Mary Beard to host Civilisation remake
Shropshire-born TV historian Mary Beard OBE will front a new series looking at world civilisations from the Dark Ages to the modern day.
The BBC is rebooting its Civilisations documentary, which was a hit for the broadcaster almost 50 years ago, with historians Simon Schama, Mary Beard and David Olusoga in front of the camera.
Professor Beard, famed for her documentaries on the Romans, will be one of three presenters for the 10-part series about the global history of art. Filming will begin in March, with the series set to be broadcast in late 2017 or early 2018. She is also set to present a new series on Pompeii for BBC1 in 2016.
"I remember watching Civilisation with my mum and dad, and it feels pretty humbling now to be on the other side of the camera," said Professor Beard, who was born in Much Wenlock and attended Shrewsbury High School.
"But for me it's also exciting that in Civilisations we will be seeing ancient Greece and Rome in the context of early art across the globe."
The new series will take a wide view, from different continents, of subjects that include the portrayal of the body and landscapes and feature works such as the Olmec sculptures in Mexico rather than concentrating on Christian images as the original did. The series will start by going back into pre-history to take a closer look at cave art.
Professor Beard, Professor of Classics at Cambridge University, will present two episodes, Anglo-Nigerian historian David Olusoga will also present two episodes with the rest fronted by Simon Schama.
BBC director-general Tony Hall said: "We want to show them the power of art and creativity across the world – from the dawn of civilisation to today.
"I'm thrilled that Simon, Mary and David, three outstanding broadcasters, have accepted the challenge."
