James Burke's 'Connections': 1. The Trigger Effect.
This first episode is a very good example of our dependence on technology. In 1978 they did not have computers being widespread yet but computerization and internet-ization of our daily lives makes this episode ever more relevant. The New York blackout and other disasters like it serve us as a reminder on how dependent we are on technology in our daily lives.
The narration is interesting and fact based, which is always a plus for Documentary style series. The editing was probably the downside, but it may have been intentional given the subject matter.
This series is shaping up to be an under-appreciated gem and definitely worth watching for anyone wondering whether to pick it up. Don't let the release date fool you, it is still quite relevant.
The revolutionary change in thought that replaced Divine Authority with experience, experiment and observation.
Aired: 13 April.1969.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_HDfzJZ-B8
Undertaking the first of eight quests across the British Isles, Professor Aubrey Manning seeks clues to uncover a lost Irish Eldorado. Spectacular hoards of gold objects show Bronze Age people in Ireland had access to large amounts of the precious metal. But where did these preshistoric metalworkers find it? Could dramatic changes in the landscape over time provide the key to the success of these ancient prospectors?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhALOdXUrlA
This episode shows certain inventions that never became operational or whose deployment was significantly delayed, therefore leaving one to imagine what could have happened "if" certain developments had achieved widespread use. The programme features many inventions such as the Messerschmitt Me 321 and Messerschmitt Me 323; various contraptions intended to help the Invasion of Normandy, including the Panjandrum and PLUTO; the Bachstelze autogyro; early helicopters, British and German bouncing bomb developments; the Henschel Hs 293, the Messerschmitt Me 163 and jet aircraft developments such as the Gloster E.28/39, Messerschmitt Me 262 and Gloster Meteor. Interviewees include Hanna Reitsch, Adolf Galland, Frank Whittle, Stanley Hooker, Constance Babington Smith and Albert Speer.
Following on from the popularity of Six English Towns and Six More English Towns, the respected writer continues his travel adventures in architecture, visiting a different location in each episode. In this series he visits Cirencester (Gloucestershire), Whitby (North Yorkshire), Bury St Edmunds (Suffolk), Devizes (Devon), Sandwich (Kent) and Durham (North East).
But why these towns? Well, says Clifton-Taylor in his introduction: "We wanted rather small towns. And we also wanted places that were visually attractive and part of the English tradition. These are not guide book programmes. Our main concern will be with buildings and especially with houses. I d like every programme to be an exercise in looking. Looking at the changing styles and fashions and at the traditional building materials of England stone, brick, wood, plaster."
Erudite, agreeable and accessible, Clifton-Taylors passion for his subject is also displayed in forthright criticism for modern developments that threaten the identity of a community. A champion of pedestrianisation and despiser of multi-storey car parks, he makes a convincing case for the conservation of our traditional living and working spaces.
First broadcast on the BBC Two in 1978, the programmes now serve as a fascinating historical snapshot of the enduring character of each locale.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu5LPswBKDY
Lord Clark journeys from the Loire through Tuscany and Umbria, to the cathedral at Pisa, as he explores the aspirations of the later Middle Ages in France and Italy.
Aired: 9 March 1969
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY4ntE8djJI
In the heart of England, from the Upper Thames to Banbury, it is still possible to find a lonely countryside with roads and lanes that have been untouched for centuries.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xPkfFWhWME