2011 GUILTY PLEASURES: LUXURY IN THE ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL WORLDS I wrote and presented a two-part series for BBC 4 entitled Guilty Pleasures: Luxury in the Ancient Greek and Medieval worlds, which aired in June and July 2011 as part of BBC 4’s Luxury Season. Working again with Tern TV, these programmes were filmed across Athens, Sparta and Vergina in Greece, as well as at numerous sites in the UK, and explored how attitudes to luxury (as well as the nature of luxury itself) have changed from ancient to medieval times, and how past attitudes to luxury still influence us today. For more information on the programme click here (BBC), click here (Tern TV), and click here (Telegraph Newspaper) and here (ENET Newspaper, Greece).For reviews of the programmes, click here To see these programmes, click here: (Ancient Greece) and (Medieval world)
2010 I wrote and presented a documentary for BBC4 on DELPHI: BELLYBUTTON OF THE ANCIENT WORLD (broadcast Autumn 2010). The programme investigates the oracular sanctuary of Delphi in ancient Greece and asks how it managed to survive as the omphalos, the bellybutton, of the ancient world for over 1000 years and what Delphi still has to say to us today. The programme examines not just the activity of the oracle at Delphi, but the stories of the many other gods, athletic games, monuments to unity and civil war that populated the sanctuary, showing how Delphi evolved to reflect and affect the changing world around it. With locations ranging from the grandeur of Delphi to caves in the Parnassian mountains, from the glory of Athens to the cosmopolitan city of Istanbul, and with contributions from French, British and Greek archaeologists, this documentary helps unravel the mystery of the place whose most famous advice was to 'know thyself'. Delphi: bellybutton of the ancient world was made with TERN Television for BBC. For reviews of the programme, click here. To watch the programme on-line, click here. 
 THE FIRST WAR FOR THE WEST - AUSTRALIAN TV In 2010, I also appeared as the presenter for a four part documentary on the Persian wars, made by Worrigee Multimedia in Australia. Looking in more detail than ever before on TV at the lead up to the conflict, the conflict itself and its aftermath, this documentary series mixes expert interviews and commentary with dramatic recreation and graphics. Filmed on location at the sites of the major battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis and Plataea, this documentary brings one of the defining conflicts of Western Civilisation to life.  ANCIENT RELICS - NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANEL I gave an interview about the use and abuse of the body of Alexander the Great for a new programme about Ancient Relics for the National Geographic Channel. The programme is made by Parthenon and should be on screens in 2011. PAUL THE OCTOPUS - DIVINATION THEN AND NOW I gave an interview for a new feature length film on the phenomenon of Paul the Psychic Octopus. The interview sought to put this modern day 'oracle' in the context of oracles through history and particularly the ancient world. The film is made by Cinema Vertige. To see the promotional clip for this documentary, click here. 2009 In 2009, I appeared again as on-screen historical consultant for the fourth season of 'Ancient Discoveries', in which I discuss ancient Oracles of the dead, Tyrian purple, Crucifixion and the Battle of Salamis. The series was directed by Ben Mole and made by Wild Dream Films. 2008 In winter 2008 I appeared as an on-screen historical consultant for the History Channel’s third series of Ancient Discoveries, in which I discussed the nature and existence of ancient spies, communication networks and secret message sending. The programme was made by Wild Dream Films. For all media enquiries, please contact Sue Rider at: Sue Rider Management See my presenter profile. |
View my show reel below:
