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IMDbPro

Civilisation

  • TV Mini Series
  • 1969–19701969–1970
  • TV-GTV-G
  • 50m
IMDb RATING
8.7/10
950
YOUR RATING
Civilisation (1969)
DocumentaryHistoryMusic
Sir Kenneth Clarke guides us through the ages exploring the glorious rise of civilisation in western man. Beginning with the bleakness of the dark ages to the present day, we consider civili... Read allSir Kenneth Clarke guides us through the ages exploring the glorious rise of civilisation in western man. Beginning with the bleakness of the dark ages to the present day, we consider civilisation's articulations and expressions in some of man's finest works of art.Sir Kenneth Clarke guides us through the ages exploring the glorious rise of civilisation in western man. Beginning with the bleakness of the dark ages to the present day, we consider civilisation's articulations and expressions in some of man's finest works of art.
IMDb RATING
8.7/10
950
YOUR RATING
  • Stars
    • Kenneth Clark
    • Ian Richardson
    • Ronald Lacey
  • Stars
    • Kenneth Clark
    • Ian Richardson
    • Ronald Lacey
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 11User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 BAFTA Awards

    Episodes14

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    1 Season

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    Civilisation (1969)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kenneth Clark
    Kenneth Clark
    • Self - Narrator
    Ian Richardson
    Ian Richardson
    • Hamlet
    Ronald Lacey
    Ronald Lacey
    • Gravedigger
    Patrick Stewart
    Patrick Stewart
    • Horatio
    William Devlin
    • King Lear
    Eric Porter
    Eric Porter
    • Macbeth
    Cecil Day-Lewis
    Cecil Day-Lewis
    • Poetry reader
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Goofs
      In the episode titled "The Pursuit of Happiness", series writer and narrator Lord Clark introduces his theme by claiming that "the founders of the American Constitution . . . thought fit to mention the pursuit of happiness as a proper aim for mankind." This is a very common error (on both sides of the Atlantic), as the phrase "pursuit of happiness" appears in America's Declaration of Independence (1776), not in her Constitution (1788-89).
    • Quotes

      Narrator: It's arguable that the nonexistence of a clear, concrete German prose has been one of the chief disasters of European civilisation.

    • Connections
      Edited from Mozart's Don Giovanni (1955)

    User reviews11

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    1/10
    Meant for a scrapheap of history
    Actually, this is an old tired, imperial, colonial, Europocentric view of history and culture, unpleasantly presented and conveying nothing but the contents of British imperial trashbin, starting with the thesis that "humanity invented harmony." Even more amazing to see this lack of taste and common sense from the BBC of "the golden period." I grieve that it had not ended as a highway filler, as some truly great British TV programs had.
    helpful•3
    46
    • spintongues
    • Nov 2, 2018

    Details

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    • Release date
      • February 23, 1969 (United Kingdom)
      • United Kingdom
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France
    • Production company
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 50 minutes
      • Color
      • Mono

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