Viewers were fascinated by Michael Palin’s North Korea documentary

Last night saw a real TV first when veteran travel broadcaster (and former Monty Python member) Michael Palin travelled to North Korea for a new Channel 5 documentary, his first time in the self-sealed state and a rare chance for viewers to see what life is like in the country.

• Michael Palin on his journey through North Korea: "once we got there the anxieties fell away"
• Michael Palin reveals first trailer for North Korea travel series: "This will be the most revealing journey of my life"
• Everything you need to know about Michael Palin in North Korea

https://youtu.be/1nOsK2XAoV0

And it’s fair to say that viewers were pretty excited to see Palin back in travel mode.

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In this first episode Palin went to the country’s capital, Pyongyang, where the streets are serenaded by propaganda songs. During his time there, he visits statues of former leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-il that are said to live on today and even pops into a North Korean school, where he throws a globe around with some children to see how much of the world they know about while one child recites a patriotic poem.

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And while there are serious questions asked about the country, Palin joining in the dancing during a mass May Day celebration captured the imagination of many viewers.

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Of course, Palin was aware that he was being presented with quite a sanitised view of the country – and it’s a fact that wasn’t left on people watching at home.

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