In BBC drama series The Search For The Nile, a group of 19th Century explorers head, at various times, to darkest Africa intent on discovering the source of the Nile.
With fame and legendary status attached to the discovery there is no love lost between the men. John Henning Speke (John Wuentin) trusted no one and was willing to discredit anybody if it meant he got there first, whilst David Livingstone (Michael Gough) went missing only to be discovered by New York journalist Henry Stanley (Keith Samuel); Samuel Baker’s real pre-occupation was big game hunting whilst Richard Burton (Kenneth Haigh) was the most dedicated of them all.
Cast: Kenneth Haigh as Richard Burton; John Quentin as John Hanning Speke; Seth Adagala as Bombay; Andre van Gyseghem as Sir Roderick Murchison; Michael Gough as David Livingstone; Ian McCulloch as James Grant; Norman Rossington as Samuel Baker; Keith Buckley as Henry Morton Stanley; Narrated by James Mason
Writers: Derek Marlowe (episodes 1-3), Michael Hastings (episodes 4-6) / Producer: Christopher Ralling
UK / BBC-2 / 6×50 minute episodes / Broadcast 22 September – 27 October 1971
THE EPISODES 22 September – 27 October 1971
1. THE DREAM OF THE WANDERER
2. DISCOVERY AND BETRAYAL
3. THE SECRET FOUNTAINS
4. THE GREAT DEBATE
5. FIND LIVINGSTONE
6. CONQUEST AND DEATH
