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…
Documentary • Series • 1973 • 1 season
Starring: Jacob Bronowski
Created by: Jacob Bronowski
S1 E1 - Lower 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.
May 5, 1973 • 50m
S1 E2 - The 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.
May 12, 1973 • 50m
S1 E3 - The Grain in the Stone
The wandering nomads cease their migrations and settle in townships, learning new skills.
May 19, 1973 • 50m
S1 E4 - The 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.
May 26, 1973 • 50m
S1 E5 - Music of the Spheres
Mathematics is a way of describing the world that we see, hear and touch.
Jun 2, 1973 • 50m
S1 E6 - The 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.
Jun 9, 1973 • 50m
S1 E7 - The 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.
Jun 16, 1973 • 50m
S1 E8 - The Drive for Power
As political revolutions shook France and America, another quieter, yet more profound restructuring was taking place in Britain - the Industrial Revolution.
Jun 23, 1973 • 50m
S1 E9 - The 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.
Jun 30, 1973 • 50m
S1 E10 - World 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.
Jul 7, 1973 • 50m
S1 E11 - Knowledge 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.
Jul 14, 1973 • 50m
S1 E12 - Generation 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?
Jul 21, 1973 • 50m
S1 E13 - The 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.
Jul 28, 1973 • 50m
About This Show
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.
Documentary • TV Series • 1973
Details
- Genre
- Documentary
- First aired
- May 5, 1973
- Last aired
- Jul 28, 1973
- Status
- Ended
- Episodes
- 13
- Network
- BBC Two
- Studio
- BBC TV, Time Life Films
- Language
- English
- Score
- 8.5 out of 10 from 24 votes