''The Last Place on Earth'' is a 1985 Central Television seven-part serial, written by Trevor Griffiths based on the book ''Scott and Amundsen'' by Roland Huntford. The book is an exploration of the expeditions of Captain Robert F. Scott (played by Martin Shaw) and his Norwegian rival in polar exploration,

Roald Amundsen Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (, ; ; 16 July 1872 – ) was a Norwegians, Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Born in Borge, Østfold, Norway, Am ...

(played by Sverre Anker Ousdal) in their attempts to reach the

South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the point in the Southern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True South Pole to distinguish ...

. The series ran for seven episodes and starred a wide range of UK and Norwegian character actors as well as featuring some famous names, such as

Max von Sydow Max von Sydow (; born Carl Adolf von Sydow; 10 April 1929 – 8 March 2020) was a Swedish and French actor. He had a 70-year career in European and American cinema, television, and theatre, appearing in more than 150 films and several television ...

Alexander Knox Alexander Knox (16 January 1907 – 25 April 1995) was a Canadian actor and writer. He appeared in over 100 film, television, and theatrical productions over a career spanning from the 1920s until the late 1980s. He was nominated for an Oscar ...

, Richard Wilson,

Sylvester McCoy Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith (born 20 August 1943), known professionally as Sylvester McCoy, is a Scottish actor. Gaining prominence as a physical comedian, he became best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long ...

Brian Dennehy Brian Manion Dennehy (; July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe, and received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Dennehy had roles i ...

, and Pat Roach. It also featured performances early in their careers by

Bill Nighy William Francis Nighy (; born 12 December 1949) is an English actor. Known for his work in numerous stage, television and film productions, he has received several awards including a British Academy Film Award and a Golden Globe Award, and ...

and

Hugh Grant Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as a charming and vulnerable romantic leading man, and has since transitioned into a character actor. He has received List of awards ...

. Subsequently, Huntford's book was republished under the same name.The Last Place on Earth, by Roland Huntford, 1999, Modern Library Exploration, The book put forth the point of view that Amundsen's success in reaching the South Pole was abetted by much superior planning, whereas errors by Scott (notably including the reliance on man-hauling instead of sled dogs) ultimately resulted in the death of him and his companions.

Episodes

Episode 1: "Poles Apart" Episode 2: "Minor Diversion" Episode 3: "Leading Men" Episode 4: "Gentlemen and Players" Episode 5: "The Glories of the Race" Episode 6: "Foregone Conclusion" Episode 7: "Rejoice"

Production

A great number of the scenes showing both the Norwegian and British parties on the Antarctic Continent could not be replicated except in very few places. For the series, all production was located at

Frobisher Bay Frobisher Bay is an inlet of the Davis Strait in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is located in the southeastern corner of Baffin Island. Its length is about and its width varies from about at its outlet into the Davis Strait ...

Baffin Island Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada, the second-largest island in the Americas (behind Greenland), and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is (slightly smal ...

which in and of itself, due to the remoteness and frigid temperatures, subjected both cast and crew to conditions not too different from the actual expeditions in 1912.

Cast

* Martin Shaw – Captain R. F. Scott * Sverre Anker Ousdal –

–

Fridtjof Nansen Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (; 10 October 1861 – 13 May 1930) was a Norwegian polymath and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He gained prominence at various points in his life as an explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and co-founded the ...

–

Frederick Cook Frederick Albert Cook (June 10, 1865 – August 5, 1940) was an American explorer, physician and ethnographer, who is most known for allegedly being the first to reach the North Pole on April 21, 1908. A competing claim was made a year l ...

– Sir Clements Markham * Stephen Moore – Dr. "Uncle Bill" Wilson *Ståle Bjørnhaug – Olav Bjaaland * Michael Maloney – Lieutenant "Teddy" Evans * Richard Morant – Captain "Titus" Oates *

– Lieutenant "Birdie" Bowers * Robin Soans – Dr. "Atch" Atkinson * Jan Hårstad – Helmer Hanssen * Erik Hivju – Sverre Hassel * Jon Eikemo – Adolf Lindstrøm *Ivar Nørve –

Oscar Wisting Oscar Adolf Wisting (6 June 1871 – 5 December 1936) was a Norwegian Naval officer and polar explorer. Together with Roald Amundsen he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. Biography Oscar Wisting was born in ...

* Hans Ola Sørlie – Jørgen Stubberud * Nils Ole Oftebro – Thorvald Nilsen * Bjørn Skagestad – Kristian Prestrud *

Sven Nordin Sven Audun Nordin (born 6 February 1957) is a Norwegian actor. He was hired by Oslo Nye Teater in the autumn of 1981 and had his debut in the play "Vikinger" by Johan Borgen. He is best known for his roles as Nils in the situation comedy '' Mo ...

– Tryggve Gran * Pat Roach –

Edgar Evans Petty Officer Edgar Evans (7 March 1876 – 17 February 1912) was a Welsh Royal Navy petty officer and member of the "Polar Party" in Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated ''Terra Nova'' Expedition to the South Pole in 1911–1912. This grou ...

* Susan Wooldridge – Kathleen Scott, née Bruce *

– Cecil Meares * Toralv Maurstad – Hjalmar Johansen * Per Theodor Haugen – Leon Amundsen * Tom Georgeson – Chief Stoker "Bill" Lashly *

–

Apsley Cherry-Garrard Apsley George Benet Cherry-Garrard (2 January 1886 – 18 May 1959) was an English explorer of Antarctica. He was a member of the Terra Nova Expedition, ''Terra Nova'' expedition and is acclaimed for his 1922 account of this expedition, ''T ...

* Daragh O'Malley – Tom Crean *

James Aubrey James Aubrey may refer to: * James Aubrey (actor) (1947–2010), English actor * James T. Aubrey (1918–1994), American television and film executive * Jimmy Aubrey Jimmy Aubrey (23 October 1887 – 2 September 1983) was an English actor wh ...

–

Sir Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarc ...

References

External links

ITV television dramas Television series by ITV Studios 1985 British television series debuts 1985 British television series endings 1980s British drama television series 1980s British television miniseries Television shows based on books British English-language television shows Television shows produced by Central Independent Television Cultural depictions of Roald Amundsen Cultural depictions of Robert Falcon Scott {{drama-tv-prog-stub