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Top Dogs: Adventures in War, Sea and Ice

Episode 1: Afghanistan

Duration: 1 hour, 5 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC Two Northern Ireland (Analogue)Latest broadcast: on BBC Two England

A unique, behind-the-scenes insight into the process of overseas news reporting, as seen through the eyes of 'top dogs'.

Three iconic adventurers - newsman John Simpson, polar explorer Ranulph Fiennes and solo yachtsman Robin Knox-Johnston - go on a newsgathering trip to war-torn Afghanistan. Simpson has to ensure the other two men are adequately trained and prepared for their foray into the world of the foreign correspondent.

On the ground in Afghanistan, the three men aim to find out why, after many years of Western occupation, the security situation is still deteriorating. At great personal risk, they journey overland from Kabul to the treacherous border with Pakistan. Braving hostile crowds, heavily mined roads and the ever-present threat of suicide-bombers, they eventually file a live report from one of Afghanistan's most notorious hotspots. Show less

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