Martin Clunes: Island Of America

Everyone has an image of America: a land of big shops, bright lights and asphalt highways stretching right across the continent. But there is another America – and I set out to find it.” ~ Martin Clunes

Martin Clunes embarks on an epic journey around the coast of America to discover what life is like on the surrounding islands for Islands of America, a new documentary series that starts on ITV Choice (DStv 123) on Thursday, 23 May 2019 at 20:00.

From Buffalo Pictures MARTIN CLUNES : ISLANDS OF AMERICA Tuesday 5th February 2019 on ITV Pictured: Martin Clunes partakes in a traditional greeting with Anakala Pilipo Solatorio in the lush Halawa Valley, Molokai Hawaii Episode 1 The first port of call on MartinÕs journey was the lush, tropical Hawaii. His exploration looked beyond HawaiiÕs image as a tourist paradise, crammed with sun-kissed beaches and world class surfing, and into the havoc wreaked by advancing lava fields and smoking craters. Leaving Hawaii Martin flew 2,500 miles north to the islands of Alaska, where the contrast couldnÕt have been more extreme, from tropical rain forests to snow-fringed glaciers; from crowded beaches to some of America

Following the successful series on the Islands of Britain and Islands of Australia, Clunes has developed a fascination for the unique quality and appeal of island life, often in the most remote places on the planet.

This time he sets off on a 16 000-kilometre journey, from the west to the east, to explore the vast swathe of islands which are scattered beyond America’s shores. He travels from Hawaii’s islands of fire and Alaska’s islands of snow and ice, to the playgrounds of presidents off the New England coast.

Clunes says: “I wanted to look beyond corporate America and discover the other United States, out past the mainland margins, and what life is like on these unique and diverse islands.

“On this island journey I meet men and women who’ve lived through many of nature’s worst extremes. And it seems one thing they all share is a profound wisdom about these challenges.”

During the four-part series Clunes visits Hawaii, Molokai, Alaska, the San Juan Islands, the Channel Islands National Park, Avery Island which sits inland from the Gulf of Mexico, Delacroix Island, the colourful Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, the Sea Islands along the coast of Georgia, Sapelo Island, the quiet island backwater of Chincoteague, Manhattan Island, Ellis Island, Coney Island and Martha’s Vineyard, playground for the wealthy.

The final place on Clunes’s epic island journey is Maine, America’s most easterly state, with hundreds of islands off its coast. The Isle au Haut is his last island stop where Clunes meets the children from the island’s primary school to discover what life is like for them on this isolated community.

Clunes concludes: “It seems right to finish my journey here with these children – they’re the future of this island. And seeing them enjoy the simple pleasures of island life will stay with me for a very long time.”

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb