Courtesy: PBS/Public Media Distribution
Cleopatra is one of the most well-known figures in recorded history. The famed “Queen of the Nile” has fascinated people the world over for centuries. 20th Century Fox (one of Hollywood’s “Big Six”) even turned out a biopic of sorts centered on Cleopatra in 1963. The movie, starring Elizabeth Taylor (Father of the Bride, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Giant) in the lead role, earned nine Oscar® nominations and four trophies along with four Golden Globe® nominations and many other accolades. Women to this day even dress up as Cleopatra every Halloween thanks in no small part to that movie. For all of the interest that Cleopatra has maintained throughout the centuries some might find it interesting to know that to this day, no one actually knows where she is buried. Many have tried and none have succeeded. However one woman recently came closer than anyone in the search for Cleopatra’s final resting place. And her story was recently told in a new episode of PBS’ Secrets of the Dead. That episode, Secrets of the Dead: Cleopatra’s Lost Tomb will be available on DVD Tuesday, July 5th. This new episode of SOTD is just as welcome in the classroom as the living room. That is due in large part to the episode’s story. The story is just one of the elements that make this program so interesting. The information that is presented over the course of the nearly hour-long program is just as important to note as the story itself. The program’s pacing rounds out the program’s most important elements. Each element is important in its own right to the program. Altogether they make Secrets of the Dead: Cleopatra’s Lost Tomb a presentation a must have for any history buff whether in the classroom or the living room.
Secrets of the Dead: Cleopatra’s Lost Tomb is a must have for any history buff whether in the classroom or in the living room. That is due in large part to the program’s story. The story centers on the efforts of lawyer-turned-archaeologist Dr. Kathleen Martinez as she searches for Cleopatra’s tomb. While the program is a documentary, one can’t help but be interested in this story because it is a sort of underdog tale. As is noted in the program both in narration and by Dr. Martinez, she had quite a number of detractors when she turned from law to archaeology. That is because of how little professional experience she had in archaeology. What’s more she chased leads and theories that most others had ignored because they felt that those leads were so impossible. Yet in following those leads, she came closer in her search than any researcher ever had or even has. The progress and success that she had in her search surprised everybody including both her now former detractors and herself. So while the story is on the surface, a documentary, it is also a story that audiences will enjoy and that will especially empower female viewers. In whole, the story presented in this episode of SOTD is an important element in the episode’s presentation. It isn’t the episode’s only key element, though. The information shard throughout the course of the program is just as important as the episode’s story.
The story at the center of SOTD: Cleopatra’s Lost Tomb is unquestionably an important part of the episode’s presentation. On the surface, it is a documentary. On another level, it is an underdog story of sorts that will keep audiences engaged and entertained. It will also potentially empower female audiences because of the woman at the center of the story and her accomplishments. As important as the story is to this episode of SOTD it is only one of the episode’s key elements. The information provided over the course of the episode is just as important to note as the episode’s story. One of the most interesting pieces of information that is shared in this episode is the note about 20th Century Fox’s take on Cleopatra’s life. While the movie earned an impressive amount of accolades, it is apparently anything but historically accurate. That should be no surprise at all considering how few of Hollywood’s bio pics past and present boast any full accuracy. It is still interesting to learn just how far off the mark the movie was. Just as interesting to learn from this episode is just how far off the mark previous excavations might have been in the search for Cleopatra’s burial place. That is supported by the amount of evidence uncovered by Dr. Martinez in her efforts. On a related note the revelation about the many believed sites where Cleopatra might be buried. It is intriguing to find out the vast spread of potential burial sites. These are just a few of the interesting pieces of information shared over the course of this episode of SOTD. There is much more for audiences to discover for themselves in watching this episode. Needless to say, those other pieces of information join with the material noted here to prove in full why the content provided in SOTD: Cleopatra’s Lost Tomb is just as important to this program as its story. It still is not the last remaining key element either. The program’s pacing rounds out its presentation.
Both the story at the center of SOTD: Cleopatra’s Lost Tomb and its content are both key to the program’s presentation. While both elements are undeniably important to the program’s presentation they are not its only key elements. The program’s pacing is just as important to its presentation as those elements. Viewers will note that the program’s pacing is relatively stable from beginning to end. From the time that viewers are introduced to Dr. Martinez and presented with her back story to her search for the legendary queen’s final resting place, each part of the story receives just enough attention. Even as the program focuses on Cleopatra’s own back story, that story isn’t allowed to dominate the program. Each segment is expertly balanced against the others. The end result is a program that will keep audiences fully engaged from beginning to end. In turn audiences will see for themselves the importance of the program’s story and its overall content, too. They will see that in whole all three elements make this program a must have for any history buff both in the classroom and the living room.
Secrets of the Dead: Cleopatra’s Lost Tomb is a must have for any history buff whether in the classroom or in the living room. It is an impressive new addition to the already extensive list of programs produced by PBS about Egypt and its rich history. That is due in part to the program’s dual-part story. The content that makes up the body of the story is just as important to note in its presentation. The overall pacing of the program rounds out the program’s most important elements. Each element is important in its own way to the program’s presentation. Altogether they make Secrets of the Dead: Cleopatra’s Lost Tomb a program that is, again, a must have for any history buff whether in the classroom or in the living room. It will be available Tuesday, July 5th and can be ordered online direct via PBS’ online store. More information on this and other episodes of Secrets of the Dead is available online now at:
Website: http://pbs.org/secrets
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SecretsofTheDead
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SecretsPBS
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