The first thing to say is that this is an incredibly well-mounted series. The production design and recreation of the equipment used by Scott and Amundsen is as good as that in Ealing's "Scott of the Antarctic".
Based on Huntford's infamous 'revisionist' view of one our national heroes, the series doesn't leave Amundsen immune from criticism. He raises money for a North Pole expedition from his country's government under false pretences (using the reputation of polar pioneer Nansen), intending to head South the whole time. He makes a near-disastrous early start for the pole, runs for home riding on a sledge and leaves his men to shift for themselves (this is a criticism levelled at Scott by Captain Oates). Johanssen and Prestrud only made it back by the skin of their teeth. When Johanssen had the nerve to criticise Amundsen's actions he was dropped from the polar party (he committed suicide when the expedition returned to Norway). Maybe Scott and Amundsen were alike in some ways?
There can be no doubt, however, that Amundsen planned his journey to the pole with admirable simplicity and efficiency. He truly deserved his success.
The treatment of Scott is less even-handed. From the start he is shown as a mediocre Navy-man ("no future in battleships") and a hen-pecked husband driven by his wife's ambition for a hero-husband (thankfully the series doesn't repeat Huntford's unfounded speculation about Kathleen Scott's affair with Nansen).
The real difficulties start with the final party's journey on the last stage to the pole and back. The only complete documentary evidence is Scott's journal - probably written as a literary work rather than a 'log'. Therefore, when Scott writes that "PO Evans is nearly broken down in brain and becoming impossible" what does this mean? That he was having some kind of nervous breakdown (Oates said he "lost his guts" and was behaving "like an old woman or worse"), or becoming an encumbrance who was not contributing to the team, or what? The series follows Huntford's assertion that "he gave vent to his feelings in babbling speech". There is no evidence for this. There is no evidence that it was Oates who kept up Evans's morale (the quotes above suggest Oates in fact had little sympathy with Evans). Much of this section of the series is based on what Huntford feels "must have" happened (the two most dangerous words in historical writing). As for Scott bursting into tears at the Pole (we don't even get to hear "Great God! This is an awful place!") or Bowers saying: "God save the King" with his dying breath, words fail me.
Oates's suicide is written down as the last act of a desperate man. Probably, but the manner in which it was done was the act of "an English gentleman" of the type Oates was (I personally believe in the "I may be some time" version). The series shows the physical deterioration of Scott's party very graphically after five months of hard physical work on a poor diet.
My other criticisms are that secondary characters are not well-drawn and therefore less involving (Bowers and Wilson especially). The music is generally good except where it breaks into a 1980's disco-beat for Amundsen's ascent of the Axel Heiberg glacier
So: - a very well-made production, very gripping, but too one-sided and speculative to be thought of as the "true story" of Scott's Last Expedition. Only five men can tell the truth about that.
Based on Huntford's infamous 'revisionist' view of one our national heroes, the series doesn't leave Amundsen immune from criticism. He raises money for a North Pole expedition from his country's government under false pretences (using the reputation of polar pioneer Nansen), intending to head South the whole time. He makes a near-disastrous early start for the pole, runs for home riding on a sledge and leaves his men to shift for themselves (this is a criticism levelled at Scott by Captain Oates). Johanssen and Prestrud only made it back by the skin of their teeth. When Johanssen had the nerve to criticise Amundsen's actions he was dropped from the polar party (he committed suicide when the expedition returned to Norway). Maybe Scott and Amundsen were alike in some ways?
There can be no doubt, however, that Amundsen planned his journey to the pole with admirable simplicity and efficiency. He truly deserved his success.
The treatment of Scott is less even-handed. From the start he is shown as a mediocre Navy-man ("no future in battleships") and a hen-pecked husband driven by his wife's ambition for a hero-husband (thankfully the series doesn't repeat Huntford's unfounded speculation about Kathleen Scott's affair with Nansen).
The real difficulties start with the final party's journey on the last stage to the pole and back. The only complete documentary evidence is Scott's journal - probably written as a literary work rather than a 'log'. Therefore, when Scott writes that "PO Evans is nearly broken down in brain and becoming impossible" what does this mean? That he was having some kind of nervous breakdown (Oates said he "lost his guts" and was behaving "like an old woman or worse"), or becoming an encumbrance who was not contributing to the team, or what? The series follows Huntford's assertion that "he gave vent to his feelings in babbling speech". There is no evidence for this. There is no evidence that it was Oates who kept up Evans's morale (the quotes above suggest Oates in fact had little sympathy with Evans). Much of this section of the series is based on what Huntford feels "must have" happened (the two most dangerous words in historical writing). As for Scott bursting into tears at the Pole (we don't even get to hear "Great God! This is an awful place!") or Bowers saying: "God save the King" with his dying breath, words fail me.
Oates's suicide is written down as the last act of a desperate man. Probably, but the manner in which it was done was the act of "an English gentleman" of the type Oates was (I personally believe in the "I may be some time" version). The series shows the physical deterioration of Scott's party very graphically after five months of hard physical work on a poor diet.
My other criticisms are that secondary characters are not well-drawn and therefore less involving (Bowers and Wilson especially). The music is generally good except where it breaks into a 1980's disco-beat for Amundsen's ascent of the Axel Heiberg glacier
So: - a very well-made production, very gripping, but too one-sided and speculative to be thought of as the "true story" of Scott's Last Expedition. Only five men can tell the truth about that.