Around the World in 80 Days (2021 TV series)

Lore & Background

The series follows Phileas Fogg, who makes a £20,000 wager with his boyhood friend at the Reform Club that he can circumnavigate the world in 80 days. He is joined by his new valet Passepartout and journalist Abigail Fix. Although the story is fictional, real-life figures such as Adolphe Thiers, Jane Digby, and Bass Reeves appear interacting with the fictional characters.

The production was commissioned by the European Alliance, a co-production alliance of France Télévisions, ZDF, and RAI, with additional partners Masterpiece (US) and Be-Films/RTBF (Belgium). Filming took place in the UK, France, South Africa, and Romania. Filming was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed on 1 October that year.

The series received a 82% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 17 reviews, with a critical consensus praising the core cast. Metacritic gave a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, indicating generally favorable reviews. Some critics praised the production values and escapism, while others felt the budget did not do the novel's epic scope justice or criticized attempts to address contemporary political issues.

Reader's Guide

Around the World in 80 Days (2021) is significant as a modern television adaptation of Jules Verne's enduring adventure novel, produced through a unique European co-production alliance. Its legacy lies in updating the classic story for a 21st-century audience while retaining the core premise of a race against time. The series introduced changes to characters such as making Fix a journalist and Passepartout a more complex figure, which drew both praise and criticism. The show's production was notably affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with filming suspended in March 2020 and resuming later that year. Despite being renewed for a second season before the first even aired, by October 2024 no further seasons were confirmed, leaving the series as a single-season adaptation. Its reception was mixed but generally favorable, with particular acclaim for David Tennant's performance as Phileas Fogg.

Did You Know?

• The series was originally announced as a limited series, with no second season commissioned as of October 2024.
• The main title score was composed by Christian Lundberg.
• Real-life historical figures such as Adolphe Thiers, Jane Digby, and Bass Reeves appear as characters in the series.