Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    Banner
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • Shows by Decade
        • 1950s Television
        • 1960s Television
        • 1970s Television
        • 1980s Television
        • 1990s Television
      • Shows by Genre
        • Comedy
        • Drama
        • Kids TV
        • Variety
        • News & Sport
        • Advertisements
      • Shows by Country
        • UK TV
        • USA TV
        • Australia & NZ TV
        • Canada TV
        • Europe TV
        • Japan TV
      • Shows A to K
        • Shows A
        • Shows B
        • Shows C
        • Shows D
        • Shows E
        • Shows F
        • Shows G
        • Shows H
        • Shows I
        • Shows J
        • Shows K
      • Shows L to Z
        • Shows L
        • Shows M
        • Shows N
        • Shows O
        • Shows P
        • Shows Q
        • Shows R
        • Shows S
        • Shows T
        • Shows U
        • Shows V
        • Shows W
        • Shows X
        • Shows Y
        • Shows Z
      • Shows 0 to 9
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • 1950s Music
        • 1960s Music
        • 1970s Music
        • 1980s Music
        • 1990s Music
      • Music A to K
        • Music A
        • Music B
        • Music C
        • Music D
        • Music E
        • Music F
        • Music G
        • Music H
        • Music I
        • Music J
        • Music K
      • Music L to Z
        • Music L
        • Music M
        • Music N
        • Music O
        • Music P
        • Music Q
        • Music R
        • Music S
        • Music T
        • Music U
        • Music V
        • Music W
        • Music X
        • Music Y
        • Music Z
      • Music 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • 1950s Movies
          • Movies 1950
          • Movies 1951
          • Movies 1952
          • Movies 1953
          • Movies 1954
          • Movies 1955
          • Movies 1956
          • Movies 1957
          • Movies 1958
          • Movies 1959
        • 1960s Movies
          • Movies 1960
          • Movies 1961
          • Movies 1962
          • Movies 1963
          • Movies 1964
          • Movies 1965
          • Movies 1966
          • Movies 1967
          • Movies 1968
          • Movies 1969
        • 1970s Movies
          • Movies 1970
          • Movies 1971
          • Movies 1972
          • Movies 1973
          • Movies 1974
          • Movies 1975
          • Movies 1976
          • Movies 1977
          • Movies 1978
          • Movies 1979
        • 1980s Movies
          • Movies 1980
          • Movies 1981
          • Movies 1982
          • Movies 1983
          • Movies 1984
          • Movies 1985
          • Movies 1986
          • Movies 1987
          • Movies 1988
          • Movies 1989
        • 1990s Movies
          • Movies 1990
          • Movies 1991
          • Movies 1992
          • Movies 1993
          • Movies 1994
          • Movies 1995
          • Movies 1996
          • Movies 1997
          • Movies 1998
          • Movies 1999
      • Movies A to K
        • Movies A
        • Movies B
        • Movies C
        • Movies D
        • Movies E
        • Movies F
        • Movies G
        • Movies H
        • Movies I
        • Movies J
        • Movies K
      • Movies L to Z
        • Movies L
        • Movies M
        • Movies N
        • Movies O
        • Movies P
        • Movies Q
        • Movies R
        • Movies S
        • Movies T
        • Movies U
        • Movies V
        • Movies W
        • Movies X
        • Movies Y
        • Movies Z
      • Movies 0 to 9
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Shows by Decade»1970s Television
    1970s Television Shows A UK TV Variety 2 Mins Read

    Ascent of Man, The

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 7 3 (UK)
    13 x 50 minute episodes

    The most praised British documentary series of the early 1970s was The Ascent of Man, a thirteen-part scientific and philosophical treatise by Polish-born, California-based historian and philosopher Dr Jacob Bronowski (pictured at right), which explained how man came to be drawn, step by step, from one field of scientific discovery to the next.

    The doctor’s confident and careful words were heard as his hunched figure bestrode the deserts or climbed the monuments and exciting pictures unfurled. His face reflected in a bubble of mercury was one of these. The airwaves as a spear cut its high-speed path was another.

    Hours of experiments had gone into perfecting the technical effects of course.

    The prop for one sequence, filmed in Holkham, Norfolk, explaining the early methods of x-ray photography and radar, gave the producers headaches and the locals something of a scare.

    It was a large human head, made from canvas over a chicken-wire base – and it appeared, apparently from nowhere, on the beach one day, staring eerily out to sea.

    The Ascent Of Man took four years to reach the screen, and when it did, Jacob Bronowski was in hospital suffering from the fatigue of it all. He died the following year.

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Man Alive
      Man Alive
      1 9 6 5 - 1 9 8 2 (UK) 586 x 30 minute episodes The BBC's long-running documentary series Man Alive looked…
    • Take A Letter
      Take A Letter
      1 9 6 2 - 1 9 6 4 (UK) 130 x 30 minute episodes 1 9 6 7 (Australia) 22…
    • Brains Trust, The
      Brains Trust, The
      1 9 5 5 - 1 9 6 1 (UK) This completely unscripted discussion programme began on BBC Radio in 1941,…
    • Strand Cigarettes
      Strand Cigarettes
      One British television advertising campaign which flopped disastrously was the 1960 commercial for Strand cigarettes. Based on a Frank Sinatra…
    • Bionic Woman, The
      Bionic Woman, The
      1 9 7 6 - 1 9 7 8 (USA) 58 x 50 minute episodes Tennis pro Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner)…
    • O'Hara, U.S. Treasury
      O'Hara, U.S. Treasury
      1 9 7 1 - 1 9 7 2 (USA) 23 x 60 minute episodes This hour-long drama series premiered on…
    • Boyd QC
      Boyd QC
      1 9 5 6 - 1 9 6 4 (UK) 84 x 30 minute episodes Michael Denison featured as Britain's answer…
    • Life on Earth
      Life on Earth
      1 9 7 9 (UK) 13 x 60 minute episodes David Attenborough travelled the globe in order to trace the story of the…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticlePorno for Pyros
    Next Article Ask Pickles

    Comments are closed.

    NC Radio Player
    Search the site

    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love since 1998. The site carries no advertising, and I rely on donations to help with running costs and to keep the site running for your entertainment and education.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small. 

    Thank you so much.
    Enjoy your trip in the time machine!

    You may also like

    • Life on Earth
      Life on Earth
      1 9 7 9 (UK) 13 x 60 minute episodes David Attenborough travelled the globe in order to trace the story of the…
    • Brains Trust, The
      Brains Trust, The
      1 9 5 5 - 1 9 6 1 (UK) This completely unscripted discussion programme began on BBC Radio in 1941,…
    • Man Alive
      Man Alive
      1 9 6 5 - 1 9 8 2 (UK) 586 x 30 minute episodes The BBC's long-running documentary series Man Alive looked…
    • Action Man
      Action Man
      1 9 9 5 - 1 9 9 6 (USA) 26 x 30 minute episodes "Action Man" (voiced by Mark Griffin)…


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.