Unnatural Histories (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Unnatural Histories is a 3-part British
television documentary series produced by the BBC
and BBC Natural History Unit
. It takes a new look at three of the world's most iconic wildernesses; the Serengeti
, Yellowstone National Park
and the Amazon
and discovers that far from being wild and untouched, each has been shaped over time by man. It will be first broadcast on BBC Four
at 9pm on 9 June 2011.
Investigates how the Serengeti became wild through the actions of a colonial disease that emptied the land of the people and livestock that had lived there for hundreds of years. This episode shows how this event allowed the modern vision of Africa as a pristine wilderness to take hold.
This episode looks at the American West
and the park of Yellowstone, whose birth was the result of romantic European ideals that were transported to the homelands of Native Americans
by ambitious politicians and railroad tycoons
.
The final episode looks at the Amazon rainforest
- billed as the world's last great wilderness
- but even here, earthworks uncovered during recent logging, provide growing evidence for ancient cities in the heart of the 'virgin forest'.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television documentary series produced by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and BBC Natural History Unit
BBC Natural History Unit
The BBC Natural History Unit is a department of the BBC dedicated to making television and radio programmes with a natural history or wildlife theme, especially nature documentaries...
. It takes a new look at three of the world's most iconic wildernesses; the Serengeti
Serengeti
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between latitudes 1 and 3 S and longitudes 34 and 36 E. It spans some ....
, Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
and the Amazon
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
and discovers that far from being wild and untouched, each has been shaped over time by man. It will be first broadcast on BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
at 9pm on 9 June 2011.
Episode 1: Serengeti
First aired on Thursday 9 June 2011.Investigates how the Serengeti became wild through the actions of a colonial disease that emptied the land of the people and livestock that had lived there for hundreds of years. This episode shows how this event allowed the modern vision of Africa as a pristine wilderness to take hold.
Episode 2: Yellowstone
First aired on Thursday 16 June 2011.This episode looks at the American West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
and the park of Yellowstone, whose birth was the result of romantic European ideals that were transported to the homelands of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
by ambitious politicians and railroad tycoons
Robber baron (industrialist)
Robber baron is a pejorative term used for a powerful 19th century American businessman. By the 1890s the term was used to attack any businessman who used questionable practices to become wealthy...
.
Episode 3: Amazon
First aired on Thursday 23 June 2011.The final episode looks at the Amazon rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
- billed as the world's last great wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
- but even here, earthworks uncovered during recent logging, provide growing evidence for ancient cities in the heart of the 'virgin forest'.