The Best Episodes of The Ascent of Man

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
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   8.7/10(62 votes)

   #1 - Knowledge or Certainty

   S1:E117/14/1973

   Dr Jacob Bronowski considers how the great achievement of physics in the 20th century has been to show that absolute certainty, in science or outside of it, is beyond our grasp.

   Director:Mick Jackson

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski

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   Director:Mick Jackson

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski
2. 

   8.5/10(58 votes)

   #2 - The Ladder of Creation

   S1:E96/30/1973

   How did life begin on earth? Dr Jacob Bronowski recounts the adventures of Alfred Russell Wallace, and how they triggered off the ideas of Charles Darwin.

   Director:Mick Jackson

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski

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   Director:Mick Jackson

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski
3. 

   8.5/10(48 votes)

   #3 - Generation Upon Generation

   S1:E127/21/1973

   Dr Jacob Bronowski follows the history of genetics, from the lonely experiments of Gregor Mendel to the discovery of the structure of DNA. Should we see human sexuality as a gift?

   Director:Mick Jackson

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski

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   Director:Mick Jackson

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski
4. 

   8.4/10(61 votes)

   #4 - The Starry Messenger

   S1:E66/9/1973

   From the earliest times, Man has looked outwards from the earth and wondered at the movements of sun, stars and planets. The programme hinges on the crisis of the scientific conscience in the person of the astronomer Galileo and in the rich cities of Venice and Rome, the scenes both of his triumph and his punishment.

   Director:Adrian Malone

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski

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   Director:Adrian Malone

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski
5. 

   8.4/10(52 votes)

   #5 - The Long Childhood

   S1:E137/28/1973

   From his home, Dr Jacob Bronowski takes stock of man's complex and often precarious ascent, drawing on experiences from his own lifetime.

   Director:Adrian Malone

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski

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   Director:Adrian Malone

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski
6. 

   8.3/10(51 votes)

   #6 - World Within World

   S1:E107/7/1973

   Dr Jacob Bronowski tells the story of the men and ideas that gave concrete expression to the invisible, intangible structure that lies beneath all matter.

   Director:Mick Jackson

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski

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   Director:Mick Jackson

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski
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7. 

   8.2/10(77 votes)

   #7 - Lower Than the Angels

   S1:E15/5/1973

   The programme follows the changes in Man as he marches out of Africa, through desert and ice age, to leave the print of his hand in a dark Spanish cave.

   Director:Adrian Malone

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski

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   Director:Adrian Malone

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski
8. 

   8.2/10(53 votes)

   #8 - The Drive for Power

   S1:E86/23/1973

   As political revolutions shook France and America, another quieter, yet more profound restructuring was taking place in Britain - the Industrial Revolution.

   Director:David John Kennard

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski

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   Director:David John Kennard

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski
9. 

   8.1/10(66 votes)

   #9 - The Hidden Structure

   S1:E45/26/1973

   The programme follows the beginnings of chemistry: from the techniques of ancient metallurgy in China and Japan to the mystical searchings of the alchemists.

   Director:Mick Jackson

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski

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   Director:Mick Jackson

   Writer:Jacob Bronowski
10. 

    8.1/10(63 votes)

    #10 - Music of the Spheres

    S1:E56/2/1973

    Mathematics is a way of describing the world that we see, hear and touch.

    Director:Adrian Malone

    Writer:Jacob Bronowski

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    Director:Adrian Malone

    Writer:Jacob Bronowski
11. 

    8.1/10(57 votes)

    #11 - The Majestic Clockwork

    S1:E76/16/1973

    The universe of Newton, clear, English, stately, like the music and the great buildings of his century ticking away with a fine clockwork mechanism, wisely regulated by laws. Then the quizzical world of Einstein whose direct truth and questions could turn the dignified universe upside-down in the interests of a clearer understanding. We ride with Einstein on his beam of light to end our journey in our own century.

    Director:Dick Gilling

    Writer:Jacob Bronowski

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    Director:Dick Gilling

    Writer:Jacob Bronowski
12. 

    8.0/10(65 votes)

    #12 - The Harvest of the Seasons

    S1:E25/12/1973

    As the ice retreats and the land flowers, Man the hunter turns to agriculture, domesticating plant and animal, imposing his will on the wild wheat and the horse.

    Director:Adrian Malone

    Writer:Jacob Bronowski

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    Director:Adrian Malone

    Writer:Jacob Bronowski
13. 

    8.0/10(67 votes)

    #13 - The Grain in the Stone

    S1:E35/19/1973

    The wandering nomads cease their migrations and settle in townships, learning new skills.

    Director:Mick Jackson

    Writer:Jacob Bronowski

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    Director:Mick Jackson

    Writer:Jacob Bronowski