This early-80s PBS series has been mentioned a few times in this forum, but I wanted to get a more thorough discussion going, for instance, what everyone's favorite episode of the series was, and why.
For those who don't know, Great Railway Journeys of the World is a set of hour-long BBC documentaries (I believe there were a total of seven), traveling by rail through various places and exploring not only the rail lines, but the culture and history surrounding them. They are characterized not only by excellent hosts (including a number of journalistic luminaries) but also inspired use of music.
When I was young, my parents would always put these on the VCR to placate me when I was acting up, and it always worked. My father recently transfered several of them to DVD, so I've been rewatching. My thoughts:
Zambezi Express (South Africa to Rhodesia): my favorite. Excellent original music accompanying the Blue Train as it travels from Cape Town to Pretoria. Real danger as Michael Wood rides freight and passenger trains to get through Rhodesia (then in the midst of a civil war) to Victoria Falls. Deep examination of the cultural divisions, not only between blacks and whites, but also British and Afrikaaner. Highlight: Wood's travel on the footplate of a double-headed, steam-powered freight train.
Coast to Coast (New York to Los Angeles): Ludovic Kennedy takes Amtrak across the US, stopping along the way to visit, among others, Dearborn Station and Promontory Point. A very American score, mostly Copland's "Appalachian Spring", but also Glenn Miller's "Tuxedo Junction" and a few others. Kennedy seems to go out of his way to find weirdos to interview, demonstrating a tad of condescension towards the Colonials. Highlight: the Jupiter and 119 coming together, with Copland blaring and recitations of the original speeches.
The Long Straight (Sydney to Perth): Michael Frayn rides the Indian Pacific across Australia, with a diversion up to Alice Springs on the Ghan. This may have the best music of them all--almost Peter & the Wolf like, with each section of the IP and the Ghan having its own theme. Highlight: the Ghan--a mixed consist of freight and passenger cars traveling at "cracking 17 miles per hour" on rails laid directly on the ground, without ballast.
Confessions of a Train Spotter (London to Kyle of Lochalsh): famously hosted by Michael Palin of Monty Python, travels a number if scenic routes through Great Britain. Highlights: tie--(1)the Flying Scotsman, and (2) a shot of a train flying across the Firth of Forth, with Palin reminding us that the bridge was built at a time that "the only alternative to railways was horse & trap."
Additionally, there are episodes exploring Europe, India, and the Andes in South America, but I haven't seen them in ages.
I've been writing to the BBC lately, encouraging them to re-release on DVD. I'll post the address to write to once they get back to me!
For those who don't know, Great Railway Journeys of the World is a set of hour-long BBC documentaries (I believe there were a total of seven), traveling by rail through various places and exploring not only the rail lines, but the culture and history surrounding them. They are characterized not only by excellent hosts (including a number of journalistic luminaries) but also inspired use of music.
When I was young, my parents would always put these on the VCR to placate me when I was acting up, and it always worked. My father recently transfered several of them to DVD, so I've been rewatching. My thoughts:
Zambezi Express (South Africa to Rhodesia): my favorite. Excellent original music accompanying the Blue Train as it travels from Cape Town to Pretoria. Real danger as Michael Wood rides freight and passenger trains to get through Rhodesia (then in the midst of a civil war) to Victoria Falls. Deep examination of the cultural divisions, not only between blacks and whites, but also British and Afrikaaner. Highlight: Wood's travel on the footplate of a double-headed, steam-powered freight train.
Coast to Coast (New York to Los Angeles): Ludovic Kennedy takes Amtrak across the US, stopping along the way to visit, among others, Dearborn Station and Promontory Point. A very American score, mostly Copland's "Appalachian Spring", but also Glenn Miller's "Tuxedo Junction" and a few others. Kennedy seems to go out of his way to find weirdos to interview, demonstrating a tad of condescension towards the Colonials. Highlight: the Jupiter and 119 coming together, with Copland blaring and recitations of the original speeches.
The Long Straight (Sydney to Perth): Michael Frayn rides the Indian Pacific across Australia, with a diversion up to Alice Springs on the Ghan. This may have the best music of them all--almost Peter & the Wolf like, with each section of the IP and the Ghan having its own theme. Highlight: the Ghan--a mixed consist of freight and passenger cars traveling at "cracking 17 miles per hour" on rails laid directly on the ground, without ballast.
Confessions of a Train Spotter (London to Kyle of Lochalsh): famously hosted by Michael Palin of Monty Python, travels a number if scenic routes through Great Britain. Highlights: tie--(1)the Flying Scotsman, and (2) a shot of a train flying across the Firth of Forth, with Palin reminding us that the bridge was built at a time that "the only alternative to railways was horse & trap."
Additionally, there are episodes exploring Europe, India, and the Andes in South America, but I haven't seen them in ages.
I've been writing to the BBC lately, encouraging them to re-release on DVD. I'll post the address to write to once they get back to me!
