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The Seven Ages of Britain
One of its biggest Arts series ever to be
commissioned for BBC One, The Seven Ages Of Britain is a landmark
seven part history of Britain's greatest art and artefacts over 2000
years. Written and presented by the ubiquitous David Dimbleby each
hour-long episode focusing on a different period in the nation’s past.
The full episode list
is:
1. Age of Conquest
(AD 43 – 1066): Britain's story through art and treasure, from the
Roman invasion to the Norman Conquest.
2. Age of Worship
(1170 – 1400): Britain's art from the murder of Thomas Becket in 1170 to
the death of Richard II in 1400.
3. Age of Power
(1509 – 1609): Spanning from Henry VIII's accession in 1509 to
Shakespeare's Henry VIII 100 years later.
4. Age of
Revolution (1603 – 1708): In the 17th century British people learned
to question everything, resulting in civil war.
5. Age of Money
(1700 – 1805): The story of Britain in the 18th century, as a new
'middle' class emerged.
6. Age of Empire
(1770 – 1911): The story of the British Empire from 1750 to 1900,
revealed through its art and treasures.
7. Age of Ambition
(1914 – Present): A look at how the 20th century saw Britons upturning
class hierarchies.
Seven Ages
follows on from the success of David Dimbleby's previous two BBC One
landmark Arts series,
A Picture Of
Britain
– which traced the history of landscape painting, and
How We Built
Britain,
a history of British architecture, the latter being one of the first
Arts programmes to reach 5 million viewers.
The
new series looks at Great Britain’s extraordinary past through the Arts
– both as objects that have often played a decisive part in events and
as marvels of their age.
Almost unparalleled in scope, the series
sets itself the monumentally ambitious aim of charting 2000 years of
British artistry, architecture and invention and, it must be said, over
the course of its three discs it entirely succeeds in doing so. The
series doesn’t sugercoat the terror and conquest inherent in Britain’s
colonial past, but there’s beauty too, and a wondrous cavalcade of
historical riches, from the works of Shakespeare to exquisite examples
of Indian architecture conceived during the centuries of British rule.
Anglophiles rejoice; the series really is as good as its viewing figures
and reviews from old Blighty would suggest.
Special Features
None, but with a seven hour feature runtime
there’s little cause for complaint.
Audio & Video
The 16:9 widescreen transfer is, like the
presentation and subject matter, rather stunning, with a sharp and
vibrant image permeating throughout. The Dolby Digital soundtrack is a
2.0, but proves clear, balanced and more than adequate. English SDH
subtitles are also included. |
