The Himalayas: Other Times, Other Places

Reflecting back on England's empire days in the Himalayas, this intermittently interesting program drops in on a quartet of elders sitting in the garden of a Darjeeling hotel recalling life under the Raj. The last British tea planter remembers the social balls and club life of the planters, a monk talks about the old days when carrying water up the mountain to the monastery was a serious chore, and viewers are given a colorful glimpse of a festive Lama ceremony. There's no particular order to or connection between the recollections, although archival footage, photos, and overlaid British narration provide appropriate segues. Those unfamiliar with the history of British colonialism will be completely lost, while viewers who do have extensive knowledge of the place and period will be disappointed in the paucity of really good stories and/or insights. Not recommended. (R. Pitman)