Civilisation

[french frank]

...average age?

About 56?

[french frank]

An impressive trio of proper historians - and it seems hurrah no sign of Lucy Worsley, Neil Oliver or Dan Snow

So will it be the history of civilisation(s) rather than the art?

[Lat-Literal]

An impressive trio of proper historians - and it seems hurrah no sign of Lucy Worsley, Neil Oliver or Dan Snow

I know what you mean about the other two but feel it is a little unfair re Neil Oliver who - and it did take me a while - I consider to be a class act.

He was very good on the Ness of Brodgar.

Neil Oliver - A History of Ancient Britain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K06QGuhALSw

[gurnemanz]

A rare chance for me to namedrop: Peter Montagnon, a producer of the series is my brother-in-law's uncle now living in the South of France. He's over 90 and a bit frail to visit UK. Delightful man with many stories to tell who we visited down there a couple of years ago.

[johncorrigan]

I know what you mean about the other two but feel it is a little unfair re Neil Oliver who - and it did take me a while - I consider to be a class act.

He was very good on the Ness of Brodgar.

Neil Oliver - A History of Ancient Britain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K06QGuhALSw

I tend to agree, Lat. Recently I saw a programme on BBC 4 where Oliver investigated Scotland's links to the Ku Klux Klan...I thought it quite fascinating and his performance excellent in difficult situations.

[aeolium]

I've generally liked Michael Wood's series and with him there would definitely be no bias towards western culture; I usually get the impression he has far greater sympathy for eastern ideas.

[Belgrove]

So will it be the history of civilisation(s) rather than the art?

I understand it will be called 'Civilisations'.

I'm not that excited by the prospect of Schama and Beard as presenters. I wonder if Neil MacGregor was approached? His book Sacred, out in the autumn, will be linked to a R4 series along the lines of The History of the World in 100 Objects (which does rather better than Civilisation) and is still on iPlayer and whose podcasts can be downloaded.

[french frank]

I've generally liked Michael Wood's series and with him there would definitely be no bias towards western culture; I usually get the impression he has far greater sympathy for eastern ideas.

More information:

"Art historian Simon Schama will lead Civilisations, presenting six episodes of the ten part BBC Two series, while classicist Mary Beard will present two programmes putting the art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome into a global context, looking at early material from Iran, China and Mexico. RTS Programme Award nominee David Olusoga will present two episodes examining the relationships between Empire, military history and global cultures …

"… Civilisations, which is produced by the BBC and Nutopia in association with PBS and the Open University, will be shot around the world in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas."

Ten episodes may not be enough …

[Serial_Apologist]

"… Civilisations, which is produced by the BBC and Nutopia in association with PBS and the Open University, will be shot around the world...

Sounds like it ought to be a Trump production...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I've generally liked Michael Wood's series and with him there would definitely be no bias towards western culture; I usually get the impression he has far greater sympathy for eastern ideas.

[oddoneout]

will be shot around the world

By or in what? Blunderbuss or satellite?

[Lat-Literal]

I tend to agree, Lat. Recently I saw a programme on BBC 4 where Oliver investigated Scotland's links to the Ku Klux Klan...I thought it quite fascinating and his performance excellent in difficult situations.

I wasn't aware of that programme and I have now viewed a couple of clips.

Interesting - bizarre as it sounds, I had never thought of Klan as clan but I suppose it must have been.

I am a MacLeod myself based on the fact that the yellow tartan stood out to me shortly after I fell in the water at Glencoe.

I have preferred other colours since the summer of 1973 but one doesn't have a choice in these matters.

Once it was established, that was that, although I still have the full wall chart.

More information:

"Art historian Simon Schama will lead Civilisations, presenting six episodes of the ten part BBC Two series, while classicist Mary Beard will present two programmes putting the art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome into a global context, looking at early material from Iran, China and Mexico. RTS Programme Award nominee David Olusoga will present two episodes examining the relationships between Empire, military history and global cultures …

"… Civilisations, which is produced by the BBC and Nutopia in association with PBS and the Open University, will be shot around the world in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas."

Ten episodes may not be enough …

If Schama is leading, it should be pretty good.

My preference would have been for Schama, Starkey and Oliver and a bit of Huw Wheldon via hologram but mainly we get what we are given.

[ardcarp]

I've generally liked Michael Wood's series and with him there would definitely be no bias towards western culture; I usually get the impression he has far greater sympathy for eastern ideas.

Yes. Now you mention him, Michael Wood would be perfect.
from me too.

[Ferretfancy]

Yes. Now you mention him, Michael Wood would be perfect.
from me too.

He used to look good in tight jeans too - always a recommendation