In late 2007 I was in the offices at Ginger TV in London and the then “Head of Ginger” was a larger than life East Ender with a booming deep voice.
“I f**king love your expedition!” he grinned, “Its f**cking pointless!”
He went on to warn us that if we wanted to film the whole thing for a TV documentary it was going to be 50% harder than simply walking the length of the Amazon.
We’d have to carry two HD video cameras, tape stock, spare batteries, chargers and cleaning kit totaling about five kilos each. On top of the 30kg of kit we were already carrying. We’d have to constantly think in terms of stories that would work for the camera. We’d have to stick cameras in each other’s faces when neither of us had any desire to be recorded.
860 days, 200 one-hour tapes, and ten video cameras later I returned to England having recorded enough of the expedition to turn into two hours of fairly gritty documentary. Discovery UK and Channel 5 co-commissioned the series to be made and Ginger turned my very “Blair Witch” footage into a two-part program.
The first program airs on Wednesday 2nd February at 10pm on Discovery and Discovery HD. The concluding part will be screened a week later on the 9th Feb at the same time. It will then be aired on Channel 5 three months later.
Congrats on the show. I guess it was worth the 5 kg each. I look forward to watching it here in Canfada. I remember carrying way too much equipment up Mount Kilimanjaro in the name of photography. No video on the HD video capabilities on the cameras like now!
Tracey Harper
Congrats, and I look forward to watching the program!
Hi Ed,
Can’t wait to see the TV doco and looking forward to the book too. Will be great for you to see Cho again soon and make future plans. My M.E. is a bit better recently too and I’m dancing and swimming again so good news all round.
Sue B.
Great viewing Ed. Loved it and admire you. Just had to fast forward through the baby monkey bit !!!!!! Hope Cho can watch it too. If not now, then when he arrives here.