Around the World in 80 Days is a British travel documentary series made to support the annual BBC Children in Need charity appeal in 2009. It sees twelve celebrities attempt to circumnavigate the globe in eighty days without using air transport, recreating the journey of Phileas Fogg and Michael Palin. Like Fogg and Palin, the journey begins and ends at the Reform Club in London. It was first shown on BBC One and BBC HD in October and November 2009.
Ended
Around the World in 80 Days
October 13, 2009
November 17, 2009
1
6
English
It's the final leg and actors Shane Richie and Josie Lawrence are entrusted to bring the 80-day relay to a close. But will they drop the baton at the final hurdle? With a thousand miles to cover to reach the port of Wilmington, North Carolina, Shane and Josie head to the nearest vehicle hire centre to get on the road. Their choice of transport - a 36ft mobile home. Shane has never driven anything this big and it shows... Disaster looms for the 80 day challenge. Hurricane Bill is in the Atlantic and heading for North Carolina. Undeterred they keep an appointment with the North Carolina Eastenders Fan Club who must raise 50,000 dollars a year to keep it on their screens. Reaching Wilmington they face a 36 hour wait while their ship sits out the hurricane. Finally underway, Shane and Josie settle into life at sea and with a ship and crew on hand they decide to shoot a mini soap. The fun distracts them for a while but inevitably thoughts turn back to the potential failure of the 80 Day challenge. The hurricane has meant they now find themselves two days behind schedule. Their only chance to get back on track is to transfer from the cargo ship to a smaller faster boat. The problem is, the cargo ship cannot stop and they will have to climb down a rope ladder from one boat to another. Shane and Josie dutifully start practising climbing rope ladders but nothing compares to the real event. Day 80 arrives and Shane and Josie still have to get off the cargo ship...it's time for the ship-to-ship transfer. All the other celebrity Around the World globe trotters start gathering at the Reform club in London in expectation of the carpet bag's return. Will it arrive in time to successfully complete the challenge?
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