Seven Ages of Britain

Season 12003

Seven Ages of Britain is a 2003 British documentary television series. The seven part series was shown by Channel 4 between 15 November and 20 December 2003.

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7 Episodes

E01 The First Age 6000 BC - 2000 BC

Bettany Hughes provides an insight into how British inhabitants evolved over 8,000 years, beginning with the story of man's battle with the environment in 6,000 BC, when global warming transformed Britain into an island covered by dense, impenetrable forest

November 15, 2003

E02 The Second Age 1500 BC - 43 AD

Bettany Hughes explores the period from 1500 BC to 43 AD, comprising the Bronze and Iron Ages, which saw Britain engulfed by widespread flooding and the hunter-gatherers forced to abandon their homes and learn new skills. Tribes came into existence and people gave themselves names, picked rulers, used simple coinage, and became traders with their continental neighbours.

November 22, 2003

E03 The Third Age 43 - 410 AD

Historian Bettany Hughes explores the third age of Britain, from 43 to 410 AD, when the Romans arrived and took control of the island, consolidating their burgeoning empire's position as a great world power. The programme reveals how the country became vulnerable to invaders when the rulers ran out of money

November 29, 2003

E04 The Fourth Age 410 - 1066 AD

Bettany Hughes considers the fourth age, between 410 and 1066 AD, a period of change that led to the disintegration of Britannia following the gradual collapse of the Roman Empire and an invasion by Scandinavians and northern Europeans, hungry for power and land. Out of the upheaval and chaos came the gradual development of a wealthy, independent England, which many would recognise today in areas of language, law, religion and economy.

December 6, 2003

E05 The Fifth Age 1066 - 1350 AD

Bettany Hughes considers the fifth age of Britain, from 1066 to 1350, charting the period between two shattering historical events - the invasion of William the Conqueror and the Black Death. She looks for evidence of the effects of the Norman conquest, from the castles that sprang up to the soaring cathedral vaults that marked the peak of medieval exuberance.

December 13, 2003

E06 The Sixth Age 1350 - 1530 AD

Bettany Hughes considers the sixth age of Britain, from 1350 to 1530AD, a period which saw Henry VIII provide land for the country's peasantry and begin the dissolution of the monasteries. The programme reveals how the power of the old nobility was weakened as new aspirational groups emerged - capital farmers in the countryside and merchant adventurers in the cities.

December 20, 2003

E07 The Seventh Age 1530 - 1700 AD

Bettany Hughes provides an insight into the seventh age of Britain between 1530 and 1700, from the Elizabethan era to the eve of the agricultural and industrial revolutions. The documentary chronicles the emergence of many characteristics of the modern nation, such as political rights, secular entertainment, capitalism and the creation of the middle class.

December 20, 2003

Seven Ages of Britain

E01 The First Age 6000 BC - 2000 BC

E02 The Second Age 1500 BC - 43 AD

E03 The Third Age 43 - 410 AD

E04 The Fourth Age 410 - 1066 AD

E05 The Fifth Age 1066 - 1350 AD

E06 The Sixth Age 1350 - 1530 AD

E07 The Seventh Age 1530 - 1700 AD

The Learning Curve of a Warlord

Nurseman

The Best Recipes In The World

Felipe Esparza: Bad Decisions

Shatner's Raw Nerve

Substitute Husband

Serpico

Music City

Mocro Maffia Backstories

9 IN A ROW

Blue Skies

Elefanten hautnah

Ja "Night" Audrey

Kami no Shizuku

Glass Slippers

The Extraordinary

E01 The First Age 6000 BC - 2000 BC

E02 The Second Age 1500 BC - 43 AD

E03 The Third Age 43 - 410 AD

E04 The Fourth Age 410 - 1066 AD

E05 The Fifth Age 1066 - 1350 AD

E06 The Sixth Age 1350 - 1530 AD

E07 The Seventh Age 1530 - 1700 AD