Back in the late 70s or early 80s there was a TV show about famous explorers in history. Don’t remember the name, or if it was a syndicated show or not (it ran on the CBS affiliate in Columbus, OH) and it had the coolest opening music. It was a classical piece, that I’m fairly certain wasn’t written for the show. Anybody have an idea of what the name of the show might have been and what the piece of music they used was? I can remember part of the opening which had people walking through the jungle carrying things. One of the porters falls at one point and you see a woman laughing about it. There was also a large snake in the opening sequence. Thanks.
I think that was Handel’s “Falling Porter Cantata”. Or possibly Copeland’s “Woman Laughing at Pratfall Suite”. Maybe Debussey’s “Large Snake Nocturne”?
Sorry, I’ve been over in MPSIMS.
The series was entitled “Ten Who Dared”. It was a series of docudramas about explorers. It’s not in IMDB (there is a listing for a much older movie about John Wesley Powell, but it’s not the same thing).
I don’t believe it’s been released on video. I don’t know if it would be a big seller. Lots of stuff about Victorians with stiff upper lips and all that.
Upon further checking, “Ten Who Dared” was released in video and it is available in some libraries. Contrary to my recollection, it wasn’t all about English explorers.
Some of the people profiled were Burke and Wills, James Cook, Pizarro, Amundsen, Charles Doughty, Christopher Columbus, Jedediah Smith, and Mary Kingsley.
One library in Southern California that owns them is in Cudahy. If you can find that town, you should get a documentary made about you.
Hmmm. “Ten Who Dared” might be it. Any idea about the what the theme music might be?