Shackleton (2002 TV series)

Shackleton is a 2002 British television miniseries. It was written and directed by Charles Sturridge and starring Kenneth Branagh as explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. The film tells the true story of Shackleton's 1914 Antarctic expedition on the ship Endurance. The cast includes Kevin McNally, Lorcan Cranitch, Embeth Davidtz, Danny Webb, Matt Day and Phoebe Nicholls (also the director's wife) as Lady Shackleton. It was filmed in the UK, Iceland and Greenland. The film used first-hand accounts by the men on the expedition to retell the story. Shackleton biographer Roland Huntford was a production advisor.

Shackleton was first broadcast in two parts by Channel 4 in January 2002. In North America the film was first broadcast by the A&E Network in April 2002. The film was nominated for seven Emmy Awards, six BAFTA Awards, and a Golden Globe Award.

Plot
The films tells the true story of explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton (Kenneth Branagh) and his 1914 Antarctic expedition on the ship Endurance. The story begins with him planning the expedition and finding sponsors, particularly Sir James Caird. Shackleton's goal is to drive dog sled teams from one side of Antarctica to the other, which would make Britain the first nation to undertake such a trans-continental journey.

Once the expedition is underway, trouble arises due to thick sea ice and low temperatures. Endurance becomes trapped and eventually crushed by pack ice. Shackleton vows to find a way to rescue the men. He undertakes an epic journey across the ice, followed by 800 miles of the Southern Ocean and then an uncharted mountain range on South Georgia Island. He finds a whaling station from which rescue parties are sent to collect his entire shipwrecked crew. The otherwise failed expedition is made famous for every crew member surviving despite insurmountable odds.

Cast
(In order of appearance)
 * Kenneth Branagh as Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton
 * John Grillo as Franks
 * Phoebe Nicholls as Emily Shackleton
 * Eve Best as Eleanor Shackleton
 * Mark Tandy as Frank Shackleton
 * Cicely Delaney as Cecily Shackleton
 * Christian Young as Raymond Shackleton
 * Embeth Davidtz as Rosalind Chetwynd
 * Danny Webb as Perris
 * Lorcan Cranitch as Frank Wild
 * Michael Culkin as Jack Morgan
 * Mark McGann as Tom Crean
 * Abby Ford as Marcie
 * Kevin McNally as Frank Worsley
 * Robert Hardy as Sir James Caird
 * Pip Torrens as James McIlroy
 * Ken Drury as Harry McNish
 * Matt Day as Frank Hurley