When a man allows people to call him genius, or elite thinker etc, you can know that man is a real fool. I loved the BBC show Ascent of Man back as a kid in the 70's, but what a crock of mainstream garbage that is. If the people making it were so smart, they would have known that.

"The Ascent of Man" was a text book in university. I loved reading this book. It opened my young mind up to the connectedness of everything.

Trust this guy to stick his nose in he has made a career of riding other peoples coattails. WEF resetter.

I just watched Michael Parkinson's wonderful 1974 interview of Dr. Bronowski on KZbin, and that led me to these very interesting and illuminating comments by Sir David.

TV was great then. I guess, with less selection, what they offered was the product of thought and effort. Oh how we've gone downhill

Perhaps someone should make a follow up series now “The Descent of Man”? 😢. TV & UK culture peaked at this time….

This is so brilliant. Attenborough was the head of BBC 2. But this isn't about "me me me, look how smart I am." It's about Jacob Bronowski--a little old froggy looking guy with a funny accent--and the skills and talents that made him an utterly compelling host to one of the greatest documentary series ever. "The Ascent of Man" is 50 years old and still worth watching.

Shame Bruno did not get longer. A communicator and great man of learning and intellect, but we still have David Attenborough who illuminated the natural world like no other.

Touches on three of my all time favorites on arts and science - Sir Kenneth Clark, Jacob Bronowski and Richard Attenborough. Bronwski did appear quite often on TV in the mid fifties - I remember seeing him at that time. Good to note that the undoubted genius (William Blake) continues to fascinate so many of the great brains over the years. Remember seeing some episodes of Ascent of Man on Canadian TV in 1973 - profoundly taken with his episodes on Darwin and Einstein. 50+ years later, I am even more impressed at what Bronowski achieved with this TV series. the book bearing the same title, and his many writings. Sir, I salute you.

When the BBC was a benchmark of quality broadcasting.

I would gather sll this in one big historical and fascinating facts and interesting story and different types of things that time and people in a big wold of nature and Legendary of discovery of something new ❤❤😊😊

No social focus group could have suggested a History of Science. Incidentally there was a BBC Television Brains Trust on which Bronowski appeared frequently and we knew what he looked like.. The Brains trust was chaired by Norman Fisher and then Michael Flanders, other regulars were Ruther Pitter, Julian and Aldous Huxley, The Abbot of Downside, Gwyn Thomas, Prince Chula of Thailand, Jehudi Menuhin, I think George Steiner appeared once or twice, Alan Bullock, A.J. P. Taylor .Mortimer Wheeler The modern media has forgotten that a talking head with expertise can be a riveting presence can be. Brian Horrocks on Battles comes to mind, and once more A,J.P Taylor. I do not have television now but I suspect that because of Murdoch and the Tory Party, the great age of Television has passed and the mandate for Education and Culture has been fatally diluted by spurious ratings. I thank people like David Attenborough that it was once great , and Hugh Greene. Since and because of Thatcher television as deteriorated in quality and that the vibrant culture we had in the mid decades of the last century was dismantled by Thatcherism and the barbarian hordes of suburban Tories together with Murdoch

That was the greatest TV series ever....I even bought the book AND read it..... still tear up with the "..... consider you may be mistaken." plea at Auschwitz ,

I first saw The Ascent of Man-and read the book-as part of a college class my freshman year, in 1975 or 76. I don’t know why I even noticed the course let alone signed up for it. I’m glad I did because it got me thinking like an adult and what it means to broaden your thinking and horizons. Bronowski was a brilliant, eloquent man and his series holds up magnificently a half century later. I had no idea that Sir David had anything to do with the series and wouldn’t discover his prodigious talents and intellect for many years.

The Ascent of Man... ohhh... the greatest documentary series I know of for years now. This YT video came up as a suggestion, after I saw a YT about Neil Degrasse Tysons Phd. His thesis starts with... a quote from Bronowski...

How he stands ankle deep in the water and grabs a handful of mud. Thinking that we are correct and have absolute right is such a dangerous position. I write this at the prelude of Israeli intervention in Gaza.

The Ascent of Man is, imho, the single greatest documentary series ever. It along with Kenneth Clarke's Civilization are the only two series that reach the level of philosophy

BBC 🙄 we have gone from Accent of Man to The Accent of Strictly come Dancing 🤨 BBC full to the brim with over paid spongers 🤔 except Carol Kirkwood 🤭 worth every penny 😉

The irony is that today's "woke" BBC would not make this programme - too white, too euro-centric, not "inclusive" enough.

What an superb, incredible tribute. 'Bruno' I never knew him as that. Watched the Ascent of Man recently and found it as good now as it was 50 years ago. Well done Pof. Jacob Bronowski, and well said Sir Richard.

He did not rehearse it. He did not repeat it. Tremendously powerful words.

He was so uniquely, brilliantly, innovative and creative in TV senior management, and then he gave it all up to return to what he truly enjoyed - and nobody since has been anywhere near Sir David's class in facilitating TV brilliance!

Rewatching "Ascent" again for the first time for many years. What a marvellous series. To think some today, like Nadine Dorries wants to defund the BBC.

Thanks to Sir David we have the record of Lord Clark an Bruno that makes it all quite relevant if you are are at all attunded to the Future. Most dont get it.

An incredible man with all the positive qualities we are lacking today . A pool of intellect and intelligence we are sadly lacking today .

Thank you so much for posting this excellent and moving interview!!

It's time to put out a 'Descent of Man' series

Fascinating.

Brilliant. A great man talking about a great man.

I saw the original run of the series, although I was a bit too young to fully appreciate it at the time. I also had no idea at the time that Bronowski was a mathematician. I naturally assumed he was a historian or a philospher. Many years later, I of course got the DVDs and enjoyed the series all over again.

Huge fan of this show

Enjoyed this so much Bruno was one of my Hero's. I went on to d my Thesis . Never frgot him He died at 66 Far to early

Episode 11 ‘Knowledge or Certainty’ possibly the greatest television yet made.

For all the BBC haters - can you see a commercial TV station taking this sort of risk or having this sort of vision?

My God Mr. Attenborough we will miiss you. In today's world we are devoid of such giants. Real men, real contributors to society and history vs insta-famous embarrassments

Fiftieth anniversary of The Ascent of Man soon. As it was shot on film, time for a high definition transfer, restoration and re-screening.

Ah.. why can’t we have major mainstream things like this now….

I always come back to remember this most wonderful BBC production: The Ascent of Man, a series that changed my life by awakening me, like suddenly turning around to see the world with loving eyes. Mr Bronwski just captured my heart and attention. I counted the days for each next episode, and I also had the chance to see whole program more than once. Mr. Bruno, thank you.

Nothing compared to Ashley Banjo

This is when BBC was great

I'm sure it says something about modern humanity that there are only 41 comments regarding this video.

I've never seen the series but I've read the book several times and I can't praise it highly enough. For me, one of the top ten greatest non-fiction books of all time.

What will we all do without him, personally I’ve no idea. Been with me through a tv since I was 6 years old. As an aside Jacobs interview with Michael Parkinson is just brilliant.

Interestingly enough, Bronowski would have seen ( did see ) the patchwork between The Arte and Science as quite seamless. The one informing the other. He was the 20th Century Renaissance man - if ever there was one.

I never tire of re-watching The Ascent of Man and learn something new every time. Bronowski was a poet, scientist and philosopher and the most watchable 'television presenter' I've ever seen.

Bronowski and Attenborough... my 2 favorite Brits... after Charlie D

I think it really is a masterpiece.

It becomes clear that David here has all the qualities missing from society today. Intellect, empathy, passion, facing up to the truth, & expressing oneself with charm & inspiration.

Beyond clever. A mark that can mark mankind’s existence. I have walked forward in life with this knowledge of mankind’s existence in history since 1st seeing your teaching series in 1975. Thank you for giving me this measure of awareness pertaining to our civilization, before that it was the ineptness of a that which you once referred to as “the long childhood”.

Jacob Bronowski’s speech at Auschwitz still reduces me to tears.