In Search of Myths and Heroes

Joining Michael Wood as he explores myths and legends from Ancient Greece to Ancient Britain is like going personally with a time traveler on his journey. The discoveries that Wood makes are just as magical as the legends themselves. As he uncovers ancient traditions and long forgotten worlds we see his enthusiasm like a child on Christmas and it's infectious drawing us in as we learn the true stories of the places and people enshrined in myth.

"In Search of Myth and Legends" actually exceeded my expectation for an afternoon of entertainment, but as it carries the same charm as all of Wood's documentaries I shouldn't be surprised. I was sad to see that there was only 4 episodes.

For fans of Archeology and History, this is a must see.

Instead of a single subject series, this time Michael Wood has four independent searches. These episodes are placed out of order as the advertisement at the end of one-episode points to an earlier episode.

The Search for Shangri-la brings back the old images of Frank Capra's movie "Lost Horizon" (1937). We learn of the writers and the location which was almost impossible to get to because of the politics of the time of this series. Michael looks bedraggled in this episode. But as much as you think you know the story there is always more to learn.

The Queen of Sheba stories has a black and white difference from the old mostly bare-breasted Betty Blythe movie (1921). She really got around from the Hebrew Scriptures to the Koran among other writings. Again, just when you think you know all there is to know Michael Woods pulls something out of his hat that you would never have thought of as trade routes revealing more about the real Sheba.

Arthur: The Once and Future King is probably Michael Wood's best of the presentations in this series. We see the excerpt from the film "Excalibur" (1981). And the best part of the tail is told by an enthusiastic cutie of who appears unaccredited tell the tail while lighting candles. Look at her necklace. I learned more about the ties among people in Europe and the islands. Again, must of history that is lost in statistics is brought alive by Michael Wood.

Jason and The Golden Fleece will have you feeling you are there as you follow the different trails set by different writers at different times. We find that Jason does not fit Michael Woods's definition of a standard hero. And somewhere on the way, we are more interested in Media and her troubles as people accuse her of being a witchy woman. It is not a nice tail but makes you want to know more.

I really enjoyed this series which aired on PBS. The series covers much of the history around each Myth/Hero. The travels of Mr. Wood, related artifacts explained, and the footage seen in the series are a wonderful addition! Definitely recommended for history buffs, AND for classroom presentation to students. This is a very good series for everyone, really. The stories are well explained and shown on maps, so you don't need to be an expert on history or geography to understand and appreciate this series.

The music/soundtrack is excellent and very well done!

My only disappointment is that there aren't more episodes.