Terry Jones: Medieval Lives [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

At the time of writing, it is quite bizarre that this BBC series is only available to British purchasers by buying the BBC America edition!

Eight half-hour episodes sees Terry pulling part received notions of what life was like for the peasant, the monk, the damsel, the minstrel, the knight, the philosopher, the outlaw, and the king in medieval England. Actually, he also ventures regularly across the border to his native Wales, down to the sunshine of Tuscan Italy and Provencal Avignon, to French Poitiers and Normandy, and a couple of times to Scotland. The series comes with effective use of animation techniques involving extracts from genuine medieval manuscripts such as the Luttrell Psalter and the Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. In addition, this set comes with an extra, a fifty-minute film called `Gladiators - the Brutal Truth' from 1999.

As in his series on `The Barbarians', where Jones argued that it was the Romans who were more barbaric than the tribes who defeated them, in this series of medieval lives he takes the clichéd stereotypes of medieval life and often turns things on their heads. For example, he argues that peasants actually had a lot of control over their lives. Indeed, one could argue that Jones has a leftwing political agenda, being pro-peasant and pro-philosopher, but anti-monk and anti-knight. If so, then I am not complaining, although his series is devoid of feminism: there are no women peasants featured, no nuns. The only episode to concentrate on women is the damsel in distress, although Jones points out that that concept was created by Victorian men

Much of what Jones has to say is a little simplified in its detail, of course, but it is said with his usual gusto and good humour. For example, "Your average lord could make more money out of sheep than he could out of peasants. For a start, there's a lot more wool on a shape, and you can eat them, which is possible with peasant but socially tricky." He compares the Cistercians to MacMonasticism ("Once prayer acquired a monetary value, the game was up"), and notes that "The chivalric laws of war had absolutely nothing to do with the Geneva Convention." Sir John Hawkwood was a tanner's son from Essex, but his escapades in Italy meant "mercenary and knight had become one and the same."

In the final episode, Jones concentrates on the three kings of England named Richard, who he compares to the good, the bad, and the ugly in the modern English mind. But Jones is not having that; he rightly plays topsy and inverts their reputations: Richard I "was king of England, but he was scarcely an English king"; Richard II was, if anything, "too soft on his enemies"; and as for Richard III, Jones puts up a good case for the supposed murderer of the `Princes in the Tower'.

Terry Jones's conclusion is that "History isn't necessarily what happened; it's very often what somebody wants us to think happened."

I despaired of this ever coming out in Region 2, despite being produced by 2entertain for the BBC. Yes it is a genuine Region 1 (not region free), but at least it upscales well to a medium sized LCD and displays in 16:9.

Terry dips us into aspects of social Mediaeval history, challenging the perceived mainstream notions, which were cobbled together by Victorian writers- we have damsels kidnapping future husbands, monks avoiding the restrictions of their orders (I never knew that Cistercians specifically wore no knickers!). He is careful to outline changes in social positions over the centuries and packs this into eight half hour episodes- quite a feat. We have excerpts from documents of the lives of real people (the Pastons feature of course), not just the tedious "royals", and backed with Gilliam like animated Medieval manuscript illustrations we are presented with a quirky, and memorable reworking of history.

There's also a 50 minute documentary of "Gladiators: the Brutal Truth" which graphically portrays the Roman death industry where crowds watched the destruction of slaves, criminals and exotic beasts for entertainment (in contrast modern bullfighting is rather a wimpy affair, meaning no disrespect to the poor bulls).

All in all a brief examination but very entertaining.

Mediaveal lives is a superb series which follows a number of key Mediaeval stereotypes - knights, peasants and explodes the traditional steotypes we have of them which of course is a largey a vicrotian construct. Jones who is a qualified Mediavailst (historian) uses humour and monty pthyon (Terry Gilliam) "style" cartoons to priovide a hugely entertainng insight into the colourful if harsh lives of our mediaeval ancestors.

This is historical story telling at its best - Jones' really make history come alive and for all Python fans - this is iun the tradition of the atmospheric Mediaeval scenes from films like Holy Grail and Michael Palin's Jabberwocky

This was a hugely successful BBC TV series
which begs the question why have the over paid fat cats at the BeeB decided in their infinite wisdom NOT to release this on DVD - this DVD is only available on US import (to tap into the huge N American Monty Python market)

To watch this you have to have a DVD player that can take region 1 (most in UK are Europe are Region 2) or you need a DVD player that will take any DVD

if you have either of these then buy this it will not dissappoint - the rest of us will have to continue waiting in vain in the feint hope that the BBC will come to their senses and release this in the UK and be constent with the book or grainy VHS

any news as to whether this will ever come out on UK compatable DVD is very welcome