“From That Small Island’ is a TV show about Ireland that is aired on PBS. The first episode is called “From the Beginning” and talks about the beginnings of Ireland, from ancient times to Viking rule. The rest of the
The show is very informative. Not only does it talk about Ireland, but it also talks about other things going on near Ireland and how those things influenced Irish history. It brings in archaeology to talk about Ireland’s earliest inhabitants.
While it was informative, it did feel like it jumped around
a lot. They discussed a lot of different topics in the course of an episode
lasting less than an hour. It would be cool to have the show be a series so
that each topic can
There are times when it was difficult to hear the speaker
over the music. Most of the interviews sounded fine, but the narrator’s sound
was a bit quiet, as were a few of the interviews. This is especially true when
watching the show on TV. Luckily, I have access to PBS Passport, so I am able
to watch it on my laptop.
All of the people who were interviewed for the show are very
knowledgeable about what they are talking about. It is clear that they are
passionate about what they do and that they each have a lot of experience and
research under their belt.
The cinematography for the show is stunning. The colors they
capture with the cameras they use are stunning. Ireland is a stunning place,
and the cameras and angles they capture hone in on its beauty.
When the show introduces a new place, they put the name of
the place in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen in white text. This
makes it difficult to see. It took me a bit to even notice that these labels
were there. It would be helpful to have them be more prominent.
Overall, this show is a great introduction to Irish history,
but it is simply an overview. The show does not cover any topic beyond
mentioning it briefly. This makes the show feel disjointed and shallow.
However, if people are interested in learning more about a particular subject,
they can do research beyond the show.
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