Palin’s Giant adventure

ONE thing a broadcaster needn’t do these days with a Michael Palin travel series is give it a fancy title, as if it might otherwise struggle to grab our attention.The man is television royalty. His name alone is pretty much the only enticement we need.

That, and maybe telling us where he’s travelling to.

That’s always handy.

So if, for example, it’s a series which finds Michael Palin in, say, Nigeria, it’s perfectly clear what they should call it.They should call it Michael Palin In, Say, Nigeria. Or, better still, just MICHAEL PALIN IN NIGERIA (C5, 9pm), which is even less of a mouthful.

This new three-parter sees him undertake a 1,300-mile journey across a land they call the Giant of Africa, opening his eyes to a country he’s never visited before (I honestly didn’t think there were any of those left).

And opening our own eyes as well. Or certainly mine. Did you know Nigeria is the sixth most populated country on the planet – and destined to become the third (after India and China) within half a century?

Did you know its capital Lagos is the largest city in Africa, covering 450 square miles, and that by 2099 it’ll be the biggest on Earth, home to 88 million people?

I knew none of those things. Nor was I aware that, despite it being the continent’s most economically powerful country, 60 per cent of Nigeria’s people live in poverty.

Since it isn’t one of those countries that’s forever being featured in TV travelogues, to the point where even the casual viewer begins to develop an encyclopaedic knowledge, this will be a series full of surprises.

There’ll be new things to learn, which is always a good thing.

I can add to the sum total of my knowledge.

Mind you, that’s not going to take long.

“This is exciting,” Michael announces, having touched down at Lagos Airport in the early hours. Not a word I’d personally be using at 4.55am to describe anything other than a strong coffee, but then Michael’s insatiable appetite for adventure is one of the reasons why, at the age of 80, he’s still heading off on these adventures. He does know a fair bit about Nigeria – a country he describes as “a complex puzzle” – but he’s eager to know more.

“I’m fascinated by how it works,” he tells us.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Michael Palin travelogue without a bit of jeopardy. Later, boarding a flight to Kano, he reminds us that the city he’s about to visit is often associated with the terrorist group Boko Haram.

So is Michael a tad uneasy? “This is the part of the trip,” he assures us, “that I’ve been looking forward to the most.”