Frank_East Posted 17 January , 2003 Share Posted 17 January , 2003 The 26 Part Series on The Great War first shown on BBC TV in 1964 is scheduled to be shown again on BBC next month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 17 January , 2003 Share Posted 17 January , 2003 Frank, Thanks for the info. A good use for the Christmas videos! Regards Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 17 January , 2003 Share Posted 17 January , 2003 Great news. Here's a nice exercise for all WW1 buffs to perform whilst watching the series. How many names can we put to faces? The talking heads who appear to give their survivor testimony are not named. But many of them seem to be quoting chunks of their books or from the records they left at the IWM. So if you know the written sources you should be able to name the talking heads. I have the video set which I have watched once. The first time round I got Joe Murray of RND Galliopli fame and Charles Carrington. WW1 buffs out there must be able to recognise many of the others. Perhaps we could create a list here and add to it on a week-by-week basis? At the end of the series we could have a who's who. A copy of this would make a good accompaniment to for your video copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Lines Posted 17 January , 2003 Share Posted 17 January , 2003 I'm sure I remember reading years ago in Stand To! that the BBC couldn't show this series again for copyright reasons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Seymour Posted 17 January , 2003 Share Posted 17 January , 2003 Yes, that was also the reason why it has taken all these years to get the series copied onto video and now DVD. This also maybe the first time the BBC has been able to repeat the series? Alan Seymour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 17 January , 2003 Share Posted 17 January , 2003 Of course, a cynic would say that they made sure they got all our pennies for the purchase of the VHS copies and DVD's before showing it again . I certainly did not think that I would be able to record it free so soon ! Certainly agree with Hedley about trying to name the talking heads . It is a major frustration when watching it that there are no captions. They also play fast and loose with film clips , I think . The same artillery pieces appear time and time again . That said , I know the producers were editing the progs right up to a few hours before actual broadcast so we must remember this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Seymour Posted 17 January , 2003 Share Posted 17 January , 2003 Surely John Terraine or Correlli Barnett would be able to name them all? Alan Seymour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 17 January , 2003 Share Posted 17 January , 2003 John Terraine certainly had the scripts (he wrote them), but he wasn't responsible for the veteran interviews, so doubt if he would know. Of course some of them he knew personally, but they were mainly characters like Charles Carrington. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Carter Posted 17 January , 2003 Share Posted 17 January , 2003 Charles Carrington, born in West Bromwich but moved to New Zealand as a small child when his father became Dean of Christchurch, was an original volunteer to the 1st Birmingham Battalion. He was commissioned in February,1915. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 18 January , 2003 Share Posted 18 January , 2003 To return to IanW's point concerning the repetative film clips. I have just been reading Brian Bond's 'The Unquiet Western Front' in which he recounts a passage from Noble Frankland's book history at War; The Campaigns of a Historian': "The then director of the IWM, Noble Frankland, conducted a determined, but largely unsuccessful campaign with the producer and the BBC to get the large proportion of reconstructed material used (as distinct from actual battle footage) made clear to the viewers in each episode. Nevertheless it proved to be a breakthrough in the serious deployment of archival material in screened historical subjects." Bond goes on to say that Terraine and Barnett and other members of the script writing team were determined to counter the prevailing trend of debunking the British Army's performance, and that of high command. Ironically this led to a clash with Liddell Hart, who resigned over the Somme episode (no 13). LH felt that several mentions of the inexperience of the troops should have been countered with equal mentions of the faults in high command's planning and conduct, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Bulloch Posted 18 January , 2003 Share Posted 18 January , 2003 The BBC. series The great War, would any of the forum members know where I could purchase this in DVD or in VHS Thanks in advance, Rob. Bulloch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 18 January , 2003 Share Posted 18 January , 2003 Fairly easily available via Amazon and others on the web. Also BBC shops and the IWM shop in London - with a good "Friends" discount if you join that fine organisation. The discount would, I think, pay for a years membership to the Friends of the IWM. Ray Westlake may also be selling it, despite his set to with the suppliers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Posted 18 January , 2003 Share Posted 18 January , 2003 Thanks for this great news Any more precisions as on witch bbc and when it starts ? I very seldom watch tv , unless something importand as this Internet and reading have taken over . So if more details are available or close to the date Putting this topic back on “top” could be helpful Thanks Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 18 January , 2003 Share Posted 18 January , 2003 Typical! My wife bought it for me for Christmas!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank_East Posted 18 January , 2003 Author Share Posted 18 January , 2003 For purchase of "The Great War "Series, Go to www.ddvideo.co.uk. The BBC intend to start televising the series on BBC 2 and BBC 4 in February on a date yet to be announced.The BBC Press Office no doubt should give the series further publicity.Follow the BBC Website for further updates. There is to be an introductory documentary to be televised entitled "That Was The Great War That Was" which will give a background to the making of the Series and explore the enduring power of this masterpiece. Apparently Max Hastings and John Terraine have contributed to this introductory documentary. Incidentally I believe the BBC have Copyright from 1964.It was said to be last broadcast in 1974. Regarding the Second World War, I remember the two excellent documentary series,"War in the Air" and "War at Sea". I have resisted the temptation to buy the videos and await the series being retelevised having bought "The Great War "Series less than a year ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annette Burgoyne Posted 22 January , 2003 Share Posted 22 January , 2003 I am very pleased to see that the BBC are going to show "The Great War "Series again, I do have it on VHS. It was this series that got me really hooked on the Great War at the age of ten back in 1974, my poor Dad had to miss his footie on the other side so I could watch, it will increase the number of young people interested in the Great War. All schools, who are covering the Great War, should get their pupils to watch it. Regards Annette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 13 February , 2003 Share Posted 13 February , 2003 First programme 22 Feb 03 on BBC2 - time not yet announced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 13 February , 2003 Share Posted 13 February , 2003 I have it on video. In the early episodes there is a very interesting British guy talking about what he witnessed in the HQ's of French and Joffre, with vivid first-hand accounts of both these Generals in action. His descriptions of Joffre weighing up the options and coming to a decision to lauch a counter-attack on the Marne in September 1914 are especially good. But who was he? He seems to have had some type of communication/liaison role between British and French HQ. And he, like all the other veterans who appear, look so young ... . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_Fielding Posted 13 February , 2003 Share Posted 13 February , 2003 I think it's Edward Spears who wrote of his experiences as a liasion officer in his book 'Liasion 1914'. He performed the same role in 1940 and is also in early episodes of 'The World at War'. I think an attempt to identify the speakers as the series is broadcast might be a good idea. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedley Malloch Posted 13 February , 2003 Share Posted 13 February , 2003 Thanks for that, Simon. I agree that it would be a good idea to identify the speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 13 February , 2003 Share Posted 13 February , 2003 Spears' excellent book is available in paperback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 13 February , 2003 Share Posted 13 February , 2003 The Beeb are also re-publishing the book accompanying the series. Written by Corelli Barnett, with a foreward by John Terraine. I believe it is launched on 22 Feb. Paperback will be £12.95. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_Fielding Posted 13 February , 2003 Share Posted 13 February , 2003 It's out already. I saw a copy in WH Smiths yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 15 February , 2003 Share Posted 15 February , 2003 Yes, I too noted Spears whose WW1 "Liaison 1914" is an absolutely extraordinary book - though I think it has to be treated with several pinches of salt. As a personal pal of Churchill , he tried the same role in 1940 with less success ! But again the books make interesting reading. I wonder if the failure to identify speakers was normal practice at the time - perhaps titling would have been more difficult for them. It is profoundly annoying though ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ljcole Posted 15 February , 2003 Share Posted 15 February , 2003 That Was The War That Was is at 5.40pm on 22 Feb on BBC2 followed by the first episode of The Great War at 6.20pm to 7.00pm. The second episode will be on BBC4 at 7.00pm. I assume the second episode will be on BBC2 the following Saturday. Laurnce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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