The Ascent of Man

I first watched this on PBS when I was twenty-years old and every week, I settled in to see this amazing and thought-provoking essay. It is, a unique and wonderful journey into the heart and soul of the human plane of existence. Now, 68 I watch the shows as I did back then (*well, "binge watching lite") and still have that same exuberant feeling of unapologetic joy. There will never be another series created with so many moments of introspection on the viewer's part. To call it a masterpiece is justly deserved, but it will forever be a monument of educational television broadcasting.

Before Sagan's "Cosmos" and before James Burke's "Connections", Jacob Bronowski brought us a thoughtful examination of the history of mankind and his achievements. The angle here was to look at how those achievements effected events and shaped society as a whole.

I saw the series when it first aired, and was fascinated by it, but the series seemed non-linear, and I supposed to a young mind would seem disjointed. I still get some of that feeling when I rewatch episodes of this very good TV documentary.

I'll also add that a lot of factual history is correct, but I think Bronowski, as a social scientist, perhaps social psychologist, draws some of the wrong conclusions. Then again social science, like all sciences, is a field of research branching from the major hard sciences, so in this regard everyone is entitled to an opinion. The only way to nod or shake your head at Bronowski is to double check your own facts to see if he's right or not.

Bronowski takes us from man's humble beginnings in Africa, and shows us our primate ancestor's migratory pattern and how we populated the world today. But the real genius of the program is him showing us how our advances in understanding formed our civilization.

I applaud the program, but disagree with some of Bronowski's conclusions, though for the supermajority of the series, he does have things aright.

If you've seen Sagan or Burke do their thing with their TV series, then have a look at Bronowski's version from the early 70s. Definitely one to see for the scientist history buff in all of us.

Enjoy.

A bit wordy and dry, even dull at times at times (especially early on), but also full of ever more interesting insight and theories by writer/host Jacob Bronowski. It reminded me of nothing as much as a really interesting illustrated college lecture series.

The series is in 13 parts, each covering a different key step in the development of civilization. A few of Brononski's theories seem a bit stretched, or even wrong headed, the visual style is dated and the effects less than impressive, but that doesn't mean the show isn't interesting, thought provoking and occasionally quite moving -- especially as the series goes on.

I don't feel I need to ever re-see the earliest 4 or 5 episodes again. They feel pretty pedantic and straightforward, and there wasn't much I didn't find familiar.

But the the last 4 or 5 episodes are incredibly clear explanations of the often complex and confusing world of 19th and 20th century science, mixed with quite touching observations about the role of science in a bigger society, its poetry, and the way it feeds humanity' soul.

A strange series - it starts out as fine but nothing special, and ends up somewhere quite powerful.

Every few years, some prominent public intellectual is privileged to travel the world making a series about the history of humanity. In 1973, it was mathematician Jacob Boronowski's turn, and 'The Ascent of Man' tells of the rise of civilisation as viewed through the lens of science. The formula has hardly changed in the ensuing 50 years - rather surprisingly, even computer graphics (such as we might see in a more modern programme) had already arrived and are on display here. What's most noticeable is that firstly, Boronowski doesn't dumb down; but also, his series was subtitled 'A Personal View' and that it is, full of individual insights of a sort that now feels quite rare. Sometimes his thoughts are deep, sometimes less so; but they're all his, whereas it's sadly more common for this sort of programme to feel like an official guidebook, offering the consensus view of mankind's greatest hits. Instead, Boronowski was allowed to talk at length, and was thus able to make subtle points that rely on many words. In this respect alone, the series does feel dated; but only in reminding us of something we have lost.

While I was as captivated as all who enjoyed the release of this series on UK television, back when there were only three terrestrial TV channels available to us, a lot has developed in the last 50 years.

We were truly in awe of JB's knowledge. A super communicator, who had an such a warm delivery. Like your favourite teacher at school. I felt enriched. To be enlightened with the knowledge he shared. At the time you would have to visit many libraries, many times to come close to the knowledge that he had on the subject. The locations, the people, flora, fauna... we're way beyond the average citizens remit.

He was rightly held in high regard by his audiences and academic peers.

However, it appears slightly condescending at points, how he describes the pointless lives of the nomads whose toils in the bleakest of locations, well... amounted to nothing; how women and old people, were disregarded by the menfolk and left to die alone on mountainsides etc... It actually spoiled my memory of what was, in its day, a wonderfully produced educational masterpiece.