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Michael Palin's New Europe : Complete BBC Series

Classic Palin; Except episode 5, 2008-04-11
I'm a long-time fan of Michael Palin and personally believe that Pole to Pole is his finest work. Michael's latest series, New Europe, is an entertaining and informative journey through Eastern Europe (and Turkey). The formula which has worked so well in the past worked fairly well again; exploring new countries, meeting new people and having key 'informants'. I have only one gripe; Episode 5 is just horrid. He spends far too long with hippies living in a house shaped like a pyramid. While they are interesting, I would rather meet and see sights more indicative to the country (Lithuania). Whoever proposed this scene should be fired. My impression after that episode was that I really should give Lithuania a wide birth; apparently there is nothing there worth filming.
Aside from episode 5 I found yet more amazing places I want to visit. I don't know if there will be another series, but I would push for one focusing on Central/South America!

Francesco's Venice : Complete BBC Series

Fantastic Francesco, 2008-09-05
Francescos Venice
This dvd is absolutely fantastic,I have been to Venice on several occasions and love the place,this dvd is very accurate and explains history of Venice very well,anyone wanting to go to Venice would be better purchasing this dvd as it will give information what Venice is all about.

The Francesco Collection Box Set: Amazon.co.uk Exclusive

This collection is, How do you say? Fantastico!, 2008-12-28
Bravo! Encore! Encore!

As a lover of all things Italian, and Venetian in particular, I was so happy to stumble across snippets of Francesco Da Mosto's three BBC series on YouTube. Wanting more, I scoured the web - starting with Amazon.com - for a place to purchase the DVDs. Not available in the United States. What a travesty! I was heartbroken. But then I surfed across the pond and decided to give ordering from Amazon.co.uk a go. What a wonderful experience. I was concerned that it would be less than flawless and something of a headache. Not so. My fretting was for nothing. When I went to pay, all of my info from Amazon.com was already there and I didn't have to recreate my shipping addresses or anything. Seamless integration with my Amazon.com account. Made the purchase a breeze and a pleasure. Anyway, back to the DVDs. Each series - on Venice, on Italy 'Top to Toe', and on the formerly mighty Venetian Republic spanning the Mediterranean - is absolutely riveting and wonderful. The cinematography is beautiful, and truly 'takes you there'. Francesco da Mosto is a dramatic, adorable guide to all things Italian. His charm and knowledge, set against breathtaking backdrop after breathtaking backdrop, make this collection a joy. I watched the entire box set - 6 DVDs in all - in the span of a weekend. I couldn't stop wanting more! And was sad to see it end (and so I watched again, immediately).

If you are considering purchasing this set and do not have an all-Region DVD player on either your TV or computer, fear not. Your computer's DVD player can be changed to read the DVDs temporarily. But as you are only allowed to change the region code 4 times (I believe), I would recommend committing a second DVD-drive to reading European Region discs; if you have a second drive available (that is what I did; and internal/external DVD drives are relatively cheap, so consider buying one and making it your dedicated all-Region or European Region player ... from Amazon!).

Anywho, fantastic series. I can't recommend highly enough. Hope Francesco takes to his Alfa Romeo Spider or the Black Swan or any other mode of transportation again, to show us more of Italy ... or anywhere. I'd follow him via video without hesitation.

Wainwright Walks: Complete BBC Series 1 & 2 Box Set

wainwright walks, 2008-12-02
wonderful cds..you wont get them any cheaper than on amazon...if you havent visited the lake district these are a must..if you have the views from the mountains are awesome...

The Michael Palin Collection

World traveller extraordinaire!!, 2006-12-27
Michael Palin's has now made a successful subsequent career out of travelling the world and talking about these far-flung lands in his own intelligent, witty style. And aren't we the more beneficial for the experience! It is a privilege to hear Michael Palin relay his experiences of his travels, and luckily for us here they all are in one superb box-set. These are perfect to dip into and lose yourself in. An almost perfect Christmas present because it appeals to everyone on so many levels.

Great British Journeys : Complete BBC Series 1

Great British Journeys, 2008-10-08
This is a must for all who are interested in knowing more about the bold travellers who mapped the country, from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland to the Cape Cornwall from the Pinnines to the mountains of Wales.Geographer Nicholas Crane brings vibrant enthusiasm to each of the journeys he makes around the UK. An excellent series, informative and compulsive viewing.

The Story of India : Complete BBC Series

Michael Wood Genius Again, 2008-12-29
An excellent series! Once again Michael Wood's enthusiam, knowledge and insight enable you to actually feel the history, really making it come alive and it becomes all the more magical as a result.

He manages to cover vast periods of history without skimping on important moments, proceeding at a steady and perfectly measured pace for the viewer.

You feel you are seeing sights that few others have seen outside India, from recently discovered buildings to ancient sights.

I thoroughly recommend this DVD. Grab yourself some private time, sit back and prepare to be taken on a fascinating journey.

This is what historical programmers should be.
In my opinion, all others should be measured up to his standard.
My only regret is I can't give it six stars.

Wild China

A fascinating insight, 2008-09-17
Wonderful imagery brings alive this amazing country,enough to make you want to visit and see it all for yourself !! Hope they see sense and release a soundtrack cd soon,the music alone is outstanding ! Sure it would be popular with China being the country of the moment !

Charley Boorman - By Any Means

by all means wait till the full version comes out, 2008-10-14
hi
i've been watching this on iplayer and it's a great program the only thing i'd say is w.a.i.t until the full 'extended version' hits the shops the production company have a habit of releasing the product on dvd then re releasing it with more added bonus content just a couple of months later...that's what happened with the long way down and i bought the first version so felt somewhat annoyed at being short changed on extra's by being enthusiastic about the program...would have been nice to be given the option of a download area for those who were first to buy..still learned my lesson and will wait fo the proper dvd version this time.

other than that this is a great journey to watch charlie 'do his thing'

stee

Long Way Down - Special Edition (3 Discs, 10 Episodes)

Still a great adventure!, 2008-11-11
I only bought this DVD after watching the first few episodes on NatGeo. I didn't plan on watching it after reading the bad reviews here. But I loved Long Way Round and knew I just had to watch these two guys again.

The first big criticism abt this series must be Eve's (Ewan's wife) out-of-the-blue decision to join them. As a woman I was slightly embarrassed for her because she had never even ridden a motorcycle before! It didn't help that Ewan was gleeful of the prospect and I felt exactly what Charlie must have felt - oh gooooooood! It all seemed like too much of an indulgence on Ewan's side and Eve looked like a clueless and spoilt, bored housewife. However, what most reviewers did not say is that she only joined for a short section of the journey - thankfully on a realistically easy route from Malawi. Despite my earlier apprehension, I have to say that she did remarkably well and didn't whine and whinge despite falling off her bike riding on the sand. And everyone was very gracious about her being there. That said, I did think it was a bit much to have Charley riding on his own (on one section) while Ewan took Eve on an easier route. But Charley was a real sport and didn't bitch about it, which I though showed why he and Ewan are best mates. If the McGregor decide to go on another bike trip together, they should save it for a trip all on its own. Leave the two lads to go on with their own adventure!!

Second criticism about the show being too commercial is I think being a tad unfair considering how much it must cost to embark on such a journey. Despite the trip being on the poorest continent in the world, the places they stayed at (lodges and hotels) charge prime rate (unless they're all part of the freebies). No one claimed that they were going to do this on backpacker's budget! But neither was it Hollywood-budget!

The thing that stuck to me the most was that there was a bit when Charley and Ewan had a huge bust up which they decided not to show on film. I was in two minds about this. One one hand I think it was a relief they didn't go the "reality tv" route and air all their dirty laundry - this kept the dignity and integrity of the show I think. But on the other hand, it was a missed opportunity and the programme after that just seemed to skim the surface of their friendship. We see them laughing and joking a lot but it certainly would have been intriguing to see another side to their relationship. Still, all credit to them for kissing and making up!

The second and third leg of the journey were certainly more "involved" - the first leg (from Scotland to Sudan) was them just plowing through. But I liked that they realised this hence they took more time to see and experience Africa afterwards. I did think the arrival in Cape Town was a bit of an anti-climax. Not sure why but it just seemed that way. And why do we see Charley reunited with his wife and kids, but no Eve for Ewan? No one mentioned this at all. Just seemed another production hole!

I liked the extras but I wished they had done the same (as they did for Long Way Round) and did reactions about the trip months afterward (not just about the various charities they got involved with afterwards). I would have liked to hear more about Eve's involvement in the trip and hear if she thought it was a good idea and would she continue biking! Even going on a trip herself!

I love love love Ewan and Charlie because I think they are such decent and fun fun chaps!! Sooooo looking forward to Long Way Up!!! And they still have India and South East Asia to tackle!