"Captain James Cook" (1987) TV mini-series

Director:

Lawrence Gordon Clark

Writer:

Peter Yeldham (writer)

Release Date:

18 August 2000 (Hungary)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

Based on Captain James Cook's three voyages. It was on his first voyage, in 1770 (while in the South Pacific region to observe the transit of Venus)...

Plot Keywords:

Voyage | Voyage Of Discovery | TV Mini-Series | Exploration | Explorer

Cast

Keith Michell	...	Capt. James Cook
John Gregg	...	Joseph Banks
Erich Hallhuber	...	Lt. John Gore
Jacques Penot	...	Cmdr. Charles Clarke
Barry Quin	...	Lt. Zachariah Hicks
Steven Grives	...	Sgt. Samuel Gibson
Carol Drinkwater	...	Mrs. Elizabeth Cook
Fernando Rey	...	Adm. Sir Edward Hawke
Xabier Elorriaga	...	Lord Johnny Sandwich
Udo Vioff	...	Johann Reinhold Forster
Noel Trevarthen	...	Adm. Sir Hugh Palliser
David Whitney	...	William Bligh
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Allen	...	Lt. Furneaux
Titaine Bourne	...	Parita
Peter Carroll	...	Dr. Daniel Solander
Matthew Crosby	...	Lt. King
John Doyle	...	Lt. Pickersgill
Les Foxcroft	...	Old Salt
Benjamin Franklin	...	Alexander Dalrymple
Tony Harvey	...	Lt. Phillips
Jim Holt	...	Lt. John Williamson
Louise Kimitete	...	Queen Oberea
Tony Martin	...	Wilkinson
Rhys McConnochie	...	King George III
Emil Minty	...	Young Nick
Geoff Morrell	...	Surgeon William Perry
Robert Padwick	...	Lt. Cooper
John Polson	...	George Forster
Maurice Risch	...	Surgeon Monkhouse
J. Tuhetini Tunipua	...	Tupaia

Also Known As:

Capitán Cook (Spain)
Capitaine James Cook (France)
Wind und Sterne (West Germany)

Runtime:

480 min (4 episodes)

Country:

Australia | West Germany | France | Spain

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

Very entertaining & fine acting

For some reason I find this series very intense. It begins in a rather light mood, I especially like the episodes on the first journey. Then the general undertone becomes darker and darker, and it is somehow hard to watch Cook's demise from an enthusiastic and able navigator into an irritable and unhappy man who seems to be unconsciously planning his own death. Somehow I got the impression that money became scarce after a while so that the Second and third journey really missed out in comparison to the presentation of the first one. Knowing a little bit about the facts I must say that one could have added more spice by including more remarkable incidents that took place during those journeys. Generally I love the acting and the cast - even though Keith Michell is about 20 years too old, as is John Gregg as Banks (the real Banks was 25 when he set out on the first journey). All the same: Keith Michell warms my heart as Cook, John Gregg is hilarious as Banks, as is Xabier Elloriaga as Sandwich. Those two especially obviously loved their parts. Elloriaga (I think it is in Part 4) is absolutely delicious as he "coaxes" Cook to agree to go on the third journey. I would have loved to see this in the original version!!!!