Rome Wasn't Built in a Day.

I don't know what channels you get everywhere, but the first in the series:

Channel 4, 9:00pm, January 20.

I thought the history lovers may be interested, they're rebuilding a Roman villa handmaking the tools they're going to need, and using authentic materials.

Thanks Flute!
We just had a look on UKNova and it is scheduled for uploading!

Nice one Flute - will be grabbing that when it gets uploaded

Thought I'd remind you, episode two is on today, 9:00pm, channel four (in UK).

Thanks sweeti

Thoroughly enjoyed last week's episode and look forward to tonight's. They certainly picked builders who DIDN'T have an historical bent!

and didn't seem to need many of them either...

I could have sworn I posted about this?

Anyway, we went to Wroxeter at the end of Aug, last year for a day out ( was after we went to Acton Scott) and saw and chattwed to the builders and looked at the building.

The guys were great, really into what they were doing and (btw) they had all lost a fair bit of weight, by then....

I have some photos and stuff somewhere, will dig them out

I was really looking forward to this - Romano Britain is one of the periods of history that I love with a passion.

By the end of the programme I was tense from shouting at the TV..

Yes, the t shirts and generally behaviour isn't a great aspect BUT looking at what they had achieved by end Aug I suspect it got better.

Cm and I were shouting about the lack of a wheelbarrow...ok maybe not the same design, but I am sure there would have been something they could have used

also stupid to make them make carts, wheels etc...craftsmen/women, even if slaves, would have not been doing that...other craftsmen/woman would have been making the carts etc...

I guess we have been spoiled by the Alex Ruth and Peter, certainly lulled into expecting a certain level of professionalism and interest in the task at hand. I all got from it was a lasting impression of a wound up historian, offensive t-shirts, bad language and belligerent fat British builder stereotypes with no interest in the why of the build...

Well, all I can say is, at least some of them stuck it out and there was a partially completed building on the site in August....

Maybe I am being unfair, but its like the producers were brought this idea of building a Roman villa and it was to have done by a team of builders and Archaeologists and Historians a mash up of Edwardian/Victorian farm, time team and Grand Designs - but the production company said, F*** that namby pamby brainiac crap, lets just have the builders and not give them any support - the public want reality TV not something to learn from...

It seemed to me to be a tremendous opportunity lost in order to attract the lowest common denominator and dress it up as Real British people and if you don't like it, then you are an elitist snob.. The whole deliberate (and in my mind contemptuous) winding up the Archaeologist really pissed me off, this poor man has spent his life on that discipline and period and along come a bunch of "blokes" who know better and make a point of winding him up to the point that he ends up screaming at them - not very good television imho..

sorry - the whole thing made and is still making me ranty and History is important to me

Oh I agree with you, one of the things we were shouting about as well

BUT just making the point that they could have just gone back to their own jobs ( they all had them ) but they stuck it out and managed to build something quite impressive, .....

But yes, would have been much better done properly.

But that is not what C4 tends to be about, nowadays

I didn't see the show, but now I think that's a good thing. History is important to me too. I think that the further you are from your homeland, the more important it becomes and the more you appreciate what you left behind.
There has hardly been a minute in the past 13 yeras when I would have chosen to return to England but some aspects of the old place still tug at the heartstrings and bring a bead of moisture to the eye.
Rolling English countryside, beach huts, history in all its guises, grand gardens..et cetera

I suppose you can't realitically expect to have everthing.

Compostwoman wrote:
also stupid to make them make carts, wheels etc...craftsmen/women, even if slaves, would have not been doing that...other craftsmen/woman would have been making the carts etc...

I found it quite sad that a "craftsman" struggled so much to make a poor quality cart! Just goes to show how many simple skills have been lost by our tradesmen.

Haven't seen the show, but I can completely understand what you mean about craftsmen, Mark. In today's production invironments, there are lots and lots of Operators (button pushers), but very few real Craftsmen. This I live with every day of work.

Tonight's was really quite moving...they go and see real Roman stuff, big time stuff...and are obviously affected by what they see....

won't say more...might spoil it...

We see quite a few UK programs through UKNova. Any idea where I might find this one posted ?
Thanks,
Ginny

Its on UKNova GInny

Great. Thanks, Badger.