Palin feels bad for offending Slovakia

When Monty Python comedian and television presenter Michael Palin set out on his latest travel adventure, he had no idea it would spark a minor diplomatic incident.

In his latest series, New Europe, Palin explored 20 countries that were once off limits behind the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe.

But when it aired in the UK last week, the brevity of the section on Slovakia had the country's embassy in London upset for supposedly portraying Slovaks as beer-drinking simpletons who slaughter pigs.

Palin was officially criticised by the Slovak embassy for his coverage in the final episode of his series, which will air in Australia next year on the Seven Network.

The 64-year-old today said he was actually very fond of Slovakia.

"Slovakia is a great place," he told AAP.

"You can't please everybody, you really can't doing 20 countries, and also we're not there to be fair to all the countries.

"It's my journey and you have to be absolutely subjective about which stories we show."

Palin is said to have devoted only six minutes of the hour-long program – which also featured Germany and the Czech Republic – to Slovakia and ignored its cultural landmarks in favour of showing villagers skinning a pig.

"I think (the embassy) see those people as representing the old Slovakia whereas the embassy wants to show you the new Slovakia with the biggest Volkswagen plant in Europe," he said.

"I do think we underestimated how interesting the journey would be and how fascinating each country would be in its own right.

"We were commissioned to do a six-part series and we just came back with so much material to show ... and we were given an extra hour to do a seven-hour series.

"And even then countries like Slovenia, Macedonia we just go through terribly quickly and I feel quite bad about that. But they are in the book and they will be on the DVD."

The Monty Python star said he was recognised quite often on his travels, particularly in countries like Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Czech Republic where the series was particularly popular.

Palin said he didn't mind it when people come up to talk to him about the show, but it could get awkward when they tried to act out scenes for him.

"When they do their impressions it's a little bit embarrassing, especially if it's John Cleese doing them," he joked.

"It's part of the fact I think that Python is still remembered.

"I just never thought that ... Python would be used as a mark of my success and respectability.

"We thought it was an extremely silly show and its effect would last maybe a couple of years.

"Who's going to be saying 'Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition' in three years' time? Now they're saying it in 40 years' time."

- AAP