- Desperately Seeking Something
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Desperately Seeking Something 
Pete explaining that the following commercial break can be a learning experience, in his usual comical sarcasmFormat Spirituality/Religion Directed by Steve Connelly Starring Pete McCarthy Language(s) English No. of series 3 Production Running time 25 min. per episode Broadcast Original channel Channel 4 Original run 1995 – 1998 Desperately Seeking Something is a British television series first broadcast on 6 November 1995, presented by travel writer and presenter Pete McCarthy. In it, McCarthy looked at various spiritual practices from across the globe, and meeting their practitioners. It ran for three series. The third series involved him looking at world traditional beliefs like Australian Aboriginal beliefs and Hawaiian religion. The second season looked more at Christian and Pagan sects, including the Fellowship of Isis and the Golden Dawn.
Before going on what would be referred to as a "spiritual journey", McCarthy said "I've taken on the role of everyman, I'm like lots of people who have given up religion and never replaced it with anything else."[1]
Contents
Episodes
An incomplete list of episodes
Series One
- Episode 2 - Witches Hunt
- Episode 3 - The Warrior Within - McCarthy at the Spirit Horse Camp in Wales
- Episode 4 - Order & Chaos
Series Two
- The Wicca Man : In the first episode, McCarthy encountered acupuncture, before going through "the crowning ceremony" with a woman in Glastonbury to unlock his DNA from extraterrestrial control. Finally he joined Vivianne Crowley's coven of Wiccans in Wales for their Midsummer festivities.
- Safe Sects : In the second episode, McCarthy meets a group of Qabalists in Tintagel, Cornwall, before being healed by a New Age suburban shaman. He then met Bob Stuart to discuss whether fairies really exist. He then met with Emma Restall Orr and other Druids from the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, who took him to Wayland's Smithy to leave an offering to the ancestors, and then initiated him into Druidry at Abbots Wood. Finally he visited a Glastonbury-based spiritual healer callef Geoff who made oil appear in Pete's hands.
- Across the Sea to Isis : In episode three, McCarthy travelled to Ireland to visit Clonegal Castle, the headquarters of the Fellowship of Isis where he was initiated into the Druid Order of Dana. Staying in Ireland, he met with some people who feel a spiritual connection to the country, tries using dowsing rods and then met a group of Roman Catholic priests who believe in connecting to their Celtic pagan roots.
- Pan's People : In episode four, Pete met Ivan McBeth who believes that stones are alive and who builds stone circles a form of healing acupuncture for the planet; joined the Golden Dawn Occult Society in a trance at the ancient burial chamber of West Kennet Longbarrow in Wiltshire; and then visited the Island of Arran which Tibetan mystic Lama Yeshe hoped will become the planet's spiritual interface.
Series Three
- McCarthy went to Australia and stayed in the Outback with some Aborigines where they discussed their traditional religion.
- McCarthy meets with Odinists.
- McCarthy meets with people who believe that Jesus came from the planet Venus.
- In the final episode of the first series, McCarthy went to Hawaii, USA, where he explored both Hawaiian religion (which he commented on as being the religion he'd most like to join), along with modern New Age practises on the island.
See also
References
External links
Categories:- Channel 4 television programmes
- 1995 in British television
- United Kingdom television programme stubs
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