BBC Knowledge Loves Scandinavia

A wintery season dedicated to the wonders of Scandinavia

TX: From 5 December at 21.30

BBC Knowledge brings you a festive flurry of must-see television, celebrating the natural wonders, people, history and culture of Scandinavia with programmes including Reindeer Girls and Blizzard: Race to the Pole. Throughout the month of December, BBC Knowledge promises to warm up your living room exploring a range of themes from the beauty of the Norwegian northern lights, to the Swedish crime fiction phenomenon Wallander not forgetting breakthrough polar survival techniques straight from the Arctic.

Who is Kurt Wallander

TX: Monday 5th December at 21.30 (1x50 mins)

Introduction

Investigating 's super sleuth crime fiction hero

Presented by best-selling British crime author John Harvey, this film looks at the publishing phenomenon that is Henning Mankell, creator of Sweden's super sleuth Kurt Wallander. Following the writer as he divides his time between Sweden and the Mozambique capital of Maputo where he lives with his wife, the film looks at his work and his beliefs. Travelling to Skane in southern Sweden and featuring interviews with Wallander actor Kenneth Branagh, American crime novelist Jeffrey Deaver and Swedish agitator Jan Guillou, this documentary unearths the meaning behind Mankell's work.

Programme Synopsis

Author of the Wallander novels, Henning Mankell is one of the most well-known Scandinavian crime writers. This film reveals the truth behind his most famous creation – detective Kurt Wallander.

Kurt Wallander is very different to traditional tough guy cops. He responds to danger with stooped shoulders and an overwhelming sense that it’s more than he can handle. But there is more to Mankell’s work than police procedurals. Mankell explains how he’s been writing to ‘unmask’ society. He uses Wallander to express his views on all the traumatic topics which give rise to the New Right populism: the flow of illegal immigrants, soaring crime and violence, growing unemployment and social insecurity.

This documentary offers a unique profile of Henning Mankell as Swedish crime fiction continues to enjoy success around the world and is an ideal accompaniment to the Wallander drama.

Key Facts

Mankell’s novels have sold more than 30 million copies. In Germany – his top market – he outstrips Harry Potter and is the biggest-selling author since World War II . There have been many Swedish adaptations of the Wallander novels with both Krister Henriksson and Rolf Lassgard playing Kurt.

Left Bank Pictures have also produced three TV film versions in English starring Kenneth Branagh.

Voyages of Discovery: The Ice King

TX: Tuesday 6th December at 21.30 (1x50 mins)

Introduction

Recreating Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen’s pioneering adventure to set foot on the North Pole

Explorer and engineer Paul Rose tells a gripping true story of adventure on the high seas, setting sail in to the unknown and making scientific discoveries that changed our world forever. With the aid of documentary-style reconstruction, Paul recreates an explorative journey using his navigational and engineering expertise, to reveal the far- reaching impact and knock-on inventions without which, today’s world would be unrecognisable.

Programme Synopsis Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen was the founding father of polar and he is Paul Rose’s all-time hero. In the spring of 1892, he made a bid to become the first man to set foot on the North Pole.

His audacious plan was for his ship to become stuck in pack ice, in the hope that it would carry him with the ocean currents to the Pole. Until then, ships had been crushed to pieces by the force of encroaching pack ice. Scientists refused to join his mission, claiming it was doomed.

But Nansen (played by Brynjar Stautland) had designed a special revolutionary hull for his vessel The Fram. It was shaped like a duck, so, instead of being crushed by the ice, it was simply lifted from the water and sat on top of the ice.

At first, the plan seemed to be working and the ship slowly moved towards the Pole, but the ice wasn’t taking her as close as Nansen hoped. So he struck out on foot, instead. He used breakthrough polar survival techniques – such as the use of layered clothing, compressed gas for cooking, a revolutionary ski design and dogs to pull his sleigh.

Nansen discovered that, unlike the South Pole, the North Pole was all ice with no land. He proved that it was possible to survive in the frozen wastes of the Poles and travel great distances without support. However, there was a huge problem. The pack ice Nansen was crossing had begun travelling in the opposite direction from the Pole, slowing his progress with devastating effect. Nansen had no option to turn back.

But this was the most successful failure ever – he had travelled further North than anyone and pioneered a series of new techniques and discoveries which are still with us, even today. His work is even being used by NASA as they develop ways for astronauts to deal with the loneliness and isolation of space.

Crucially, unlike leaders of the doomed expeditions before him, Nansen had brought all his men back alive. He was a true pioneer. He laid the foundations for the study of the planet’s ocean currents, which today are crucial to our understanding of global weather systems and climate change. Whether you are on a simple family camping trip, climbing Everest or on the Arctic survey, his legacy will be with you. Nansen also ushered in the era of modern cross- country and sports skiing. In fact, his name will never be forgotten, even on the Moon and

Mars – there is a crater named after him on each.

Key Facts

Paul Rose has many years experience running scientific expeditions, including the British Antarctic Survey. A former vice-president of the Royal Geographical Society, Paul has climbed Everest and is a professional diving instructor and yacht skipper.

What the press says about Voyages of Discovery: The Ice King

“I was won over by the momentum of the story, and terrific photography….” Robert Hanks, Independent. “The story was gripping … satisfying ‘Well, I never!’ nuggets … [Rose] combined Michael

Wood’s enthusiasm with Ray Mears’s practicality.” Ian Johns, .

Joanna Lumley in the Land of the Northern Lights

TX: Thursday 8th December at 21.30 (1x50 mins)

Introduction

A beautiful and awe-inspiring journey to the Northern Lights One of the UK's best-loved personalities and most successful comedy exports pursues a life- long dream to track down the elusive and beautiful Northern Lights. Comedy icon Joanna Lumley grew up in tropical , and as a little girl had never seen snow or felt cold. Inspired by the fairy tales and picture books of the North, full of trolls and snow queens, she always longed to make this journey. But she could never have guessed what a challenging, epic, diverse and absorbing arctic adventure lay ahead of her.

Programme Synopsis

Realising her childhood dream, she travels North across the Arctic Circle, up through and finally to Svalbard, the most northerly permanently inhabited place on Earth, where she has to cope with temperatures approaching minus 30° C. Joanna’s journey takes her from train to boat and husky sled to snowmobile as she is pulled ever northwards by what she calls ‘the strongest point of the compass’. As the anticipation mounts so does Joanna’s trepidation that her Arctic journey will be in vain and she won’t get to see the Northern Lights. She explores the romantic fjords of Lofoten. Learning to ride a snowmobile, Joanna speeds across endless expanses of Lapland tundra with a Sami herdsman in search of his reindeer. On nearing the Arctic Ocean, she spends the night in a hotel made entirely of ice. The fascinating people she meets on her journey north fire Joanna’s passion to see the Northern Lights still further, telling her about the unique spectacle and power of this true wonder of the world. Finally, in a breathtaking climax to the film, Joanna gets to see with her own eyes the spectacular beauty of the Northern Lights.

The fulfilment of a lifetime’s yearning; it was an emotional moment for Joanna Lumley: “It was beyond any dream you could have,” she says. “This particular showing was so spectacular that it was reported on Danish television news. It has all come from the sun and our little tiny planet that we’re trying to save... you see how majestic it is, and that it’s part of the massive universe, you begin to feel very humble. To be soppy about it, we had stars in our eyes. I’d been waiting all my life to see the Northern Lights and then I saw them on a scale beyond description.”

Reindeer Girls

TX: Monday 12th December at 21.30 (1x50 mins)

Introduction

One journey for the indigenous Sami people through two worlds

The Sami people are reindeer herders from the far north, and one of Europe's last nomadic people. Embracing two worlds, they live in 21st Century Norway, with all of the comforts and technology that brings. But they also follow their traditional lifestyle of herding reindeer across the Arctic tundra. Each spring they take their herd of hundreds of animals across the mountains to the north coast for the Arctic summer. Two 16-year-old girls, Elle and Inga are followed as they set out on this incredible journey.

Programme Synopsis

Reindeer are one of the few animals capable of surviving in this harsh environment. As sub- zero specialists they are well adapted to withstand the cold. The unique hollow hairs of their coats provide insulation and large splayed hooves help them travel quickly over snow. Most domestic animals have been bred to look and behave differently from their wild ancestors, but not reindeer. They still need their wild instincts to survive, so have never become truly tame. The relationship between the Sámi and the reindeer must be one of mutual benefit.

Traditionally the Sámi depended on the reindeer for almost everything in their economy including food, clothing and shelter. In return the reindeer received protection from some of their worst enemies. Although times have changed, reindeer remain at the heart of Sámi life. Every spring Elle’s family still take their vast herd across the mountains on one of the longest migrations still made by the Sámi. This film follows them through the beautiful and dramatic landscapes of mainland Europe’s northernmost outpost.

Key Facts

The Sámi population is estimated at about 85,000. Some 10% still practice reindeer herding. Every reindeer regardless of sex or age grows a new set of antlers every year. Michael Palin and the Mystery of Hammershoi

TX: Wednesday 21st December at 21.30 (1x50 mins)

Introduction

Travel documentarian Michael Palin indulges his fascination for Hammershoi with an unforgettable European adventure

With a passion for art that is rivalled only by travel, Michael Palin combines both in a European journey to discover more about Vilhelm Hammershoi, an enigmatic Danish artist that has fascinated him for years. Curious to see more of Hammershoi's paintings and discover what kind of life the artist lived, Michael searches for clues in London, Holland and Copenhagen.

The Real Heroes of the Telemark

TX: From Wednesday 14th December at

21.30 (3x50 mins)

Introduction

The resistance men who risked all to stop the Nazis – Ray Mears uncovers the truth left out of the original Hollywood film

The Kirk Douglas film in which commandos sabotage a Norwegian power station being used by the Nazis to develop an atomic bomb is a classic. But it's a pale imitation of the real story. On February 27th, 1943, tackling a gorge so dangerous the Germans hadn't even bothered to protect it, a small group of resistance fighters managed to destroy key machinery being used by the Germans to make heavy water. The attack crippled their efforts to use it as part of their atomic weapons programme. What the Hollywood film missed out was that even before that, an advance party of four men had spent an entire winter struggling to survive on the nearby The Hardanger plateau – one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. Only highly motivated men with the most finely developed survival skills could have pulled off such an amazing achievement, in the face of repeated delays to the main party.

In The Real Heroes of Telemark, presenter Ray Mears explains the incredible survival skills of the resistance men. Along with a team of serving and Norwegian troops, he parachutes onto the Hardanger Plateau in mid-winter to relive parts of their extraordinary story, and to find out just how incredibly tough the original saboteurs were by recreating the extraordinary mission. The original team had to contend with months surviving in sub-zero temperatures, often with little more than reindeer moss to eat, as well as dragging supplies for miles through deep snow and fierce winds. How will the modern team fare? Ray Mears believes it is one of the greatest ever feats of military survival. Decide for yourself..

Episode Synopses

Episode One

Mears and his team parachute into Norway for an epic trek across the Hardanger mountain plateau. The original team was dropped 130km from the Norsk Hydro facility at Vemork, which was manufacturing heavy water. They had to trek for 15 days in sub-zero temperatures across hostile terrain to reach the plant, and then hide for a further three months in the mountains waiting for assault troops to arrive. Mears demonstrates the techniques they used to survive and pays tribute to their courage.

Episode Two

Mears visits the Cairngorms in Scotland, and Norway, to experience the training undergone by the original commandos. The Norwegians soon realised their SOE handlers were not as expert as themselves. Between arduous training on the hills, the men scoured Britain for the best available equipment – sleeping bags from a bedding firm in London, boots from Rob Lawrie & Co in Newark (suppliers to Arctic expeditions) and anoraks from Lake District climbing shops. Many of the suppliers are still in business and the huts where the men trained are still standing.

Episode Three

The surviving heroes of Telemark recall how they carried out one of the most daring raids of World War II, blowing up the power station and stopping Hitler’s atomic bomb programme in its tracks. They also reveal how they wish to be remembered.

What the press says about The Real Heroes of the Telemark

“Critics' Choice: Never happier than when he is eating his own arms or setting fire to his hair for warmth, the butchest man on television parachutes into the Hardanger Plateau in Europe … telling their amazing story, the masochist Mears cheerily shows off his ptarmigan- capturing skills.” Sunday Times “Recommended … this man can make fire in positively any conditions…” Observer “TV Choice.” The Times

Blizzard: Race to the Pole

TX: Monday 12th December at 21.30 (6x30 mins)

Introduction

A chilling quest and accurate recreation repeating history, to conquer the South Pole

The first television event to test the verdict of history and explore the truth behind the world’s most impossible journey – the quest to reach the South Pole – exploration’s last great geographical prize. Can modern man endure this trip as well?

It was the most dangerous journey on Earth. In the early 20th Century, the South Pole was the final frontier to be explored by man. The greatest race in history began between an Englishman and a Norwegian – a race not only for the Pole but also for nationalistic pride. For Captain , victory would confirm the glory and grandeur of the British Empire. His opponent, Roald Amundsen, however, set out to prove that simple Scandinavian virtues of meticulous preparation and keen awareness were vital to success. Which of these two men was to achieve such an epic feat?

In 1912, Scott’s team died, starved and frostbitten, while Amundsen returned home victorious. Scott’s fatal demise has been attributed to his inexperience and second-rate leadership skills – but has historical analysis been too unkind? Is there another explanation for the outcome of this famous race? Part history, part experiential history, part epic adventure, The Great Race injects a gripping drama into the heart of a classic documentary series.

Two teams of present-day explorers accurately recreate Scott and Amundsen’s Antarctic race in a televisual experiment of heroism and ambition. Armed with identical equipment, the teams chart a parallel course to that of the 1911-12 expeditions, testing the strength of modern man on this extraordinary journey, navigating their way across 2,560 km of ice. The volunteers have been carefully selected to match the physical and professional profiles of the men who partook in the original expedition. The polar playing field has been levelled so that the truth may be revealed: will history be repeated? Episode Synopses

Episode 1 The teams have two weeks to acclimatise to the weather, equipment and their new sled-dogs. Because dogs are now prohibited from use in Antarctica, this race takes place over the same distance and similar grounds to the original, but in .

As the modern teams get used to their dogs it becomes clear why, in 1911, Amundsen relied on them to power him to the Pole, and Scott mistrusted them, relying instead on new- fangled motor-sledges, ponies and man-hauling. Nick, the British dog expert, is living his dream driving Greenland sled-dogs. However, he struggles to control his 24 dogs when he refuses to carry the whip they are used to.

As the dogs fight, ropes snap, boils break out and they fall behind, it seems the curse of Scott has fallen on the Brits. Meanwhile, the Norwegians, suffering from a little over- confidence on their first day out with the dogs, narrowly avoid serious injury.

Episode 2 The British and Norwegian teams have acclimatised in Greenland and got to grips with the early 1900s expedition equipment – and the race began in episode one. However, within days of being on the ice cap, a violent blizzard strikes both teams with near fatal consequences. For the Brits, the storm is an unwelcome delay and alarm bells are starting to sound in the tent: their progress has been dire, largely because they have been unable to control their dogs. If they don’t get a grip, soon they will fail to make it to their first depot of food.

Their problems are further compounded when one of the team members is injured and has to be flown off the ice.

Fascinating parallels are starting to emerge between this race and Scott and Amundsen’s expeditions of 1912: certainly, there are shades of Scott in Bruce Parry’s demeanour.

Both teams have only the original navigational techniques at their disposal as they try and plough their way through the ice-cap. But will either hit their first depot of food?

Episode 3 Both teams face their toughest challenge yet as Blizzard – Race To The Pole continues. As part of their route, both teams must move through the Mount Forel range, navigating their way through two crevasse-ridden glaciers.

For Bruce Parry and his team, it is not only an immense physical challenge, but with the team’s dogs still misbehaving it is also incredibly dangerous.

If and when they make it through the glaciers, both teams then have to brave it through the plummeting temperatures of the ice cap.

Episode 4 The British and Norwegian teams are struggling on in their bid to recreate the legendary Scott and great Amundsen’s mammoth expedition of 1911/1912. And as if this wasn’t enough, Gjeldnes’s contemporary Norwegian team have set their own challenge of reaching the destination faster than Amundsen.

For Bruce Parry and the British team things are about to get really tough. Two men have been injured and flown out, and now the team has the gruelling prospect of hauling two 500kg sledges with six men instead of eight.

Bruce has a tough decision to make too: the whole team cannot go to the pole, so who will he pick and who is he going to send back?

Episode 5 Bruce Parry settles on a very risky strategy which very nearly backfires. Much as Scott did nearly a century before, the team starts to experience atrocious snow conditions. The lack of food is taking its toll and all the members of the team have lost more than 15 per cent of their body weight. Being weaker and more vulnerable to the cold, there is a question mark over whether they will make it to the pole at all.

The Norwegians, on the other hand, look set to smash Amundsen’s time to the Pole and back.

Episode 6 As the race to the South Pole reaches its dramatic climax, it looks as though the Norwegians will triumph again. Bruce Parry and his team finally make it to the Pole, but will they make it back? The four remaining men have lost a lot of weight which is making them susceptible to the cold. Then, with the whole race run, there are stark conclusions to be drawn about what happened during the original epic journey to the Pole in 1912.

Key Facts

The Great Race recreates the journey to the South Pole in Arctic , simply because animals are no longer allowed on Antarctica. The two teams face a glacier, a polar plateau, and a stretch of unstable sea ice among other geographical hardships on their journey.

Some old favourites also making an appearance this season:

Top Gear: Winter Olympic Special (repeat episode) Tx: Wednesday 7th December at

21.30

A Winter Olympic Special set in the Nordics, where the boys attempt Olympic events, but with cars. In a world first, the team fire a rocket-powered off a ski jump, Jeremy and James tackle the biathlon with the latest 4x4s, Richard stages a game of car ice hockey and the Jaguar XK races a speed skater.

Top Gear, Series 6 Episode 6 (repeat episode) TX: Tuesday 13th December at 21.30

The Top Gear team take by storm racing a Mercedes and a North Sea ferry.