Around the World in 80 Days

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.

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.

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!

After watching a couple parts of the film in a class I was taking at Ohio State, I was hooked and had to find out for myself how the whole thing played out. After watching the entire program, I had to get a copy of it on DVD. The DVD of it is also a brilliant masterpiece. Every facet of the program is perfectly put together, as is the case for the other five travel documentaries he did later. Palin, as is the case for his other travel documentaries, shows the viewers many places of the world we only read about in encyclopedias. He goes many places we would only dream of seeing. If you are a fan of Palin, geography, travel, or documentaries, this is a good show to catch. This is one documentary you will want to watch over and over again, like yours truly; I give it an A+!

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.