Sacred Rivers with Simon Reeve

Presenter Simon Reeve explores three of the world's major rivers, the Nile, Yangtze and Ganges, in a three episode BBC series. The Nile episode starts in Ethiopia around Lake Tana as Simon goes down the Blue Nile meeting up with the White Nile at Khartoum and down Egypt to its exit into the Mediterranean. The Ganges episode deals with the pollution as well as its spiritual importance. The Yangtze episode starts further down the river away from Tibet. It has more of a tourist feel with a constant guide until he goes to church. That's the intriguing new aspect of modern Chinese life.

Simon is a baby face with a scruffy beard. It allows him to present as fresh-eyed to these old places. I love Nile episode which has great local flavors and compelling inhabitants. There is a great variety to the locations. The Ganges is pretty good also although there is a similarity to the whole river. The pollution angle is an intriguing one to tackle. The Yangtze is the more restricted episode. Simon isn't able to visit Tibet. The start is fun with him imitating a frog. For the rest, he has a minder for his companion. It's not that he's restricted in his socially conscious commentary. He peppers much of the travelogue with his social views. It's just that China is no longer that exotic with its modern capitalism. That's why the church is so compelling. There are real feelings and real tears from the congregation. Overall, this is good travelogue through an interesting lens of religion and spirituality.