CTVA
The Classic TV Archive - UK Documentary Series
Jacob Bronowki's The Ascent of Man  (1973-74)
  Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by:
references:
BBC Radio Times
Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (http://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive
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THE ASCENT OF MAN
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BBC Television/ Time-Life Films co-production

UK Documentary series 1973-74 13 episodes x 50 min color

Hosted and Narrated by Professor Jacob Bronowski

Premise:
The story of the social and intellectual evolution of the human race.

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[01] The Ascent of Man: LOWER THAN THE ANGELS

 Dr Jacob Bronowski begins his quest in East Africa from where
our earliest ancestors spread out until Homo Sapiens became the
single dominant species on earth.

[02] The Ascent of Man: THE HARVEST OF THE SEASONS

Dr Jacob Bronowski traces evolution of agriculture from nomadic
pasturage to settled agriculture.

[03] The Ascent of Man: THE GRAIN IN THE STONE

As our nomadic ancestors ceased their migrations and settled in
townships, they learnt new skills. From the interaction of
hand and brain, science was born.

[04] The Ascent of Man: THE HIDDEN STRUCTURE

 Dr. Jacob Bronowski traces the development of chemistry, from
early Chinese metallurgists to Dalton's atomic theory as man
probed ever deeper into the structure of matter.

[05] The Ascent of Man: MUSIC OF THE SPHERES

 From the harmonies of Pythagoras to the development of Calculus
by Newton and Leibniz, Jacob Bronowski shows how mathematics has
transformed our view of the world.

[06] The Ascent of Man: THE STARRY MESSENGER

 Jacob Bronowski traces our growing understanding of the movements
of the sun, moon, stars and planets.

[07] The Ascent of Man: THE MAJESTIC CLOCKWORK

Dr. Bronowski brings the world of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein
to life by showing how their theories are connected by light.

[08] The Ascent of Man: THE DRIVE FOR POWER

 As political revolutions shock France and America during the
18th Century, another more profound restructuring was taking
place in Britain - the Industrial Revolution.

[09] The Ascent of Man: THE LADDER OF CREATION

 During Queen Victoria's reign, two British naturalists independently
reached conclusions that would transform our understanding of the
origins of life.

[10] The Ascent of Man: WORLD WITHIN WORLD

 Dr. Jacob Bronowski tells how invisible, intangible structure of
atoms, electrons, and neutrons that lies beneath all matter was discovered.

[11] The Ascent of Man: KNOWLEDGE OR CERTAINTY

Dr. Jacob Bronowski explains how 20th century physics proved that
absolute certainty, inside or outside science is beyond our grasp.

[12] The Ascent of Man: 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.

[13] The Ascent of Man: THE LONG CHILDHOOD (final episode)

 In this final programme Dr. Jacob Bronowski draws together the ideas
he has explored in the series, taking stock of mankind's ascent
and growth to self knowledge.

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