
Seen it?
Civilisation
Streaming on (US) ![]()
See all
Sir Kenneth Clark guides us through the ages exploring the glorious rise of civilisation in western man. Beginning with the bleakness of the dark ages to the present day, we consider civilisation's articulations and expressions in some of man's finest works of art.
Highest-rated episodes all ranked
- 01
The Skin of Our TeethIn this the first episode Clark travels from Byzantine Ravenna to the Celtic Hebrides, from the Norway of the Vikings to Charlemagne's chapel at Aachen, telling his story of the Dark Ages; the six centuries following the collapse of the Roman Empire. - 02
The Great ThawIn the second episode Clark tells of the sudden reawakening of European civilisation in the twelfth century . He traces it from its first manifestations in the Abbey of Cluny to its high point, the building of the Chartres cathedral. - 03
The Pursuit of HappinessHere Clark talks of the harmonious flow and complex symmetries of the works of Bach, Handel, Haydn and Mozart — and the reflection of these in the Rococo churches and palaces of Bavaria.
Cast
Episodes by season
Season01
- S01E01
Season's bestThe Skin of Our TeethFebruary 23, 1969In this the first episode Clark travels from Byzantine Ravenna to the Celtic Hebrides, from the Norway of the Vikings to Charlemagne's chape - S01E02
The Great ThawMarch 2, 1969In the second episode Clark tells of the sudden reawakening of European civilisation in the twelfth century . He traces it from its first ma - S01E03
Romance and RealityMarch 9, 1969Beginning at a castle in the Loire, then travelling through the hills of Tuscany and Umbria to the cathedral baptistry at Pisa as he examine - S01E04
Man: The Measure of all ThingsMarch 16, 1969Visiting Florence, where, Clark argues, European thought gained a new impetus from its rediscovery of its classical past. He also visits the - S01E05
The Hero as ArtistMarch 23, 1969Here Clark takes us back to 16th century Papal Rome noting the convergence of Christianity and antiquity. He discusses Michelangelo, Raphael - S01E06
Protest and CommunicationMarch 30, 1969Here Clark takes us back to the Reformation. That is to the Germany of Albrecht Duerer and Martin Luther, the world of the humanitarians Era - S01E07
Grandeur and ObedienceApril 6, 1969Again in Rome of Michelangelo and Bernini, Clark tells of the Catholic Church's fight against the Protestant north, the Counter-Reformation - S01E08
The Light of ExperienceApril 13, 1969Here Clark tells of new worlds in space and in a drop of water that the telescope and microscope revealed, and the new realism in the Dutch - S01E09
The Pursuit of HappinessApril 20, 1969Here Clark talks of the harmonious flow and complex symmetries of the works of Bach, Handel, Haydn and Mozart — and the reflection of these - S01E10
The Smile of ReasonApril 27, 1969Here Clark discusses the Age of Enlightenment tracing it from the polite conversations in the elegant Parisian salons of eighteenth-century, - S01E11
The Worship of NatureMay 4, 1969Belief in the divinity of nature, Clark argues, usurped Christianity's position as the chief creative force in Western civilisation and ushe - S01E12
The Fallacies of HopeMay 11, 1969Here Clark argues that the French Revolution led to the dictatorship of Napoleon and the dreary bureaucracies of the nineteenth century and - S01E13
Heroic MaterialismMay 18, 1969Clark concludes the series with his discussion of materialism and humanitarianism of the past century. This takes us from the industrial lan
Keep exploring top shows
ShortcutThe essential episodes
Short on time? The pilot-to-finale shortcut, only the episodes that matter.
MatchupCompare with another showTwo shows' episode ratings on one chart — settle it.
NetworkBest BBC Two showsMore from the same network, ranked by rating.
GenreBest documentary shows & filmsThe top of the documentary pile, across both mediums.