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Seven
Wonders Of The Industrial World
From
Thursday 4 September 2003 on BBC TWO
Press
pack and video clip available
BBC
TWO presents a ground-breaking drama documentary series which tells
the story of how our modern world was forged – in rivets,
grease and steam; in blood, sweat and human imagination.
Narrated
by Robert Lindsay, Seven Wonders Of The Industrial World recreates
the epic monuments of the industrial revolution from Brunel's extraordinary
ship, the Great Eastern, the Titanic of its day that helped to bridge
the two ends of the empire, to the Panama Canal which linked the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans half a century later.
The
seven wonders featured are: the SS Great Eastern, the Transcontinental
Railway, the London Sewers, the Bell Rock Lighthouse, Brooklyn Bridge,
the Panama Canal and the Hoover Dam.
The
series encounters the most brilliant pioneers of the industrial
age and recreates their stories of burning ambition, extravagant
dreams, passion and rivalry.
Meticulous
research of the original source materials, from private letters
to newspaper reports of the day, reveal a wealth of fascinating
facts, brought to life by leading actors including Steven Berkoff,
Mark McGann and Ron Cook.
Jane
Root, Controller of BBC TWO says: "BBC TWO has led the way
in creating innovative and refreshing ways of telling the story
of our past; this series celebrates these great industrial achievements
in a fresh and imaginative way."
These
are also the stories of countless unsung heroes – the craftsmen
and workers without whose perseverance nothing would have been achieved.
Not
to mention financiers and shareholders hanging on for the ride as
fortunes – and reputations – were lost and won.
On
a journey that takes viewers from the raging rapids of the Grand
Canyon to the mosquito-ridden wilds of the Central American jungle,
the series recreates the drama and horror of what it was like to
work on these monumental structures, and highlights the workers'
lot, from the man and boy rumoured to have been entombed alive in
the double hull of the Great Eastern to the navvies on the Transcontinental
who were shot dead by management for causing trouble.
Featuring
breathtaking stunts, Seven Wonders Of The Industrial World highlights
the extraordinary daring of men who risked their lives: swinging
out across precipitous canyon walls, riding traveller ropes across
vast rivers and experimenting with new explosives, often with horrific
accidents.
The
vast scale of each wonder is captured using time-slice rostra, while
cutting-edge graphic techniques bring to life the evocative photographs
and archives to show how the landscapes have changed.
A complimentary
series, What The Industrial Revolution Did For Us,
presented by architectural historian Dan Cruickshank, uncovers the
scientific, technological and political changes of the 19th century.
From
boiling a kettle to working in an office, this Open University series
for BBC TWO looks at how much of the modern world has been shaped
by the achievements of the Industrial Revolution, which transformed
the lives of every man and woman in Britain today.
To
celebrate Britain's industrial heritage, BBC Learning will be co-ordinating
events across the country to enable viewers to find out more about
the Industrial Revolution and vote for their favourite industrial
wonder.
One
such event, hosted by Adam Hart-Davis, takes place at Ironbridge
Gorge, birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
The
event will see viewers involved in competitions, building and restoring
Industrial Revolution devices and taking part in experiments.
For
further information visit www.open2.net.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet
sites
Seven
Wonders Of The Industrial World is accompanied by a fully comprehensive
website at www.bbc.co.uk/history
where users can find out more about industrial achievements.
Notes
to Editors
The
Seven Wonders Of The Industrial World press pack is available
below, as a complete pack and in sections, in PDF
format.
You
may require Adobe Acrobat Software to read PDF files which can be
obtained here.
Full
Seven Wonders Of The Industrial World (1.04 MB)
Introduction
by series producer and author Deborah Cadbury
(344 KB)
Programme
synopses (473 KB)
Biographies
– the pioneers (53 KB)
Biographies
– the actors (77 KB)
Biographies
– the production team (65 KB)
Where
to find out more (64 KB)
Watch
a clip - Isambard Kingdom Brunel (played by Ron Cook)
talks about the building of
his extraordinary ship, the Great Eastern.
For help and advice on downloading this clip see the
BBC Audio Visual help page.
Watch
clip >>>
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BBC's digital services are now available on Freeview,
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offers the BBC's eight television channels, interactive services
from BBCi, as well as 11 BBC radio networks.
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