07/03/2008

Arguably, the “single most ambitious commission that BBC Scotland has ever undertaken” was officially unveiled yesterday: television, radio and the internet all being harnessed later this year - and into next - to tell the story of Scotland’s history.

Accompanied also by a series of events, plus orchestral concerts at historic locations, the project is being put together by BBC Scotland, in conjunction with the Open University. For what will be a ten-part TV series, it is being shot on High Definition.

Beginning with the origins of Scotland and ending with the Unions of the Crowns in 1603, the first five episodes of A History of Scotland will transmit from November.

The second part, which will go out late next year, takes the story from the Covenanting movement through the Treaty of the Union right up to devolution.

Although the series will be chronological, each episode will also tackle a theme such as Scotland’s sense of identity or, latterly, its contribution to the wider world.
 
Says BBC Scotland Controller, Ken MacQuarrie: “Scotland’s History is one of our most ambitious projects ever. It is mapping the history of Scotland in a way that is entirely relevant to modern Scots and Scotland, and will provide an ongoing legacy to entertain and inform the Scots of the future.”

On Tuesday, BBC Director-General remarked: “[It is] perhaps the single most ambitious commission that BBC Scotland has ever undertaken.”

Adds Richard Downes, series producer: “There has been a renaissance of interest in Scottish history in the last 15 to 20 years amongst academics and we are aiming to bring that to a wider audience. We are looking to get beyond the myths, to get an honest portrayal of the history of Scotland rather than its perceived history; its position not only in terms of the situation here but Scotland’s wider influence. The general perception has always tended to be of a country on the periphery, but the initial work on this series has brought it home to me that Scotland has been pivotal in a wider context from its crucial part in the creation of Britain to its contribution to the outside world.”


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