How to Start Your Own Country
This six part BBC series follows intrepid everyman Danny Wallace as he takes up the challenge and begins the unlikely odyssey of setting up and running his own country. From the corridors of power at Whitehall to a rusting war fort in the North Sea, Danny cuts through the red tape and meets a host of extraordinary individuals all keen to help him with his quest.
- 2005-2005
- 1 season
- Documentary, Comedy
This six part BBC series follows intrepid everyman Danny Wallace as he takes up the challenge and begins the unlikely odyssey of setting up and running his own country. From the corridors of power at Whitehall to a rusting war fort in the North Sea, Danny cuts through the red tape and meets a host of extraordinary individuals all keen to help him with his quest.
Season 1 Episode Guide
6 Episodes 2005
Episode 1
Birth of a Nation
29 mins
Trying to overcome the first hurdle of not having a territory, Danny scours the globe to find the best place to set things up. En-route, he enlists the help of the British Army, is involved in a botched invasion and takes advice from a man who claims to own the moon!
Episode 2
Citizens Required
29 mins
Discovering that the smallest country in the world is the Vatican City with a population of just 921 citizens, Danny goes on a mission to beat the Pope and become the biggest small country in the world. Armed with a new flag, citizenship test and the ultimate immigration policy, he takes to the streets to see if he can convince anyone to relocate.
Episode 3
For King and Country
29 mins
As Danny's population grows, his citizens look to him for leadership. Keen to serve his country well, he travels to Boston to seek advice from intellectual giant Noam Chomsky and engages in his first state visit with the Prince of Seborga. Researching his Constitution, he visits the US where he has a run in with a group of gun-toting women claiming their Second Amendment Right to bear arms.
Episode 4
State of the Nation
29 mins
Keen to make his country the nicest country in the world, Danny finds himself having to lay down the law. Getting advice from America's toughest sheriff, he meets an all female chain gang and spends time with a group of inmates who are forced to live in the desert and wear pink underwear. Travelling to a maximum-security prison in Arizona, Danny finds himself on death row where he learns from a condemned man what it's like to live in the knowledge that the state is going to kill you.
Episode 5
The Bank of Danny
29 mins
Struggling to pay his electricity bill, Danny is forced to kick-start his country's economy. Enlisting the help of everyone from the Chief Cashier of the Bank of England to former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Ken Clarke, Danny applies for international aid and establishes his own currency.
Episode 6
The United Nation
29 mins
Having spent the last six-months of his life trying to start his own country, Danny's journey draws to a close as he attempts to gain international recognition. Will he gain entry into the United Nations? Will his passport be accepted at customs? And will his Eurovision Song Contest entry make it through to the finals?