Shakespeare: Rise of a Genius

I watched the first episode, could barely watch this and could watch no more. It is viewed so utterly from a 21st century perspective and presented as such that it is barely watchable. Comparing Shakespeare to the 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'; phrases like, 'It's game on'; "he hated himself for not wanting to let go'; 'it feels like a real kill-shot'. Cringy in the extreme. Many of the "talking heads' offered risibly little in terms of intelligent and academic analysis. This is so dumbed down It's embarrassing. There is little here for anybody who has even GCSE knowledge of The Bard of his work. Utter rubbish.

The man we call Shakespeare Was A Fraud and this so called documentary is also one. Nothing is factual since we know so little about him. It's filled up with dramatic scenes and scenes from famous movie adaptations simply commented by actors who played Shakespeare, without explanation on how a grammar school diploma holder, made it to write the most amazing plays and the most intricate stories in the English language, about places he has never been and historical figures he only heard of. I wonder if all the actors participating in this tragic result knew how their words would be used? Don't waste your time on this BBC production.

Made it through the first half hour, noting both the excellent ideas included by experienced actors and academic experts. Dates, filled-out careers of the early ("pre-Shakespearean") poets, variety of venues and successful plays, which could have provided a much clearer and richer context for Shakespeare's emerging success, are clumsily bodged in and worked around to the show's overall lack of credibility. Both Peele's Edward I and Greene's James IV need a nod before trying to imply that Shakespeare invented post-Armada English chronicle history crowd-pleasers out of thin air. Also, to show Marlowe's death as a back-alley mugging before cutting to a much better-informed speaker referring to contradictory, documented facts is farcical incompetence. I'll come back, in small doses, to hear what the expert contributors have to say, but I think fast-forwarding through the schlocky reenactments will be the way to go. Wasted opportunity to make the best of a fascinating subject.

This series tries to cram in Shakespeare's entire life and art, and so thus comes across as over-wrought, rushed and a bit flashy. It is made with passion, and I love the actors and experts helping narrate the story. The re-enactments try hard, but again are too rushed and earnest. The music is too intrusive, as if it wants to ratchet up the tension. I understood what the story were saying, and I did learn quite a bit. But I feel the script could have done with more work. The lighting is dank and drab - yes I know it was a plague era, but I can't believe Queen Elizabeth's court would be so poorly lit. Still, you realise how terrified Shakespeare and his actors must have been to perform for the Queen, in an era where she could have sent them for punishment for their subversive and semi-political, if historical, plays.