All the way down
A Voyage To Antarctica review
Production company – UKAHT
Rating – 
There are many untamed and uncharted places on Earth. Even with satellites constantly mapping the ground from space, there is only so much we can learn like that. One of the most inhospitable places is surely Antarctica. Despite the snow and ice, it’s technically a desert, and with the extreme weather, it’s a truly dangerous place to be. From stories like At The Mountains Of Madness to rumours of ice walls and lost civilizations, Antarctica is clouded in death and mystery.
So what’s it about?
Produced to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the first sighting of Antarctica, the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust joined up with reporter Alok Jha to cover the vast amount of knowledge amassed over the years. Alok meets with historians, naturalists, and environmentalists to share the reality of this enigmatic place.
Despite the very first episode being an interview with legendary explorer Ranulph Feinnes, you have to wait until the second series for more tales of survival (which is what I was waiting for). That’s just me being selfish though. Due to the fact the show is produced by a charity, you have to expect it to be more geared towards the actual day to day experience on Antarctica, rather than tales of derring do.
Is it any good?
Being completely honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I subscribed to this show. I suppose I was hoping for something like the brilliant 13 Minutes To The Moon, or one of the other gripping BBC podcasts. This isn’t really that.
Now on its 5th season, there is an awful lot of ground covered from many angles, although as I said, my personal favourites are the ones focused on exploration and colonisation. The hardships endured by brave (or foolish) people will never not be exciting. The main percentage of the episodes are about nature, science, and even politics. This may appeal to you, it’s certainly very interesting. Unfortunately, it lacks the “special sauce” that can keep me hooked for hours at a time.
Despite these negatives, the actual production values are rather good. The comparison to 13 Minutes To The Moon is rather fair. It has that “Radio 4” feel, that is rather close and cosy. The room it’s recorded in has a strange reverb that gives it almost a “cupboard-y” feel. I would take this over a badly buffering Zoom call or single sided phone chat any day though.
Final thoughts
I feel a bit bad for judging this show so harshly. There’s really nothing wrong with it. The inherent nature of a review though is for the writer to comment on their feelings about the subject.
Read the description of the show, and if it appeals to you then give it a go. You will probably enjoy it. I have so many shows to get through that I have to draw a line somewhere though. There are some shows that I can happily binge for 8 or even 10 hours a day. This one isn’t that, which is a shame.
You can get Voyage To Antarctica here:
For more great reviews, I recommend GreatPods