Category: Americas

In September 2004on the last remaining site on the Mall in Washington D.C., the Smithsonian Institution opened the National Museum of the American Indian, inaugurating a new era in the education of all people about Native America. In conjunction with this event, and in response to popular demand 500 nations was broadcast on the Discovery Channel. Episode 8 Attack On Culture - The final episode of this mini series explores the legislative attack on native ways, including the disbanding of communal land. Today, the renewal of native cultures reminds us of the glory of America's original people and the hardships they endured ...
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The Spanish conquest of the Americas in the sixteenth century was one of the most cataclysmic events in history. Spanish expeditions had to endure the most unbelievable hardships to open up the lands of the New World. Few storiesif any, in history match these for sheer drama, endurance and distance covered. Michael Woods travels in the footsteps of the Spanish adventures. The Search for El Dorado - Francisco de Orellana failed to find El Dorado, but discovered the amazon. Early in 1541, a rumor swept Quito that beyond the mountains, there lay a land richer than Mexico, or even Peru a land of gold. The ruler of this land was so rich that he covered himself with gold dust every day and washed it off every evening. He was the golden man, El Dorado ...
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Isabella Stewart Gardner traveled the globe for over three decades assembling one of the world's most remarkable art collections ...
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Each turning point in history has behind it a story and a set of principal characters whose dilemmas and conflicts form its dramatic coreand whose unique personalities influenced the outcome of events. History's Turning Points provides a fascinating and intriguing new perspective on the significant moments that have changed the world. The Atomic Bomb - 1945 A.D. Without doubt, the Second World War was the most momentous event in U.S. history. Few single instants have marked so great and historic watershed as 915 a.m., August 6, 1945. Traditional war as an instrument of international policy ended completely, and future relations between nations changed drastically afterward ...
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The series features various subjects related to science and technology. Some of the views expressed might be considered fringe or pseudo-science. Episode 3 Angry Earth - In the last centurymore than 1 million people died in earthquakes. Over the next century, it is feared that number could increase ten-fold. Why? Because Earthquakes don't kill people. Buildings do. And urban populations are increasing so fast that we now have mega-cities. We discover the seismic vulnerability of some of the world's mega cities and the threat posed to millions of people all over the world ...
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Prehistoric America takes goes on a journey through the prehistory of North Americabeginning 14,000 years ago when people were first entering the vast and beautiful continent. Witness ancient beasts, mammoths, mastodons, giant bears and sabre toothed cats, and see how their successors, modern animals and beasts, carry on their legacy. Episode 3 Ice Age Oasis - talks about the modern southeastern USA (current state of Florida). The episode focuses on the American Mastodon, the ground sloth Eremotherium, Smilodon and the American glyptodon, Glyptotherium ...
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First broadcast in 1964The Great War was the definitive film account of the world shattering events of World War I (1914 - 1918) a landmark history series widely regarded as a documentary masterpiece. 26 Episodes. The main narrator was Michael Redgrave. It was a co-production involving the resources of the Imperial War Museum, the BBC, CBC and ABC. The series, unparalleled at the time for its depth of research, range of source material and historical accuracy - all presented in a sequence of clear narratives - is now considered one of the finest achievements of BBC documentary. With few exceptions, successive blocks of episodes are devoted to each year of the war episodes 1 - 6 to 1914, 7 - 10 to 1915, 11 - 14 to 1916, 15 - 19 to 1917, 20 - 23 and 26 to 1918 ...
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Controversial historian Professor Niall Ferguson argues that in the last century there were not in fact two World Wars and a Cold Warbut a single Hundred Years' War. It was not nationalism that powered the conflicts of the century, but empires. It was not ideologies of class or the advent of socialism driving the century, but race. Ultimately, ethnic conflict underpinned 20th century violence. Finally, it was not the west that triumphed as the century progressed, in fact, power slowly and steadily migrated towards the new empires of the East. Episode 5 The Icebox - How during the Cold War, World War Three actually took place. With the US and the Soviet Union unable to engage in battle with each other directly for fear of the nuclear consequences, Third World nations ended up serving as proxies for the superpowers, causing carnage to rival World War One ...
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The Money Programme's Fiona Bruce gains exclusive access to Bill Gates as he prepares to step down from full time involvement with Microsoftthe company he helped found. Gates's company has changed the world, but he's a controversial figure, with his ruthless business leadership contributing to Microsoft being sued by the US government. In a special one hour edition of the Money Programme, Fiona Bruce presents the definitive profile of Bill Gates as he embarks on his latest challenge giving away the billions he's amassed ...
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The extraordinary life of Columbian Edward Hernandez who at the age of 24 was just 27 inches tall. Because of his tiny size Edward was used to unwanted attention from strangers but in 2010 his life changed dramatically when he was officially declared the shortest man in the world. The media frenzy was immediate, he became a hit on the Latin American chat show circuit. How would Edward cope with overnight fame and how long could he keep hold of his title? ...
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A departure from other documentaries that observe history as the actions of great men, People's Century considers the Century from the view of common people. Most persons interviewed were ordinary men and women who closely witnessed various events and they give personal accounts how developments in the Twentieth Century affected their lives. The opening credits depict various images from the century and a very short introduction. Episode 21 New Release 1968 - The baby boom produced a cohort of children in the affluent and secure post-war world who for the first time would question established trends, culture and authority. Young adults were denied the right to vote, and lived in a paternalistic society that discouraged them from interacting with authority. Their rising disposable incomes were channelled into new music and fashions that helped provide them with a new common identity. Greater student populations, disillusionment with conformist trends, identification with civil ...
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Series following the high adrenaline adventures of a team of divers as they explore and film the depths of the world's greatest river system with cameraman Michael deGruy. You'd think TV crews would be hard pressed to find any corner of the planet that hasn't been filmedbut it turns out that in the Amazon rainforest there's a habitat where no cameras have ventured: the river itself. Episode 1 - The bottom of the Amazon River is home to many of the strangest and fiercest creatures in the world. It was the first time an expedition had ever attempted anything so ambitious and they discovered an alien world, full of beautiful and bizarre creatures. The darkness also hides many dangers, anaconda, piranha, giant catfish, stingray and caiman ...
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The Spanish conquest of the Americas in the sixteenth century was one of the most cataclysmic events in history. Spanish expeditions had to endure the most unbelievable hardships to open up the lands of the New World. Few storiesif any, in history match these for sheer drama, endurance and distance covered. Michael Woods travels in the footsteps of the Spanish adventures. All World is Human - Cabeza de Vaca was shipwrecked off the coast of Texas in 1528 and lived with Indians for eight years. Upon his return to Spain, he wrote a book based on his experiences. His tale is one of empathy and respect for the Indians ...
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Curious About Cuba documentary shows a side of the island nation that we seldom hear about: Cuba's art history, and culture. Despite Cuba's overwhelming economic and political challenges, museums in Havana abound; from rum and revolution, to cars and cigars. In fact, Old Havana itself is a museum-quality collection of historic buildings, reflecting 400 years of Spanish rule and a hundred years of revolution. Narrated by Mariel Hemingway ...
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Each turning point in history has behind it a story and a set of principal characters whose dilemmas and conflicts form its dramatic coreand whose unique personalities influenced the outcome of events. History's Turning Points provides a fascinating and intriguing new perspective on the significant moments that have changed the world. Crisis in Korea - Details the repercussions of the communist invasion in the Far East. Determined to halt communist activity, General Douglas MacArthur aimed to wage atomic war on China. In the nick of time, President Harry Truman terminated MacArthur's position, along with the threat of World War III. In doing so, Truman also kicked off the difficult period known as the Cold War ...
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