bbc knowledge loves scandinavia
TRANSCRIPT
BBC Knowledge Loves Scandinavia
A wintery season dedicated to the wonders of Scandinavia
TX: From 5 December at 21.30
BBC Knowledge brings you a festive flurry of must-see television,
celebrating the natural wonders, people, history and culture of
Scandinavia with programmes including Reindeer Girls and Blizzard:
Race to the Pole. Throughout the month of December, BBC
Knowledge promises to warm up your living room exploring a range of
themes from the beauty of the Norwegian northern lights, to the
Swedish crime fiction phenomenon Wallander not forgetting
breakthrough polar survival techniques straight from the Arctic.
Who is Kurt Wallander
TX: Monday 5th December at 21.30 (1x50 mins)
Introduction
Investigating Sweden's super sleuth crime
fiction hero
Presented by best-selling British crime author
John Harvey, this film looks at the publishing
phenomenon that is Henning Mankell,
creator of Sweden's super sleuth Kurt Wallander. Following the writer as he divides his time
between Sweden and the Mozambique capital of Maputo where he lives with his wife, the
film looks at his work and his beliefs. Travelling to Skane in southern Sweden and featuring
interviews with Wallander actor Kenneth Branagh, American crime novelist Jeffrey Deaver
and Swedish agitator Jan Guillou, this documentary unearths the meaning behind Mankell's
work.
Programme Synopsis
Author of the Wallander novels, Henning Mankell is one of the most well-known
Scandinavian crime writers. This film reveals the truth behind his most famous creation –
detective Kurt Wallander.
Kurt Wallander is very different to traditional tough guy cops. He responds to danger with
stooped shoulders and an overwhelming sense that it’s more than he can handle. But there
is more to Mankell’s work than police procedurals. Mankell explains how he’s been writing
to ‘unmask’ society. He uses Wallander to express his views on all the traumatic topics which
give rise to the New Right populism: the flow of illegal immigrants, soaring crime and
violence, growing unemployment and social insecurity.
This documentary offers a unique profile of Henning Mankell as Swedish crime fiction
continues to enjoy success around the world and is an ideal accompaniment to the
Wallander drama.
Key Facts
Mankell’s novels have sold more than 30 million copies. In Germany – his top market – he
outstrips Harry Potter and is the biggest-selling author since World War II .
There have been many Swedish adaptations of the Wallander novels with both Krister
Henriksson and Rolf Lassgard playing Kurt.
Left Bank Pictures have also produced three TV film versions in English starring Kenneth
Branagh.
Voyages of Discovery: The Ice King
TX: Tuesday 6th December at 21.30 (1x50 mins)
Introduction
Recreating Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen’s
pioneering adventure to set foot on the
North Pole
Explorer and engineer Paul Rose tells a
gripping true story of adventure on the
high seas, setting sail in to the unknown and making scientific discoveries that changed our
world forever. With the aid of documentary-style reconstruction, Paul recreates an
explorative journey using his navigational and engineering expertise, to reveal the far-
reaching impact and knock-on inventions without which, today’s world would be
unrecognisable.
Programme Synopsis
Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen was the founding father of polar exploration and he is Paul
Rose’s all-time hero. In the spring of 1892, he made a bid to become the first man to set
foot on the North Pole.
His audacious plan was for his ship to become stuck in pack ice, in the hope that it would
carry him with the ocean currents to the Pole. Until then, ships had been crushed to pieces
by the force of encroaching pack ice. Scientists refused to join his mission, claiming it was
doomed.
But Nansen (played by Brynjar Stautland) had designed a special revolutionary hull for his
vessel The Fram. It was shaped like a duck, so, instead of being crushed by the ice, it was
simply lifted from the water and sat on top of the ice.
At first, the plan seemed to be working and the ship slowly moved towards the Pole, but the
ice wasn’t taking her as close as Nansen hoped. So he struck out on foot, instead. He used
breakthrough polar survival techniques – such as the use of layered clothing, compressed
gas for cooking, a revolutionary ski design and dogs to pull his sleigh.
Nansen discovered that, unlike the South Pole, the North Pole was all ice with no land. He
proved that it was possible to survive in the frozen wastes of the Poles and travel great
distances without support. However, there was a huge problem. The pack ice Nansen was
crossing had begun travelling in the opposite direction from the Pole, slowing his progress
with devastating effect. Nansen had no option to turn back.
But this was the most successful failure ever – he had travelled further North than anyone
and pioneered a series of new techniques and discoveries which are still with us, even today.
His work is even being used by NASA as they develop ways for astronauts to deal with the
loneliness and isolation of space.
Crucially, unlike leaders of the doomed expeditions before him, Nansen had brought all his
men back alive. He was a true pioneer. He laid the foundations for the study of the planet’s
ocean currents, which today are crucial to our understanding of global weather systems and
climate change. Whether you are on a simple family camping trip, climbing Everest or on the
Arctic survey, his legacy will be with you. Nansen also ushered in the era of modern cross-
country and sports skiing. In fact, his name will never be forgotten, even on the Moon and
Mars – there is a crater named after him on each.
Key Facts
Paul Rose has many years experience running scientific expeditions, including the British
Antarctic Survey. A former vice-president of the Royal Geographical Society, Paul has
climbed Everest and is a professional diving instructor and yacht skipper.
What the press says about Voyages of Discovery: The Ice King
“I was won over by the momentum of the story, and terrific photography….” Robert Hanks,
Independent.
“The story was gripping … satisfying ‘Well, I never!’ nuggets … [Rose] combined Michael
Wood’s enthusiasm with Ray Mears’s practicality.” Ian Johns, The Times.
Joanna Lumley in the Land of the Northern Lights
TX: Thursday 8th December at 21.30 (1x50 mins)
Introduction
A beautiful and awe-inspiring journey to
the Northern Lights
One of the UK's best-loved personalities and most successful comedy exports pursues a life-
long dream to track down the elusive and beautiful Northern Lights. Comedy icon Joanna
Lumley grew up in tropical Malaysia, and as a little girl had never seen snow or felt cold.
Inspired by the fairy tales and picture books of the North, full of trolls and snow queens, she
always longed to make this journey. But she could never have guessed what a challenging,
epic, diverse and absorbing arctic adventure lay ahead of her.
Programme Synopsis
Realising her childhood dream, she travels North across the Arctic Circle, up through Norway
and
finally to Svalbard, the most northerly permanently inhabited place on Earth, where she has
to cope with temperatures approaching minus 30° C. Joanna’s journey takes her from train
to boat and husky sled to snowmobile as she is pulled ever northwards by what she calls ‘the
strongest point of the compass’. As the anticipation mounts so does Joanna’s trepidation
that her Arctic journey will be in vain and she won’t get to see the Northern Lights. She
explores the romantic fjords of Lofoten. Learning to ride a snowmobile, Joanna speeds
across endless expanses of Lapland tundra with a Sami herdsman in search of his reindeer.
On nearing the Arctic Ocean, she spends the night in a hotel made entirely of ice. The
fascinating people she meets on her journey north fire Joanna’s passion to see the Northern
Lights still further, telling her about the unique spectacle and power of this true wonder of
the world. Finally, in a breathtaking climax to the film, Joanna gets to see with her own eyes
the spectacular beauty of the Northern Lights.
The fulfilment of a lifetime’s yearning; it was an emotional moment for Joanna Lumley:
“It was beyond any dream you could have,” she says. “This particular showing was so
spectacular that it was reported on Danish television news. It has all come from the sun and
our little tiny planet that we’re trying to save... you see how majestic it is, and that it’s part of
the massive universe, you begin to feel very humble. To be soppy about it, we had stars in
our eyes. I’d been waiting all my life to see the Northern Lights and then I saw them on a
scale beyond description.”
Reindeer Girls
TX: Monday 12th December at 21.30 (1x50 mins)
Introduction
One journey for the indigenous Sami people
through two worlds
The Sami people are reindeer herders from
the far north, and one of Europe's last
nomadic people. Embracing two worlds,
they live in 21st Century Norway, with all of
the comforts and technology that brings. But they also follow their traditional lifestyle of
herding reindeer across the Arctic tundra. Each spring they take their herd of hundreds of
animals across the mountains to the north coast for the Arctic summer. Two 16-year-old
girls, Elle and Inga are followed as they set out on this incredible journey.
Programme Synopsis
Reindeer are one of the few animals capable of surviving in this harsh environment. As sub-
zero
specialists they are well adapted to withstand the cold. The unique hollow hairs of their
coats provide insulation and large splayed hooves help them travel quickly over snow. Most
domestic animals have been bred to look and behave differently from their wild ancestors,
but not reindeer. They still need their wild instincts to survive, so have never become truly
tame. The relationship between the Sámi and the reindeer must be one of mutual benefit.
Traditionally the Sámi depended on the reindeer for almost everything in their economy
including
food, clothing and shelter. In return the reindeer received protection from some of their
worst enemies. Although times have changed, reindeer remain at the heart of Sámi life.
Every spring Elle’s family still take their vast herd across the mountains on one of the longest
migrations still made by the Sámi. This film follows them through the beautiful and dramatic
landscapes of mainland Europe’s northernmost outpost.
Key Facts
The Sámi population is estimated at about 85,000. Some 10% still practice reindeer herding.
Every reindeer regardless of sex or age grows a new set of antlers every year.
Michael Palin and the Mystery of Hammershoi
TX: Wednesday 21st December at 21.30 (1x50 mins)
Introduction
Travel documentarian Michael Palin
indulges his fascination for Hammershoi
with an unforgettable European adventure
With a passion for art that is rivalled only
by travel, Michael Palin combines both in a
European journey to discover more about
Vilhelm Hammershoi, an enigmatic Danish artist that has fascinated him for years. Curious to
see more of Hammershoi's paintings and discover what kind of life the artist lived, Michael
searches for clues in London, Holland and Copenhagen.
The Real Heroes of the
Telemark
TX: From Wednesday 14th December at
21.30 (3x50 mins)
Introduction
The resistance men who risked all to stop
the Nazis – Ray Mears uncovers the truth left out of the original Hollywood film
The Kirk Douglas film in which commandos sabotage a Norwegian power station being
used by the Nazis to develop an atomic bomb is a classic. But it's a pale imitation of the real
story. On February 27th, 1943, tackling a gorge so dangerous the Germans hadn't even
bothered to protect it, a small group of resistance fighters managed to destroy key
machinery being used by the Germans to make heavy water. The attack crippled their efforts
to use it as part of their atomic weapons programme. What the Hollywood film missed out
was that even before that, an advance party of four men had spent an entire winter
struggling to survive on the nearby The Hardanger plateau – one of the most inhospitable
places on Earth. Only highly motivated men with the most finely developed survival skills
could have pulled off such an amazing achievement, in the face of repeated delays to the
main party.
In The Real Heroes of Telemark, presenter Ray Mears explains the incredible survival skills
of the resistance men. Along with a team of serving Royal Marines and Norwegian troops,
he parachutes onto the Hardanger Plateau in mid-winter to relive parts of their extraordinary
story, and to find out just how incredibly tough the original saboteurs were by recreating the
extraordinary mission. The original team had to contend with months surviving in sub-zero
temperatures, often with little more than reindeer moss to eat, as well as dragging supplies
for miles through deep snow and fierce winds. How will the modern team fare? Ray Mears
believes it is one of the greatest ever feats of military survival. Decide for yourself..
Episode Synopses
Episode One
Mears and his team parachute into Norway for an epic trek across the Hardanger mountain
plateau. The original team was dropped 130km from the Norsk Hydro facility at Vemork,
which was manufacturing heavy water. They had to trek for 15 days in sub-zero
temperatures across hostile terrain to reach the plant, and then hide for a further three
months in the mountains waiting for assault troops to arrive. Mears demonstrates the
techniques they used to survive and pays tribute to their courage.
Episode Two
Mears visits the Cairngorms in Scotland, and Norway, to experience the training undergone
by the original commandos. The Norwegians soon realised their SOE handlers were not as
expert as themselves. Between arduous training on the hills, the men scoured Britain for the
best available equipment – sleeping bags from a bedding firm in London, boots from Rob
Lawrie & Co in Newark (suppliers to Arctic expeditions) and anoraks from Lake District
climbing shops. Many of the suppliers are still in business and the huts where the men
trained are still standing.
Episode Three
The surviving heroes of Telemark recall how they carried out one of the most daring raids of
World War II, blowing up the power station and stopping Hitler’s atomic bomb programme
in its tracks. They also reveal how they wish to be remembered.
What the press says about The Real Heroes of the Telemark
“Critics' Choice: Never happier than
when he is eating his own arms or
setting fire to his hair for warmth, the
butchest man on television parachutes
into the Hardanger Plateau in Europe …
telling their amazing story, the masochist
Mears cheerily shows off his ptarmigan-
capturing skills.” Sunday Times
“Recommended … this man can make fire in positively any conditions…” Observer
“TV Choice.” The Times
Blizzard: Race to the Pole
TX: Monday 12th December at 21.30 (6x30 mins)
Introduction
A chilling quest and accurate recreation repeating history, to conquer the South Pole
The first television event to test the
verdict of history and explore the truth
behind the world’s most impossible
journey – the quest to reach the South
Pole – exploration’s last great
geographical prize. Can modern man
endure this trip as well?
It was the most dangerous journey on Earth. In the early 20th Century, the South Pole was
the final frontier to be explored by man. The greatest race in history began between an
Englishman and a Norwegian – a race not only for the Pole but also for nationalistic pride.
For Captain Robert Falcon Scott, victory would confirm the glory and grandeur of the British
Empire. His opponent, Roald Amundsen, however, set out to prove that simple
Scandinavian virtues of meticulous preparation and keen awareness were vital to success.
Which of these two men was to achieve such an epic feat?
In 1912, Scott’s team died, starved and frostbitten, while Amundsen returned home
victorious. Scott’s fatal demise has been attributed to his inexperience and second-rate
leadership skills – but has historical analysis been too unkind? Is there another explanation
for the outcome of this famous race? Part history, part experiential history, part epic
adventure, The Great Race injects a gripping drama into the heart of a classic documentary
series.
Two teams of present-day explorers accurately recreate Scott and Amundsen’s Antarctic
race in a televisual experiment of heroism and ambition. Armed with identical equipment,
the teams chart a parallel course to that of the 1911-12 expeditions, testing the strength of
modern man on this extraordinary journey, navigating their way across 2,560 km of ice. The
volunteers have been carefully selected to match the physical and professional profiles of the
men who partook in the original expedition. The polar playing field has been levelled so that
the truth may be revealed: will history be repeated?
Episode Synopses
Episode 1
The teams have two weeks to acclimatise to the weather, equipment and their new sled-dogs.
Because dogs are now prohibited from use in Antarctica, this race takes place over the same
distance and similar grounds to the original, but in Greenland.
As the modern teams get used to their dogs it becomes clear why, in 1911, Amundsen relied
on them to power him to the Pole, and Scott mistrusted them, relying instead on new-
fangled motor-sledges, ponies and man-hauling. Nick, the British dog expert, is living his
dream driving Greenland sled-dogs. However, he struggles to control his 24 dogs when he
refuses to carry the whip they are used to.
As the dogs fight, ropes snap, boils break out and they fall behind, it seems the curse of
Scott has fallen on the Brits. Meanwhile, the Norwegians, suffering from a little over-
confidence on their first day out with the dogs, narrowly avoid serious injury.
Episode 2
The British and Norwegian teams have acclimatised in Greenland and got to grips with the
early 1900s expedition equipment – and the race began in episode one. However, within
days of being on the ice cap, a violent blizzard strikes both teams with near fatal
consequences. For the Brits, the storm is an unwelcome delay and alarm bells are starting to
sound in the tent: their progress has been dire, largely because they have been unable to
control their dogs. If they don’t get a grip, soon they will fail to make it to their first depot of
food.
Their problems are further compounded when one of the team members is injured and has
to be flown off the ice.
Fascinating parallels are starting to emerge between this race and Scott and Amundsen’s
expeditions of 1912: certainly, there are shades of Scott in Bruce Parry’s demeanour.
Both teams have only the original navigational techniques at their disposal as they try and
plough their way through the ice-cap. But will either hit their first depot of food?
Episode 3
Both teams face their toughest challenge yet as Blizzard – Race To The Pole continues. As
part of their route, both teams must move through the Mount Forel range, navigating their
way through two crevasse-ridden glaciers.
For Bruce Parry and his team, it is not only an immense physical challenge, but with the
team’s dogs still misbehaving it is also incredibly dangerous.
If and when they make it through the glaciers, both teams then have to brave it through the
plummeting temperatures of the ice cap.
Episode 4
The British and Norwegian teams are struggling on in their bid to recreate the legendary
Scott and great Amundsen’s mammoth expedition of 1911/1912. And as if this wasn’t
enough, Gjeldnes’s contemporary Norwegian team have set their own challenge of reaching
the destination faster than Amundsen.
For Bruce Parry and the British team things are about to get really tough. Two men have
been injured and flown out, and now the team has the gruelling prospect of hauling two
500kg sledges with six men instead of eight.
Bruce has a tough decision to make too: the whole team cannot go to the pole, so who will
he pick and who is he going to send back?
Episode 5
Bruce Parry settles on a very risky strategy which very nearly backfires. Much as Scott did
nearly a century before, the team starts to experience atrocious snow conditions. The lack of
food is taking its toll and all the members of the team have lost more than 15 per cent of
their body weight. Being weaker and more vulnerable to the cold, there is a question mark
over whether they will make it to the pole at all.
The Norwegians, on the other hand, look set to smash Amundsen’s time to the Pole and
back.
Episode 6
As the race to the South Pole reaches its dramatic climax, it looks as though the Norwegians
will triumph again.
Bruce Parry and his team finally make it to the Pole, but will they make it back? The four
remaining men have lost a lot of weight which is making them susceptible to the cold. Then,
with the whole race run, there are stark conclusions to be drawn about what happened
during the original epic journey to the Pole in 1912.
Key Facts
The Great Race recreates the journey to the South Pole in Arctic Canada, simply because
animals are no longer allowed on Antarctica. The two teams face a glacier, a polar plateau,
and a stretch of unstable sea ice among other geographical hardships on their journey.
Some old favourites also making an appearance this season:
Top Gear: Winter Olympic Special (repeat episode) Tx: Wednesday 7th December at
21.30
A Winter Olympic Special set in the Nordics, where the Top Gear boys attempt Olympic
events, but with cars. In a world first, the team fire a rocket-powered Mini off a ski jump,
Jeremy and James tackle the biathlon with the latest 4x4s, Richard stages a game of car ice
hockey and the Jaguar XK races a speed skater.
Top Gear, Series 6 Episode 6 (repeat episode) TX: Tuesday 13th December at 21.30
The Top Gear team take Oslo by storm racing a Mercedes and a North Sea ferry.