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Premiering Wednesday 12 November at 20:30 on National Geographic, Hannah Fry uncovers the patterns and connections that shape our world
Professor Hannah Fry sets off on an epic global adventure, not just to see the world but to decode it, in the brand-new six-part series THE INFINITE EXPLORER WITH HANNAH FRY, premiering on National Geographic (DStv 181, StarTimes 220) across Africa on Wednesdays at 20:30 (CAT), from 12 November 2025. The series will also be available on Disney+ in South Africa.
Blending travel, science and storytelling to uncover the hidden threads that shape our world, the series takes viewers to six extraordinary destinations, South Korea, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Vietnam and Spain, following Hannah’s quest to reveal the forces that define culture and the connections that make a nation what it is.
Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN3_wTEnhZU
This series is much more than a travelogue – it’s a journey into the character of nations and the influences that shape them. With curiosity, wit and insight, she peels back the layers of each location. Through stunning landscapes, vibrant cities and hidden treasures, Hannah seeks out extraordinary voices and surprising quirks of history and geography that reveal what makes each place truly unique.
Always searching for patterns and hidden connections, she shows how Spain’s destiny was shaped by mountains, analyses traffic etiquette in Ho Chi Minh City, reveals secrets embedded in the Parthenon’s geometry and explores how Irish syntax builds a worldview.
Discussing the new series, Hannah Fry says: “I’ve always been fascinated by the patterns that lie beneath everyday life. This series gave me the chance to explore them on a global scale, from the way landscapes shape history to the traditions and quirks that define culture. It’s been a joy to meet people around the world who bring these stories to life, and I think audiences will be amazed at how much the hidden details reveal about us all.”
Each episode bursts with character and discovery. Hannah’s South Korean journey spans the billion-dollar world of esports, the traditions of Taekwondo, the artistry of a kimchi grandmaster and the bravery of Jeju’s legendary female divers, revealing a nation that fuses heritage with high-tech innovation.
Turning to Greece, Hannah sails ancient trade routes, marvels at the optical illusions hidden in the Parthenon, joins olive farmers in Crete and is swept up in Galaxidi’s exuberant flour-throwing festival. Across Ireland, she discovers a surprising surf scene, explores the horse racing culture of Punchestown, traces her own Irish DNA and embraces the art of storytelling.
While in Iceland, Hannah meets scientists who diverted lava to save the Blue Lagoon, entrepreneurs harnessing geothermal energy and modern-day Vikings keeping sagas alive on black-sand plains. Her travels through Vietnam take her from the moped mayhem of Ho Chi Minh City to the misty hilltops of Sapa, celebrating Tet with a local family and uncovering the story of pho as a symbol of national identity. Finally, in Spain, Hannah dives into the fiery rhythms of flamenco, traces the origins of paella, explores Barcelona’s strict urban geometry and witnesses the extraordinary human towers of Tarragona.
The series is produced by Atomic Television, part of Zinc Media, for National Geographic and Bloomberg Originals.
Episodes include:
“South Korea”
Hannah Fry visits South Korea to uncover how a nation once defined by war and division became a global force in culture, business and technology. She explores the billion-dollar world of esports, learns Taekwondo from a blackbelt, meets a kimchi grandmaster and Jeju’s legendary female divers. Along the way, she discovers how South Korea blends tradition with innovation, from family-run business empires to cutting-edge everyday tech. With curiosity and humour, Hannah reveals how the country’s unique mix of ancient values and future-focused thinking turned it into a cultural superpower that continues to shape our lives.
“Greece”
Hannah Fry journeys across islands, mountains and olive groves to reveal why ancient Greece was the birthplace of so many big ideas. From sailing old trade routes through the Aegean to marvelling at the optical illusions hidden in the Parthenon, she explores how ideas were shaped by the dramatic landscape and how a mastery of maths, architecture and navigation fuelled a golden age of progress and innovation. Exploring the threads between ancient and modern Greece, she joins a family of olive farmers in Crete preserving centuries-old traditions and visits the mountaintop monasteries in Meteora, where nuns safeguard classical texts. In the coastal town of Galaxidi, she’s swept up in a riotous flour-throwing festival that blends ancient myth with modern identity.
“Ireland”
Ireland doesn’t take up much room on the map, but few places have such a celebrated identity; more than 70 million people around the world claim Irish heritage. Hannah digs beneath the surface to discover what it really means to be Irish today. Along the windswept coast of Donegal Bay, she dives into Ireland’s surprising surfing scene, where dramatic geology is forging a new bond with the sea. She places a bet at the Punchestown races, exploring how a connection to the land became a multibillion-euro industry. In a moment of personal discovery, Hannah uncovers her own Irish DNA and how her family history holds clues to Irish identity. As her journey ends, Hannah steps into the spotlight to try her hand at one of Ireland’s most cherished traditions: storytelling.
“Iceland”
Hannah Fry visits Iceland to discover how this stark, treeless island became a global success story. On the geologically active Reykjanes Peninsula, she meets scientists whose lava-flow predictions saved the world-famous Blue Lagoon spa from destruction. In Hengill, she sees how a futuristic algae farm is fuelled by geothermal power and imagination. A dip in the country’s oldest swimming pool reveals how Iceland’s unusually small gene pool is helping advance global health, while a horseback ride across a black sand landscape immortalised in the Icelandic sagas shows how Viking heritage continues to inspire creativity. The Icelanders Hannah encounters don’t just live on the land; they negotiate with it. Their collective determination and adaptability have forged an island of ideas – and a tourist magnet the world cannot resist.
“Vietnam”
Hannah Fry travels to Vietnam, a land of staggering natural beauty, ancient traditions and some of the fastest growing skylines on earth. Over 1,600 km from the vibrant South to the historic North, Vietnam reveals a remarkable story of post-war transformation. Hannah immerses herself in the moped chaos in Ho Chi Minh City, helps with a muddy prawn harvest in the Mekong Delta and takes a restorative spa bath in the misty hilltops of Sapa. She ushers in the Lunar New Year with a local family celebrating the Tet festival and learns how the beloved dish pho, tells a story of national identity. In each place she visits, Hannah meets characters whose lives have been shaped by both war and renewal. What emerges is a nation embracing change, where striking contrasts are balanced by a spirit of cooperation and strong family bonds.
“Spain”
Hannah Fry decodes Spain’s cultural contradictions. Starting in Madrid, she tries to learn flamenco and discovers how the artform combines both technical discipline and freedom of improvisation. In Valencia, she uncovers the origins of paella, the fiercely regional dish that owes its existence to an irrigation system built over 700 years ago. In the Canary Islands, where Christopher Columbus first set sail for the Americas, she discovered an ancient whistling language which endured as Spanish conquered the world. Back on the mainland, she indulges her love of urban planning in Barcelona, revealing how much of the city’s easy charm is built on strict geometric discipline. And in a heart-stopping finale in Tarragona, she witnesses the strong community bonds at the core of gravity defying human pyramids.
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