Queenie Whale Michael Gove got loads of press at the start of the week when he criticised Blackadder. Maybe that's unfair. Not the criticism he got - the focus on Blackadder. After all it wasn't the only TV show he mentioned in the Mail - he actually wrote, referring to the First World War: "The conflict has, for many, been seen through the fictional prism of dramas such as Oh! What a Lovely War, The Monocled Mutineer and Blackadder, as a misbegotten shambles - a series of catastrophic mistakes perpetrated by an out-of-touch elite."
And that's the really important fact that is being forgotten here - that there are LOADS of TV shows out there masquerading as trustworthy historical documentaries and brainwashing us all. For example...
And that's the really important fact that is being forgotten here - that there are LOADS of TV shows out there masquerading as trustworthy historical documentaries and brainwashing us all. For example...
1. From what I've gleaned from historical paintings of the marriage hungry Henry VIII. casting Jonathan Rhys Meyers was a rather excellent choice to accurately portray the King of Sin. Why bother dying his hair, Jonathan's dark locks are so moody! Go all Raging Bull and put on a couple of pounds for the role? But those cheekbones! Those ratings rising, Golden Globe winning cheekbones! Hottie Henry was the focal point if the Beeb's The Tudors (2007 - 2010). His exciting sexy life filled two historically inaccurate late night Hollyoaks inspired series. Long live the kinky king...or maybe not. Squeamish Nicola
2. Everything I know about the Resistance I learned from watching 'Allo 'Allo. It was an act of rebellion against my Resistance historian father. (I am going to get in so much trouble for this. I will probably have to write an essay as punishment.) F1Kate
3. Doctor Who, the tale of mad man travelling the universe in a magical box and saving the day from alien invasions, was originally conceived as educational TV show. Time travel was only introduced to allow the main characters (which The Doctor was not originally - the show's original stars were a pair of teachers!) to travel back to important points of history and teach the watching children what life would have been like there. There was an explicit rule that no "bug-eyed aliens" were allowed to feature and all stories had to be based on historical events, or outline modern scientific theories.
Unfortunately due to an extremely tight filming schedule the only story available to be filmed once the pilot was out the way was an initially rejected story called The Daleks! It was only granted a reprieve as it was an allegory of the Second World War, which having ended a mere 18 years earlier was too raw to feature. A period which modern Who has visited at least 6 times - most recently to lock Hitler in a cupboard while fleeing from a shape-shifting robot. I wonder what the commissioning agents would think of this? Gareth
4. Recent history is just as important as things that happened longer ago. For example, so much happened in the United States during the 1970s - mostly teenagers smoking pot and playing basketball badly according to That 70s Show. But still, seminal stuff. Squeamish Louise
5. I know all I need to about French history thanks to Dogtanian and the Muskehounds but that's French history, so I also know that's not important. Ulysses31 kept me informed on how incredibly advanced the Ancient Greeks were and He-man with his techno-medieval times style learned me all I need to know about the dark ages. Thank you television. Squeamish Kate
2. Everything I know about the Resistance I learned from watching 'Allo 'Allo. It was an act of rebellion against my Resistance historian father. (I am going to get in so much trouble for this. I will probably have to write an essay as punishment.) F1Kate
3. Doctor Who, the tale of mad man travelling the universe in a magical box and saving the day from alien invasions, was originally conceived as educational TV show. Time travel was only introduced to allow the main characters (which The Doctor was not originally - the show's original stars were a pair of teachers!) to travel back to important points of history and teach the watching children what life would have been like there. There was an explicit rule that no "bug-eyed aliens" were allowed to feature and all stories had to be based on historical events, or outline modern scientific theories.
Unfortunately due to an extremely tight filming schedule the only story available to be filmed once the pilot was out the way was an initially rejected story called The Daleks! It was only granted a reprieve as it was an allegory of the Second World War, which having ended a mere 18 years earlier was too raw to feature. A period which modern Who has visited at least 6 times - most recently to lock Hitler in a cupboard while fleeing from a shape-shifting robot. I wonder what the commissioning agents would think of this? Gareth
4. Recent history is just as important as things that happened longer ago. For example, so much happened in the United States during the 1970s - mostly teenagers smoking pot and playing basketball badly according to That 70s Show. But still, seminal stuff. Squeamish Louise
5. I know all I need to about French history thanks to Dogtanian and the Muskehounds but that's French history, so I also know that's not important. Ulysses31 kept me informed on how incredibly advanced the Ancient Greeks were and He-man with his techno-medieval times style learned me all I need to know about the dark ages. Thank you television. Squeamish Kate
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