Tuesday 10 February 2009

campaign for real history

I don't want to be boring - it's just thrust upon me.

UKTV History, or whatever it's called, used to be full of high-quality history documentaries of the Schama type. Then it started to sneak in, once in a while, historically-based dramas. Today, the running list over five hours is Poldark (drama), Metropolis (terrible, overwrought history doc of the kind the channel didn't stoop to three years ago), Reilly Ace of Spies (drama), Cambridge Spies (drama) and Antiques Roadshow (perfectly permissible on the channel, but hardly its raison d'etre).

People already have enough trouble differentiating between history (an attempt to tell the truth which understands that it is inevitably compromised and makes clear its areas of uncertainty) and drama (certainty, certainty, certainty). It makes me feel worried about writing a historical novel (which I am doing), because I don't want to make this thing worse.

6 comments:

Persephone said...

In Canada, we also have a History Channel. When it first started out, about a decade ago, the schedule seemed to consist entirely of WW Two documentaries. Then we had a period of Shama-type documentaries: Shama declaiming at us while supporting artists sat around in period costumes (usually surrounded by tapers and candles) and glowered at us royally. Now, I would kill for a historical drama. You know what they think of as history television here? The CSI francise (you know, the ones set in L.A., Las Vegas, Miami, New York), presumably because it features forensics, and more likely because it has Canadian involvement and thus qualifies as Canadian Content (Can/Con). Here's tonight's schedule.

I'm better off watching the local education channel.

Persephone said...

...especially since it might help me out with my spelling...

John Finnemore said...

Our history teacher once showed us an entire episode of Blackadder Goes Forth, in a lesson. Even then, I remember being aware that this was an odd policy on his behalf- whilst, obviously, endorsing it with all my heart.

In other news, Robbie, it is Tuesday, the cock has crowed, and thy disciple denies thee.

Robert Hudson said...

In my one term as a history teacher, at Christmas, I also showed the Blackadder episode. I was a pretty bad teacher, maybe.

Persephone: we have a 'History Channel', which has always been a ropey sort of Nazis-and-shipwrecks channel (though not as ropey as yours, which is hilarious). Prior to quite recently, 'UKTV History' was really quite good, only showing the proper kind of telly history.

John Finnemore: you deny me, but I deny you even exist any more.

John Finnemore said...

Interestingly, it wasn't that one. It was 'Private Plane'.

And the word verification word I've just been asked for is 'nymphy'.

katetf said...

I saw today on UKTV History (while watching Poldark, which I love even though it is basically terrible and which I am watching because I am at home, ill, feeling sorry for myself) that UKTV History will, from 2nd March, be renamed YeSTERDAY. So at least they acknowledge that they have been lying to the populace about their content.