
Michael Palin: Into Iraq
Duration: 3 x 52'
Play Trailer Play Screener Contact Sales Collection: Michael PalinMichael Palin embarks on an epic and revelatory journey through Iraq. An extraordinary view of a place scarred by conflict - this is the real Iraq.
These fantastic films follow Michael as he embarks on a 1000-mile odyssey, following the course of the great Tigris river from its source in eastern Turkey to the Persian Gulf. Most of his journey will be through Iraq and Michael will visit Mosul and Erbil, before following the river to Tikrit. He then moves on to Baghdad, exploring bustling city life and the Green Zone. As he heads further south Michael sees the legendary sites of Babylon and Ur before completing his journey on the coast of Iraq.
During his travels Michael is driven by the urge to meet the people of this vast but young and troubled country, as well as discovering a huge variety of breath-taking landscapes, and extraordinary historic sights and cultures. He experiences what life is like for the 40 million people who live in Iraq today and explores its ancient history as Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilisation.
His journey, which starts at Lake Hazar in eastern Turkey, includes visits to Kurdistan where he spends a day in the mountain village of Akre for the Kurdish New Roz celebrations, a chaotic festival of torchlit processions, fireworks and gunfire; a visit to Tikrit, where he uncovers the truth about the terrible Speicher massacre, before moving on to Babylon to explore Saddam Hussein’s palace that towers over the ancient city. He then heads on to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, into the Green Zone created after the war and discovers the joys of life in the bustling old city before visiting the famous Ziggurat of Ur.
Security concerns were paramount during the trip, (there’s not a press flack jacket in sight) with Michael and his team needing to negotiate bureaucratic borders, endless military checkpoints and access intelligence on the ground to navigate volatile areas and the reported presence of ISIS.
Michael Palin said: “I’ve never visited Iraq and it’s not the easiest country to work in, which is why we chose it as the focus for this series. Scarred by conflict, Iraq is also the birthplace of civilisation. Our story is one of survival, of a nation pulled back from the brink. The films show how a country so long associated with war and violence is dealing with a fragile peace.
“The journey was an eye-opener, a succession of new experiences, new places and new people to meet, a fascinating adventure in a land where past, present and future are unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be back on the road.”
What the Press Say:
AIB Award Winner
The Times - 'No one does travel better than him'
The Telegraph - 'At nearly 80 he is still the master of travelogue'
For Channel 5



Other programmes in this series

Michael Palin In North Korea
Also in this genre

Face The Consequences - Format

Britain's Child Drug Runners

Paul O'Grady's Great British Escape

A Place In The Sun: Winter Sun

Poundland: How Do They Really Do It?

Prison, My Parents And Me

Britain's America's Cup Challenge 4K

The Hidden World of Hospitality with Tom Kerridge

Celebrity Ghost Hunt: Haunted Holiday

Farther And Sun, A Dyslexic Road Trip

The Dogumentary

Coronavirus: A Day in the Life

Stacey and the Lockdown Babies

Prince Andrew and Scandal in the Royal House of York

Living with the Boss - Format

Valentine Warner Eats Scandinavia

Heal Me In The Name Of Jesus

Prisoners' Wives: Visiting Hours

Xmas Excess: Parents Splash The Cash

Sheridan Smith: Becoming Mum

Kashmir's Torture Trail

Incredible Christmas Trees and How to Decorate Them

Naughty Toddlers Caught on Camera

School of Hard Tricks - Format

Stacey Dooley: The Young And Homeless

*New* Bound Together - Format

Ross Kemp: On the NHS Frontline

Stacey Dooley: Face to Face with The Bounty Hunters

Stacey Dooley Investigates: Gypsy Kids In Crisis

The Trouble with Crossrail

Celebs On The Ranch

Clean Eating's Dirty Secrets

*Latest Series - Celebrity Farm

The World’s Worst Place To Be Disabled?

Stacey Dooley Investigates: Mums Selling Their Kids For Sex

Stacey Dooley Investigates: Spy Cam Sex Criminals

Royals in Wartime - Monarchy & World War II

Scarlett's Driving School - Format

25 Siblings & Me

Stutter School - Format

Stacey Dooley Investigates: Sex In Strange Places

Celebrity Road Trip: Lost In Transylvania

*LATEST SERIES - Katie Price's Mucky Mansion

A Place in the Sun: A Place by The Sea

Hannah Spearritt: Me & Breast Implants

Stacey Dooley Investigates: Kids Selling Drugs Online

Cats Do the Naughtiest Things

Fake Homeless: Who's Begging On The Streets?

The Titan Sub Disaster: Minute by Minute

Puppy Boom: Counting the Cost

Britain’s Refugee Children

National Trust: My Historic Home

Stacey's Lockdown Heroes

Retreat: Meditations From A Monastery

Funniest Ever Pets At Christmas

Growing up Poor: Britain's Hidden Homeless Kids

The Secret Lives Of Slim People

Living With My Supersized Pets

A Place In The Sun: Summer Sun

Psycho Pussies: Mad Cat Attacks

Stacey Dooley: On The Psych Ward

How To Be A Young Billionaire

Royals in Wartime - Monarchy & the Military

Our Soldiers: Return To Civvy Street

Meghan & Harry: The New Revelations

Dr Xand's Con or Cure - Format

Michael Palin In North Korea

Life On The Psych Ward

Inside the Bruderhof

Bring Back the Bush: Where Did Our Pubic Hair Go?

Growing Up Poor: Britain's Breadline Kids

Lawn and Order: Keep off the Grass

The Knowledge: The World’s Toughest Taxi Test

Born On The Breadline

A Place In The Sun: Home Or Away

Diana: The Last Princess Of Wales

Paul O'Grady's Little Heroes

School of Hard Tricks
of
Format Info
Michael Palin: Into Iraq
Michael Palin embarks on an epic and revelatory journey through Iraq. An extraordinary view of a place scarred by conflict - this is the real Iraq.
Series Duration: 3 x 52'
Resolution: HD
Genres: Human Interest & Lifestyle