Journey of a Lifetime

Unseen for 60 years, Journey of a Lifetime, which debuted on Christmas Eve 1961 is an adventure of spiritual enlightenment across the Holy Land and through the Scriptures.

Filmed throughout Israel and Jordan this unique quasi-documentary series follows young newlyweds, Ann and John, as they explore this sacred region rediscovering the past through their discovery of the present – while visiting such historic places as the Dead Sea, Nazareth, Jerusalem, the Sea of Galilee, Petra, Bethlehem, Samaria, Jericho, Emmaus, Judaea and the River Jordan.

Through their journey of discovery and enchantment the couple see for themselves the holy places that Ann’s faith has always made real for her while John, who keeps an open mind, finds that much which he considered miraculous and unlikely could well have happened. Their discussions and encounters with friends and strangers along the way reassert their understanding of the need for unity and tolerance between religious denominations.

Delving into the breathtaking landscapes of these ancient places, and with reference to key passages from the Bible, the landmarks the couple venture to are brought to life through religious teachings and stories - remaining a fascinating snapshot of these areas at the time.

Part travelogue, part history lesson and part reaffirmation of one’s personal faith, this is an absorbing series for the whole family – it does not preach but has a message for those who wish to listen.

Anne Lawson (Ann) was a familiar face on British television in the 1960s having appeared in Probation Officer, Family Solicitor, Richard the Lionheart, The Saint, and Connie Jones in a 39-episode series of Walter and Connie (English by Television), a hugely successful language learning venture produced by the BBC in 1962-63, and John Bonney (John) was a prolific English character actor who later moved to Australia and appeared in Sons and Daughters, Home and Away and Police Rescue.

Journey of a Lifetime was filmed in colour, but the series was only ever transmitted on ABC Television in black and white but was made available by Network on Air in 2021 before that company sadly went into liquidation. Newly transferred from the original 35mm Eastmancolor negatives especially for this release, the two series added up to 39 episodes and all of them were presented on the Blu-ray DVD.