Africa's Great Civilizations

Last updated
Africa's Great Civilizations
Africa's Great Civilizations poster.jpg
DVD Cover
Genre Documentary
Written byHenry Louis Gates Jr.
Directed byVirginia Quinn
Mark Bates
Presented by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
ComposerTom Howe
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6
Production
ProducersVirginia Quinn
Mark Bates
CinematographyGraham Smith
Duane McLunie
Jim Bishop
Gary Clarke
Eli Gamson
Nic Hofmeyr
Tom Pridham
EditorsGuy Scutter
Doug Howarth
Daniel Garcia Robles
Anthony Willis
Running time52–53 minutes per episode
Production companiesInkwell Films
McGee Media
Kunhardt Films
WETA
Original release
Network PBS
ReleaseFebruary 27 (2017-02-27) 
March 1, 2017 (2017-03-01)

Africa's Great Civilizations is a PBS six-hour television series hosted and written by Henry Louis Gates Jr. [1] [2] It aired on PBS in the United States from February 27, 2017 to March 1, 2017. [3]

Contents

Summary

In the series, Gates chronicles African history starting with the birth of humankind to the start of the 20th century. The show portrays 200,000 years of Africa's history and touches on subjects from the arts to writing and the dawn of civilization to the 21st century. [4]

Episodes

No. Title Original air date
1"Origins"February 27, 2017 (2017-02-27)
2"The Cross and the Crescent"February 27, 2017 (2017-02-27)
Yeha, North African Christian theologians, Islam in Africa, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Lake Tana
3"Empires of Gold"February 28, 2017 (2017-02-28)
4"Cities"February 28, 2017 (2017-02-28)
5"The Atlantic Age"March 1, 2017 (2017-03-01)
6"Commerce and the Clash of Civilizations"March 1, 2017 (2017-03-01)

Release

On April 26, 2017, Gates introduced the series at the United Nations. The event was spearheaded by the Africa-America Institute. The series was released on both Blu-ray and DVD on May 16, 2017. [5]

Reception

The New York Times praised the series, but said it would have been good if it made more connections between the civilizations of the past and modern Africa. [6] Multifaith website Spirituality & Practice called the series "ambitious and poignant;" [7] while the UK Independent called it "Endlessly enthralling and tremendously dramatic." [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Frankenstein</i> (1931 film) 1931 film by James Whale

Frankenstein is a 1931 American gothic pre-Code science fiction horror film directed by James Whale, produced by Carl Laemmle Jr., and adapted from a 1927 play by Peggy Webling, which in turn was based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The Webling play was adapted by John L. Balderston and the screenplay written by Francis Edward Faragoh and Garrett Fort, with uncredited contributions from Robert Florey and John Russell.

<i>The Wolf Man</i> (1941 film) American horror film

The Wolf Man is a 1941 American gothic horror film written by Curt Siodmak and produced and directed by George Waggner. The film stars Lon Chaney Jr. in the title role. Claude Rains, Warren William, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles, Bela Lugosi, Evelyn Ankers, and Maria Ouspenskaya star in supporting roles. The title character has had a great deal of influence on Hollywood's depictions of the legend of the werewolf. The film is the second Universal Pictures werewolf film, preceded six years earlier by the less commercially successful Werewolf of London (1935). This film is one of the Universal Monsters movies, and garnered great acclaim for its production.

<i>Foyles War</i> British television detective series (2002–2015)

Foyle's War is a British detective drama television series set during and shortly after the Second World War, created by Midsomer Murders screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz and commissioned by ITV after the long-running series Inspector Morse ended in 2000. It began broadcasting on ITV in October 2002. ITV director of programmes Simon Shaps cancelled Foyle's War in 2007, but Peter Fincham revived the programme after good ratings for 2008's fifth series. The final episode was broadcast on 18 January 2015, after eight series.

<i>Ikki Tousen</i> Japanese multimedia franchise

Ikki Tousen, also known as Battle Vixens in North America, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yūji Shiozaki. Loosely based on the classic 14th century Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the series revolves around an all-out turf war in the Kantō region of Japan where fighters known as Tōshi from seven schools battle for supremacy. The story centers on Hakufu Sonsaku, a fighter who transfers to Nanyo Academy, one of the seven schools involved in the turf war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Deavere Smith</span> African-American actress and playwright (born 1950)

Anna Deavere Smith is an American actress, playwright, and professor. She is known for her roles as National Security Advisor Dr. Nancy McNally in The West Wing (2000–06), hospital administrator Gloria Akalitus in the Showtime series Nurse Jackie (2009–15), and as U.S. District Court Clerk Tina Krissman on the ABC show For the People (2018–19).

<i>African American Lives</i> PBS miniseries hosted by the American historian Henry Louis Gates Jr.

African American Lives is a PBS television miniseries hosted by historian Henry Louis Gates Jr., focusing on African American genealogical research. The family histories of prominent people of African American descent are explored using traditional genealogic techniques as well as genetic analysis.

<i>The Story of India</i> 2007 British TV series or programme

The Story of India is a BBC documentary series, written and presented by historian Michael Wood about the history of India. It originally aired on BBC Two in six episodes in August and September 2007 as part of the BBC season "India and Pakistan 07", which marked the 60 year independence of India and Pakistan. An accompanying text to the series, titled Michael Wood: The Story of India, was published by BBC Books on 16 August 2007.

<i>Natures Great Events</i> BBC wildlife documentary television series

Nature's Great Events is a wildlife documentary series made for BBC television, first shown in the UK on BBC One and BBC HD in February 2009. The series looks at how seasonal changes powered by the sun cause shifting weather patterns and ocean currents, which in turn create the conditions for some of the planet's most spectacular wildlife events. Each episode focuses on the challenges and opportunities these changes present to a few key species.

<i>South Pacific</i> (TV series) 2009 British TV series or programme

South Pacific is a British nature documentary series from the BBC Natural History Unit, which began airing on BBC Two on 10 May 2009. The six-part series surveys the natural history of the islands of the South Pacific region, including many of the coral atolls and New Zealand. It was filmed entirely in high-definition. South Pacific was co-produced by the Discovery Channel and the series producer was Huw Cordey. It is narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch. Filming took place over 18 months in a variety of remote locations around the Pacific including: Anuta, Banks Islands, French Frigate Shoals, Papua New Guinea, Palmyra, Kingman Reef, Tuvalu, Palau, Caroline Islands, Tuamotus and Tanna Island in Vanuatu.

<i>Steins;Gate</i> (TV series) Japanese anime television series

Steins;Gate is a Japanese anime television series created by the animation studio White Fox based on 5pb. and Nitroplus's 2009 visual novel of the same name. The series aired for 24 episodes, from April to September 2011. It is set in 2010 and follows Rintaro Okabe, who together with his friends accidentally discovers a method of time travel through which they can send text messages to the past, thereby changing the present.

<i>Earthflight</i> 2011 British TV series or programme

Earthflight is a British nature documentary that shows a flight from the view of the wings of birds across six continents, showing some of the world's greatest natural spectacles from a bird's-eye view. The BBC series was created by John Downer and narrated by David Tennant and consisted of six 60-minute episodes. The first episode aired on BBC One on 29 December 2011.

<i>Finding Your Roots</i> American documentary television series

Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is a documentary television series hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that premiered on March 25, 2012, on PBS. In each episode, celebrities are presented with a "book of life" that is compiled with information researched by professional genealogists that allows them to view their ancestral histories, learn about familial connections and discover secrets about their lineage.

<i>Vikings</i> (TV series) Canadian-Irish historical drama television series

Vikings is a historical drama television series created and written by Michael Hirst. A co-production between Canada and Ireland, the series originally aired on the History Channel, premiering on March 3, 2013, and concluding on December 30, 2020, when the second half of the sixth season was released in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video in Ireland, ahead of its broadcast on History in Canada from January 1 to March 3, 2021. A sequel series, titled Vikings: Valhalla, premiered on Netflix on February 25, 2022.

<i>The Musketeers</i> British television period drama series (2014–2016)

The Musketeers is a British period action-drama program based on the characters from Alexandre Dumas's 1844 novel The Three Musketeers and co-produced by BBC America and BBC Worldwide. The series follows the musketeers Athos, Aramis, and Porthos as they serve King Louis XIII and citizens of 17th-century Paris. The first episode was shown on BBC One on 19 January 2014. It stars Tom Burke as Athos, Santiago Cabrera as Aramis, Howard Charles as Porthos, Luke Pasqualino as D'Artagnan, Tamla Kari as Constance Bonacieux, Maimie McCoy as Milady de Winter, Ryan Gage as Louis XIII and Alexandra Dowling as Queen Anne. It also features Peter Capaldi as Cardinal Richelieu in Series One, Marc Warren as Comte de Rochefort in Series Two, and Rupert Everett as the Marquis de Feron in Series Three.

The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross is a six-part documentary miniseries written and presented by Henry Louis Gates Jr. It aired for the first time on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the fall of 2013, beginning with episode 1, "The Black Atlantic (1500–1800)", on October 22, 8–9 p.m. ET on PBS, and every consecutive Tuesday through to episode 6, "A More Perfect Union (1968–2013)", on November 26. The companion book to the series, The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross, was co-authored by Gates and historian Donald Yacovone. The two-DVD set of the series was released in January 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Louis Gates Jr.</span> American literary critic, professor and historian (born 1950)

Henry Louis Gates Jr. is an American literary critic, professor, historian, and filmmaker who serves as the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and the director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. He is a trustee of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. He rediscovered the earliest known African-American novels and has published extensively on the recognition of African-American literature as part of the Western canon.

<i>Victoria</i> (British TV series) British drama television series

Victoria is a British historical television drama series created and principally written by Daisy Goodwin, starring Jenna Coleman as Queen Victoria. The series premiered in the United Kingdom on ITV on 28 August 2016 with eight episodes, and in the United States on PBS on 15 January 2017; PBS supported its production as part of the Masterpiece anthology. The series follows Victoria's early life, including her relationship with her husband Albert and her political responsibilities of the 1830s to the 1850s.

Donald Yacovone is an American researcher, writer and academic who primarily specializes in African American History. In 2013, he co-authored with Henry Louis Gates Jr the book based on the PBS television series The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross.

Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise is a 4-hour series that aired on PBS in 2016. The show features interviews and archival footage. Henry Louis Gates Jr. wrote, produced, and narrates the series.

References

  1. Caruso, Nick (February 1, 2022). "What to Watch: Black History Month Specials, Movies and Documentaries".
  2. "Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s "Africa's Great Civilizations" Shows a Continent's Great Sweep". The New York Times . 28 February 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  3. "'Africa's Great Civilizations': Henry Louis Gates on Why Understanding Africa's History Is More Vital Than Ever". 27 February 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  4. "Africa's Great Civilizations". Africa's Great Civilizations. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  5. "'Africa's Great Civilizations' on DVD & Blu-ray". ShadowAndAct.com. Shadow & Act. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  6. Genzlinger, Neil (February 28, 2017). "Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s 'Africa's Great Civilizations,' Shows a Continent's Grand Sweep". The New York Times.
  7. Gates, Henry Louis. "Africa's Great Civilizations | Film Review | Spirituality & Practice". www.spiritualityandpractice.com.
  8. "Africa's Great Civilisations, TV review: Endlessly enthralling and tremendously dramatic" . The Independent. July 17, 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-07-04.