Series synopsis
Around the World with Orson Welles is a British documentary television series that premiered on ITV1 on October 7, 1955. It ended on April 12, 2003. It was created by Orson Welles. It stars Orson Welles, Chris Wertenbaker, Art Buchwald and Lael Wertenbaker.
A six-part British television travel series written, directed, and presented by Orson Welles for ITV in 1955. Filmed entirely in Europe, the series follows Welles through Vienna, the Basque Country, Madrid, Paris’s Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and London’s Chelsea Pensioners, blending travelogue, cultural portraiture, and personal essay. Moving between documentary observation and reflective commentary, the episodes combine interviews, local history, and Welles’s distinctive narration into a series th ...
Premise
A six-part British television travel series written, directed, and presented by Orson Welles for ITV in 1955. Filmed entirely in Europe, the series follows Welles through Vienna, the Basque Country, Madrid, Paris’s Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and London’s Chelsea Pensioners, blending travelogue, cultural portraiture, and personal essay. Moving between documentary observation and reflective commentary, the episodes combine interviews, local history, and Welles’s distinctive narration into a series that functions as both travel film and cinematic essay.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Orson Welles as Host: Orson Welles
- Chris Wertenbaker as Self — Guitarist
- Art Buchwald as Self — Newspaper Columnist
- Lael Wertenbaker as Self — Author
- Raymond Duncan as Self — Artist
- Jean-Paul Sartre as Self — Author
- Simone de Beauvoir as Self — Author
- Beñat Toyos as Self
Supporting cast
- Le père Ibarburu as Self
- Ferdinand Lop as Self — Politician
- Jean Cocteau as Self (archive footage)
- Eddie Constantine as Man in Nightclub (archive footage)
- Juliette Gréco as Self (archive footage)
- Kenneth Tynan as Self — Host
- Elaine Dundy as Self — Host
- Angel Parada as Self — Bullfighter
- Manolo Vázquez as Self — Bullfighter
- Manolete as Self — Bullfighter (archive footage)
- Clovis Dominici as Self
- Gustave Dominici as Self
Guest cast
- Chris Wertenbaker as Self — Guitarist
- Art Buchwald as Self — Newspaper Columnist
- Lael Wertenbaker as Self — Author
- Raymond Duncan as Self — Artist
- Jean-Paul Sartre as Self — Author
- Simone de Beauvoir as Self — Author
- Beñat Toyos as Self
- Le père Ibarburu as Self
- Ferdinand Lop as Self — Politician
- Jean Cocteau as Self (archive footage)
- Eddie Constantine as Man in Nightclub (archive footage)
- Juliette Gréco as Self (archive footage)
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 7 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 7 | October 7, 1955 | April 12, 2003 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Pays Basque I: The Basque Countries Welles takes the viewer to the Basque countryside, a remote corner of Europe on the border of Spain and France. He interviews American expatriates and a Basque sheepherder who returned to Europe after spending 23 years in Colorado. |
October 7, 1955 |
| 2 |
Pays Basque II: La Pelote Basque Welles continues his tour of the Basque region of France and Spain and learns about the game of pelota and some of its variants — jai alai, joko garbi, and rebot. |
October 21, 1955 |
| 3 |
Revisiting Vienna Welles revisits Vienna, the setting of one of his most famous films, and one of his greatest performances as the unforgettable Harry Lime in Carol Reed's The Third Man. |
November 4, 1955 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | ITV1 |
|---|---|
| First aired | October 7, 1955 |
| Last aired | April 12, 2003 |
| Runtime | 26 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Friday |