The Great War (1964): S01E01 – On the Idle Hill of Summer

Introduction The Great War is a 26-episode BBC documentary series from 1964 on the First World War. The documentary was a co-production of the Imperial War Museum, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Australian Broadcasting Commission. The narrator was Michael Redgrave, with readings by Marius Goring, Ralph Richardson, Cyril Luckham, Sebastian…

Andrew Marshall

11/08/2021

1–2 minutes

History, Military Documentary, World War One

Introduction

The Great War is a 26-episode BBC documentary series from 1964 on the First World War.

The documentary was a co-production of the Imperial War Museum, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Australian Broadcasting Commission. The narrator was Michael Redgrave, with readings by Marius Goring, Ralph Richardson, Cyril Luckham, Sebastian Shaw, and Emlyn Williams.

Outline

Profiles of the five European powers engaged at war’s start: German Empire, French Third Republic, United Kingdom, Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary. The Balkan Wars and the assassination of Franz Ferdinand.

The Great War Series

You can find a full index and overview of The Great War here.

Production & Filming Details

Release Date: 30 May 1964.
Running time: 40 minutes.
Rating: Unknown.
Country: UK.
Language: English.