My First Review: Sky Atlantic's "The British"

The British are Coming!

As most people who know me are aware, I love history!  We in the United Kingdom have such a rich history and I find all aspects of it fascinating.  My fondness lies in the history of the monarchy, I know a little bit about most the Kings/Queens we have had but have always had a special place for the Tudor Dynasty, beginning with Henry VII and ending with Elizabeth I.  I feel this period spanning from 1485-1603 was a real turning point in our history.  

Anyway the focus of this blog is a show which debuted on Sky Atlantic this week (06/09/12).  I have been waiting for this show for several weeks now, having been enthralled by the teaser adverts which gave away little.  In some ways the show lived up to my expectations but in others it did not.  

Sky describe the show as: 

"Combining gripping drama, spectacular CGI and compelling commentary, The British is an ambitious and unmissable new series which tells the history of Britain and Ireland from the Roman invasion to the birth of TV and the Coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953"

The first episode covered the time period of 54BC-AD500, namely the Roman Invasion.  It covered key events such as the Massacre of the Druids, the creation of roads/townships, Hadrian's Wall and the eventual downfall of the Romans.  It also covered how although the Romans left, the religion of Christianity they brought with them remained and told the story of St Patrick.  

I felt the history content of the show itself was excellent, although there were a few random bits such as Stonehenge bursting forth from the ground in a way which reminded me of Danny Boyle's take on the Industrial Revolution in the Olympic Opening Ceremony.  I haven't studied the Romans since I was in school so it was interesting to cover this topic again as an adult and the show did leave me wanting to read more about this period.  I have always been of the opinion if a TV show/Movie (whether its a documentary or historical fiction)  leaves viewers wanting to research the period further then it's a success.  

However, there were some irritating aspects to this show.  The CGI which Sky describes as "spectacular" felt amateurish at times.  I honestly felt at times I was watching a bad straight to DVD movie.  Yet, this was not the worst thing.  I thought the show would be a narrative description of events with a dramatisation for visual effect.  Occasionally throughout the show there are commentators on specific periods/events.  Most of these are historians/specialists in their field, however occasionally you get the token celebrity such as Helen Mirren, Russell Brand, Jeremy Irons and Lennox Lewis.  Sky describe these contributions as "unique insights on how thousands of years of British history have shaped the people and nation we are today".  I beg to differ, these are clearly to try and cater to a wider audience and boost ratings.  Russell Brand describing how we are "a tenacious people" and Helen Mirren commenting on the Druid Warrior Women had be cringing quite frankly!

Nevertheless this show did enthral me and I will continue to watch the rest of the series, I may just have to keep the remote handy to fast forward any future celebrity comments.  There is still Jessie J, Frank Lampard, Tracey Emin and more to come I am afraid!

Next Week's episode covers 1066-1415 including topics such as the Black Death and the Peasant's Revolt.  I look forward to it :)

For more information about the show, see Sky Atlantic's website:

http://skyatlantic.sky.com/the-british/about-the-show