quote:Originally posted by Valerie: From Radio Times 29th May - 4th June
MONDAY 31st Channel 4 8.00pm Secret History: D-Day Disaster. Fewer than 200 American GIs lost their lives in the D-Day Normandy landings. However, only a month earlier, four times that number had died participating in a preparatory exercise named Operation Tiger, which saw troops shot at by their own side and left open to attack by German E-boats. This programme reveals the catalogue of errors which caused this fatal disaster.
A book "The Forgotten Dead" by Ken Small (ISBN 0747504334) tells the story of this disaster that led to the deaths of 946 American soldiers and sailors involved in Operation Tiger. He organised the lifting and placement of the Sherman tank, as a memorial to those men whose sacrifice had been shrouded in secrecy for many years. It's a good book. Might be worth a read if you find the program interesting.
SATURDAY 5th ITV 1 5.05pm D-Day Dispatches. John Suchet and his team of correspondents continue their mock report on events leading up to the D-Day landings - in the style of a contemporary news report.
Channel 4 4.55pm WWII: Our Finest Hour? Years after WWII's end, its legacy continues to play a role in our lives. Authors including Niall Ferguson and Jong Friedrich discuss what the war taught us about issues such as the nature of good and evil
Five 3.00pm D-Day: the Ultimate Conflict. On 6 June 1944 over 200,000 Allied troops poured onto the beaches of France in the most momentous event of WWII. Yet backing them up was a creative and sometimes eccentric crew of inventors. This documentary tells their tale.
SUNDAY 6th BBC 1 9.00am - 11.00am and 1.50pm - 6.10pm D-Day 60 Live coverage of the D-Day commemorative events.
ITV 1 10.45pm D-Day in Colour John Hurt narrates this documentary which uses original colour film, as well as extracts from letters and diaries, to illustrate the story of D-Day. British, European and North American witnesses - combatants and civilians - also recount their experiences surrounding the amphibious invasion.
ITV 1 11.45pm D-Day Dispatches. John Suchet and other members of the reporting team conclude their nightly mock updates on the preparations for the military invasion and other wartime news.
MONDAY 7th Channel 4 9.00pm Secret History: Beasts of the Roman Games. An historical investigation of the power play at work behind Imperial Rome's penchant for ever more extravagent and spectacular tournaments involving exotic animals imported from all corners of the Empire.
TUESDAY 8th BBC 2 7.30pm Hidden Treasure. Lost Goddess. Could a hoard of Roman gold and silver found in Hertfordshire by enthusiast Alan Meeks have come from a previously unknown temple? British Museum experts believe so. Miranda Krestovnikoff joins a team searching for clues to a mysterious goddess.
WEDNESDAY 9th Five 7.30pm Escape from ... Colditz. Historian Saul David looks at the notorious WWII high-security Nazi prison, where persistent escapers were sent. The jail in eastern Germany - an old castle, high on a cliff with thick walls and a dry moat - rendered tunnelling attempts useless. Ever more ingenious ways of escape had to be found.
Five 10.00pm Scream! The History of Anaesthetics. Dr Phil Hammond charts the medical world's quest for pain-free surgery. The story begins in pre-anaesthetic 19th century London, where operating theatre audiences witnessed the blood and screams of fully conscious patients in surgery, and moves on to chloroform, novocaine and modern pain-relief drugs.
THURSDAY 10th Five 7.30pm Tim Marlow on Edward Hopper. The iconic and frequently haunting paintings of one of America's pre-eminent artists, Edward Hopper, are the subject of a major retrospective at London's Tate Modern. Art expert Tim Marlow takes an informative tour of the exhibition, the first in the UK for over 20 years, exploring the themes of Hopper's work, his techniques, and his influence on many forms of art.
FRIDAY 11th BBC 2 9.00pm Art of the Garden. Third of three programmes on the inspiring stories of horticultural visionaries. Gertrude Jekyll. No-nonsense spinster Jekyll pioneered a magical marriage of the formal and natural, a philosophy that shapes many gardens today, as Diarmuid Gavin reveals in this partly-dramatised documentary. On finding she was losing her sight in the 1890's, Jekyll turned from the Arts and Crafts movement to gardening. With young architect Edwin Lutyens, she became the toast of a society that wanted a cutting-edge look to home and garden. Miriam Margoyles plays Gertrude Jekyll with Jean Marsh as her housekeeper.
TIME TEAM REPEATS ON DISCOVERY
A TT programme is scheduled for 7.00am and 5.00pm on Saturday 5th and 7.00pm on Sunday 6th. From Monday to Friday this week there will be a double bill of TT episodes beginning at 6.00pm
Monday Birdoswald and a mystery in a Welsh valley. Tuesday Wadden and the remains of a Norman castle.. Wednesday A Spitfire and an A-S burial ground. Thursday Cirencester and a Roman skeleton in York. Friday Bawsey St James and Hartlepool.
And don't forget - UKHistory has a full schedule of historical/archaeological programmes for those with access to digital, satellite or cable. Voted best new channel of the year 2003.
A marvellous book. Thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the interesting parts was that describing his sudden onset of depression. It is far and away the best insight into this malady that I have ever read.
Valerie.
Then there is Aubrey Manning's "Mysterious Landscapes" (repeats) on Thursday nights at 7.30 on BBC2. Just watched the repeat about the brochs of the Shetlands. A truly rivetting programme with lots of familiar faces. I have attended many a day school at Bradford Uni. about the Orkneys and Shetlands.
quote:Originally posted by Valerie: Sorry about that Ian - I didn't spot it because its not showing here (north of the border), which means it gets relegated to tiny print in a separate column! - we get the Beechgrove Garden instead
I know what it is like to press the wrong button. Did that on one posting, thinking it was the edit button, only to find I had reported myself to the Thread Nanny for disturbing/disruptive letters
NB Due to EURO 2004, schedules are very disrupted, and there aren't many historical programmes on!
TUESDAY 15th BBC 2 7.30pm (Not Scotland) Hidden Treasure. On the trail of why a hoard of Roman jewellery was buried in rural Hampshire. With Miranda Krestovnikoff.
BBC 2 7.30pm (Not England) Time Flyers. Villages of the Damned. The Derwent Dams in the Peak District hold a deep secret. Beneath the waters lie the ghostly ruins of the villages of Ashopton and Derwent. Revealing the story behind their fate, and the building of one of Britain's largest reservoirs, tonight's programme also celebrates the workforce that built the dams.
WEDNESDAY 16th Five 7.30pm Escape from ... Dunkirk. Historian Saul David examines the evacuation of 340,000 Allied troops from the Dunkirk beaches in 1940. Trapped on three sides by an advancing German army, and at the mercy of air attacks, the success of this narrow escape across the Channel to Britain saved the core of the army.
THURSDAY 17th Five 7.30pm Great Artists 2 with Tim Marlow. Whistler. The art historian profiles controversial 19th-century painter James Whistler, the first American artist to gain international recognition, and best known for the dignified portrait of his mother.
FRIDAY 18th BBC 2 9.00pm The Day Mountbatten Died. When Lord Mountbatten was blown up on board his boat on 27th August 1979 while holidaying in the Republic of Ireland, the most complex IRA operation undertaken since the beginning of the Troubles was revealed. Improvements in bomb-making technology enabled massive explosions to be remotely detonated, as the co-ordinated attack on the same day that killed 18 British soldiers also demonstrated. Here, General Sir Michael Jackson, former IRA volunteers and the RUC officers who investigated the Warrenpoint bombing provide testimony to the sophistication of the IRA's methods and the devastation that resulted.
TIME TEAM REPEATS ON DISCOVERY
A TT programme is scheduled for 7.00am and 5.00pm on Saturday 12th and 7.00pm on Sunday 13th. From Monday to Friday this week there will be a double bill of TT episodes beginning at 6.00pm
Monday An I-A village in the Malvern Hills and Greenwich Park. Tuesday A Roman Cotswolds villa and King Offa's palace in Hereford. Wednesday WWII bombers in Norfolk and Flag Fen. Thursday Beauport Park and Basing House. Friday Smallhythe dockyard and a medieval cathedral in Coventry.
And don't forget - UKHistory has a full schedule of historical/archaeological programmes for those with access to digital, satellite or cable. Voted best new channel of the year 2003.
TUESDAY 15th BBC 2 7.30pm Hidden Treasure.On the trail of why a hoard of Roman jewellery was buried in rural Hampshire. Im gona watch that it sounds quite good,but hasent,Time Flyers,Villages of the Damned. The Derwent Dams. been shown befor? I'm sure ive seen that show and not long ago.
Just to let you all know thatI was an extra three hours at work today, and I have to be up early tomorrow to drive to Dundee, so I'm too tired tonight to do my usual TV update. I have got the RT however (with some interesting bits about Extreme Archaeology which starts on Sunday) and normal service should be resumed tomorrow night
NB Due to EURO 2004 and Wimbledon, schedules are very disrupted, and there aren't many historical programmes on!
SATURDAY 19th Channel 4 7.30pm The Great Plague. An era marked by regicide, plague and treason is brought to life using reconstruction, computer-generated imagery and much new material in the first of four documentaries analysing different aspects of troubled 17th-century England. Opening with the Great Plague, events are seen through the eyes of a local councillor living close to Fleet Street.
SUNDAY 20th Channel 4 8.00pm *****EXTREME ARCHAEOLOGY***** Bridge on the River Wye. Series in which an intrepid team of young archaeologists led by Dr Mark Davies attempt to excavate British historical sites that are located in dangerous environments. In this opening episode, the group must find a way to beat the tide and negotiate treacherous mudflats in order to collect crucial evidence as they try to trace the history of a Roman Bridge connecting England and Wales.
MONDAY 21st Channel 4 9.00pm Secret History: the Royal Mummy. Could a shrivelled mummy that is languishing in a Niagara Falls freak show really be that of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramases I? Using the latest imaging technology and DNA techniques, a team of American archaeologists attempt to solve this bizarre mystery.
TUESDAY 22nd BBC 2 8.30pm Hidden Treasure. Pagan Silver. Four years ago Leicestershire field walker Ken Wallace stumbled on the largest hoard of IA coins ever discovered in Britain - more than 3,000 silver pieces from the time of the Roman invasion. But why was the treasure buried there? With Miranda Krestovnikoff.
WEDNESDAY 23rd Five 7.30pm Escape from ... Red Berlin. Historian Saul David looks at those who attempted to flee the Communist regime of East Germany. There were many bold attempts to get to the other side of the Berlin Wall, including tunneling under a street and smuggling relatives in customised cars, before the despised edifice momentously came down in 1989.
THURSDAY 24th Five 7.30pm Tim Marlow on...A Secret History of Clay - from Gaugin to Gormley. From one-off ceramic vessels, to installation and performance art, the protean medium of clay is the subject of a major exhibition at Tate Liverpool. Art historian Tim Marlowetakes an informative tour unearthing the use of clay by artists from the 19th century to Pablo Picasso, Antony Gormley and Grayson Perry.
TIME TEAM REPEATS ON DISCOVERY
A TT programme is scheduled for 7.00am and 5.00pm on Saturday 19th and 7.00pm on Sunday 20th.
Monday Unearthing the Saxon origins of Ely. Tuesday A dig at Mine Howe in the Orkneys. Wednesday The Team visits Winchester. Thursday Canterbury. Friday A castle with a 900 year-old tower.
And don't forget - UKHistory has a full schedule of historical/archaeological programmes for those with access to digital, satellite or cable. Voted best new channel of the year 2003.
I don't know if this is not on in Valerie's part of the world of if she just missed it but there's a repeat of the Ancestors programme that excavated the wreck of a Hurricane fighter on BBC 2 at 17:40 on Saturday. There's also a repeat of Nigel Spivey's programme about Elizabeth I on C5 at 19:30 on Tuesday.
Assuming they don't get shunted aside for football, tennis, horse racing. international tiddlewinks from Outer Mongolia or whatever.
NB Due to EURO 2004 and Wimbledon, schedules are very disrupted, and there aren't many historical programmes on!
SATURDAY 26th BBC 2 9.10pm The Elgin Marbles. In 1801, Thomas Bruce, the Seventh Earl of Elgin and British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, removed antiquities from Turkish-occupied Athens. Huge debts later forced him to sell his collection to the British government, and sections of the Parthenon Frieze were put on display at London's British Museum - where they have remained ever since, despite Greece's repeated requests that they be returned. In this dramatised documentary, critic Andrew Graham-Dixon explores the convoluted history of the sculptures , artefacts whose ownership has been the biggest bone of the arguments for and against the relic's return to Greece.
Channel 4 7.30pm The Great Fire of London. An era marked by regicide, plague and treason is brought to life using reconstruction, computer-generated imagery and much new material. The dramatic story of the disaster that changed London for ever is told through a reconstruction of the events that began in a Pudding Lane bakery in September 1666 and resulted in a devastating fire that lasted for four days. Over 13,000 houses, 87 churches and the principal landmarks of the city were destroyed. How did this happen, and why did the fire spread with such terrifying speed?
SUNDAY 27th Channel 4 5.25pm Wreck Detectives. First in a new series of eight programmes. The world's oldest powered submarine awaits the team beneath the turbulent waters off North Wales. The Resurgam sank in 1880, but did the vessel, brainchild of an eccentric clergyman, actually function or was it merely a Victorian folly? Historian Jeremy Seal and diver Miranda Krestovnikoff are joined by ship architects BMT and the inventor's great-grandson in an intriguing search for the answer.
Channel 4 8.00pm *****EXTREME ARCHAEOLOGY***** Living on the Edge. Dr Mark Davies's intrepid team of young archaeologists, seeking to excavate British historical sites located in dangerous environments, travel to the Kame of Isbister. This jagged stack of rock off the north coast of Shetland, protected by 50m sea cliffs, has never been excavated. The team face storm conditions as they attempt to gather enough information to complete a survey of the structures on the stack.
MONDAY 28th Channel 4 9.00pm Secret History: Sex Bomb. A documentary telling the story of the little-known Political Warfare Executive during WWII. As head of the executive, former journalist Sefton Delmer specialised sexual propaganda to undermine the morale of German troops and to seed mistrust of the Nazi high command. Delmer's tactics divided opinion within Winston Churchill's government, but Joseph Goebbels cursed his effectiveness. Some of those involved in this propaganda war tell their stories.
TUESDAY 29th BBC 2 8.30pm Hidden Treasure. Cup of Gold. Two years after the discovery of a 3,000-year-old gold cup in a Kent potato field, excavation of the site uncovers what was once one of the largest burial mounds in southern England. Could the "Ringlemere Cup" found by Cliff Bradshaw make him as rich as its Bronze Age owners? With Miranda Krestovnikoff.
THURSDAY 1st Five 7.30pm Great Artists 2 with Tim Marlow. Piero della Francesca. An evaluation of the life and work of the enigmatic 15th-century Italian painter, only 26 of whose works still survive today.
TIME TEAM REPEATS ON DISCOVERY
A TT programme is scheduled for 7.00am and 5.00pm on Saturday 26th and a double bill at 6.00pm on Sunday 27th. NB TT is at 6pm Mon-Wed and at 7pm Thurs-Fri.
Monday A look at the "palace" on Lindisfarne. Tuesday Investigating a site in Basildon, Essex.. Wednesday A find unearthed by 2 cavers in Alveston, Gloucestershire.. Thursday A Saxon skeleton found in Northamptonshire. Friday A mosaic floor under Somerset pigsties.
And don't forget - UKHistory has a full schedule of historical/archaeological programmes for those with access to digital, satellite or cable. Voted best new channel of the year 2003.
SATURDAY 3rd Channel 4 7.30pm Gunpowder, Treason and Plot. An era marked by regicide, plague and treason is brought to life using reconstruction, computer-generated imagery and much new material. It is almost 4 centuries since Britain's most ambitious terrorist plot was conceived and very nearly implemented. A group of young Catholics attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill the Protestant King James I. Although it is widely believed that their motives were an attempt to resestablish the Catholic religion, some historians have argued that the plot was the work of agents provocateurs, anxious to discredit the Jesuits. This documentary explores the story of the infamous but ill-fated Gunpowder Plot, the grisly conclusion of which the British public celebrates annually on 5 November.
SUNDAY 4th Channel 4 5.25pm Wreck Detectives. First in a new series of eight programmes. The team heads for the NW coast of Wales to explore the mystery of of a 300-year old wreck dubbed the Bronze Bell. This early-18th century trading vessel went down carrying a precious cargo including 41 huge blocks of Tuscan marble - possibly bound for the construction of St Paul's Cathedral. Using the latest sonar technology, the detectives have just one week to piece together the intriguing story of the wreck.
Channel 4 8.00pm *****EXTREME ARCHAEOLOGY***** Cannibals and Cavemen. Dr Mark Davies's leads his intrepid team of young archaeologists, seeking to excavate British historical sites located in dangerous environments, on a dangerous mission to explore some mysterious caves beneath Culzean Castle. As they begin to retrieve artefacts including pottery, glass and animal bone, the archaeologists find some human remains in a culvert. Could these relate to an ancient legend about cannibals in the areaand predate the 15th century usage of the caves?
MONDAY 5th Channel 4 9.00pm Secret History: Sink the Belgrano. When Margaret Thatcher gave the order for the General Belgrano to be torpedoed during the early days of the Falklands War, 323 Argentinian sailors were killed. The event changed the course of the war but, as this documentary reveals, the circumstances surrounding the attack were more complex than commonly thought.
TUESDAY 6th BBC 2 7.30pm Hidden Treasure. Suffolk Mystery. What's the origin of the A-S gold, coins and bronze found in a Suffolk potato field? Over a 15-year period, metal-detection enthusiast Dave Cummings and friends have unearthed a remarkable collection. Archaeologists, seldom having encountered a find like this before, are baffled by what might lie beneath the field. Miranda Krestovnikoff and the team set out to discover the truth.
BBC 2 9.00pm Inventions That Changed the World. The Computer. In Victorian times, computing involved crunching numbers using paper and pencil. A century later, we rely on computers for everything from communication to flying, driving to washing our dishes. Jeremy Clarkson investigates the impact of this influential invention, and asks if intelligent machines could pose a threat to our future.
THURSDAY 8th BBC 2 7.30pm (Not Scotland) Landscape Mysteries. The Terraces of Avalon.
Five 7.30pm The Treasures of Athens and Olympia.. Art historian Tim Marlow reveals the impact 5th century Greece has had on Western civilisation. Innovations in philosophy, art, culture and architecture can all be traced back to the period, known as the "Great Awakening", after the Athenians defeated the Persians.
TIME TEAM REPEATS ON DISCOVERY
A TT programme is scheduled for 7.00am and 5.00pm on Saturday 3rd and at 7.00pm on Sunday 4th.
Monday A mysterious collection of human bones in the Peak District. Tuesday The Giants Grave in Shetland. Wednesday Henry VIII's favourite palace at Greenwich. Thursday The first Liberty factory. Friday Bath's Royal Crescent.
And don't forget - UKHistory has a full schedule of historical/archaeological programmes for those with access to digital, satellite or cable. Voted best new channel of the year 2003.
You might be interested to note that Time Team now seems to be running on Discovery Civilisation (554 on Sky) too everyday. This week seems to have been the first series judging by the look of Tony's long black hair and Phil without a hat!! So we have TT on both Discovery and Discovery Civilisation every day yeeessss!!
SATURDAY 10th BBC 2 8.10pm Mysteries of The Mediaeval Ship - Timewatch The well preserved remains of an 80ft mediaeval merchant ship came to light in 2002 on the banks of the river Usk in Newport, Gwent. Two of the archaeologists involved - Kate Hunter and Nigel Nayling - delve into its history uncovering secrets dating back to the Wars of the Roses.
Channel 4 7.00pm Weapons That Made Britain. New series of five programmes. Arms expert Mike Loades traces the development of military hardware throughout history. First under the spotlight is the sword, long the weapon of choice for swashbuckling heroes, but in reality an instrument capable of inflicting untold damage. Loades considers the importance of the blade in historical combat from the Battle of Hastings to the Wars of the Roses, while a group of students learn the basics of mediaeval battle skills, demonstrating the ways in which these powerful weapons would have been wielded.
SUNDAY 11th BBC 2 7.30pm Fred Dibnah's Magnificent Monuments. Forts and Castles. Dibnah considers the development of castles, from early Iron Age forts, to secret underground tunnels used during WWII. At Hadrian's Wall, he marvels at the design of Roman toilets, while, in Warwick, he joins a band of mediaeval knights as they attempt to test the castle's defences.
Channel 4 5.25pm Wreck Detectives. Third in a new series of eight programmes. Lying 200 yards off the Pembrokeshire coast is a Sunderland - the most famous of flying boats that served in WWII. Wary that the wreck could still contain explosives, Miranda Krestovnikoff waits for the RAF bomb-disposal unit to check it out before she heads underwater to examine it. Meanwhile, Jeremy Seal hits the books in a bid to identify the craft and the reason for its demise.
Channel 4 8.00pm *****EXTREME ARCHAEOLOGY***** Parys Underground. Unstable mine shafts, puddles of acidic water, chemical slime and rotting timber await Dr Mark Davies and his team of archaeologists when they head to Anglesey in North Wales. Located on the isle beneath Parys Mountain in Amlwch is a copper mine that was previously flooded and may now contain prized Bronze Age artefacts. But as their subterranean hunt for treasure becomes increasingly risky, can the team justify probing further into the underground tunnels?
MONDAY 12th BBC 2 7.30pm Terry Jones's Mediaeval Lives. The Peasant. The average rustic was intelligent, enjoyed up to 80 public holidays a year, and often lived to the ripe old age of 60. Terry Jones celebrates the humble peasant as the series that debunks historical myths gets a repeat run.
Channel 4 9.00pm Secret History: the Nazi Expedition. A documentary shedding light on a 1938 expedition to Tibet by five German scientists who were also members of the SS. Their mission was to find traces of a long-lost "master race" - evidence that would be used to justify the sinister plans of the Nazi regime.
Five 8.00pm Ultimate Submarines. Tracing the history and development of submarines and their increasingly significant role in warfare. Featuring a reconstruction of the sinking of the General Belgrano by HMS Conqueror and the investigation into the tragic loss of Russia's Kursk submarine. Narrated by Quentin Wilson.
TUESDAY 13th BBC 2 7.30pm Hidden Treasure. Riches of Rome. Two of the richest Roman graves in Britain were discovered by chance. Treasure hunter Dave Phillips is due a substantial reward, but can the 150 items - including bronzes, vases, glassware and jewellery - be accurately valued? Presented by Miranda Krestovnikoff.
BBC 2 9.00pm Restoration. First in a new series of eight programmes. Scotland. The imposing fortress Portencross Castle, the remote Knockando Wood Mill and derelict Georgian mansion the Hall of Clestrain, on Orkney, are all under threat. Which of these architectural treasures will viewers vote most deserving of salvation? Presented by Griff Rhys Jones. Restoration Nation follows at 10pm on BBC 4.
WEDNESDAY 14th Five 7.30pm Escaping from .... A Bridge Too Far. Historian Saul David travels to the Netherlands to relive the heroic attempt by 10,000 Allied paratroopers to capture and hold the Arnhem bridge during WWII.
THURSDAY 8th BBC 2 7.30pm (Not Scotland) Fred Dibnah's Magnificent Monuments. Houses and Palaces.
Five 7.30pm The Treasures of Athens and Olympia.. Art historian Tim Marlow continues to explore the artistic legacy of Greece. How Greek art and architecture thrived during the Byzantine period, plus how neoclasicism came to dominate today's urban landscape.
TIME TEAM REPEATS ON DISCOVERY
A TT programme is scheduled for 7.00am and 5.00pm on Saturday 10th.
Monday Athelney. Tuesday Kew Gardens. Wednesday A rescue mission in Fife. Thursday Castle Howard. Friday Sedgefield.
And don't forget - UKHistory has a full schedule of historical/archaeological programmes for those with access to digital, satellite or cable. Voted best new channel of the year 2003.
SATURDAY 17th BBC 2 8.10pm Restoration Nation. Sheena McDonald explores Scotland's rich architectural heritage and highlights campaigns to save the nation's neglected buildings from demolition.
Channel 4 7.00pm Weapons That Made Britain. Second of five programmes. Arms expert Mike Loades traces the development of military hardware throughout history. The investigation into the introduction of the longbow highlights the changes in social organisation which made this innovation in weaponry possible. The devastating effects of a concerted onslaught by soldiers armed with longbows become clear in a description of the Battle of Crecy. Armed with a specially made mediaeval longbow, Loades travels to Crecy to show just how British archers destroyed the cream of French chivalry in a relentless arrow attack in 1346
