The Worst Journey in the World

[tealin]

There are better ways to beat the heat on a sweltering summer* Sunday, but I attempted it by listening to Edwardian men pushed to the brink in Antarctica.

This week's Classic Serial on BBC Radio 4 was a dramatization of The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, who was a member of Robert Scott's Terra Nova Expedition to Anarctica. Yes, that Scott expedition. Needless to say he wasn't part of the South Pole party because he wrote this book, but it's a gripping listen nonetheless. If you want to listen to the show, I have good news and bad news. Good news: The link works. Bad news: This is part 2. Good news: You can still enjoy it.

Of the explorers who arrived in Antarctica, Scott has chosen a team of twelve to head toward the pole. He will narrow them down as they get closer, and as we start part two the men are about to learn who will be in the first group of four to be sent back. Only four will be chosen to go all the way to the pole.

They started the trek with ponies pulling the sledges but one by one the ponies weakened and died, so they ate them, and also saved some for the return trip. They then continue pulling the sledges themselves, vying to prove they're the strongest so they will be chosen for the polar party.

Everything else you ought to be able to figure out in context and as the story goes along ... I think ...

In looking up information about the expedition (and pictures!), I discovered that last year there was a film adaptation on BBC 4. A film adaptation starring Mark Gatiss and Lee Ingleby.

That would be ...

THIS Mark Gatiss:

and THIS Lee Ingleby:

I WANT TO SEE THIS. I WANT TO SEE IT NOW. HOW CAN I SEE IT? It doesn't appear to be out on DVD (yet?). WANT. Even though it appears to be drastically different from the radio play. No matter. And no prizes for guessing what happens to Lee Ingleby's character.

*Technically it is autumn but any sunny day over 90°F is summer in my book.

Comments

[veronikamg.livejournal.com]

Poor Lee just have to die in what ever movie he's in. :D

I watched a documentary a year or so ago where two teams were reconstructing the Scott and Amundsen expeditions. It was really interesting, because nearly everytjhing that went wrong in the original expeditions repeated itself in the reconstructions.

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

I think it's written into his contract. :) Unfortunately this means he could never play Lt Blouse in a film adaptation of Monstrous Regiment without a major rewrite ...

That is really fascinating, and also eerie. Were they using modern technology and everything? I assume that the 'nearly' in your statement means the Scott team did not actually bite it in the name of documentary authenticity...

[(Anonymous)]

He he, no. The "Scott" team survived this time around. But they were not in good shape when they reached to South Pole. (They got there! Yay!) Both teams were supplied with authentic replicas of what Scott, Amundsen & Co had used in 1912, including the diet. Part of the reason Amundsen and his men made it and Team Scott (the real one) didn't were because the rations the Englishmen brought were not nutricious enough. At the midway point they were checked by a medical team to see if it was safe to continue. All the Britons had lost weight and were really tired, but strong enough to go on. The Norwegians were in better shape than before they started, those bastards! I can't remember exactly what happened, but the "Amundsen" team had some trouble that bore a freakish similarity to the first time around.

"Team Amundsen" won, as in got to the Pole first, because they used dogs all the way from the start, rather than ponies. (No animals were harmed in the reenactment.) The dogs were another part of Amundsen's success, because rather than dragging along several hundred lbs of dog grub like Scott did, he simply fed the dogs to each other when they got tired. :S Not very nice, but very efficient.

[ledygrey.livejournal.com]

Without reading the post, I thought this was about a casting call for Going Postal. I can't recall if you've said this before, but Mark Gatiss looks *exactly* like your vision of Moist. I suppose Lee Ingleby wouldn't be a poor choice, but he's a little pointier in the face.

..And the snowy bits look interesting too

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

YES HE DOES. It just about fainted when I saw that clip with him in it. I admit part of the reason I want to watch this is to see him play a straight role (which I'm sure he does marvellously) so I can say 'See? SEE? He should play Moist!' Even though I doubt he will. They'll probably get someone with a 'big' name who's all wrong for the part. Gigantic sigh.

[ledygrey.livejournal.com]

His .. his characters are never straight?? :(

That brings an interesting twist to Moist's character

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

You know what I mean. [rolls eyes] Straight as in non-comedic (or non-musical, though that comparison is less relevant here). Quoth Wikipedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_foil)

Oh, The Internet.

[ledygrey.livejournal.com]

oh. I didn't actually know that, but it makes a lot more sense when put in context like that.

It still would have been an interesting character adaptation

[polaris-starz.livejournal.com]

!!!

Scott is one of my giant historical crushes. IT MAKES NO SENSE. But I love reading or seeing anything to do with the Terra Nova expedition, and I have a bad habit of quoting both him and Oates.

[tony-cliff.livejournal.com]

umm moar info plz re: mignola-style imuj?

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

Any pre-1950 expedition that necessitates the use of coats and/or goggles immediately defaults to Mignola style.

[tony-cliff.livejournal.com]

ahh, so this is your doing? jeez, you're good at that.

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

I can only do medium-simplified Mignola. Close-up detailed Mignola is beyond me and uber-simplified Mignola is, as far as I can tell, only possible via divine intervention.

But thanks! :D

[fani.livejournal.com]

HOLY COW WAAAAAT :|

ithinkimighthavetomakesomethingiemajigietoabsorbyourbrainscapabilities.

[anathelen.livejournal.com]

I just read Vol. 5 of Flight and your icon is suddenly very familiar. Oh man, I've got hella respectins' going on for you, if I may say so.

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

And well-earned respectins they is!

[azvolrien.livejournal.com]

And the one who apparently said 'I'm going outside and I may be some time' was Lawrence Oates. That's pretty much the extent of my knowledge about that ill-fated expedition.

[bloodylovecraft.livejournal.com]

Ooh. I wish I could listen to this, but I'm about to get on a plane and can't seem to see a way to download it. Where I'm headed? Antarctica! What timing. I went to the Terra Nova hut at Cape Evans last year. It was pretty amazing. :)

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

Wow, cool! Alas, it is not a podcast. Maybe they'll rerun it at some point, or it'll turn up on BBC7 in a couple years.

So do your trips to Antarctica have anything to do with your username? ;)

Have fun!

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

Psst – email me when you get back (email's in the userinfo) and we may be able to arrange a ... transfer.

[waggles eyebrows]

[mizlobelia.livejournal.com]

If you ever get a chance to see the play "Terra Nova", do. No matter how warm the theater, you'll feel cold I guarantee.

Got my copy of Nation today!

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

Dangit, it's the end of September already! How'd that happen? Garh! And here's me with no time. Oh well, something to do on the train at Christmas... thanks for the reminder.

And for the heads up about the play. I shall.

[mizlobelia.livejournal.com]

Just read it on my vacation. It's very good.

I was relieved, because I was disappointed with Making Money - maybe because my expectations were too high after Going Postal. Kept hoping you'd do some posting on MM just to see what you thought.

[scabrendan.livejournal.com]

Your art is awesome on the most serious meaning of the word.

can you tell i'm a lee ingleby fan

[flamingbentley.livejournal.com]

gosh i have been looking for that adaption EVERYWHERE and i just can't find it!

apparently lee's not in it for long, though - so either he dies not-too-far in or is an intermittent character. if the latter, i can only assume he plays a personification of mark gatiss's conscience, which would be awesome. i think looking at the cast list would probably clear that up but i'm pretty sure i'd only end up disappointed, so i'll leave it to my imagination since i'm sure i'm never going to get to see it. :C

Re: can you tell i'm a lee ingleby fan

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

If the radio play is to be believed, he plays a friend of the main character who does join the polar party, so I'd guess you seem him briefly at the beginning and then not again (except for perhaps a brief and very still cameo at the end) ... though come to think of it it might be possible that this guy could sort of represent his conscience ...

Oh man, I want to see it even more now. Gaaah!

[tehladyelbereth.livejournal.com]

According to the BBC Four website it is next on on the 9th so they might put it back on the iplayer thingy then

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! [copious sobs] I can't see things on iPlayer! I don't live in the UK! THEY TAUNT ME SO. Anguish and despair! I can't pay the license fee even if I wanted to (which I do, desperately, if it would give me access to the TV iPlayer). All I get is radio. I say that like it's a bad thing; it's the best thing the internet has to offer and I'd be lost without it. But even so!

Have I mentioned gnashing of teeth? There is definitely gnashing of teeth going on here. Want to see it ... SO BAD ... so bad ... You don't have a DVD recorder, do you? :D Region codes can be circumvented ...

Such desperation! Why don't they put the darn thing out on DVD already??