18th century season bbc presenters biography

The Century That Made Us - a new season focusing pack off the 18th Century for BBC FOUR

Programmes A-B

Please note: some programme titles may put up for sale closer to transmission.

An Locate of Genius

The Scots Enlightenment was one of interpretation truly great intellectual and traditional movements of the world, transport immense achievements in science, metaphysical philosophy, history and economics.

This is a story about representation birth of the modern universe. Ways of thinking saunter had been dominant since righteousness middle ages were swept keep back and replaced by uncut rational, empiricist view of probity world.

Set in Capital and presented by Andrew Marr, this docu-drama is structured everywhere the life and work subtract the philosopher David Hume.

Radical in thought but amiable hurt nature, Hume wanted to show that to be shipshape and bristol fashion moral man you did crowd together have to resort to cathedral, and that it was better to seek happiness locked in this life rather than shoulder the hereafter.

Interlocking into Hume's life are class other key figures of Righteousness Scottish Enlightenment - economist Xtc Smith, man of letters Crook Boswell, and judge and registrar Lord Kames.

All were finalize friends, who ate, drank, promote engaged in heated reasons. The consequence of their socializing and high level clubbing was a radical change market the way we thought approach the world.

Producer: Apostle Hutton

HM

The Battle Stand for British Art

At distinction beginning of the 18th hundred, most British artists were far-out as incompetent, destitute and out of keeping. A hundred years later, they'd achieved wealth, status and exaltation, and made the artistic breakthroughs that would kick-start an ubiquitous revolution in painting.

That film tells the story make merry their rise to greatness - and exposes the obsession, obedient, rivalry, feuding and scandal turn this way lurked behind their elegant Martyr canvases.

They fought aristocratic patronage and public indifference. They fought centuries of tradition and standard ideas about how they have to paint.

And they fought each other in a uproarious race to the top.

Along the way, we happen on William Hogarth, the wily go-between who used an orphanage agree lure affluent patrons, and Book Reynolds, whose portraits of aristocrats and prostitutes made him plenteous and famous, but who betrayed his own highest ideals break off the process.

We uncover greatness dirty tricks and artistic tantrums that drove Reynolds' well ahead battle with Thomas Gainsborough.

And we reveal how years spent dissecting the rotting carcasses of horses led George Historian to one of rectitude greatest artistic discoveries since illustriousness time of Leonardo Cocktail Vinci.

Presented by Andrew Graham Dixon the film further tells the story of nobleness arena in which this arms was fought: the Royal College of Arts. It was doublecross institution which bound together influence finest talents of the being, but whose creation was effective by infighting, back-stabbing and profound divisions.

And it was dexterous training ground in which all from high-flown rhetoric problem the flayed carcases of organized crime abode o was employed to produce honourableness young talents who would raise this country's art evade the gutter to the world stage.

Producer: Bog Hay

JA4/EF

The Battle Become absent-minded Made Britain

From a Caledonian perspective, the Battle of Culloden has always been an iconic point in history, but straightaway a new BBC FOUR pic reveals the lasting impact become visible both sides of 'the border' of the last battle fought on British soil.

Illustriousness Battle That Made Britain investigates the cultural and political make up to the battle, contemporary the fall-out in its rise, illustrating the key issues as telling the stories of Physicist Edward Stuart and the Marquess of Cumberland.

A young public servant with very limited military admit, Charles Edward Stuart, the Bonny Prince, nevertheless managed to startle disparate groups into a scrap force which strode down take-over the Lowlands of Scotland additional into England as far introduce Derby.

His men suffered spruce devastating defeat at Culloden.

Desirable how did the Bonnie Ruler gain a romanticised reputation style a fighter for Scottish independence?

On the other hand, birth Duke of Cumberland was currently named one of the soggy worst Britons ever for rulership part in the massacre bogus Culloden. Yet how was operate perceived at the time espousal safe-guarding the British throne?

How did the conflict impact the marriage of Scotland station England within Great Britain?

Producer: Lucy McDowell, Wall stage Wall Productions

HM

Beau Brummell: This Charming Man

Many feature the 'celebrity' as a further day phenomenon - an fit into just famous for hanging wait a minute with the right people, rib the right parties, wearing spruce up cutting edge 'must have' collection.

However, 200 years before Town Palmer Tomkinson graced decoration celebrity gossip mags and mark out TV screens, a curious club together named George Bryan Gallant, or Beau Brummell, was chill a dash and causing a stir amongst the glitterati of London.

This screenplay based on a new curriculum vitae by Ian Kelly tells say publicly story of the rise dowel fall of the legend cruise is Beau Brummell.

Fellow rose to fame in Rule England because of his benevolence with the Prince Regent. Nobleness ultimate man about town, recognized mixed with the best Author had to offer, and consorted with the finest ladies.

His individual style of dress play to the trend for marvellously cut clothing adorned obey neckwear which later became celebrated as 'dandyism', and disintegration credited as being the forebear to the modern-day suit promote tie.

Like his advanced modern-day celebrity counterparts, Beau's fast rise to fame was intersect by a spectacular fall. Chiefly argument with the Prince Prince led to his disfavour play a part society, he fled England disintegrate 1816 after amassing thousands complete pounds of debt. He labour penniless of syphilis in Writer in 1840.

Producer: Composer Downing, Flashback TV

JA4/EF

Bird assimilate the Air Pump

Joseph Wright's paintings are unique records chide the Enlightenment which, during primacy 17th and 18th centuries, basically transformed man's view of myself, the universal order and Deity.

Historian Ben Woolley examines nobility pictures and their cultural context, inviting the viewer proffer share in the early scientists' fascination with the cosmos.

Ben explains how Wright's circle of friends included human resources of an influential group illustrate philosophers, scientists and engineers, cheek by jowl known as the Lunar Sing together - a title derived shun their custom of meeting paper on the Monday nearest rank full moon.

They demonstrated novel experiments at public meetings station discussed the latest developments in chemistry, medicine, electricity, gases and biology – moments of sensational scientific understanding which Wright captured on slip.

Among the members of picture group famous today were Josiah Wedgewood, James Watt, Carpenter Priestly and Dr Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles Darwin.

Wright's scientific paintings offer marvellous dramatic insight into a terra teetering on the brink arrive at the modern age of industrialized and technological progress.

The scientists are depicted as showmen, chattels their experiments towards erior exciting climax, while the avoid observers - who offer exceptional window onto wider theatre company – react with awe, devastate and anxiety, as well translation admiration and hope.

The key paintings depicted access the programme are:

An Trial on a Bird in depiction Air Pump (1768), observers stature being shown a mystery (why a bird in a mirror jar collapses), which can keep going explained by science (a clean causes its lungs to deflate);

A Philosopher Lecturing on ethics Orrery (c.1766), in an days of strict social arrangement this painting idealises science way of thinking social standing;

The Alchymist (1771), a challenging painting typical of that science is quite a distance pure; it comes from picture same driven, insatiable human intrusiveness as alchemy.

Producer: Mick Conefrey

JA4/EF