Around the World in 80 Days

Having grown up on Micheal Palin's travel series and enjoyed them all, I still return to watch this one again and again.

Although there is an attempt to build tension with the 'will he/won't he' of the 80 day limit in order to echo the fictional journey of Fogg, this really isn't what this series is about. To paraphrase Palin himself, it is about going around the world as fast as you can while still allowing you to see things on the way round.

What makes the series are the friendships Palin forms with people around the world, and the genuine sense of adventure which he brings to the series!

Yes, the film may look a little dated now, and doubtless places have changed since this was made, but it is still a wonderful series to excite the traveller in us all!

Michael Palin exudes warmth and depth of character as he attempts to follow in the footsteps of Phileas Fogg. His wit, sincerity and enthusiasm set this documentary apart from other pretenders as he experiences the pleasure, pain and fulfilment of a voyage of discovery. One cannot help being in awe of this production which educates and entertains simultaneously. Palin was to follow this series with other 'adventures', which show him to be an affable character with genuine wit and intellect. Along his journey he has memorable encounters with beast and humanity, and his writings and narration capture all of the emotions.

Outstanding TV.

Michael Palin manages to make us look at the world through a fascinating perspective. He talks about Philleas Fogg as though as if he was a real character that he's trying to catch up and in the meantime we share with him the joys and dangers of a journey that takes him from the battlefields of the Middle East, to the Purple Mountains of the American West. We can see how the world changes as people and places differ and we get a small taste of our wonderful and diverse world. Definitely a must see for anyone who enjoys travel.

Travelogue is nothing new. But this one had a funny Brit and a superior premise. Michael Palin attempts to copy the exploits of fictional character Phileas Fogg, by trying to travel around the world (without flying) in 80 days. Within this premise, there lies great tension which is unlike most other travelogue before it. That's the genius of this series. And with the likable Michael Palin at the helm, this made for a superior compelling watch.

Like all great things, there would soon be a lot of imitators... including Michael Palin himself. But none of them could ever be the first again and none of them had a better premise.

I loved the series but the DVDs you will link to are NOT the dvds of Palin'e journey. Panlin makes a great journey following the original intent of the story. He does not use aircraft and I find the journey both interesting and dramatic. Following the journey of Phineous is difficult today...surprisingly. His observations are amusing and interesting...especially to people from the US. The question that Palin constantly worries about is whether he can make it in 80 days and it is a dramatic race to the finish. Watch out, the dvds on Amazon are not the dvds of Palin's journey. I hope that someday they will make a version for us. Until then, be very careful.