I think I’ll add Dan Cruickshank to my list of favourite TV presenters. As with Michael Palin or David Attenborough, he seems to have an enthusiasm for his subject which makes his programmes very entertaining. They also have the same scope.

Last night he was presenting a programme on a man who made one of the first ever travel documentaries; what made it so special is it was filmed in rudimentary colour. While we probably cannot derive much new information from these 80 year old films – their scope is too narrow to say anything important – they offer insight into people’s relationship to the camera. Then cameras were new, novel. Thus in their reactions to the camera we see their reactions to the modern world – a rapidly changing world. Thus in this film we see people on the verge of modernity, which is what makes this programme fascinating.

I also like the comparisons Crookshank makes. It’s interesting to note how much and how little things have changed. The world is at once eternal and ever changing, a fact which this programme makes clear. It’s just a shame I’ll be at uni when the remaining episodes are aired.

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see http://www.bbc.co.uk/history