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Sahara with Michael Palin

In this four part BBC television series presented by British comedian and travel presenter Michael Palin, and broadcast in 2002. In it, Palin traveled around the Sahara Desert in Northern and Western Africa in four episodes: 1° Line in the Sand - from Gibraltar (British crown colony enclaved in Spain) to amazingly varied Morocco, Western Sahara (disputed by morocco and the Polisaro liberation movement) and Mauritania (another ultra-poor Sahel country, yet plagued by extreme obesity, even as a result of forced feeding of women as a status symbol); 2° Destination Timbuktu - Senegal and Mali; 3° Absolute Desert - Mali and Niger; 4° Dire Straits - Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Ceuta (a Spanish enclave in Morocco where refugees hope to enter Europe) and back to Gibraltar.

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Cast & Crew See All

Michael Palin
Self - Host

Season 1 Episode Guide See All

Episode 1

A Line in the Sand

60 mins

Michael Palin travels Gibraltar; Morocco; Algeria/Western Sahara; then Mauritania: Gibraltar; Tangier (Euro-Arabic city), Fez (perfect Islamic City, 1200 yr old garment/skin dye industry), Marrakech, Aran (Berber village in Atlas Mts.), Ait Benhaddou (Town as movie set); Smara refugee camp in Tindouf; Zouerat (iron ore mining), Chinguetti (French Legion fort).

Where to Watch

Awards

  • 2003 - BAFTA TV Award - Best Photography (Factual) - winner
  • 2003 - BAFTA TV Award - Best Sound (Factual) - nominated
  • 2003 - TRIC Award - Documentary Programme - winner

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