37 Days

The writers of this lousy propaganda have never read any history book, so all series is full of dunno what. Wilhelm wears Iron Cross before the war - it is awarded only in wartime. Similarly, Nicholas wears St George. He was awarded 4th grade only 1915. He has stripes on trousers - in Russian army it is only for generals, and Nicholas was just a Colonel. German uniforms are not correct. Edward Grey acts and speaks as football hooligan. As the rest of British statesmen. Clerks in foreign offices are half-dressed - nobody would allow to show up wearing only a vest. Etc. Generally - watch with shock and awe. Then go to dark corner and weep about decline of education and civilization.

I admit some of the Geman characters were a bit one dimensional but I wouldn't be so hard on this series as others. I really enjoyed it and missed it when it ended. It was educational, informative and entertaining. I am a fan of history so I might be a bit biased I admit but it was right up my street.

It isn't meant to be a high-budget American blockbuster, but a serious look at a side of the First World War that usually gets little coverage. OK the odd bit of dialogue was less than authentic - but a darn sight more authentic than all the massive bloopers in Downton Abbey! We all know about the battles and the casualties, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and the Treaty of Versailles, but it is politicians who make wars. Politicians and human frailties. This series focuses on the politicians involved and shows how we come to war by degree and mis-interpretation and not by some big event.

As stated, the performances by the actors playing the English characters were great - understated and probably accurate.

I learnt a lot. Perhaps an abridged version would be useful in schools so those studying GCSE History can see that there was more to it than 'a bloke getting shot in the Balkans'.

Intriguing and educational.

A dramatisation of the events that lead to World War 1, and, in particular, Britain's participation in the war. From the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914 until Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914 - 37 days - we see the diplomatic negotiations and behind-the-scenes machinations from many sides.

A well made telling of the diplomacy (and, ultimately, failure thereof) in the lead-up to World War 1. Had the potential to be quite dry, but there is always a fair amount of tension and intrigue present, even though you know how it is all going to end.

Quite educational too: there's plenty of movies about the fighting in wars, but not much about the diplomatic side. This makes 37 Days a bit of a rarity.

Also quite chilling, as you see how things escalate, and realise how the war could have been averted. You see how personalities and sometimes seemingly small events or discussions shape the outcome. Quite eye-opening.

You don't need to be interested in history to be absorbed by the most important 37-days in history. Days that led to the WW1, WW2, and everything thereafter. Fabulous production!

If you are a history buff, 10/10 and compulsory viewing.

I am not clued in enough to say, with certainty, this BBC drama was impartial - but given how i suppose it could have gone, i think it was close enough. Even if you don't agree, you cannot fault the acting and the direction of this mini series.

Loosely told from the perspective of two foreign office clerks - one German, one British - depicts the many sad, unfortunate and ironic events in the 37 days leading to the deaths of ten million men and women around the globe during WW1.

I am of a generation of kids whose history lessons saw WW1 being completely overshadowed in favour of WW2 - so for me this was particularly interesting. It could have been poorly acted, badly directed and cheap to make and I would still have found it interesting. That it was none of those things was a great bonus! It was obvious from the outset that while they were speaking in English, the German actors were German, the Russian actors Russian and so on. Which added some authenticity to the whole thing (I am a stickler for accents!).

If you want 3 hours of world history and a good account of the bumbling old gits that ran Germany and Great Britain at the time - give this a go :)