodes/programs on 2 discs
This set consists of two completely different series, both quite different from all the others.
"Hemingway Adventure," the next series created after Full Circle, and the first filmed in high definition, or at least widescreen, does not chronicle Palin's journeys from one location to another. Rather, he visits many of the locations around the world that were significant in the life of the author Ernest Hemingway. Beyond this thematic element, no attempt is made to give coherence to the different locations, not even biographical - for instance, Palin doesn't visit Hemingway's boyhood home until the second episode. The result, while presenting a number of very interesting places, including Cuba and Uganda, seems almost random, and is probably the weakest of all the series, though it probably has more value to serious Hemingway fans. There are no bonus features.
The two programs on disc 2 are episodes of the series "Great Railway Journeys" featuring Palin. The first "Confessions of a Trainspotter," dates back to 1980, a full decade prior to "Around the World," and follows Palin as he journeys from the south of England to the far north of Scotland via a series of different rail lines. While lacking the style and narrative flow of his later series, the episode is still interesting, appealing particularly to the train buffs who would make up a large part of the series audience. The other episode, "Kerry to Derry," filmed between "Pole to Pole" and "Full Circle," follows Palin around Ireland as he attempts to track his great grandmother's emigration to the United States. This seems a thin thread to hang the episode on, and doesn't ever amount to much, but still the program has its rewards, including quite of bit of time spent in Northern Ireland examining the conditions of the Troubles. Again, there are no bonus features, making this disc's content particularly light.

"Sahara" 4 episodes on 2 discs
This series is a return to the single-journey format of the first three series, but from now on the emphasis is much less on the journey than on the destination. Palin travels around the Sahara Desert, which he points out is quite close to Europe yet almost entirely unknown to most Europeans. He pays particular attention to meeting people, and the region emerges as far more colorful than one might expect. The unstable political conditions in areas such as Western Sahara are not ignored, but, as always, Palin simply observes rather than making any sort of explicit statement. Highlights include a magnificent mud-built mosque in Djenne, and a journey across a particularly unforgiving stretch of desert with a camel caravan; this sequence is the closest any series has come to recreating the feel of the dhow sequence in "Around the World," though a couple of incongruous interruptions diminish the effect. Unfortunately, the series as a whole lacks the sense of cohesion of that earlier series, as Palin's path around the Sahara seems almost random at times.
Bonus features include the usual informative post-series interview, a number of interesting deleted sequences, and a series of brief clips called "video diaries," that offer Palin's on the spot comments about some of the experiences he's having.

"Himalaya" 6 episodes on 3 discs
It's fair to say this is the most visually spectacular series, as Palin visits a range of locales throughout the vast mountainous region; the cinematography, which is exceptional in all the series, is nothing short of breathtaking as shot after shot of impossibly beautiful natural features merge with footage of truly glorious architectural wonders. Similarly, much has been said about the musical soundtrack, a remarkable blending of traditional motifs and contemporary Western arrangements that somehow always works. In many ways this feels to be the most perilous journey, as Palin deals with hostile climate, where altitude sickness can be fatal, and equally hostile political conditions, such as the contentious relations between Pakistan and India, insurgent groups in Nepal, and the simmering Chinese occupation of Tibet. On that subject, Palin has an intriguing interview with the exiled Dalai Lama, but also seems willing to accept the ever-present Chinese control while in Tibet. No doubt some will object to his lack of political agenda, being satisfied with nothing less than seeing him wear a "Free Tibet!" t-shirt, but that's not how these programs work.
A highlight is a lengthy walking journey to the high altitude Anapurna region, where Palin carries on valiantly despite being quite ill. On the other hand, an extended sequence with a yak farmer (really!) and his family seems intended to evoke the dhow sequence again, but far too much time is spent seeing Palin stirring some sort of gruel in a large pot, churning butter, and making small talk to a group of people none of whom understand a word he is saying. Too much time is also spent chronicling a polo match in Pakistan and a horse show in Tibet.
Bonus features include the expected post-program interview, and a wealth of deleted scenes, some of which are as fascinating as anything in the series, and would have been welcomed instead of the above-mentioned time-killers. Also included is the only instance of a pre-trip interview, where Palin reflects on what he is about to undertake. Unlike the other interviews, this one doesn't offer much value.

"New Europe" 7 episodes on 3 discs
You wouldn't think Eastern Europe would be as compelling as the more exotic places Palin visits in previous journeys; you'd be wrong. Palin takes advantage of rapidly changing conditions to become acquainted with countries that not too long ago were hidden behind the Iron Curtain. As in the previous three series, there is the lack of a sense of a coherent travel route, as location changes at times seem almost random; at one point Palin jumps from Ukraine to the northern Baltic region. But, as always, the places visited are fascinating, and Palin's winning everyman style serves him particularly well, as he asks people's views about the end of Communism and Soviet influence and the growth of the European Union. He also renews contact with people he met years before on previous journeys. Amusingly, where the two previous series offered stunning natural beauty, this time the cinematographers seem most interested in a different kind of beauty, and miss no opportunity to point the cameras at an endless number of pretty girls. This series is definitely easy on the eyes.
Bonus features include a large number of deleted scenes, often as interesting as the series itself, and an interview that is oddly split into to two parts over two discs. Unlike in previous sets, the interview is not particularly in depth, only discussing the locations seen in the first few episodes.

Overall "The Michael Palin Collection" is a set well worth having. It's a look at some of the least known areas of the world (at least to the West), and Palin is an infectiously enthusiastic guide and fellow traveler. Even people who don't care for travel documentaries may find these programs refreshingly down to earth and just plain fun.

This is the way to go! Even though we already owned Michael Palin's "Himalaya" and "Around the World in 80 Days" individually, we always wanted the full set of his filmed adventure treks. I could have gone about buying the rest of his travel movies separately, but I needed them right away for a Christmas gift. This is a beautifully packaged boxed set, and the extras on the DVDs are interesting, intriguing, and enlightening, especially the newer Michael Palin interviews. I highly recommend this collection.

Ever since I can remember as growing up watching this first ever travelogue...with the very funny Michael Palin from the Monty Python and A Fish Called Wanda fame, it brings back memories of yesteryear almost 15 years ago. If you want to find a relaxing weekend lazy getaway with a funny tour guide and not interested in all that rehashed broadcast of cable and satellite TV, do I have the perfect suggestion....watch this travel series. Although a bit outdated now these days, the series does have its fine moments. Although, I only remember seeing Around the World In Eighty Days, can't wait to see Palin's other travel guide series. With a discounted price on its collection, a real gem for DVD-collecting.

I have been living in Colombia for the last 17 years and can affirm that Michael Palin has given a fair and balanced account of this country - the beauty, the joys and the problems. He even went to places I have never gone to and wouldn't even dare to go. Very impressive ! There must have gone huge work in the preparation of each of those trips. In general, this is a fantastic travel experience, going around the globe three times, in several ways : the 80 days path laid out in the novel by Jules Verne, a full circle around all the countries bordering the Pacific, and from pole to pole. Complementary to that, the Sahara, the Himalaya and the New Europe experiences result in nearly all countries of the world being visited, sometimes twice. If I would make a critical observation, it would only be that I would love to see the many hours of film that didn't make it even to the "deleted scenes" of the series, which are all of the same high quality of the series itself.

What Michael Palin accomplishes here - although unintended - is what Albert Kahn did a century ago, when he produced a color photographic record of human life on Earth The Dawn of the Color Photograph: Albert Kahn's Archives of the Planet, believing that in this way he would promote cross-cultural understanding and peace. This is a great idea and is certainly achieved by this series too. The lesson is that we are all the same race, a global brotherhood of human beings. What I like so much about Michael Palin is that he is so easygoing, making friends all over the globe, and connecting to all his fellow human beings with a smile, the same way the Dalai Lama told him in India he also always does. Palin is genuinely curious to know how everybody lives and divert themselves. On top of that, he is a great comedian, and will take advantage of any possible situation to find something to make fun out. Even when he's suffering, he makes fun of it, for instance when he was having trouble climbing the Annapurna, 60 years old at the time : "It's the work. I do need the work..." Wonderful !

We love the Palin Collection. It's a good collectible, something that will remain interesting over time.

Over a period of about three years, I took my time watching pretty much the entire series, taking everything in, and savouring every moment! Even now, I still have yet to watch the Hemingway section, though I've watched all of the truly in-depth, gruelling, pain staking, dangerous, yet often fun, and truly beautiful, sometimes even exciting, journeys!
Better yet, Even though I'd seen "Around the World in 80 Days" and "Pole to Pole" years ago on PBS, I'd never seen any of the others! Even after all these years, those two still look great, but better still, with each succeeding adventure, the quality (visual, sound, music and other technological advances) gets better and better, the beauty more spectacular, the dangers more risky, and the occasional humour from Michael even funnier! Some of the stunning landscape in "Himalaya" is so drop-dead gorgeous and beautiful, you may find yourself wishing you could go there! Well, this is the next best thing! Michael and crew have obviously spent a great deal of time and energy on each journey, and you almost feel the fatigue of having traversed such a journey yourself, by the end of each one!
More than any other travel documentary I've ever seen, I felt almost as though I were travelling along! It certainly helps when, (right from the very beginning), Michael takes us with him to do a little research for the first journey, then to talk with travel agents, and even get up in the morning with him to pack, and then be seen off by family and friends. And from then on, you're on a journey all over the world for the next couple of decades! In fact, the last one "New Europe", is only a few years old! There were so many times where I wanted to write a review here about so many diverse, and interesting moments from each journey, that I simply couldn't keep up!
Perhaps this weekend I'll start watching the Hemingway one on weekends over the next couple of weeks (I don't like to watch anything for more than two or three hours a night on DVD), and perhaps five years from now I'll watch the whole thing all over again. It's particularly timeless, considering that we get to see the world still very much unspoiled before having become so saturated with modern technology, fast food, etc. It's wonderful that Michael and crew just happened to catch the world just in time, while it still held a certain sense of mystery and adventure not easily accessible.

This is a collection of all of the BBC presentations of the travel adventures of Michael Palin. The one fly in the ointment is the one about New Europe. In this one he concentrates on unique people. (Read that looney tunes eccentrics.) These are not entertaining for me. I have in my 65 years met too many strange people. One example from this set is an overweight homosexual transvestite gypsy night club singer that sings very poorly in a foreign language I cannot understand. Then there are interviews with people who admire the former Soviet domination of their country and wish that it would occur again. Then there are strange religious groups with strange practices.

You should consider the cost difference in ordering individual program sets that you do not presently own vs. buying this complete collection.