What I'm watching

There are lots of great programmes on TV at the moment that I thought I’d share with you all:

“Building Burma’s Death Railway” – BBC:

Painting by Jack Chalker, who was one of the POW builders of the Burma Railway (features in this programme)

This is an emotional but enlightening programme that demonstrates the resilience of the men who fought during the war. The conquest of Singapore and the subsequent use of the POWs to build the Burmese railway is a part of the Second World War that has sometimes been forgotten. This programme uses interviews from both the POWs that built the railway and the Japanese commanders who supervised and beat them. It’s fascinating to see how the commanders explain their orders and the culture during the war; you were expected to follow commands to the letter and to fight to the death for your country’s honor. In this case, that meant making the British, Australian and American POWs work in the most abominable conditions. A truly enlightening programme:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03z09n9/Building_Burmas_Death_Railway_Moving_Half_the_Mountain/

“The Plantagenets” - BBC:

Beards sometimes included

The problem with this period of history is that we have tended to focus on the Wars of the Roses, Elizabeth Woodville and Richard III. However, they all extended from the same French dynasty, the Plantagenets. This series looks at the whole family tree which spanned over a hundred years and were England’s longest ruling dynasty. The earlier kings were if anything, more interesting, as we know less about them. The series has three episodes which are still on iplayer and are presented by the brilliant Professor Robert Bartlett.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03yr973/The_Plantagenets_The_Devils_Brood/

“New Worlds”, Channel 4:

 

I really didn’t have high hopes for this, despite my earlier blog post! Usually these dramas are awful in terms of their history, but New Worlds was surprisingly accurate! (As far as I know.) It revolves around the post-Civil War period where Charles II had been restored to the throne and was pursuing his father’s executors. In the newly established colony at Massachusetts, we find the other part of the story. Here was where many of Oliver Cromwell’s supporters fled in real life, so investigators were sent to the New World to find them. Although there are some awkwardly naff moments, the series looks really promising:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/new-worlds/4od

“Henry & Anne: The Lovers who changed History” – Channel 5:

This is a great series that has just finished, but I keep rewatching it! The lovely Suzannah Lipscomb presents it, who I have heard lots about. It focuses on the actual courtship and love story behind Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, which is quite a refreshing perspective. The actors who play them both are very convincing, particularly Anne Boleyn!

http://www.channel5.com/shows/henry-anne-the-lovers-who-changed-history/episodes/episode-1-613