The First World War (TV series)


The First World War is a ten-part Channel 4 documentary television series surveying the history of World War I. It is based on the 2003 book of the same name by Oxford history professor Hew Strachan. The series was narrated and produced by Jonathan Lewis and was directed by Corina Sturmer, Marcus Kiggell, and Simon Rockell.

Episodes

To Arms 1914 The complex origins of the Great War, and how seemingly insignificant local tensions in the Balkans exploded into World WarUnder the Eagle 1914 – 1915 The German invasion of Belgium and France was brutal and fanned the flames of war Global War 1914 – 1916 The European Empires clashed all across the world, from the South Atlantic Seas to the plains of AfricaJihad 1914 – 1916 The Turkish Ottoman Empire proved a formidable foe, as Allies found to their cost at Gallipoli and in the Middle EastShackled to a Corpse 1914 – 1916 As the Germans and Austrians clashed with the Russians on the bitter Eastern Front, Italy became embroiled in a terrible slaughter, where people fought in the worst of terrains under harsh conditionsBreaking the Deadlock 1915 – 1917 The Somme and Verdun saw carnage on an unprecedented scale, as armies fought to break the stalemate on the Western FrontBlockade 1916 – 1917 The war at sea was every bit as bitter as the war on land. The battle at Jutland proved inconclusive, but the U-Boat menace threatened Britain as never before. Meanwhile, the United States entered the war.Revolution 1917 The effects of The Great War shattered nations, inspired mass mutinies by desperate troops, caused great upheaval on the home front and changed the world forever.Germany’s Last Gamble 1918 Over 1 million German troops were committed to Kaiserschlacht – the last great offensive of the war, while conflict still raged on many other fronts War Without End The dramatic Allied victory at Amiens led to victory in just 100 days and the signing of a bitterly resented peace, while other nations stumbled towards their own ceasefire agreements

Reception

According to International Historic Films:
ABC Australia comments that:
A review by dOc DVD Review states:

Media

Book

*

DVD

  • DVD Release Date: 30 August 2005
  • Studio: Image Entertainment
  • Run Time: 523 minutes
  • Number of discs: 4
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Rated: NR
  • Extras: a 31-page guide to the documentary, containing an episode directory.

Soundtrack

The original music for the series was composed by Orlando Gough while the opening and closing title music was composed by Cecil Coles and arranged by Orlando Gough.