Episode 1
Cold Start
50m
The first leg takes Michael Palin from the North Pole to the gates of Russia.
Episode credits
Guest stars Lasse Lehtinen
TV series
Pole to Pole
19921 season7.9 / 10
Michael Palin undertakes an epic journey of 23,000 miles, traveling from the North to the South Pole across 17 countries with a minimum of air travel, all on a tight deadline.
Availability
Not streaming in United States
Checked Jul 22, 2026
Pole to Pole premiered October 21, 1992. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.
Synopsis
Michael Palin undertakes an epic journey of 23,000 miles, traveling from the North to the South Pole across 17 countries with a minimum of air travel, all on a tight deadline.
Season 1 episodes
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Where to watch Pole to Pole
Episode 2
Russian Steps
50m
Second leg of the journey: Palin has 12 days to cross Russia and reach the port of Odessa.
Where to watch Pole to Pole
Episode 3
Mediterranean Maze
50m
Palin travels from Istanbul to Aswan on the Nile.
Where to watch Pole to Pole
Episode 4
Shifting Sands
50m
In this part of the journey Michael Palin crosses the Sudan. He crosses the Nubian desert in the north of the country and traverses a region ravaged by drought, poverty, famine and civil war. Unable to follow the line of 30 degrees east, he is forced to take a route along the border with Northern Ethiopia.
Where to watch Pole to Pole
Episode 5
Crossing the Line
50m
Having struggled through the Sudan, Michael Palin is now faced with the difficulty of getting across Ethiopia, where the armed remnants of the fallen dictator Mengistu's defeated army roam. He makes a dash to Addis Ababa with a military escort. He continues his journey to reach the Kenyan border and travels on to Lerata. He passes Mount Kenya, the significance of which is that now he has completed half of his journey.
Episode credits
Guest stars Graham Hancock
Episode 6
Plains and Boats and Trains
50m
Michael Palin begins this week with a tented safari in a Kenyan game park. He travels via the Ngoronoro Crater and arrives at Lake Tanganyika.
Where to watch Pole to Pole
Episode 7
Evil Shadow
50m
In this week's episode, Michael crosses Zambia and Zimbabwe towards Johannesburg.
Where to watch Pole to Pole
Episode 8
Bitter End
50mfinale
Michael Palin fails in his attempt to get a berth on board the SA "Agulhas" on its once yearly sail to the South Pole. The search is on to find some other way of reaching the South Pole, abandoning all self-imposed restraints such as following 30 degrees east or using only surface transport.
Where to watch Pole to PoleEpisode information updated Jul 22, 2026
Available now in United States
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More about Pole to Pole
Cast
Michael PalinSelfLasse LehtinenSelf
Graham HancockSelfCredits
- Written by
- Michael Palin
Production details
- Status
- Ended
- Series type
- Miniseries
- Episodes
- 8
- Original language
- English
Networks & production
BBC OneUnited Kingdom
BBCUnited Kingdom
A+E StudiosUnited States
Themes
adventurecountriesminiseriesnature documentarynorth polesouth poletraveltravel show