Terry Jones' Medieval Lives

Infobox Television
show_name = Terry Jones' Medieval Lives


caption =
aka =
genre = Documentary
creator =
writer = Terry Jones
director = Nigel Miller
creat_director =
developer =
presenter = Terry Jones
starring =
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narrated =
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composer = David Mitcham
country = UK
language = English
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 8
list_episodes =
distributor = Oxford Film and Television Production
exec_producer =
co_exec =
producer = nowrap beginPaul Bradshaw·wrap Nigel Millernowrap end
sup_producer =
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channel = BBC Two
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first_run =
first_aired = January 3
last_aired = January 24, 2004
preceded_by =
followed_by =
related = nowrap beginTerry Jones' Barbariansnowrap end
website =
prod_website =
imdb_id = 0398514
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"Terry Jones' Medieval Lives" is a 2004 Emmy award nominated television documentary series produced for the BBC. Written and hosted by Terry Jones, each half-hour episode examines a particular Medieval personality, with the intent of separating myth from reality.

The episode "The Peasant" was nominated for "Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming" at the 2004 Emmy Awards.

Dr. Faye Getz acted as consultant for the series.

Alternative takes on History

Being a comedian as well as a historian, Terry Jones takes an "established belief", turns that around and presents proof for his assertion.

In the episode on Kings, he says, "History isn't necessarily what happened. It's often what people want us to think happened.", with the following examples:
*Richard the Lionheart was actually a bad king, who only saw England (which he hated) as a means to finance his warmongery, whereas Richard III did a lot of good for England. Modern perceptions of these kings are reversed because chroniclers of the time were commissioned to write what was politically most convenient.
*Louis, count of Artois (later king of France), was acclaimed as king of England yet appears in no history books as such (see First Baron's War).

Terry Jones explains his main reason for making this series in the article [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,1143405,00.html The Middle Ages of reason] in "The Observer".

Episode List

The eight episodes were as follows:

* The Peasant
* The Monk
* The Damsel
* The Minstrel
* The Knight
* The Philosopher (Alchemist)
* The Outlaw
* The King

Companion book

* cite book
date = Feb 5, 2004
title = Terry Jones' Medieval Lives
last = Jones
first = Terry & Alan Ereira
publisher = BBC Books (hardcover)
id = ISBN 978-0563487937
* cite book
date = May 5, 2005
title = Terry Jones' Barbarians
last = Jones
first = Terry & Alan Ereira
publisher = BBC Books (paperback)
id = ISBN 978-0563522751

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/bbcworldwide/worldwidestories/pressreleases/2003/12_december/medieval_lives.shtml BBC Worldwide press release]
* " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/3507439.stm Python slams 'overrated' Renaissance] " BBC News article