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Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime

Michael Palin's Travels sees the much-loved TV traveller revisit four of his famous documentary series -Around the World in 80 Days, Pole to Pole, Full Circle... Michael Palin's Travels sees the much-loved TV traveller revisit four of his famous documentary series -Around the World in 80 Days, Pole to Pole, Full Circle and Sahara. In intimate conversation, and using his personal archive, he reflects on how he got addicted to travel, and reveals the challenges he faced making these ground-breaking series. Show More

Around the World in 80 Days - 1989

Journeying from London to Venice, Michael first encounters the grubby side of that famous city as he does a shift with its refuse collectors.

Pole To Pole - 1992

A look at how the success of 80 Days opened the door for Michael to tackle an even more ambitious journey for his next series. He would follow the line of 35 degrees latitude from North Pole to South.

Full Circle - 1997

Michael took on his longest and most gruelling journey yet - a 50,000-mile route around the Pacific Rim taking in Russia, China, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand and North and South America.

Sahara - 2002

This episode sees Michael revisit his fourth, and in some ways most personal, travel series. Inspired by the apparent emptiness of the desert, he goes to find out what this 'blank space' contains.

Himalaya - 2004 - Part 1

Michael continues his journey in Pakistan. He explores Islam, then moves on to India where he meets the Dalai Lama, and visits the Sikh town of Amritsar.

Himalaya - 2004 - Part 2

Leaving the towns and cities of Pakistan and India behind, Michael ascends into the mountains, to encounter the societies who live at the top of the world.

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Episode list

Michael palin: travels of a lifetime.

S1.E1 ∙ Around the World in 80 Days

S1.E2 ∙ Pole to Pole

S1.E3 ∙ Full Circle

S1.E4 ∙ Sahara

S1.E5 ∙ Himalaya: Part 1

S1.E6 ∙ Himalaya: Part 2

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Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime

How ex-Monty Python comic Michael Palin became an accidental traveller when he accepted an offer to go around the world in 80 days, following the route of Phileas Fogg in the classic Jules Verne story. He looks back on the programmes and his diaries to reveal how the series was made and the impact it had. And fans and friends including Sir David Attenborough, Joanna Lumley and Simon Reeve reflect on his achievements. Little did he know the resulting series would become a huge hit, changing the face of TV travel programmes.

This episode explores how the success of Around the World in 80 Days opened the door for Michael Palin to tackle an even more ambitious journey for his next series. In Pole to Pole, Michael followed the line of 30-degree-east longitude from North Pole to South, an incredibly challenging route across the USSR, Africa and finally Antarctica.

In his third series, Michael Palin took on his most ambitious journey yet - a 50,000-mile route around the Pacific Rim, taking in Russia, China, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand and North and South America. This huge undertaking stretches him and the crew to their limits, and it sees Michael adopt a more investigative role as he seeks to get under the skin of the places he visits - from a booming South Korea to Colombia with its drug wars and poverty.

Michael revisits his fourth - and in some ways, most personal - travel series. Inspired by the apparent emptiness of the Sahara Desert as seen from a flight and by boyhood dreams of exploration, Michael sets off to find out what this 'blank space' contains. He is delighted and inspired by the societies he encounters there - nomads, refugees, artists. He also confronts some harsh realities - the effects of war, the migrant crisis and the rise of militant Islam. From Gibraltar, Michael looks across the Mediterranean to what is for him a mysterious land - North Africa. Inspired by the apparent emptiness of the Sahara Desert as seen from a flight and by boyhood dreams of exploration, Michael sets off to find out what this 'blank space' contains. He is delighted and inspired by the societies he encounters there - nomads, refugees, artists. He also confronts some harsh realities - the effects of war, the migrant crisis and the rise of militant Islam. From Gibraltar, Michael looks across the Mediterranean to what is for him a mysterious land - North Africa.

Michael travels the Himalaya through Pakistan and India, meets the Dalai Lama, then battles altitude sickness to reach the base camp at Annapurna.

Continuing his Himalayan journey, Michael reaches Everest base camp. Then, he meets a Yak herder, and explores Bhutan before descending to Bangladesh.

Cast & Crew

Michael Palin

Iain Scollay

Andrew Abbott

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Michael Palin

There and Back: The Diaries Tour 2024

Join me, for my ‘There and Back’ tour, where I revisit some of my fondest memories from my 1999 – 2009 diaries – the first volume I’ve released in ten years! In this new show, I will take you back to the most productive decade of my life – the noughties! Tickets are available now…

15 Sept | Norwich | Theatre Royal – Buy tickets

18 Sept | Guildford | G Live – Buy tickets

21 Sept | Brighton | Theatre Royal – Buy tickets

23 Sept | Portsmouth | Kings Theatre – Buy tickets

25 Sept | Cambridge | Corn Exchange – Buy tickets

28 Sept | Coventry | Warwick Arts Centre – Buy tickets

03 Oct | York | Grand Opera House – Buy tickets

04 Oct | Bradford | Alhambra – Buy tickets

06 Oct | Edinburgh | The Queen's Hall – Buy tickets

07 Oct | Dundee | Whitehall Theatre – Buy tickets

08 Oct | Glasgow | Pavilion Theatre – Buy tickets

13 Oct | Chesterfield | Winding Wheel – Buy tickets

15 Oct | London | Cadogan Hall – Buy tickets

More info...

10 years since his last published diary, Michael unlocks volume four of his life and times, from 1999 to 2009. As the centuries change and Michael heads into middle age, he’s busier than ever. In this new show, with the help of rarely seen photos and video, Michael brings these momentous times to life as he talks through this latest Diary to take us backstage on this most productive decade of his life, whilst always, in the background, showing us the wider world, one of infinite possibilities and new and unimagined dangers.

He takes on four new travel series, and a wide variety of documentaries from art and artists to the last day of the First World War. He watches his family grow and expand at a time of ominous new threats and dangers. The Twin Towers fall, bombs blast London, banks collapse, whole economies teeter on the brink. Tony Blair offers hope with the Good Friday agreement, then embroils us in Iraq.

Michael enters his 60s, and finds grown-up responsibilities come his way. By the end of this diary, he's in his first year as President of the Royal Geographical Society. His diary reflects his constant struggle against routine and repetition, and his irresistible and often nerve-shredding attraction to new challenges. Some work, some don't, but by the end of this volume he's reached the retirement age of 65. And he's planning a new journey.

Great-Uncle Harry News

March 1, 2024

An Evening With Michael Palin – May 7th, Barbican Centre, London

Spend a captivating evening with Michael Palin to celebrate the paperback release of his book,...

September 28, 2023

Great-Uncle Harry: A Tale Of War And Empire

Now available in The Shop where you can get your book signed and dedicated by...

September 27, 2023

The One Show

Michael discusses his new book with Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas.

September 25, 2023

Radio 4 Book of the Week

Michael Palin tells the tale of his Great-Uncle Harry. New episodes daily.

The Great-Uncle Show Book Tour

See Michael performing in various parts of the land - from Ely to Edinburgh -...

September 21, 2023

Get On With It!

It’s been a complicated summer. Since Helen’s death we’ve had various celebrations of her life...

August 1, 2023

Good Housekeeping Live – 11th November 2023

Join Michael as he discusses his new book Great-Uncle Harry and more at the Good...

March 16, 2023

Step Forward, Harry Palin!

Great excitement! My book on Great Uncle Harry now has a publication date: September 28th.

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Palin's Travels

Welcome to Palin's Travels

Palin's Travels is on a new journey. With the acquisition of many previously unseen photos taken by Basil Pao, its being transformed into a new, bright, dynamic format... discover more

Around the World in 80 Days

Following the route taken by Phileas Fogg, Michael sets out from the Reform Club in London to circumnavigate the world. The rules were simple, but nothing else about the trip was straightforward... discover more

Pole to Pole

Phileas Fogg behind, Roald Amundsen ahead. A mere 16 countries and both hemispheres to cover. Michael experiences every extreme. From the cold grip of the Arctic Circle, to the South Pole... discover more

Full Circle

Blizzards, Bogota’s Bullet Street and Alaskan abandonment push Michael and the crew to the limit as they travel through 18 countries on the perimeter of the world’s largest ocean... discover more

Hemingway Adventure

One hundred years after the birth of Ernest Hemingway, Michael sets out to discover the man behind the legend: a hard-drinking, controversial figure who wrote like a dream... discover more

The Sahara. As big as of the United States with a population the size of Norfolk. With extreme temperatures and camel stew poisoning thrown in, Michael has his work cut out... discover more

In a journey rarely, if ever, attempted before, Michael takes on the full length of the Himalaya - 1800 miles from the borders of Afghanistan to southwest China.... discover more

Michael’s travels in New Europe take him to twenty countries and a world that has changed beyond belief since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Iron Curtain... discover more

Michael travels to Brazil. A country unlike any other with a potent mix of races, religions and cultures, of unexplored wildernesses and bustling modern cities.... discover more

North Korea

Michael gets unprecedented access to the reclusive country of North Korea, meeting ordinary people in this secretive and little understood country... discover more

A fascinating and rare insight into the history and culture of Iraq, a country that few outsiders now venture to see. Michael travels the length of the River Tigris, a journey of sharp and often brutal contrasts... discover more

Sahara, Day 6, Fez, Morocco

A tale of two cities.

To an ear disoriented by deep sleep it sounds like bagpipes warming up or a very ancient siren being cranked into life. Then, after a moment of struggling wakefulness, it...

Hemingway Adventure, Fossalta di Piave, Italy

Hemingway by pedal bike.

Today I’m going to try to recreate his journey to the trenches and back (without the getting blown up bit) to see what, if anything, is as it was. A...

Around The World In 80 Days, Day 20, Indian Ocean

Travelling by dhow.

Somewhere a long way away it's my wife's birthday and A Fish Called Wanda is being shown to the British public for the first time. Here in the Gulf of...

Pole To Pole, Day 57, Luxor, Egypt

The temple of karnak.

An early start to catch the sunrise over the ruins of the Temple of Karnak. The name is taken from the town of Carnac in Brittany and is a reminder...

Around The World In 80 Days

Pole To Pole

Photography

Travel Shop

As the journey unfolds, the Sahara reveals not the emptiness of endless sand dunes, but a huge and diverse range of cultures and landscapes and a long history.

New Europe Book and DVD

Breathing in Eastern Europe's rich history, exquisite sights and talking to its diverse peoples, Michael fills what has been a void in his own experience and that of many others.

Facing altitudes as high as 17,500 feet as well as some of the world’s deepest gorges, Michael tackles the full length of the Himalaya.

North Korea Journal Book and DVD

Michael shares his day-by-day diary of his visit to North Korea a land wholly unlike any other he has ever visited.

Hemingway Adventure Book and DVD

In this wonderful blend of adventure and travel writing, Michael follows in the footsteps of one of the great literary figures of the century.

Travels Of A Lifetime

In intimate conversation, and using his personal archive, Michael's reflects on how he got hooked on travel, and reveals the challenges he faced making the ground-breaking travel shows.

Around The World In 80 Days Book and DVD

Michael follows in the footsteps of Phileas Fogg as he takes on the famous challenge to circumnavigate the globe in less than 80 days.

Pole To Pole Book and DVD

Travelling by train, truck, raft, Ski-Doo, barge, balloon and bicycle, Michael experiences every extreme the world has to offer. From the cold grip of the Arctic Circle, to the South

Into Iraq Book and DVD

A fascinating and rare insight into the history and culture of Iraq. Michael shares the impressions he formed of a country that few outsiders now venture to see.

Michael explores this exotic country that is now a global superpower, and takes a closer look at a remarkable new force on the world scene.

Read Michael’s account of his epic journey through 18 countries bordering the Pacific Ocean. A spectacular journey of contrasts, drama and beauty.

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Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime (2020)

How to stream michael palin: travels of a lifetime online, about michael palin: travels of a lifetime.

Michael Palin revisits his first four TV travel documentaries. He draws on his personal archive of audio recordings and diary notebooks, and reflects on how he became a seasoned global traveller. Featuring contributions from fans and friends, including David Attenborough, Joanna Lumley and Simon Reeve.

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Michael Palin Suggests That ‘Very Few’ People Remember Monty Python

While most of the surviving members of Monty Python seem to be spending their golden years  engaging in petty squabbles and/or  desperately trying to convince the world that they’re a victim of persecution , Michael Palin appears to be a chill guy who just enjoys writing books and starring in travel programs. That view of Palin likely won’t be shattered by his recent appearance on  Good Morning Britain , which is like  Good Morning America but with more tea and less handguns (I assume). 

During the interview, Palin talked a lot about the loss of his wife Helen, who died last year. Palin revealed that, after 57 years of marriage, he  still hears her voice on occasion . “Sometimes I will have done something, and I’ll get back and tell her about it,” Palin revealed to the hosts. “Although she’s not there, I know her reply and it makes me smile. I find myself idiotically in the sitting room on my own going, ‘Oh yes!’ So that’s good.”

While chatting about Palin’s travel career, which includes a recent two-part documentary about North Korea, host Susanna Reid  told her guest , “You're best known for Monty Python, of course, but I wonder whether that's true now.” To which Palin countered: “Well, there are really very few people still around to remember Monty Python I think,” before adding, “John Cleese is still around actually.”

Wait, what? Very few people remember Monty Python? With all due respect to Michael Palin — or rather,  Sir Michael Palin — that doesn’t seem to be an entirely accurate assessment. 

Back in 2014, the Python reunion show at London’s O2 Arena sold out in  just 43 seconds ! Keep in mind, this is a venue that holds 20,000 people. After the “surprise” sell-out, the Pythons added four more shows, and they similarly  booked up in less than a minute. Sure, that was over 10 years ago, but unless there’s some overworked, oddly specific serial killer on the loose, many of the fans who attended those shows are likely still alive.

In fact, in the internet age, the Python brand has proven to be quite resilient. Instead of battling online clip-sharing in the early days of YouTube, the group put up tons of content for free and, as a result, sales of their DVDs went up by  a staggering 23,000 percent . Then, in 2018, they sold the streaming rights to their  entire back catalog to Netflix. 

Today, TikTok is chock-full of Python clips, and some fans have even gone viral for their recreations of classic routines. One TikToker, for instance, garnered more than 16 million views for a video in which they performed a scene from  Monty Python and the Holy Grail  by heart at an Irish castle-turned-Airbnb. 

While they may not dominate the zeitgeist, Monty Python has undeniably endured over the years, likely because their inherent absurdity doesn’t date in the way more topical comedies sometimes do. A  2011 survey of “U.K. comedy tastes” found that the group had “relatively universal appeal, amusing a demographic that cuts across class and educational divides as well as genders.”

And if not many people remember Monty Python, why do they have their very own permanent exhibit at the SPAM museum?

You (yes, you) should  follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time you’re reading this).

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Michael Palin says he still talks to his late wife: ‘It’s a bit like losing a limb’

‘sometimes i will have done something and i’ll get back and tell her about it,’ said ‘monty python’ star, article bookmarked.

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Sir Michael Palin has opened up about life without his late wife, Helen Gibbins, saying he still talks aloud to her.

The 81-year-old Monty Python star and travel documentarian announced in May 2023 that his wife of 57 years had died of kidney failure . She also suffered with chronic pain for several years.

The couple had met on a beach in Suffolk when they were teenagers , and Gibbins variously worked as a teacher, a therapist and a bereavement counsellor throughout her life.

Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Monday (24 June), Palin said: “It’s like you’re a unit, and suddenly you are not a unit any longer, and it’s a bit like losing a bit of a limb, you’re not quite sure where you are.”

He added: “I do hear her and she had a great sense of humour. Sometimes I will have done something and I’ll get back and tell her about it. Although she’s not there, I know her reply and it makes me smile.

“I find myself idiotically in the sitting room on my own going, ‘Oh yes!’ So that’s good.

“She was great and we have good memories. So much of your own life is invested in that one person so there is a huge slice of my life which I now can’t really access in the same way.

“But we’ve got family, children, grandchildren, they sort of take over, but it’s not the same, not quite the same.

“It’s been just over a year but I get on with work, that’s the thing. And I hear Helen saying, ‘Get on with it, go on, stop messing about.’”

Palin met his future wife while on holiday in the seaside town of Southwold, Suffolk, and later fictionalised the encounter in a 1987 TV drama for the BBC titled East of Ipswich.

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When announcing her passing, he said: “Her death is an indescribable loss... she was the bedrock of my life. Her quietly wise judgement informed all my decisions and her humour and practical good sense was at the heart of our life together.”

The couple had three children and four grandchildren, and celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary just two-and-a-half weeks before her death.

Additional reporting from Press Association

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