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Reference source of past TV
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Surviving the Iron Age
A seven-part Series
BBC 1, Thursday 10 May 2001
at 8.45pm
Documentary following 17 volunteers as they brave
the elements of West Wales to live for seven
weeks as their Iron Age ancestors did over two
thousand years ago. Living in roundhouses, the
participants are expected to make their own soap
from sheep fat, wear authentic clothing, and
slaughter their own livestock. They must also
elect a chieftain and celebrate an end-of-year
Celtic festival.
BBC
1, Thursday 17 May 2001 at 8.30pm
The volunteer time travellers are finding it hard
to survive the demands of Iron Age living. Anne's
authority is challenged and the first unhappy
volunteer heads home to the 21st century
BBC
1, Thursday 24 May 2001 at 8.30pm
One week into the project and feuding between the
volunteer time travellers reaches crisis point.
Anne struggles to maintain her authority as the
elected Chief while warring with Yasmin.
BBC
1, Sunday 27 May 2001 at 6.30pm
The 21st century Iron Agers are getting into
their stride. But the group's efforts to survive
are shaken by uninvited, unwelcome visitors and a
21st century arrival threatens the project.
BBC
1, Sunday 3 June 2001 at 6.30pm
As the hardship deepens, another three volunteers
throw in the towel and head back to the 21st
century. The remaining Iron Agers are determined
to keep the project on track.
BBC
1, Sunday 10 June 2001 at 6.00pm
A visiting tribe to the hill fort find that honey
beer is stronger than they thought. They overcome
their hangovers to plough fields, go fishing and
prepare for a druidic celebration.
BBC
1, Sunday 17 June 2001 at 6.30pm
It's the volunteers last week at the hill fort
and time is running out. They still haven't
managed to smelt iron and tonight is the last
chance for blacksmith Ron to prove his metal
Also visit the BBC History site
for additional information
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Sutton
Hoo
Shown on BBC 2, Thursday 6 June 2002 at
7.30pm
Sutton
Hoo:
The Forgotten Treasure: Examined the discovery of
an ancient warship, containing unique Saxon
artefacts from Dark Age Britain, which was
preserved beneath the Suffolk countryside.
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Tales
from the Grave
A six-part series
Explore the mysteries of forensic archaeology
Visit the Bodies of Evidence web site
Two
programmes from the series on the UK
Shown
Channel 4, Friday 26 April 2002 at 8.00pm
Unknown Soldier:
Excavations carried out in a 13th Century
medieval cemetery in Lewes have unearthed an
ancient mystery. The programme looks at the cuts
and damage inflicted on one skeleton in
particular, and examines the probable causes.
Shown
Channel 4, Friday 19 April 2002 at 8.00pm
Mystery of the Barber
Surgeon: The 700 year-old skeleton of a
man was found in Avebury in
1938, buried beneath a large megalith.
Archaeologist Mike Pitts set out to uncover the
vital clues that could reveal the final moments
of this medieval man's life.
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The Celts
A two-part series
Channel 4, Saturday 21 April 2001 at
8.15pm
For more than 1,000 years the rich and inventive
civilisation of the Celts flourished throughout
Britain, Europe and Asia Minor. Its people made
great advances in technology and art, yet today
they are largely forgotten. The mysteries of the
Celts are compounded by the absence of written
records and, as a consequence, we only view them
through the unreliable eyes of their victors -
the Greeks, Romans and English. More ...Channel 4,
Saturday 28 April 2001 at 8.05pm
Having defeated the Celts in mainland Europe, the
Romans came to Britain, where not even the
largest Celtic hillfort, Maiden Castle, could
withstand their attacks. Revolts persisted
though, and in a climactic battle under the
leadership of Celt leader Boudicca, 80,000 Celts
were slaughtered. This final programme continues
to look at the Celtic civilisation, covering
religion and its influence on today's Western
civilisation, and following its history right up
to the Celts of today.
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"The
Day the World Took Off"
Last programme in series shown on Channel 4,
Sunday 2 July , 2000 at 8.00pm
| This was a series of six programmes
using five experts looking at events that
contributed to the start of the Industrial
Revolution, and answering the question "Why
in Britain". They looked
at the various significant contributing events
that eventually lead to the development of the
steam engine,
the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester
railway,
and the first public run of Stephenson's
"Rocket".
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The
Greeks
A three-part series
Previously
shown on BBC Knowledge and the
American PBS Network
BBC2
Saturday 6 January, 2001 at 8.10pm
The Revolution: Actor Liam Neeson
narrates the story of how the Ancient Greeks
transformed their world. The heroes, thinkers and
visionaries are brought to life using latest
technology.
BBC2
Saturday 13 January, 2001 at 8.10pm
The Golden Age: The story continues
through the eyes of the great general
Themistocles, as the Greeks emerge glorious and
victorious against the mighty Persian Empire.
BBC2
Saturday 20 January, 2001 at 8.15pm
Empire of the Mind: This final episode
describes how Athens, at the height of her glory,
engages in a suicidal conflict with her greatest
rival, Sparta.
Also visit the BBC Ancient History site.
Learn more about the Greeks and Ancient Greece
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The Minoans
Presented by Bettany Hughes
Shown on Channel 4, Saturday 23 October at 7.10pm
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Historian Bettany Hughes visits Crete to describe how Sir Arthur Evans
discovered the Minoan civilisation, where in 1903 he began his excavation of the
palace at Knossos. Finds included architecture, art, pottery and clay tablets
inscribed in Linear A and Linear B. The remarkable Bronze Age culture Evans
revealed is named after the legendary Cretan king Minos, associated with the
legend of Theseus and the half-man, half-bull Minotaur.
Visit Channel 4 History and the
The Minoans for more information |
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The Mystery of Sea Henge
Repeat
of the programme shown earlier in the year
Shown on Channel 4, Thursday 27 July 2000 at 8.30pm
| One of the
most exciting archaeological discoveries of
recent times gave up its secrets in this Time
Team Special. A fascinating programme which
followed the controversy surrounding Sea Henge
and the excavation and reconstruction of this
unique Bronze Age monument. The circle of partly
submerged timbers with an upturned tree at its
centre - dubbed 'Sea Henge' by the press - was
discovered off the Norfolk coast ... Sea
Henge site with reports from North West Norfolk,
the home of Sea Henge
"Flag Fen"
- temporary home
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The Nasca Lines of the Peruvian deserts
(A BBC "Horizon" programme, repeat)
Shown on BBC 2, Tuesday 4 July, 2000 at 8.30pm
| An investigation into a group of
strange markings, more than 2000 years old, which
depict birds and animals and are only visible by
air. This programme examined the work of
archaeologist Guiseppe Orefici who has spent the
past 17 years unearthing Cahuachi, the lost city
of the line builders, which is dominated by a
massive pyramid and is a treasure trove of Nasca
culture. |
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More Information? Visit The
Lost City of Nasca
(original shown 20.1.2000),
also the BBC "Horizon" Archaeology
and Anthropology
archive.
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The Road to Riches
A six-part series
The End or the Beginning (6)
Shown BBC 2, Sunday 20 August, 2000 at 8.00pm
Series repeats during 2004 in the "Education Zone"
The Shock of the Old
A six-part Series
Last part shown on Channel 4, Sunday 24 September 2000 at 8.00pm
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In this landmark series Piers Gough,
one of Britain's most influential and daring
architects, explores significant eras and
technologies of British architecture. The Shock
of the Old strips away centuries of familiarity
and reminds us just how modern and radical some
buildings were in their day.
In the first programme (20.8.00), Piers explained how
Roman building styles
revolutionised Britain and the extent to which their techniques and
aspirations still have a grip on us. Featuring the remains of the
Roman's version of skyscrapers and the first bungalows ever created.
In High and Mighty
(27.8.00), he rediscovers the
wonders of Britain's cathedrals and with the aid
of technology, we can see how the cathedral would
have looked in all its original glory, from
Durham, the supreme in Gothic architecture, to
the recently built architectural mix of Coventry
Cathedral.
The Smoke Filled Room
(3.9.00), follows the progress of the English Hall from
medieval splendour, typified by Westminster, to
the modern fashion for untilising roof space for
loft living. A visit is also made to the Weald
and Downland Museum where a real thatch roof is
under construction.
Built to Order
(10.9.00), looks at the Georgian town houses and how
Edinburgh's Georgian buildings transformed the
city into an "Athens of the North".
In Manic Street Builders
(17.9.00), Piers revels in
the ambition and revolutionary techniques of the
Victorians. After the Industrial Revolution they
built new canals, roads, law courts and schools -
Victorians just loved to build. Perhaps their
greatest architectural legacy was their
revolutionary use of glass - as seen in the
Crystal Palace. Among other buildings, the
programme also takes a look at St Pancras Station
- the tallest single spanning building in the
World.
Piers Gough's journey through the best of British
architecture comes right up to date with the
final episode in this landmark series.
The White Stuff
(24.09.00), looks at the 20th century and the battle to
establish modernism in Britain, charting the
introduction of the suburb as an alternative
countryside or inner-city living. Piers takes a
look at Hampstead Garden, one of the most
influential of the earliest suburbs, and a
housing style still emulated in suburbs
everywhere. He also takes a look at the ultimate
in 20th century modernism, the Media Centre at
Lord's.
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Also visit the Building of the Year
web site
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The Tower
An eight-part series
Shown on Channel 4, Tuesdays at 8.00pm from 19 March 2002
Repeat showing on Channel 4,
Saturday afternoons in January / February 2004
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The Tower
- Exploring the Tower of London's rich, absorbing and
sometimes surprising past, through the people who live and work there today.
Visit Channel 4
History for initial programme details
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Timewatch
The award-winning investigative series
BBC 2, Fridays at 9.00pm
Visit BBC
History
and the
Timewatch
series website for further information
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Julius Caesar's Greatest Battle: (5.11.04)
Documentary about Julius Caesar's eight-year campaign, through what is now
France, in which he killed a million people, took another million hostage and
destroyed more than 800 cities. It follows in the footsteps of Caesar and the
leader of the Gallic uprising, Vercingetorix, as the conflict in Gaul reaches
its climax. In 52BC, at Alesia, they led their armies into one of the greatest
sieges in the history of warfare.
(Julius Caesar)
The Secrets of the Mary Rose: (29.10.04)
Over 20 years after the Tudor ship Mary Rose was lifted from Portsmouth harbour,
maritime archaeologists attempting to complete the jigsaw return to the wreck
site. It tells of not only the artefacts discovered - cooking utensils, prayer
books, weapons - but also reveals the stories of the sailors themselves.
Dramatic reconstruction and detailed graphics provide a picture of what life
would have been like on a Tudor warship. (History of the
Mary Rose and the
Mary Rose Virtual Tour)
The Mystery of the Black Death: (15.10.04)
A documentary shedding new light on the cause of the Black Death, which killed
half the population of Europe in the 14th century. Scientists and historians
have unearthed new evidence that the pandemic cannot be explained by blaming it
all on bubonic plague transmitted by rats, and think that the culprit was a
virus which emerged from animals and then vanished again.
(Black Death)
The Mysteries Of The Medieval Ship: (30.1.04) -
(10.07.04 at 8.10pm)
In 2002, archaeologists working on a riverside site in the city of Newport (South Wales) chanced upon the
well-preserved remains of an 80ft medieval merchant ship, the only one ever found in Britain. The ship's secrets,
hidden from the world for half a millennium, reveal much about the turbulent years of the Wars of the Roses.
Kate Hunter and Nigel Nayling traced its past.
(Uncover the secret piracy plans of
Warwick the Kingmaker
- a leading member of a nobility whose power was later restricted by the ruling
Tudors).
Special
Concorde: A Love Story
(19.10.03 at 8.00pm) - A documentary revealing the inside story of how Concorde was designed and built,
and how it survived against the odds to become an international icon. Told from
the points of view of frequent fliers, engineers, designers, test pilots and
flight staff, the programme also looked at the last years of Concorde, and its
legacy for British air travel.
Special - live: Concorde's Final Bow
Arrival of the last scheduled flight -
Shown on BBC 2, Friday 24 October 2003 at
3.45pm
2003 Series
British Slaves on the Barbary Coast
(10.01.03) - This programme followed the investigation and excavation
of artefacts from the sea-bed in Salcombe Bay, Devon by members of the
South West Maritime Archaeological Group and the government ADU
(Archaeological Diving Unit). The artefacts were acquired by the
British Museum.
The Lost Cities of the
Maya (17.01.03) -
Documentary following archaeologist Kathryn Reese-Taylor
on an expedition deep into the Guatemalan jungle to the
lost city of Naachtun, hoping to find answers to the mystery of why
the Maya abandoned their cities and vanished at the height of their
power. See also the
history of the vast and magnificent
Mayan Civilisation.
Rocket and Its
Rivals (24.01.03) - In a full-scale restaging of the 1829 Rainhill
Trials, which Stephenson's Rocket won by default, the rivals of the
famous locomotive are given a second chance to prove their worth. Read
All Change about the impact of Steam power
on Victorian Britain. Watch Stephenson's
pioneering Rocket in action!
Ramesses III: Behind
the Myth of a Pharaoh (31.01.03) - About the man remembered
as Egypt's last great pharaoh, using an ancient papyrus to reveal the
dark workings of a leader in crisis. Filmed in Cairo, Luxor and the
Valley of the Queens, a story of conspiracy, vengeance and murder is
uncovered, which belies the positive image of
Ramesses III.
1914: The War Revolution
(7.02.03) - The first action involving the British was a cavalry
skirmish, yet the war continued in the trenches. Advancing technology
may have made trench warfare inevitable. Read
The Western Front and the birth of total war. |
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