Title: Chasing Shackleton
Studio: PBS
Source: Library
Book Review: Here
PBS Summary:
The series follows a crew of five intrepid explorers led by renowned
adventurer, scientist and author Tim Jarvis as they re-create
Shackleton’s epic sea-and-land voyage in a replica of the original
explorers’ boat, using only the tools and supplies his team used.
Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic Expedition, which launched in
1914, met with disaster when his ship The Endurance was crushed by
arctic ice and sank. His heroic leadership in the face of almost certain
death saved the lives of 27 men stranded in the Antarctic for more than
500 days, and has inspired explorers and leaders across every continent
over many generations.
Jarvis’ team’s recreation included crossing the treacherous Southern
Ocean from Elephant Island to South Georgia (800 nautical miles) in a
small wooden boat while battling gales, rough seas and stomach-churning
swells. Once on land, the crew faced weather conditions they described
as “Scotland on steroids” — simultaneous high winds, torrential rain,
snow, hail and ice. When the weather eased, Jarvis and two teammates
(Barry Gray and Paul Larsen) trekked inland to reach an old whaling
station at Stromness on South Georgia, traversing an icy,
crevasse-riddled mountain range in unmapped territory, the route
Shackleton and his men took as their only hope for rescue almost a
century ago.
The expedition, which occurred over three weeks in early 2013, had
been in development since 2008 when Shackleton’s granddaughter Alexandra
approached Jarvis with the idea to honor her grandfather and his heroic
achievements. After agreeing to the challenge, Jarvis selected a team
of British and Australian adventurers based on their determination,
passion for adventure and their sailing and climbing skills.
Jarvis’s vessel, named Alexandra Shackleton, was an exact replica of
the James Caird, from its hand-stitched sails made from 1914 sailcloth
down to the brass screws that held its wooden planks together. To
complete the authentic experience the team used 100-year-old equipment,
navigational tools and period clothing that, perhaps, helped them unlock
Shackleton’s survival secrets, and gain insight into the original
crew’s courage. State-of-the-art cameras were built into the boat and
expedition cameraman and director Ed Wardle joined the crew to capture
the action as it happened.
Thoughts:
I'm not going to lie, I fell asleep about half way through watching this so take this review with a grain of salt. It was a good documentary and explained the history and the trials that Shackleton had gone through very well. It explained the current expedition well too.
My favorite part, though, was seeing Sir Ranulph Fiennes, as he is my favorite Antarctic explorer (and if you're looking for a good read about Antarctic adventure, I would highly recommend his book
Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know: The Autobiography
). This documentary just lacked adventure and character for me, which is unfortunate because it is obvious that the expedition did not.
There is nothing really wrong with this documentary, but it should say a lot that I fell asleep during a show on one of my favorite topics and didn't think twice about returning it without rewatching the second half.
Rating: 2.5/5
