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BBC Four tonight - Invasion! with Sam Willis
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thelonious
330 posts

Edited Dec 05, 2017, 18:19
BBC Four tonight - Invasion! with Sam Willis
Dec 05, 2017, 18:16
Might be worth a watch (don't think it's been on before?)

BBC Four 9 o'clock tonight

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09hr5pc

"Three-part series in which intrepid historian Dr Sam Willis reveals a remarkable story of invasion in Britain spanning thousands of years.

From the time continuous settlement began in Britain over 10,000 years ago to Iron Age hillforts and Viking ships, Sam explores the many invasions of Britain. He unearths hidden stories to build a vivid picture of both successful and unsuccessful invasions and examines how they have shaped our psyche, including fear of invasion.

Some invasions are bloody, some bloodless. Some were by invitation, some absurd and doomed. From Barbary pirates and brutal border raids to the air attacks of the 20th century; these invasions have shaped modern Britain and made us the people we are today.

In this first programme, Sam fells a tree with a flint axe in Kent, gets to grips with the technology of Viking boats and rides an Iron Age chariot. He also searches for clues of invasion at Silbury Hill and tracks down evidence of the Beaker people who brought ceramics, metalwork and beakers to Britain."
Sanctuary
Sanctuary
4670 posts

Re: BBC Four tonight - Invasion! with Sam Willis
Dec 05, 2017, 19:04
thelonious wrote:
Might be worth a watch (don't think it's been on before?)

BBC Four 9 o'clock tonight

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09hr5pc

"Three-part series in which intrepid historian Dr Sam Willis reveals a remarkable story of invasion in Britain spanning thousands of years.

From the time continuous settlement began in Britain over 10,000 years ago to Iron Age hillforts and Viking ships, Sam explores the many invasions of Britain. He unearths hidden stories to build a vivid picture of both successful and unsuccessful invasions and examines how they have shaped our psyche, including fear of invasion.

Some invasions are bloody, some bloodless. Some were by invitation, some absurd and doomed. From Barbary pirates and brutal border raids to the air attacks of the 20th century; these invasions have shaped modern Britain and made us the people we are today.

In this first programme, Sam fells a tree with a flint axe in Kent, gets to grips with the technology of Viking boats and rides an Iron Age chariot. He also searches for clues of invasion at Silbury Hill and tracks down evidence of the Beaker people who brought ceramics, metalwork and beakers to Britain."


Excellent - thanks for the heads-up Thelonious.

I bet that tree that is felled by Sam with a flint axe isn't like one of those 1 metre diameter ones that were felled for use at Stanton Drew!! :-)
Monganaut
Monganaut
2365 posts

Edited Dec 05, 2017, 20:35
Re: BBC Four tonight - Invasion! with Sam Willis
Dec 05, 2017, 20:35
Cool, thanks for the heads up. I like ole Sam, so should be worth a watch.
Well as long as he doesn't start singing again, like in his show about pirates and brigands, excruciating doesn't cover it.
spencer
spencer
3065 posts

Re: BBC Four tonight - Invasion! with Sam Willis
Dec 05, 2017, 21:26
Only just seen your heads-up after tripping up over it unawares and watching from 10mins in..was going to alert peeps that it's good but you've beaten me to it. Well worth another look
tomatoman
118 posts

Re: BBC Four tonight - Invasion! with Sam Willis
Dec 05, 2017, 21:59
Sorry. I've liked some of his other stuff, but this was FULL of cliches. A collection of other people's material. A hoot, for me.
tjj
tjj
3606 posts

Edited Dec 06, 2017, 15:00
Re: BBC Four tonight - Invasion! with Sam Willis
Dec 05, 2017, 22:28
Thanks! A bit of a linear romp through prehistory - the Ice Age, Cresswell Crags, Neolithic farmers, the Beaker people to the Celtic/Cultural invasion of La Tene artifacts. Am watching on iplayer so we're up to 793AD and the Vikings ...

Sam Willis is likeable and has a light touch.

Maybe Nigel Farage should be tied up and made to watch ...
Sanctuary
Sanctuary
4670 posts

Re: BBC Four tonight - Invasion! with Sam Willis
Dec 05, 2017, 22:39
tomatoman wrote:
Sorry. I've liked some of his other stuff, but this was FULL of cliches. A collection of other people's material. A hoot, for me.


Agreed...
tjj
tjj
3606 posts

Re: BBC Four tonight - Invasion! with Sam Willis
Dec 05, 2017, 23:00
tomatoman wrote:
Sorry. I've liked some of his other stuff, but this was FULL of cliches. A collection of other people's material. A hoot, for me.


How was it full of cliches. A touch superficial perhaps as it whizzed through 10,000 years of prehistory but it was factual. Sam Willis did emphasise the influence of the Beaker People and it was interesting to see the 1968 'dig' at Silbury Hill again. How is it possible to make a programme such as this without using other people's material?

I quite liked it, it had me later looking at some exquisite La Tene artefacts.
Evergreen Dazed
1881 posts

Re: BBC Four tonight - Invasion! with Sam Willis
Dec 06, 2017, 10:12
Bugger, missed it. Will watch it on the iplayer. Cheers thelonious.

Detectorists tonight too, last but one episode.
I seem to have developed a crush on Lances girlfriend.
moss
moss
2897 posts

Re: BBC Four tonight - Invasion! with Sam Willis
Dec 06, 2017, 11:21
Sanctuary wrote:
tomatoman wrote:
Sorry. I've liked some of his other stuff, but this was FULL of cliches. A collection of other people's material. A hoot, for me.


Agreed...


Maybe, but there was a lovely storytelling element to it. It sort of reminded me of H.G.Wells - Outline of History, it is nice to go back and romp through an easy telling of our history....
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