I first saw the British mini-series THE SEARCH FOR THE NILE on PBS in 1973 and was enthralled. My favorite film is LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and I felt this was the television equivalent. As Peter O'Toole stunned in "Lawrence", Kenneth Haigh as explorer, scientist, (and REBEL) Sir Richard Francis Burton is equally impressive in "Nile." In 1980 (when video tape was available) I had the chance to record this masterpiece on PBS and took every possible precaution to get it right AND DID! (standard play,best tape available,etc.) The tape has held up beautifully all these years and still looks the same, however 1980 standards are not up to todays digital demands. Why this EMMY winner (1971-72 award for best Docu-Drama) is virtually unknown in this day and age is a mystery to me. It has everything you could want in a film; drama,sweep,humor,(that wonderful British humor)flawless performances and a marvelous production design to match the on location shooting. This film hasn't been available in at least 20 years and I'm thinking the copyright owners don't want to spend the money necessary to restore this virtually unknown gem (if possible after all this time)to it's Lawrencelike beauty. Number 1 on my wish list is a restored SEARCH FOR THE NILE on DVD,then I'd die happy but I don't think I'll ever see it.
Review of The Search for the Nile
