Michael Palin's Around the World in 80 Days (1990)

Around the World in 80 Days DVD

The DVD was excellent. Previously I purchased a VHS tape version which unfortunately contained only HALF the series episodes. The DVD, however, was complete. July 22, 2008

pass on this one

This such a disappointment compared to Palen's other series. Here he spends a long, long, long time at sea, and the days pass in tedium. For this series, air travel was forbidden, so it followed that the journey had to be via boat. And therein lies the problem. There's only so much one can do on a low budget ocean voyage. Somewhere in mid-ocean everything begins to lose its savor, if ever it had any, and then the story gets even worse. Once back on land, the journey disintegrates into a long, long, long train ride across the U.S. This is where Michael spends a lot of time chatting with people who maybe just want to be on camera. One storyteller, a conductor, gets into the act by recounting a not very funny (and quite apocryphal) tale about a fat lady who got stuck in the toilet. And was it my imagination, or does he have more than a little contempt for most Americans... he could hardly have portrayed them in a less favorable light. Sahara, New Europe, and Pole to Pole are terrific travelogues, but this one is a dead end trip. May 15, 2008

Excellent if a bit dated

Around the World marks the beginning of Palin's prolific new career as travel host. He is less confident than in some of the later series, but he has an infectious energy that really comes through. Some of the passages overland and on the sea are fascinating looks at anachronistic modes of travel. Palin is maybe the best travel host ever to appear on the tele. He is funny, yet always respectful and always smiling (so important when traveling). His voice over narration is just perfect. Only criticism is that this series is a bit dated - the video quality ain't so great and the places he visits have changed enough since then that it feels slightly irrelevant - but that's only a relative criticism. March 15, 2008

Great watch even today

I watched this mini-series almost 2 decades ago when it was aired on
BBC. Today I own the DVD. The world has changed a lot since Palin's
journey, especially China and India. Some of Palin's comments do not
reflect modern times. But his adventures will always be relevant
regardless of time.

I more than agree to all the appreciation this series has received from
the reviewers here. My only criticism is Palin gives undue importance to
the traces of british legacy that he observes in the great cultures of
Egypt, India and Hong Kong. But his down-to-earth attitude and sense of
humor more than make up for his nostalgia about british empire. And after all he is British.

The challenges faced by Michael Palin are different from those faced by
Phileas Fogg, but it makes a gripping journey. Overall great concept,
great presentation and excellent background score. January 20, 2008

Palin at his best

Michael Palin follows Jules Verne's Fillias Fogg around the world and by the end, you get the feeling you really know Palin. The journey is mesmerizing, funny, interesting and you feel like you're with him every step of the way. The Dhow episode is worth the price. . .At least I think so.
It's a long series and can be daunting if you try to watch them all the way through. You really have to WATCH to enjoy. January 12, 2008

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