London, Tuesday 27 January: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has today announced that Michael Palin CBE, the BAFTA-winning actor, writer and presenter, will discuss his career at a special ‘BAFTA A Life in Television’ event at BAFTA headquarters, 195 Piccadilly in London, on Tuesday 17 March. The event is supported by Rathbone Investment Management.
‘BAFTA A Life in Television’ is a new strand of live onstage events that celebrates leading figures from the world of television, shining a light on their talent and their contribution to British television and culture. The strand launched in December with an evening with actress Julie Walters CBE.
Andrew Newman, Chair of the BAFTA Television Committee, said: “From Monty Python to Ripping Yarns to GBH to Around the World in 80 Days and beyond, Michael Palin has been a comedian, a writer, an actor and a factual presenter and has excelled at every one of them. We’re excited to celebrate his remarkable career at this second event in our new ‘BAFTA A Life in Television’ strand. ‘BAFTA A Life in Television’ offers the chance to hear directly from unique talents and explore what makes them so special to British television.”
In a career spanning five decades, BAFTA-winner Michael Palin has entertained and enthralled television, film and stage audiences as a writer and performer in comedy, drama and documentary. Palin received a BAFTA Fellowship at the British Academy Television Awards in 2013, in recognition of his outstanding and exceptional contribution to the moving image industries.
Michael Palin started out as a writer for The Frost Report and The Late Show, before the BAFTA-winning Monty Python’s Flying Circus firmly established his comic reputation. As a founding member of the world-renowned comedy group he wrote and starred in forty-five Python episodes and five feature films.
Palin’s dramatic roles on television have included political drama GBH, for which he was nominated for a BAFTA in 1992. He has also written and presented a host of critically-acclaimed travel documentaries, including BAFTA-winning programmes Around the World in 80 Days, Pole to Pole, Michael Palin’s Hemingway Adventure and Sahara, and BAFTA-nominated Full Circle, Himalaya, New Europe and Brazil, and also the arts documentary Michael Palin and the Mystery of Hammershoi.
Palin has also received BAFTA recognition for his film work; in 1989 he received the BAFTA for Leading Actor for his performance in A Fish Called Wanda, and The Monty Python team were honoured at the 1988 British Academy Film Awards with the Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cinema.
Michael Palin has most recently been seen on British television in the lead role of BBC three-part drama Remember Me. He is currently narrating a new version of the classic children’s television series The Clangers.
Public tickets for ‘BAFTA A Life in Television: Michael Palin’ will go on sale at 13.00 on Friday 6 February. To book tickets, go to www.bafta.org/whats-on/. BAFTA members can book tickets from 9.30 on Wednesday 28 January.
Highlights from the event will be published on BAFTA Guru, BAFTA’s online learning channel (www.bafta.org/guru).
Event details:
‘BAFTA A Life in Television: Michael Palin’
Tuesday 17 March 2015 at BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London
19.45 Champagne Taittinger Reception
20.15 Event commences
For further information, please contact:
Eugenia Proestos at freuds
Hephzibah Kwakye-Saka at freuds
For event photography, logos, accreditation, transcripts and more, visit www.bafta.org/press.
