Stars: Michael Wood

Director: David Wallace

Summary: Documentary series about the life and times of Britain's most famous playwright, William Shakespeare.

Historian Michael Wood (who previously traced the lives of Alexander The Great and the Conquistadors) attempts to present the full life story of William Shakespeare in this BBC series. Over the course of four hours, Wood not only traces the many brilliant works of literature written by Shakespeare, but also seeks to locate the poet and playwright within the historical context of his day.

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The BBC series In Search of Shakespearecould be the English teacher's most important ally yet. With his typical mixture of intensive research, detective work, boyish enthusiasm and popular appeal, television historian Michael Wood comes closer than anyone to bringing the Bard to life. There are some astonishing discoveries along the way, which help to give a documentary cohesion to Shakespeare's story. But Wood is never arrogant enough to claim to have pinned the playwright's character down. The ifs, buts and maybes are all part of the fascination. The man himself remains tantalisingly just out of reach, which is probably as it should be.

Instead, Wood takes us on an exhilarating journey through Elizabethan and Jacobean England, building a picture of his subject through painstaking reference to the climate of the age: a police state in which Shakespeare's family was devastated by the persecution of Catholics. Social, familial and political influences are all unravelled and pieced together, counterpointed with scenes from the plays--RSC actors conveniently to hand--and the life and times of the travelling actor and playwright are evoked in front of our eyes, becoming tangible and relevant.

Wood gives us the chance to consider the plays in context, products of a great mind living in interesting times, rather than in academic isolation. It's a compelling tale, full of bloody danger, sex, celebrity and social history, and densely packed with layers of detail. Wood's great gift is to tell it in such an accessible way and without the sense of superiority that some of his peers bring to popular history. --Piers Ford

Aspect Ratio:	16:9
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Scene Selection, Previously Unseen Footage
Year:	2003
Release Date:	August 25, 2003
Runtime:	240 minutes
Certification:	Exempt.
Catalogue Number:	B B C D V D 1299
Keywords:	Two, General, Search, Shakespeare, Discs, Documentaries, Biographies
Genre:	Documentaries & Biographies