Michael Portillo resumes his exhilarating tour of San Francisco to find that diversity has been at the heart of the city since the days of the gold rush, though not always harmoniously so. Following his Appleton's guide, Michael heads to Chinatown to hear of the huge contribution Chinese immigrants made to the economy, working as miners and building the transcontinental railroad. He discovers an entrepreneurial community who overcame discrimination laid down by the law, and finds that fortune favours the brave with iconic Chinese treats created in America!\n\nIntrigued by a reference in his guidebook, Michael goes in search of lavish public baths to unpack a landmark incident in 1897 whereby an African-American sued one of the richest white men in the state. At one of the oldest private athletics clubs in America, Michael gets to grips with the sport of handball, first brought to San Francisco by Irish immigrants in the 1850s. And joining the police's Marine Unit, he heads out into the bay with a force who has been keeping the waters safe since the 1860s.
Source: BBC 2
Series 2 Reversions: 9. Chicago To Champaign, Illinois
21-08-2023
BBC 2
Series 2 Reversions: 5. Santa Fe, New Mexico, To The Grand Canyon
14-08-2023
BBC 2
Series 2 Reversions: 4. La Junta To Colorado Springs
10-08-2023
BBC 2
Series 2 Reversions: 2. Sedalia To St Joseph, Missouri
08-08-2023
BBC 2
Series 2 Reversions: 1. St Louis To Jefferson City, Missouri
07-08-2023
BBC 2
Series 4: 10. Edmonton To Jasper
Michael Portillo continues west through the Canadian Prairie on his thousand-mile rail journey from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Jasper, Alberta. Following his 1899 Appleton’s g ...
11-10-2022
BBC 2
Series 2: 10. Albuquerque, New Mexico, To The Grand Canyon, Arizona
03-02-2017
BBC 2
Series 3: 8. Montreal To Ottawa
Steered by his Appleton's guidebook Michael Portillo's train journey continues in Canada's Quebec province. \n\nVenturing into the wooded hills of Vaudreuil, Michael explores a ...
17-11-2022
BBC 2
Series 3: 4. Providence, Rhode Island, To New London, Connecticut
Led by his 19th-century Appleton's guidebook, Michael Portillo's railway journey continues through New England. On the banks of the Providence River, he discovers a club that tr ...
10-11-2022
BBC 2
Series 4: 2. Talkeetna To Juneau
Armed with his 1899 Appleton’s Guidebook to Alaska, Michael Portillo rides the Alaska Railroad north to explore the remote former goldrush settlement of Talkeetna. Deep in ...
20-09-2022
BBC 2
Series 3: 20. La Jolla To San Diego
Michael Portillo is nearing the end of his thousand-mile rail journey from Reno, Nevada, to San Diego in southern California. In this final leg, clad in khaki boiler suit and sp ...
08-12-2022
BBC 2
Series 3 Reversions: 10. Thousand Islands To Toronto
Steered by his 1899 Appleton's guide, Michael Portillo's rail journey through eastern Canada continues along the Grand Trunk railway, following the route of the St Lawrence Rive ...
18-06-2018
BBC 2