Around the world in 80 days|Michael Palin 0563208260

||boek: Around the world in 80 days|The book of the major TV series|BBC Books

||door: Michael Palin

||taal: en
||jaar: 1989
||druk: ?
||pag.: 256p
||opm.: hardcover|like new|with cover|format:a4

||isbn: 0-563-20826-0
||code: 1:001521

--- Over het boek (foto 1): Around the world in 80 days ---

An unabridged reading by Michael Palin of his book recounting the journey around the world which he undertook for BBC Television, using only forms of transport available to the fictional Phileas Fogg.

[source: https--www.bol.com]

Around the World in 80 Days with Michael Palin is a 7-part BBC television travel series first broadcast on BBC1 in 1989. It was presented by comedian and actor Michael Palin. The show was inspired by Jules Verne's classic 1873 novel Around the World in Eighty Days, in which a character named Phileas Fogg accepts a wager to circumnavigate the globe in eighty days or less.

Palin was given the same deadline, and not allowed to use aircraft, which did not exist in Jules Verne's time and would make completing the journey far too easy. He followed Phileas Fogg's route as closely as possible. Along the way he commented on the sights and cultures he encountered. Palin encountered several setbacks during his voyage, partly because he travelled with a five-person film crew, who are collectively named after Passepartout, Phileas Fogg's manservant.

The programme was a critical and commercial success, gaining strong ratings in the UK and selling well abroad. It was also released on video tape and later on DVD. Following the trip Michael Palin wrote a book about the experience. The book contains much more detail, along with photographs, than could be presented in the TV programme, and Palin's personal views are also more evident.

Around the World in 80 Days was the first of a trilogy of globe-crossing series featuring Michael Palin as he visited many countries. The second series was Pole to Pole with Michael Palin (travelling from the North Pole to the South Pole), an 8-part series first broadcast on BBC One in 1992, and the third was Full Circle with Michael Palin (the circumnavigation of the Pacific Rim), a 10-part series first broadcast on BBC One in 1997. The series were followed by several similar conceptual travel series featuring Palin as he concentrated on smaller areas of the world. Hemingway Adventure (following in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway) first broadcast in 1999, Sahara (travelling around and through the Sahara Desert) first broadcast in 2002, Himalaya (travelling around the Himalayas) first broadcast in 2004, New Europe (travelling around Eastern Europe) first broadcast in 2007, Brazil first broadcast in 2012, and Michael Palin in North Korea broadcast in 2018.

Palin accepts the offer from the BBC to attempt travelling around the world in 80 days. After setting off from the Reform Club in London, he boards the Orient Express at Victoria Station in London, while reminiscing on his rigorous preparations for his upcoming circumnavigation, which included a daily exercise programme, a chat with seasoned TV traveller Alan Whicker, who was the BBC's (but not the production team's, who deliberately talked him out of it) first choice for the series and would go on to criticise the show, calling it "a seven-hour ego trip", and the purchase of an inflatable globe. He also has dinner with his 'referees', who include Robert Hewison and fellow Pythons Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam. After taking a ferry across the English Channel, Palin crosses the Alps on board the Venice-Simplon Orient Express before being stopped in Innsbruck due to an Italian railway strike. Arriving in Venice by coach, he helps the local sanitation department clean up the city. After that, he travels through the Corinth Canal to Athens, where he sees the world-renowned Evzones, and meets a die-hard Python fan. After a brief stopover in Crete, Alexandria beckons.

Palin arrives in Alexandria, Egypt, and has difficulty getting a train to Cairo. On arrival, he attends a local football match and appears in a cameo role in an Egyptian film. After seeing the Pyramids in Giza and riding a camel named Michael, Palin runs into difficulties when the ship he was supposed to board has engine problems and cannot sail. Even though he is able to take a ferry from the city of Suez to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, he misses a key connection that would have taken him to Muscat. As a last-ditch effort to save the journey, Palin and the director Clem Vallance (and somebody from the British Embassy and a driver for some of the way) are permitted by the Saudi authorities to drive across Saudi Arabia to Dubai, with the rest of the crew (and their problematic camera equipment) making the journey by air. The Saudi Arabia leg of the trip is represented in the TV series only with a few still pictures taken along the way.

Palin recounts his trip from Jeddah to Dubai via Riyadh, and notes that he drove the distance from London to the Black Sea in one weekend.

In Dubai, the team finds a dhow named the Al-Shama to take them to Bombay. Along the way, Palin bonds with the dhow's crew who were an extended family from the Indian state of Gujarat, letting the oldest one listen to a Bruce Springsteen song on his Walkman, and developing a bad case of diarrhoea, resulting in many trips to the ship's unique open-air latrine. The journey took seven days on what became the most famous part of the whole trip featured in the series.

The trip on the dhow yielded so much material that the producers gained special permission to craft this extra seventh episode for what was originally planned as a six-episode series. In the interview included with the DVD release, Palin said that he would like to meet the dhow's crew and thank them again for their gracious hospitality, though he remarks that he may never see them again. In September 2008, Palin announced on his official website that he would be travelling to Gujarat in an attempt to locate the crew and reunite with them. Palin succeeded in finding them and this journey was chronicled in the BBC television documentary, Around the World in 20 Years.

In Bombay, Palin finds himself a week behind Phileas Fogg. After getting a quick shave from a blind barber under a tree and seeing a snake charmer's cobra, he is able to get a train ticket to Madras in south-eastern India. Before leaving Bombay, he visits astrologer Jagjit Uppal who, after giving him a chart for a baby to be born to one of his referees, Robert Hewison, tells him he will complete the journey on time, possibly even ahead of schedule and that time lost will be made up throughout the voyage. He also suggests that this will be just the first of many epic journeys Palin will make over the coming years.

Palin then embarks on the Indian Railways express line called the "Southern Express" for Madras in Tamil Nadu state. On the way, it stops in Pune, where Palin talks about his father winning two rowing cups there in 1923. In Madras, he has difficulty finding a connecting boat to Singapore. Eventually, an "...Anglo-German-Indo-Yugoslav agreement the UN would have been proud of" was reached and Palin sets off on a Yugoslavian freighter, eleven days behind. The agreement allowed only Palin and the cameraman Nigel Meakin to travel aboard the ship, and on condition that they worked as deckhands. That meant that Palin had to take a "crash course in sound recording" so they could film aboard the ship. Arriving in Singapore, Palin worries whether or not his connecting boat from Singapore has sailed. If it had, it would have been impossible to complete the journey in eighty days.

Palin later reunited with the captain of the Croatian ship in Rijeka, Croatia, during filming of his New Europe series. This meeting was not shown in the original broadcast of the series but it is on the deleted scenes on the DVD.

Palin finds that the ship had indeed sailed from Singapore. However, quite fortunately, it was only four miles from shore and Palin was able to make it on board using a fast motorboat. While in Hong Kong, he has a big win betting on a horse race, is attacked by a cockatoo and meets up with his friend, photographer Basil Pao. He attends a party thrown in his honour at the halfway point (in terms of days) in the journey. Then it is on to Guangzhou for a dinner of shredded cobra and then a train journey to Shanghai. On the train, he is asked by a Chinese businesswoman if he carries an umbrella all the time. Palin replied, "I just get wet." He also collects the roofing tile requested by Terry Gilliam from a very old railway station.

In Shanghai, Palin gets some herbal remedies to help him on the rest of his trip. He and Basil Pao take in a Chinese jazz band. After parting with Pao the next day, Palin takes a Chinese ferry to Yokohama, where he rides the world-famous shinkansen train to Tokyo. Here he meets David Powers, a British journalist, and is taken to a sushi bar and then a karaoke bar, where he sings a duet of "You Are My Sunshine". After spending the night in a capsule hotel, he boards a container ship to cross the Pacific Ocean. The journey takes eleven days and is very dull, enlivened only by a game of pass the parcel with the Singaporean crew, and the crossing of the International Date Line. Palin partakes in an unusual ceremony to commemorate crossing the line, involving getting doused in tomato paste and flour, and drinking a strange cocktail containing many ingredients, among others, "eggs, curry powder, cocoa..." Palin suggests that some people involved in the ceremony had watched Full Metal Jacket to prepare for it.

Arriving in Long Beach, California only two days behind Fogg, Palin spends his first night in America aboard the permanently berthed Queen Mary. After a few days, he boards Amtrak's Desert Wind in Los Angeles and travels to Glenwood Springs, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains. He takes a hot-air balloon ride and a dog sled trip in Aspen, Colorado. After a nerve-wracking delay he realises he probably should have stayed on the Chicago-bound train. Eventually arriving in New York City (Palin was actually supposed to depart North America from Nova Scotia, Canada, as he mentions earlier in the film, but the reason for the substitution for New York is not mentioned in either the film or the book, although the delay due to the stopover in Colorado is a probable cause). However, in the first episode it is mentioned that departure from either New York City or Nova Scotia would be where the final leg of the journey would take place. He boards the final ship of his journey dead even with Phileas Fogg on day 71. This container ship takes eight days to cross the Atlantic Ocean, and after a quick lunch in Le Havre, Palin arrives in Felixstowe, touching Great Britain for the first time in two and a half months. A few train connections later he arrives at his starting point, the Reform Club in London, but is not allowed in to film, but Palin does get a warm welcome at the BBC with his referees. The journey ends 79 days and 7 hours after it began. The closing credits show Palin chatting with his referees at the BBC offices as he presents the souvenirs requested by them at the beginning to ceremonially prove his accomplishment.

Countries visited during Around the World in 80 Days.

The journey around the world lasted from 25 September to 12 December 1988. Palin travelled through the following countries by foot, train, ship, balloon, and husky dog, amongst other methods of transport (except for aircraft): United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan, and the United States.

Only four members of Palin's film crew completed the circumnavigation: Clem Vallance, Roger Mills (the directors), Angela Elbourne, and Ann Holland (the production assistants). The three others who started with him left when they got to Hong Kong, and were replaced by others. Strictly speaking, it was only Palin who obeyed the rules of the journey, as the production team was not allowed on the road trip across Saudi Arabia and Qatar (Palin and Clem Vallance did this stretch) or on the Croatian ship (Palin and Nigel Meakin did this stretch). The remainder of the team flew on these stretches. During the Jeddah to Dubai episode, Palin managed to snap a few pictures which are seen in the documentary.

While preparing for the journey, Palin had a chat with renowned documentarist Alan Whicker. In the book and an interview on the DVD, Palin mentions that Whicker had been the BBC's first choice of presenter, but he and two others (Miles Kington and Noel Edmonds) had declined; Palin was fourth on the BBC's list.

On 30 December 2008, the BBC aired a special one-hour documentary entitled Around the World in 20 Years. In it, Palin goes in search of the crew of the Al Shama, the dhow which carried him from Dubai to Bombay (now Mumbai) some 20 years ago. After an extensive search involving the shipping company that owned Al Shama, Palin tracks them to the city of Mandvi in Gujarat. There, Palin finds the captain of Al Shama himself, along with five other members of the crew. Two of the original crew members had died in the intervening years, one of them being the older man whom Palin had let listen to Bruce Springsteen on his Walkman. Palin also discovers that the Al Shama had sunk in the Indian Ocean while being towed for repairs years before. The production crew are the same people as on 80 Days.

[source: wikipedia]

Intelligent, humorous and empathetic travel journal [2020-08-09]

Michael Palin is a very engaging writer. While no doubt he works hard at his writing and it is skilfully edited, it comes across as conversational, fluid and effortless. His observation skills are finely tuned and he takes a keen interest in those he meets and describes them well. He seems like a person who experiences things in the moment, which serves him well as a travel writer. He is wry and very funny, without apparently having to try too hard but never makes fun of people. This book was written in 1988. While the world has changed a huge amount since then, there is still something timeless about the book and the importance of people and relationships shines through. It is hard to see a journey like this working in the current age where everyone walks around with a mobile device in their face, if they walk around at all.

Buffalo Bill [source: https--www.amazon.nl]

there are moments of great observational humour in this book (as one should expect ... [2017-12-11]

A truly entertaining book, and one I was itching to get back to reading every second it was out of my hands. Michael Palin has a new fan in me.

While it is obvious that Michael Palin takes his role as author and tv presenter seriously, there are moments of great observational humour in this book (as one should expect from someone who was part of the Monty Python crew).

If you want a book that does not bash you over the head with an overload of an info dump, yet provides relevant information, coupled with humour and a sense of life, here you are. A great book.

Mark Gannon [source: https--www.amazon.nl]

His Best Work [2021-02-24]

I love Palin's writing style and his observations, but in his later books, they can 'meander' a bit. I think here you have the excitement and urgency of travelling the world in 80 days.

Edmund Pollard [source: https--www.amazon.nl]

An interesting insight into the ground-breaking television show [2022-07-11]

This book is a continuation (or more like a very, very, VERY large extract) of Michael Palin's absorbing Diaries. You do not need to have recently watched the show to enjoy the thoughts, observations and witticisms here, as Palin documents his first epic journey from London to London, but it certainly adds to what you see on screen. If you've previously read his three volumes of Diaries, rest assured this is a pure continuation of those, very unputdownable, and well worth the investment. Top marks.

MARTIN OWERS [source: https--www.amazon.nl]

The Great Travel Journey of Phileas Fogg Brought To Life. [2020-10-15]

This is a superb travel book and you really feel yourself trying to keep pace with Michael Palin as he races against the clock traversing the world in eighty days.

A really delightful read made all the better by Palin's crisp,clear prose.

Kindle Aficionado [source: https--www.amazon.nl]

--- Over (foto 2): Michael Palin ---

Michael Palin is schrijver, komiek, acteur en televisiepresentator. Hij maakte deel uit van de komediegroep Monty Python en heeft daarna reisdocumentaires gemaakt en boeken geschreven over zijn reizen naar de Noord- en Zuidpool, de Sahara en de Himalaya. Palin is benoemd tot Commandeur in de Orde van het Britse Rijk.

[bron: https--www.bol.com]

Michael Palin (Sheffield (Yorkshire), 5 mei 1943) is een Engels acteur, wereldreiziger en komiek. Hij verwierf faam als lid van Monty Python's Flying Circus, waar hij vaak de rol van hyperactief, of juist doodkalm persoon op zich nam.

Monty Python

Na de basisschool in Birkdale en de middelbare school in Shrewsbury ging hij geschiedenis studeren in Oxford. Hier ontmoette hij Terry Jones, met wie hij vaak samenwerkte aan films en sketches. Later besloten ze dat het productiever was elk afzonderlijk te schrijven en daarna het geschrevene te vergelijken en aan te vullen dan om samen daadwerkelijk aan één ding te werken. Na Monty Python werkte hij vaak samen met oud-collega's. Zo heeft hij met John Cleese in A Fish Called Wanda en Fierce Creatures gespeeld, terwijl hij ook optrad in The Rutles, een Beatles-parodie van Monty Python-collega Eric Idle, die cultstatus bereikt heeft.

Reizen

Vanaf 1980 maakt hij reisprogramma's voor de BBC. Deze programma's zijn verantwoordelijk voor het Palin-effect. Hiermee wordt een massale toename in het toerisme bedoeld, veroorzaakt door een van zijn reisprogramma's. Een voorbeeld hiervan is de opvallende toename in het aantal bezoekers aan de Sahara in 2003, na zijn bezoek daar. Kenmerkend voor deze series is dat Palin geneigd is zich meer te interesseren voor de mensen in het land dan voor datgene wat het land te bieden heeft, waardoor de nadruk komt te liggen op de gebruiken van de bevolking. In China werkte hij bijvoorbeeld eens met veel moeite een slang weg, omdat dit dé Chinese delicatesse is. Deze instelling is verantwoordelijk voor de grote populariteit die Palin geniet.

Hij begon in 1980 met een aandeel in Great railway journeys of the world, een programma van de BBC waarin hij Groot-Brittannië per trein doorkruiste. Daarna volgden nog vele andere reizen, waarvan ook boeken, vaak met veel kleurenfoto's en vanuit een dagboekperspectief geschreven, verschenen zijn.

Alle boeken van Michael Palin zijn compleet te lezen op Palins website, zonder enige kosten.

[bron: https--www.cinenews.be/nl/actoren/3766/michael-palin/filmografie]

Sir Michael Edward Palin (Sheffield (Yorkshire), 5 mei 1943) is een Engels acteur, wereldreiziger en komiek. Hij verwierf faam als lid van Monty Python's Flying Circus, waar hij vaak de rol van hyperactief, of juist doodkalm persoon op zich nam. Sinds 2018 mag hij zichzelf Sir noemen.

Na de basisschool in Birkdale en de middelbare school in Shrewsbury ging hij geschiedenis studeren in Oxford. Hier ontmoette hij Terry Jones, met wie hij vaak samenwerkte aan films en sketches, zoals Monty Python's Flying Circus. Later besloten ze dat het productiever was elk afzonderlijk te schrijven en daarna het geschrevene te vergelijken en aan te vullen dan om samen daadwerkelijk aan één ding te werken. Na Monty Python werkte hij vaak samen met oud-collega's. Zo heeft hij met John Cleese in A Fish Called Wanda en Fierce Creatures gespeeld, terwijl hij ook optrad in The Rutles, een Beatles-parodie van Monty Python-collega Eric Idle, die cultstatus bereikt heeft. Ook speelde hij vaak mee in films van ex-Python Terry Gilliam zoals Time Bandits en Brazil.

In 1966 trouwde Palin met Helen Gibbins, die hij in 1959 ontmoet had tijdens een vakantie in Southwold in Suffolk. Deze ontmoeting werd later door hem gebruikt in zijn toneelstuk East of Ipswich. Het echtpaar heeft drie kinderen en vier kleinkinderen. Zijn jongste, Rachel (geb. 1975), is televisieregisseur bij de BBC waar ze onder meer betrokken is bij MasterChef: The Professionals. Zijn zoon William verscheen als baby al in een 'kleine rol' als "Sir Not-appearing-in-this-film" in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Vanaf 1980 maakt hij reisprogramma's voor de BBC. Deze programma's zijn verantwoordelijk voor het Palin-effect. Hiermee wordt een massale toename in het toerisme bedoeld, veroorzaakt door een van zijn reisprogramma's. Een voorbeeld hiervan is de opvallende toename in het aantal bezoekers aan de Sahara in 2003, na zijn bezoek daar. Kenmerkend voor deze series is dat Palin geneigd is zich meer te interesseren voor de mensen in het land dan voor datgene wat het land te bieden heeft, waardoor de nadruk komt te liggen op de gebruiken van de bevolking. In China werkte hij bijvoorbeeld eens met veel moeite een slang weg, omdat dit dé Chinese delicatesse is. Deze instelling is verantwoordelijk voor de grote populariteit die Palin geniet.

Hij begon in 1980 met een aandeel in Great railway journeys of the world, een programma van de BBC waarin hij Groot-Brittannië per trein doorkruiste. Daarna volgden nog vele andere reizen, waarvan ook boeken, vaak met veel kleurenfoto's en vanuit een dagboekperspectief geschreven, verschenen zijn.

Alle boeken van Michael Palin zijn compleet te lezen op Palins website, zonder enige kosten.

Een overzicht van zijn reisprogramma's:

• Reis om de wereld in 80 dagen, (1989). Een reis langs de locaties die Jules Verne beschreef in het gelijknamige boek, met als doel controleren of zo'n reis mogelijk is. De enige gestelde voorwaarde was het niet gebruiken van een vliegtuig.
• Van pool tot pool, (1992). Een reis langs de 30e lengtegraad, van de Noordpool naar de Zuidpool, door Europa en Afrika.
• De cirkel rond, (1995). Een reis langs alle landen om de Stille Oceaan, tegen de klok in, begonnen in de Beringstraat.
• In het spoor van Hemingway, (1999). Een reis achter de schrijver Ernest Hemingway aan. Europa, Amerika, Afrika en het Caribisch gebied worden aangedaan.
• Sahara, (2002). Een reis door de landen bedekt onder het zand van de Sahara.
• Himalaya, (2004), door de grootste bergketen ter wereld, de Himalaya.
• Het nieuwe Europa van Michael Palin, (2007). Een reis langs de vele (nieuwe) landen in Oost-Europa.
• Reis om de wereld na 20 jaar, (2009). Na 20 jaar reist Palin weer dezelfde route als 20 jaar geleden bij het programma 'rond de wereld in 80 dagen' en ontmoet hij dezelfde mensen en kijkt hij wat er veranderd is.
• Michael Palin Brazilië, (2012), een 4-delige serie waarin hij door Brazilië reist.

Ander werk

Nadat de Monty Python tv-serie eindigde in 1974, werkten Palin en Terry Jones samen aan Ripping Yarns, een met tussenpozen uitgezonden comedyserie die vanaf 1976 verspreid over drie jaar werd uitgezonden. Ze hadden eerder samengewerkt aan de aflevering Secrets voor de BBC serie Black and Blue in 1973. hij speelde de rol van Dennis the Peasant in Terry Gilliams film Jabberwocky in 1977. Palin deed ook mee in All You Need Is Cash (1978) als Eric Manchester (gebaseerd op Derek Taylor), de persagent voor de Rutles.

In 1980 schreef Palin samen met Terry Gilliam Time Bandits. Hij had ook een rol in de film.

In 1982 schreef Palin de The Missionary, waarin hij samen met Maggie Smith de hoofdrollen speelde. Hij speelde de rol van dominee Charles Fortescue, die wordt teruggeroepen uit Afrika om prostituees te helpen.

In 1984 speelde hij weer samen met Terry Gilliam in Brazil en speelde hij ook (met een geweldige stotter) in de filmkomedie A Fish Called Wanda, waarvoor hij de BAFTA Award won voor Beste Acteur in een Bijrol. De hoofdrolspelers werden bijna tien jaar later aangevuld met John Cleese om Fierce Creatures te maken. Na het maken van deze film ging Palin op reis voor een BBC-documentaire om een jaar later bij zijn terugkeer te horen dat het einde van Fierce Creatures op de testscreenings was mislukt en moest worden overgedaan.

Afgezien van Fierce Creatures was Palins laatste filmoptreden een kleine rol in The Wind in the Willows, een film geregisseerd door Terry Jones, die ook de hoofdrol speelde. Palin verscheen ook met John Cleese in diens documentaire The Human Face. Palin zou een rol spelen in You've Got Mail, de romantische komedie met Tom Hanks en Meg Ryan in de hoofdrollen, maar zijn bijrol als romanschrijver kwam in de definitieve versie van de film niet meer terug.

Palin steunt ook de Campaign for Better Transport (hij is voorzitter van de campagne sinds 1986) en vergelijkbare acties ter bevordering van duurzame vormen van vervoer, in het bijzonder die met betrekking tot stedelijke gebieden.

Palin speelt ook serieuze rollen. In 1991 werkte hij mee als producer en acteur in de film American Friends gebaseerd op een ware gebeurtenis in het leven van zijn overgrootvader, een 'fellow' aan het St John's College, Oxford. In datzelfde jaar speelde hij ook de rol van schoolhoofd in Alan Bleasdales Channel 4 dramaseries GBH (de afkorting van grievous bodily harm, oftewel ernstig lichamelijk geweld).

Palin had ook een kleine cameo rol in de Australische soap Home and Away. Hij speelde een Engels surfer met angst voor haaien, die een gesprek tussen twee hoofdpersonen onderbreekt om te vragen of er haaien in de zee zijn. Dit werd gefilmd terwijl hij in Australië was voor de Full Circle-serie, waarin de opnamen van zijn rol in de serie ook voorkomen.

In november 2005 verscheen hij in John Peels Record Box.

In 2013 had Palin een rol in een drama getiteld The Wipers Times dat speelde tijdens de Eerste Wereldoorlog en was geschreven door Ian Hislop en Nick Newman.

In 2014 speelde Palin de hoofdrol in het driedelige BBC One drama Remember Me.

[bron: wikipedia]

1943
Born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, on May 5th. Father an Engineer, Mother not.

1948-57
Attended Birkdale Preparatory School, Sheffield. First dramatic appearance as Martha Cratchit in school production of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. (Fell off stage).

1957-61
At Shrewsbury School. Acting career confined to rear of classroom.

1962
Joined Brightside and Carbrook Co-Operative Society Players whilst working in publicity department of Edgar Allen & Co. Steelmakers. Won Best Perf. Gent Award at Co-Op Drama Festival, Bradford. To Brasenose College, Oxford. Met Robert Hewison and wrote and performed first comedy material with him as cabaret at Oxford University Psychology Society Christmas Party.

1964
Wrote and performed material in Hang Down Your Head and Die, university production which transferred to Comedy Theatre, London. Appeared with Terry Jones and others in the Oxford Revue at Edinburgh Festival. Played McCann in ETC (Experimental Theatre Club) production of Pinter's The Birthday Party. Read a bit of History.

1965
Wrote, appeared in and directed The Oxford Line, university revue at Edinburgh Festival. 2nd Class Modern History Degree. Left Oxford, collaborated with Terry Jones on his theatrical documentary, The Love Show. Employed as co-compere of Now, a TV pop show produced in Bristol for TWW.

1966
April: Married Helen Gibbins, a farmer's daughter. Wrote with Terry Jones for various TV shows - Ken Dodd Show, Billy Cotton Bandshow, The Illustrated Weekly Hudd, and was in the team of writers which won the Golden Rose of Montreux for BBC with The Frost Report (John Cleese was in the cast).

1967
Wrote for Frost Reports, Frost Programme. Wrote, appeared in and helped script-edit A Series of Birds (with John Bird for BBC Television). Wrote and appeared in short films for Twice a Fortnight, BBC Television. Wrote pantomime Aladdin for Palace Theatre, Watford. Teamed up with Eric Idle and Terry Jones to write and perform Do Not Adjust Your Set, children's comedy series which won Prix Jeunesse, Munich TV Festival.

1968
Wrote for Marty Feldman (two BBC Television series). Wrote Beauty and The Beast pantomime for Watford Palace Theatre. Appeared with two Ronnies in Frost on Sunday. Appeared in special TV show, How To Irritate People, written by and starring Graham Chapman and John Cleese. Wrote and performed second series of Do Not Adjust Your Set. Wrote and performed in six-part series with Terry Jones, The Complete and Utter History of Britain for London Weekend Television.

1969
Joined up with Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle and Terry Jones for the first series of Monty Python's Flying Circus, broadcast on BBC Television.

1970
Monty Python's Flying Circus - the second series, broadcast on BBC Television. And Now For Something Completely Different (first Python movie).

1971
Pythons in Deutschland, 45-minute TV film set in Munich. All Pythons spoke German, fairly badly. Python won Silver Rose of Montreux Award. Monty Python's Big Red Book published.

1972
Monty Python's Flying Circus series 3 broadcast on BBC Television. Pythons in Deutschland second TV film for Bavaria Atelier Munich. Pythons did not speak German this time.

1973
Monty Python's First Farewell Tour - stage show toured UK and Canada. First American appearance on Tonight show. Joey Bishop standing in for Johnny Carson. Audience completely mystified. Co-wrote with Terry Jones a BBC Television play Secrets. Monty Python's second book, The Brand New Monty Python Bok.

1974
Monty Python's Flying Circus, series 4, broadcast on BBC Television. Co-wrote and performed in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Co-wrote with Terry Jones Bert Fegg's Nasty Book for Boys and Girls.

1975
Appeared in Three Men in a Boat, scripted by Tom Stoppard and directed by Stephen Frears - a film for BBC Television. Co-wrote with Terry Jones Tomkinson's Schooldays for BBC Television. Co-wrote and appeared in Python Live at Drury Lane, a four-week stage show at the Theatre Royal. Appeared with Terry Gilliam at US Federal Court, Foley Square, New York, in 'Python vs. ABC' case.

1976
Played lead in Jabberwocky, a film directed by Terry Gilliam. Co-wrote with Terry Jones Their Finest Hours - two short plays performed at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, directed by David Leland. Appeared in A Poke in The Eye, the First Amnesty International Charity Show at Her Majesty's Theatre. Monty Python Live at City Center - New York for three weeks.

1977
Co-wrote with Terry Jones Ripping Yarns for BBC Television. (Series won the BAFTA for Best Comedy or Light Entertainment Programme in 1980).

1978
Co-wrote and appeared in Monty Python's Life of Brian. Co-wrote with Terry Jones the book of Ripping Yarns. Appeared as Eric Manchester in Eric Idle's The Rutles.

1979
Co-wrote with Terry Jones three more Ripping Yarns. Co-wrote and was contributing editor on Montypythonscrapbook. Appeared in The Secret Policeman's Ball, Amnesty International Comedy Gala at Her Majesty's Theatre.

1980
Wrote and presented the British episode of Great Railway Journeys of The World, from London to Kyle of Lochalsh, for BBC Television. Monty Python Live at The Hollywood Bowl, stage show.

1981
Co-wrote with Terry Gilliam and appeared in Time Bandits, a film directed by Terry Gilliam and co-wrote accompanying book.

1982
Wrote Small Harry and the Toothache Pill, a children's book.

1983
Wrote and appeared in The Missionary, a film with Maggie Smith and Trevor Howard. More Than 35 Minutes with Michael Palin, performed at the Belfast Festival. Wrote and appeared in Comic Roots, an autobiographical film for BBC Television. Co-wrote and appeared in Monty Python's Meaning of Life which won Grand Prix Special du Jury at Cannes Film Festival.

1984
Played Jack Lint in Brazil, a film directed by Terry Gilliam. Played the chiropodist in A Private Function, alongside Maggie Smith and Denholm Elliott. Played naughty husband in Ava Sereny's short film, The Dress, with Phyllis Logan. Recorded children's audio books Jack The Giant Killer, Scrapefoot, Mowgli's Brothers and How Fear Came. Co-wrote with Terry Jones Dr Fegg's Encyclopeadia (sic) of All World Knowledge (formerly the Nasty Book for Boys and Girls).

1985
Wrote Limericks. The Longest Running Show of its Kind in the World, performed at the Belfast Festival.

1986
Wrote three children's books, Cyril and the Dinner Party, Cyril and The House of Commons and The Mirrorstone, a project with Alan Lee and Richard Seymour. Became Chairman of Transport 2000, an environmental lobby group aiming to improve transport in the UK. Regular columnist for Options for Men.

1987
Michael Palin's 500 and One-Man Show, performed at the Belfast Festival. Wrote film, East of Ipswich for BBC Television. Wrote and appeared in The Chairman for Central Television, about the work of Transport 2000. Retired from the Chair, made President of Transport 2000.

1988
Played Ken in the film A Fish Called Wanda. (Won Best Supporting Actor BAFTA Award) Monty Python team received the Michael Balcon Award at BAFTA. Wrote film Number 27 for BBC Television.

1989
Wrote and presented Around the World in 80 Days, travel documentary series for BBC Television. Wrote Around the World in 80 Days for BBC Books to accompany the series. Recorded audio book of Around the World in 80 Days. Michael Palin's One Man Show, performed at the Belfast Festival. Presented seven programmes in series The Art of Travel for BBC Television.

1991
Co-wrote and played lead part in American Friends, a film based on the life of Michael's great-grandfather. Played Jim Nelson in GBH, a seven-part drama series by Alan Bleasdale for Channel 4 Television.

1992
Wrote and presented Pole to Pole, travel documentary series for BBC Television. (Won Cable ACE Award for Best Recreation or Leisure Special or Series) Wrote Pole to Pole for BBC Books to accompany the series. (Won 'Publishing News' Best Travel Writer Award) Recorded children's audio book, The Man by Raymond Briggs.

1993
Recorded children's audio book, Jack and the Beanstalk. Appeared in A Class Act with Tracey Ullman for Meridian Television. Played The Dresser with Freddie Jones as "Sir" in BBC Radio 4 Drama. Wrote and presented an episode of Great Railway Journeys of the World, from Derry to Kerry, for BBC Television. Contributed a chapter to BBC book, Great Railway Journeys of the World.

1994
Wrote and presented Palin's Column, documentary series filmed on the Isle of Wight for Meridian Television. Wrote The Weekend, a stage play. Opened in Guildford in March, followed by six-week regional tour. Moved to West End in May. Recorded children's audio book, Esio Trot, by Roald Dahl. Wrote text for Pole to Pole: The Photographs, a book of photographs by Basil Pao.

1995
Wrote first novel Hemingway's Chair, for Methuen. Voice of Ratty in Carlton Television's animated The Wind in the Willows programmes.

1996
Appeared as the Sun in The Wind in the Willows, directed by Terry Jones.

1997
Wrote and presented Full Circle, travel documentary series for BBC Television. (Won Television and Radio Industries Awards for Best Documentary and Best Presenter, Won Best Documentary at the National Television Awards 1998) Wrote Full Circle for BBC Books, to accompany the series. Played Bugsy, the insect-house keeper, in the film Fierce Creatures. Recorded audio book of Full Circle (Won Best Film or TV tie-in at the British Talkies Awards 1998) Co-wrote and presented Palin on Redpath, an arts documentary about painter Anne Redpath, for BBC Television.

1998
New edition of Limericks published by Red Fox, also recorded audio book. Given Royal Geographical Society's Ness Award for 'travels leading to a wider public appreciation of the world'. Michael Palin - Thirty Years Without a Proper Job, performed at The Belfast Festival.

1999
Wrote and presented Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure a four-part travel documentary series for BBC Television. Wrote accompanying book published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Recorded audio book of Hemingway Adventure. Contribued to Python Night, a special evening to mark the 30th Anniversary of Monty Python, transmitted October 9th on BBC Television. Contributed to live coverage of the Millennium Events for BBC Television.

2000
Michael was made a CBE in the 2000 New Years' Honours List for his services to television drama and travel. Awarded Butlins Billy Award 1999/2000 for 'Most Fun TV Travel Presenter'. Pocketful of Python, a personal selection of favourite Python works, published by Methuen. Presented and co-wrote The Bright Side of Life, documentary on the Scottish Colourist painters, for BBC Television.

2001
Awarded Butlins Billy Award 2000/2001 for 'Most Fun TV Travel Presenter' (2nd year running).

2002
Wrote and presented Sahara with Michael Palin, a four-part series for BBC Television. (Won Best Documentary Programme at the Television and Radio Industry Club Awards) Accompanying book Sahara with Michael Palin published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Received Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards.

2003
Presented Michael Palin and The Ladies Who Loved Matisse, arts documentary for BBC Television.

2004
Wrote and presented Himalaya with Michael Palin, six-part series for BBC Television. (Won the Royal Television Society Best Presenter Award and a TRIC Award for Best TV Music and Arts Programme). Accompanying book Himalaya with Michael Palin published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. (Won British Book Award for Best TV and Film Book of the Year) Audio book of Himalaya with Michael Palin released.

2005
Presented with a BAFTA Special Award. Presented Michael Palin and the Mystery of Hammershoi, arts documentary for BBC Television.

2006
Michael Palin Diaries 1969-1978 The Python Years published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.

2007
Wrote and presented New Europe with Michael Palin, a seven-part series for BBC Television. Accompanying book New Europe published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Audio book of New Europe released.

2008
Presented The Last Days of World War One a Timewatch documentary for BBC Television. Presented Around the World in 20 Years, a one-hour special for BBC Television. Around the World in 80 Days Special 20th Anniversary Edition published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.

2009
President of the Royal Geographical Society for a three-year term. Michael Palin Diaries 1980-1988 - Halfway to Hollywood published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.

2012
The Truth, Michael's second novel, published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Wrote and presented Brazil with Michael Palin, a four-part series for BBC Television. Accompanying book Brazil with Michael Palin published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.

2013
Awarded the BAFTA Fellowship. Played General Mitford in The Wipers Times written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman for BBC Television. Presented Wyeth's World arts documentary for BBC Television.

2014
Performed Monty Python Live - One Down Five To Go, ten-night sell-out show at the O2 Arena, London. Michael Palin's Diaries 1988-1998 - Travelling to Work, published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Performed Travelling to Work - Live Tour, 21shows throughout the UK. Played Tom Parfitt in Remember Me a three-part contemporary ghost story written by Gwyneth Hughes for BBC Television.

2015
Performed Travelling to Work - Live Tour across Australia and in New Zealand. Narrated The Clangers, a new version of the classic children's TV series for BBC Television. Presented Michael Palin's Quest for Artemisia, an arts documentary for BBC Television.

2016
A new edition of A Sackful of Limericks was published by Random House. Presenter for Michael Palin meets Jan Morris.

2017
Appeared as Molotov in Armando Iannucci's film The Death of Stalin. Performed in two plays for Radio 4 an adaptation of his play The Weekend and The Wroxton Box for John Finnemore's Double Acts.

2018
Played Thackeray in an ITV adaptation of Vanity Fair. Erebus: The Story of a Ship was published by Hutchinson Presented a two-part series Michael Palin in North Korea for Channel 5.

2019
Michael was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) for services to travel, culture and geography in the New Year Honours. Performed Michael Palin, Erebus, Python and Other Stories live on stage at 13 UK theatres. Michael Palin's North Korea Journal was published by Hutchinson

2020
Performed in A Bit of Waiting for Godot. A Lockdown Theatre performance with Robert Lindsay and Joanna Lumley. Guest appearance as a museum curator in a new episode of The Simpsons. Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime. A four-part series for BBC Television in which Michael looks back at his travels.

[source: https--www.themichaelpalin.com/biography]

Michael Palin is not a nice man at all. He's an ill-tempered lout who sits in bed all day eating fudge. When he can be bothered to make the effort he writes novels, does television documentaries, goes on one-man theatre tours, publishes diaries, writes screenplays, does a bit of acting, makes radio appearances, records narration for the Clangers, drinks strong coffee and works for Monty Python. But that's about all.

He shares a birthday with Karl Marx, though Karl Marx is a lot older.

His shoe size is brown and his favourite number is 8.

Favourite Music: Brass Band, Reggae, Ska, Country, Rock 'n' Roll, Orchestral and Jazz.

Favourite Food: Oysters, strawberries, bacon, steak pie, smoked mackerel, prawns, salmon, cured herring, crab, goat's cheese, treacle tart, kedgeree, beetroot, endives, fettucine, rack of lamb, burgers, fruitcake, liver, blackberries, hazelnuts, vanilla ice-cream, rosti potatoes and spam. Oh and camel.

Favourite Authors: John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Virginia Woolf, Richard Ford, Gabriel García Márquez.

For reasons of space we've had to bring Michael Palin's list of preferences to a close. His choices, so clearly motivated by indecision and the need to be liked, will appear in a little more orderly shape over the weeks and months ahead . (He's already 72 so we don't promise years)

[source: https--www.themichaelpalin.com/about-michael-palin]

Michael Palin is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter. He was one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python.

After the Monty Python television series ended in 1974, the Palin/Jones team worked on Ripping Yarns, an intermittent television comedy series broadcast over three years from 1976. In 1980, Palin co-wrote Time Bandits with Terry Gilliam. He also acted in the film. In 1984, he reunited with Terry Gilliam to appear in Brazil. He appeared in the comedy film A Fish Called Wanda (1988), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Pedro Borges

Michael studied Modern History at Oxford and graduated from university to become a writer, collaborating with Terry Jones to produce material for The Frost Report sand other television programmes. By the time they'd written the prize winning tv series Do Not Adjust Your Set they had been joined by John Cleese and Eric idle then in 1969 Graham Chapman and Terry Gilliam joined them to form Monty Python's Flying Circus, While involved with Monty Python during the 70'sMichael was heavily involved with film spin offs, books and specials based on the series but he also found time to write other material and appear in such productions as Three Men in a Boat. Ripping Yarns evolved from a half hour comedy script by Terry Jones and was a very successful tv series which won the Broadcasting Press Guild award as Best Comedy of 1977. Michael also wrote 2 plays with Terry Jones and co starred in the film Jabberwocky directed by Terry Gilliam. The internationally successful film Time Bandits marked the start of Michael's association with Handmade Films which was followed by The Missionary which he wrote, produced and starred in. Prior to A Private Function he joined other Pythons in The Meaning of Life then guest starred in Brazil directed by Terry Gilliam.

[source: https--www.imdb.com/name/nm0001589/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm]

De reisperikelen van Michael Palin: 'De dalai lama liet mijn valiezen steeds vallen' [2021-07-12]

Sir Michael Palin toonde televisiekijkers de afgelopen dertig jaar alle uithoeken van de wereld, van de Sahara over de Himalaya tot Noord-Korea. In de zesdelige BBC-reeks 'Travels of a Lifetime', vanaf vanavond op Canvas, blikt de inmiddels 78-jarige Brit terug op zijn meest bekeken reisprogramma's, te beginnen met 'Around the World in 80 Days', de reeks waarmee hij in 1989 debuteerde als presentator nadat hij er al een memorabele carrière als stichtend lid van Monty Python op had zitten.

In de jaren 80 kende men u van Monty Python-sketches als 'The Spanish Inquisition' en 'The Lumberjack Song'. Hoe zette u de stap naar reisgids op tv?

MICHAEL PALIN «Ik kreeg een telefoontje van de BBC: 'Wil jij voor ons in 80 dagen de wereld rondtrekken?' Ik was vereerd! Pas later ontdekte ik dat ik pas op de vijfde plek op de wishlist stond (lacht). Ik was bezorgd: 'Kan ik wel 80 dagen aan een stuk grappig zijn? Ga ik de juiste vragen stellen? Is mijn neus niet te groot?' Ik had er geen idee van dat reizen een verslaving zou worden, en ik zoveel moois op de aardbol zou zien en vastleggen.»

Kon u op uw geheugen rekenen voor dit terugblikprogramma?

PALIN «Ik heb gelukkig een dagboek van al mijn reizen bijgehouden, want ik ging er van bij het begin van uit dat ik niet alles zou kunnen onthouden. Er zijn natuurlijk heel wat avonturen die ik onmogelijk kan vergeten, zoals mijn ontmoeting met de dalai lama. Hij bleek een groot fan van mijn reportages en vroeg zelfs of hij me mocht vergezellen als kofferdrager. Ik heb vriendelijk geweigerd: hij liet mijn valiezen steeds vallen.»

Een expert als u moet het antwoord weten: waarom reizen we zo graag?

PALIN «Er bestaat niets beters dan een eerste ervaring. Je verbreedt op vakantie ook je horizonten. Je beseft dat je in een klein land woont op een gigantische planeet, dat je verbonden bent met de rest van de mensheid, en dat je dus niet zomaar kunt zeggen: 'Ik zorg voor mezelf, fuck de anderen.'»

Valt het op reis ook weleens tegen?

PALIN «Natuurlijk. Ik ben van het principe dat je eet wat je aangeboden krijgt. Maar in Algerije kreeg ik een wel erg verdacht ruikende kameellever voorgeschoteld: dat ding moet minstens twee dagen te oud geweest zijn. Ik was nadien doodziek, maar ik had geen tijd om te rusten, want ik had een interview. Ik moest om de paar vragen even de woestijn in om over te geven (lacht). In de Himalaya had ik dan weer last van hoogteziekte. Ik had de energie niet om van mijn tijd in de bergen te genieten. Tja, dat hoort erbij.

Hoe hebt u het huisarrest van het afgelopen anderhalf jaar beleefd?

PALIN «Ik heb erin kunnen berusten. Meer nog: ik heb genóten van de stilte thuis. En intussen heb ik mijn best gedaan om fit te blijven, zodat ik paraat sta: ik ben 78, maar ik heb nog een reis in mij.»

[bron: https--www.humo.be/tv/de-reisperikelen-van-michael-palin-de-dalai-lama-liet-mijn-valiezen-steeds-vallen~bbf47fc5/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.be%2F]

Michael Palin: Van pool tot pool

Met een televisieploeg in zijn zog doorkruiste Michael Palin (geb. 1943) de aardbol volgens uiteenlopende invalshoeken: Reis om de wereld in 80 dagen, Van pool tot pool, De cirkel rond, In het spoor van Hemingway en Sahara. Vijf expedities die in de periode 1989-2002 in afleveringen door de BBC werden uitgezonden. Elke serie werd vergezeld van een aantrekkelijk geïllustreerd reisdagboek, dat herdrukt als pocketuitgave heel wat van zijn visuele uitstraling verliest. Meteen wordt de achillespees van de opzet blootgelegd: de palineske televisieperformance, en in het spoor daarvan de fotografie, is de motor van het enthousiasme waarmee de series ontvangen worden. De combinatie video/dvd en de volledig geïllustreerde uitgave wordt hier dan ook aanbevolen om het onderste uit de kan te halen. Wie Palins webstek over zijn reizen bezoekt (http--www.palinstravels.co.uk/), vindt daar o.m. de volledige teksten van zijn reisboeken, het fotomateriaal en een uitgebreide thematische ontsluiting. Een site om van te snoepen.

Kris van Zeghbroeck [bron: http--mappalibri.be/?navigatieid=61&recensieid=6044&via_navigatieid=]