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The Ascent of Man(TV show/series, 1973)

50min per episode | Genre: Documentary

Documentation in 1 season with 13 episodes

The Ascent of ManRating: 4.3/5 (with 7 votes)
The Ascent of Man is a 13-part British documentary television series produced by the BBC and Time-Life Films first broadcast in 1973. It was written and presented by Polish-British mathematician and historian of science Jacob Bronowski, who also authored a book adaptation. Intended as a series of "personal view" documentaries in the manner of Kenneth Clark's 1969 series Civilisation, the series received acclaim for Bronowski's highly informed but eloquently simple analysis, his long, elegant monologues, and its extensive location shoots. The programme began broadcasting on BBC2 at 9 pm on Saturday, 5 May 1973 and was released in the US 7 January 1975. ()
Poster of The Ascent of Man

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About The Ascent of Man

The Ascent of Man is a thirteen-part documentary television series produced by the BBC and Time-Life Films first transmitted in 1973, written and presented by Jacob Bronowski. Intended as a series of "personal view" documentaries in the manner of Kenneth Clark's 1969 series Civilisation, the series received acclaim for Bronowski's highly informed but eloquently simple analysis, his long unscripted monologues and its extensive location shoots.

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Trailer for The Ascent of Man + Featurettes/Teaser/Clips

JACOB BRONOWSKI - The Ascent of Man(Clip, 6:19)

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The Ascent of Man Seasons and Episodes

05/05/1973Season 1 - 13 episodes
#1 | 05/05/1973Lower Than the Angels
The programme follows the changes in Man as he marches out of Africa, through desert and ice age, to leave the print of his hand in a dark Spanish cave.
#2 | 05/12/1973The Harvest of the Seasons
As the ice retreats and the land flowers, Man the hunter turns to agriculture, domesticating plant and animal, imposing his will on the wild wheat and the horse.
#3 | 05/19/1973The Grain in the Stone
The wandering nomads cease their migrations and settle in townships, learning new skills.
#4 | 05/26/1973The Hidden Structure
The programme follows the beginnings of chemistry: from the techniques of ancient metallurgy in China and Japan to the mystical searchings of the alchemists.
#5 | 06/02/1973Music of the Spheres
Mathematics is a way of describing the world that we see, hear and touch.
#6 | 06/09/1973The Starry Messenger
From the earliest times, Man has looked outwards from the earth and wondered at the movements of sun, stars and planets. The programme hinges on the crisis of the scientific conscience in the person of the astronomer Galileo and in the rich cities of Venice and Rome, the scenes both of his triumph and his punishment.
#7 | 06/16/1973The Majestic Clockwork
The universe of Newton, clear, English, stately, like the music and the great buildings of his century ticking away with a fine clockwork mechanism, wisely regulated by laws. Then the quizzical world of Einstein whose direct truth and questions could turn the dignified universe upside-down in the interests of a clearer understanding. We ride with Einstein on his beam of light to end our journey in our own century.
#8 | 06/23/1973The Drive for Power
As political revolutions shook France and America, another quieter, yet more profound restructuring was taking place in Britain - the Industrial Revolution.
#9 | 06/30/1973The Ladder of Creation
How did life begin on earth? Dr Jacob Bronowski recounts the adventures of Alfred Russell Wallace, and how they triggered off the ideas of Charles Darwin.
#10 | 07/07/1973World Within World
Dr Jacob Bronowski tells the story of the men and ideas that gave concrete expression to the invisible, intangible structure that lies beneath all matter.
#11 | 07/14/1973Knowledge or Certainty
Dr Jacob Bronowski considers how the great achievement of physics in the 20th century has been to show that absolute certainty, in science or outside of it, is beyond our grasp.
#12 | 07/21/1973Generation Upon Generation
Dr Jacob Bronowski follows the history of genetics, from the lonely experiments of Gregor Mendel to the discovery of the structure of DNA. Should we see human sexuality as a gift?
#13 | 07/28/1973The Long Childhood
From his home, Dr Jacob Bronowski takes stock of man's complex and often precarious ascent, drawing on experiences from his own lifetime.

Additional Information

Official websites:
Production country: United Kingdom (UK)
Original language: English (EN)
Spoken languages: English (EN)
Translated into 3 languages: English (EN), Russian (RU), Chinese (Mandarin) (ZH)
Status: Ended
First episode released on: 05/05/1973
Last episode released on: 07/28/1973
Creator: Tommy Hartung
Director: Adrian Malone
Keywords: history

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WatchPlayStream ID: SHOWS:8439, Added: 05/12/2018, Last updated: 04/10/2024