The Ascent of Man
The Ascent of Man

The Ascent of Man

1973 1 Seasons 13 Episodes ⭐ 8.5 Documentary

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.

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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Seasons & Episodes

EP 1

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

EP 2

The Harvest of the Seasons

As the ice retreats and the land flowers, Man the hunter turns to agriculture, domesticating plant and animal, imposing

EP 3

The Grain in the Stone

The wandering nomads cease their migrations and settle in townships, learning new skills.

EP 4

The Hidden Structure

The programme follows the beginnings of chemistry: from the techniques of ancient metallurgy in China and Japan to the m

EP 5

Music of the Spheres

Mathematics is a way of describing the world that we see, hear and touch.

EP 6

The Starry Messenger

From the earliest times, Man has looked outwards from the earth and wondered at the movements of sun, stars and planets.

EP 7

The Majestic Clockwork

The universe of Newton, clear, English, stately, like the music and the great buildings of his century ticking away with

EP 8

The Drive for Power

As political revolutions shook France and America, another quieter, yet more profound restructuring was taking place in

EP 9

The Ladder of Creation

How did life begin on earth? Dr Jacob Bronowski recounts the adventures of Alfred Russell Wallace, and how they triggere

EP 10

World Within World

Dr Jacob Bronowski tells the story of the men and ideas that gave concrete expression to the invisible, intangible struc

EP 11

Knowledge or Certainty

Dr Jacob Bronowski considers how the great achievement of physics in the 20th century has been to show that absolute cer

EP 12

Generation Upon Generation

Dr Jacob Bronowski follows the history of genetics, from the lonely experiments of Gregor Mendel to the discovery of the

EP 13

The Long Childhood

From his home, Dr Jacob Bronowski takes stock of man's complex and often precarious ascent, drawing on experiences from

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