Monty Python's Michael Palin has wrapped up filming a world-exclusive documentary series in North Korea
Michael Palin first rose to prominence as a member of comedy group 'Monty Python' before then going on to make a number of reputed travel documentaries. But it will be his latest project that will turn the most heads, with the established television presenter having recently filmed a world-exclusive documentary series in one of the most secretive nations on the planet: North Korea.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Palin was in North Korea during the recent historic occasion of the meeting between the leaders of the two countries of the Korean Peninsula and has been granted unprecedented access to the nation after a series of complex high-level negotiations that lasted two years.
Palin has filmed about 1,300 miles of the country, covering everyday life in the capital city of Pyongyang and exploring the snowy peaks of Mount Paektu, an active volcano and the tallest mountain in the region. Because of the timing of his visit, he has reportedly also been able to capture footage of the reactions of the North Korean citizens to the news of the peace pact.
Speaking about the project, Palin said: "To visit North Korea was an opportunity I couldn't turn down. For somewhere that is so often in the forefront of the news, it remains a complete mystery to most of us. That we were able to travel across the country and get some sense of everyday life was enormously exciting. The visit was an eye-opener for me, and I'm sure it will be the same for others. In all my travels around the world I have never had the same sense of fascination and revelation as on this journey to North Korea," he added.
Channel 5's factual commissioning editor Guy Davies had nothing but praise for Palin: "Michael Palin is the best travel presenter of his generation, and for him to make his first series for Channel 5 with such a timely and extraordinary journey is thrilling."
"His natural curiosity and sensitivity make him the ideal person to visit and discover North Korea, and meet the people who have been hidden from the world for so long," he continued.
Palin began his new career as a travel writer and travel documentarian after 'Monty Python' and has since explored the North and South Poles, the Sahara Desert, the Himalayas, Eastern Europe and Brazil. From 2009 to 2012 Palin was the president of the Royal Geographical Society, the UK's leading center for geographical learning, with his North Korean documentary undoubtedly his most ambitious undertaking yet.
Tentatively titled 'Michael Palin in North Korea,' the documentary will be produced by ITN Productions for Viacom-owned UK network Channel 5. The series is due to air sometime in 2018.