Anyone else watching Civilisation on iplayer?

I've only watched the Olusoga episodes on iPlayer. They were excellent. I have enjoyed but not loved the two televised Schama and Beard episodes.

I've never seen the original. I've only seen the first ep of the new one so far but I thought it was a corker.

The opening bit about Khaled al-Asaad being beheaded was and absolutely the way to open the series. You could feel Schama's rage and pain, but also his ferocious determination to interrogate and defend civilisation.

The cave paintings were spine-tingling and the Mycenean ring with the 'first fight scene in history' was jaw-dropping.

The tiny head of a woman was exquisite.

I could go on! Am very behind, obviously, but very much looking forward to the first Mary Beard one, and I love David Olusoga.

For me Olusoga definitely steals the show. Totally agree with your observations and I too have never seen the original. I am a fan of all hree really so it was always going to work on some level for me. Art history is slightly left of my discipline usually but am enjoying the insights.

You are in for some real treats with Olusoga as his episodes include contact with the West and he is great on colonialism etc in my opinion.

he is great on colonialism etc in my opinion.

He certainly was in A House Through Time recently. I think he's terrific.

I could literally talk about A House Through Time for hours and am actually writing one of my university assignments on it (well TV history but with this as the case study).

I wrote a very gushing email to the BBC to tell them how much I loved it and that I hoped they'd give him another series.

It's such a great idea that potentially it could just run and run.

Hahah, do we need to rename this the David Olusoga Appreciation Thread.

Or start one

Though it seems a fan club of two at the moment

We've scared everyone else off...