"The Ascent of Man" (1973) TV mini-series

Directors:

Dick Gilling
Mick Jackson

Writer:

Jacob Bronowski (writer)

Seasons:

1

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

An account of man's development through his scientific and technological achievements.

Plot Keywords:

TV Mini-Series

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Joss Ackland

...

Quotations (unknown episodes)

Runtime:

50 min (13 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Filming Locations:

Alhambra, Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

For the initial broadcast of the program, each segment was introduced by a very young Anthony Hopkins.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Screenwipe: (#2.1)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Voyage

Inspiring TV series

At a time when it is easy to become depressed at the activities of Man, series such as Jacob Bronowski's 'The Ascent of Man' remind us that we are also capable of greatness.

I remember watching this series when it first came out, in my final year of high school. It inspired an interest in wanting to learn more about almost everything that continues, much to the bemusement of my children, to this day. When it was shown again on Australian TV a couple of years ago I watched it again, and despite some amusement at the chunky computers and primitive graphics, I found it just as fascinating this time around. It is not just Bronowski's eloquence in explaining the theories of Pythagoras or Newton or Einstein - names everyone knows, but whose ideas many just remember as difficult concepts they studied at school and then forgot - but the human face he puts on those theories. They matter, they have meaning in the real world. And Bronowski does not shy away from the darker applications of Man's discoveries. No one who saw the series would forget his visit to Auschwitz, where several of his relatives died. My only criticism of the series, as many have noted, is the lack of recognition of the contributions of non-European cultures, such as China, or of women, like Marie Curie, to human advancement.

When I saw the series was now available on DVD I knew I had to get it, and I hope that my sons, who can't be paid to sit down and watch a 'documentary', but who have a habit of standing in the doorway to see what 'rubbish' Mum is watching now, may catch enough to be just a little inspired! Along with Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' and David Attenborough's 'Life on Earth', 'The Ascent of Man' remains one of the defining TV series, and a reaffirmation that even in pessimistic and dark times, great minds and new ideas will emerge and lead us to greater discoveries.