Michael Palin's Around the World in 80 Days

Around the World marks the beginning of Palin's prolific new career as travel host. He is less confident than in some of the later series, but he has an infectious energy that really comes through. Some of the passages overland and on the sea are fascinating looks at anachronistic modes of travel. Palin is maybe the best travel host ever to appear on the tele. He is funny, yet always respectful and always smiling (so important when traveling). His voice over narration is just perfect. Only criticism is that this series is a bit dated - the video quality ain't so great and the places he visits have changed enough since then that it feels slightly irrelevant - but that's only a relative criticism.Update: After watching 80 Days countless times over the past 2 years, I can now say this is one of my favorite travel series of all time. It is a one-of-a-kind and I never tire of it. Love the nervous energy of it.

One of the 3 DVD discs was malfunctioning.

I watched this mini-series almost 2 decades ago when it was aired onBBC. Today I own the DVD. The world has changed a lot since Palin'sjourney, especially China and India. Some of Palin's comments do notreflect modern times. But his adventures will always be relevantregardless of time.I more than agree to all the appreciation this series has received fromthe reviewers here. My only criticism is Palin gives undue importance tothe traces of british legacy that he observes in the great cultures ofEgypt, India and Hong Kong. But his down-to-earth attitude and sense ofhumor more than make up for his nostalgia about british empire.The challenges faced by Michael Palin are different from those faced byPhileas Fogg, but it makes a gripping journey. Overall great concept,great presentation and excellent background score.

I love this series but the first DVD in the box doesn’t work on the DVD player. Super disappointed but so far the rest of the discs have worked.

Michael Palin really found his calling in playing the slightly adventurous Englishman willing to roam the world for the BBC. With equal parts wonder and humor, he's a rare mix. In this first outing, the story is all about time. The deadline forces him to really race and struggle and imparts a drama that is largely missing from later excursions. His instant fondness for anything pleasant, no matter how un-English, is wonderful. The rather sour ending is unfortunate (In America, he is told an apocryphal story about a train toilet and, in England, is rejected by ordinary folks and the exclusive club at the heart of the adventure), but is handled so well that it is part of what makes this travelog great.

It is good. I have got four of these Palin travelogues now. I love them all. It starts off richly enough, but you can imagine that when you get to the Pacific Ocean heading for California and America it might get a little slow. My other complaint is that rather short thrift is given to America in an effort to beat the deadline and get back to the start point there in London. It is a cool idea to try and stick to the "80 Days" - but the story suffers a bit adhering to this requirement. I don't think audiences would've been that upset! But you do find yourself rooting for them to make it. Quite an adventure. You should go too!

We enjoy the series but so many new and used copies stutter and freeze.

This was the first in what has become a series of travel documentaries done by Michael Palin and it's my personal favorite fascinating and enjoyable to watch Michael is very witty it was just wonderful to watch this I'm very glad I bought it and have it in my DVD collection

Michael takes up the challenge of being a modern day Phileas Fogg and going around the world in 80 days, via 20 countries.I first saw these programmes when shown on BBCTV years ago, a great way to spend a few hours travelling around the world from your armchair, a great bit of escapism!The other travel documentaries he made, Sahara, Himalaya, Full circle, Pole to Pole and New Europe are also worth watching.

In these days of little travel, its great to imerse yourself in Michael's world. This series visits countries, you would'nt probably consider, but its always good to see Michael's interaction with the ordinary people in the countries he visits, brilliant series, great quality and value.

When the BBC first received its Charter in the 1920s it was charged with educating, informing and entertaining the great British public. This series of programmes from sixty odd years later perfectly encapsulates that original vision.Gentle humour matched with beautiful photography and insightful narration make this DVD an essential purchase for those who still prefer a little romance mixed into their (often wishful) travel experience!Michael Palin surpassed his earlier career achievements with this programme. Sadly he has yet to reach the same heights again, but that isn't a criticism. It is simply an acknowledement that "Around The World In Eighty Days" is an absolutely captivating televisual feast served up in very large and very palatable portions.It could be said that this is Palin's "Citizen Kane". A masterpiece impossible to better!

The first ever travel documentary by Palin and quite possibly the best too. Unlike the other documentaries that he has made, this is more about the travel to foreign lands then the lands themselves. Palin, in trying to recreate the path written by Jules Verne in the book by the same name, offers the viewer a unique perspective of travel around the world. The absence of planes offers the viewer an alternative to the travel programmes that we are used to seeing and watching, and it is a very nice chance.

"Around the world in 80 days" is a fascinating travel show to watch, which the legendary Michael Palin is great to watch as always and the countries he goes to is very interesting to see. However even though I love this series the picture quality should have been a lot better, which it does seem to be grainy at times and I don't understand why he BBC didn't restore it. Overall this is a wonderful series to watch and it's well worth buying. Also it's worth watching "Pole to pole" and "Full circle".