Watch Seven Wonders of the Industrial World(2003) Online Free, Seven Wonders of the Industrial World All Seasons

Seasons & Episodes

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EP1 The Great Ship Sep 04, 2003

This episode focuses on the construction of the SS Great Eastern, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel to be both the first ship entirely made out of iron and the most luxurious vessel of the day. However, whilst the ship itself was a marvel of shipbuilding, its construction was marred by accidents, scandal and misfortune, including a destructive fire which practically wiped out the shipbuilder's yard, problems with the launch and financial scandals, all of which would contribute towards Brunel's deteriorating health and comparatively early demise in 1859 and the popular belief that the ship was 'jinxed' (a rumour leading to the urban legend of two bodies being found trapped in the hull upon its dismantling).

EP2 The Brooklyn Bridge Sep 11, 2003

Focusing on the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, the episode examines the family that built it - John Augustus Roebling, who designed the bridge; his son, Washington Roebling, who took over construction following his father's death shortly after the project was announced; and Washington's wife Emily Roebling, who taught herself engineering principles and took on the burden of her husband's work after his health was destroyed by the decompression sickness he suffered owing to the length of time he spent working and overseeing matters in the pressured atmosphere of the underwater caissons used to build the bridge.

EP3 The Bell Rock Lighthouse Sep 18, 2003

This episode tells the story of the construction in the early nineteenth century of the offshore lighthouse on Bell Rock, by the Scottish engineer Robert Stevenson. Bell or Inchcape Rock was a place which had claimed the lives of sailors and sank ships for hundreds of years, but which was underwater except for a couple of hours at low tide each day - causing difficulties in both constructing a design that would stand up to the terrible storms and waves that ravaged the area, and in actually constructing it during the few months of fair weather that were available each year, whilst simultaneously housing the builders who worked on it.

EP4 The Sewer King Sep 25, 2003

Set in London during the 1850s, this episode focuses on the construction of the London sewerage system, built to replace the antiquated medieval system that was overworked and inadequate for the needs of the-then largest metropolis in the world, causing epidemics of disease and a permanent foul stench to fill the air. The episode follows the efforts and work of Joseph Bazalgette, the brilliant engineer who designed the influential and modern sewer system that would purify the city, transform the streets above and would result in the end of the epidemics of cholera and typhoid that had ravaged the population - although not for the reasons that he initially thought.

EP5 The Panama Canal Oct 02, 2003

Both the French and the American efforts build a sea-level canal through Panama linking the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean are presented in this episode; firstly, the ill-fated effort by Ferdinand de Lesseps, the builder of the Suez Canal, to construct the canal, which - derailed by the ravages of tropical diseases (which decimated the workforce to the tune of over 22,000 men) and the impossibilities of constructing a sea-level canal through the mountains - saw financial scandals that ruined his reputation and brought down the French government. The episode then takes up the story seventeen years later, after the United States took up the challenge and, after leading a concentrated effort to eradicate the causes of the tropical diseases and switching from a sea-level to a lock-system canal, triumphantly saw the linking of the Pacific and the Atlantic.

EP6 Transcontinental Railway Oct 09, 2003

The episode follows the construction of the Pacific Railroad, the first transcontinental rail system, which would unite the eastern and western seaboards of the United States. Started in Sacramento by a consortium of local shopkeepers with no experience in building a railroad, the episode follows their efforts to build from west to east through the forbidding Sierra Nevada mountains with the help of Chinese labourers whilst simultaneously following the efforts of the workers of the Union Pacific to build from east to west, and their problems in dealing with the lawless nature of the wild west, attacks by Native American raiding parties, and financial corruption and scandal.

EP7 The Hoover Dam Oct 16, 2003

The final episode focuses on the construction of the Hoover Dam during the Great Depression of the 1930s, focussing in particular on the ruthless pace set by Frank Crowe, the builder, whose eagerness to complete the project well before schedule and subsequent exploitation of the workforce (who were desperate for any employment and were forced to accept conditions of extreme hardship in the process) would result in both many terrible deaths and the (eventual) construction of a new city to house the workers. The Director of Photography Mike Spragg was nominated for a Bafta for Best Cinematography Factual 2004

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Reviews

Hotwok2013 "The Seven Wonders Of The Industrial World" focuses on some of the most ambitious engineering achievements ever undertaken. Six out of the seven were done in the 19th century with only the construction of the Hoover Dam in the USA being a 20th century project. Taken in chronological order, (though not in the order they were televised), they were 1.The Bell Rock Lighthouse. It was built under the guidance & religious zeal of Robert Stevenson. Lying 12 miles off the west coast of Scotland, many ships & lives had been lost around its treacherous waters. 2.The Sewer King. The construction of London's sewer system was masterminded by Joseph Bazalgette. The Thames river had become so terribly polluted that by the hot summer of 1851 it had caused "The Great Stink" forcing parliament to take action. 3. The Great Ship. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel to circumnavigate the globe & carry sufficient fuel to do so, the ship named "The Great Eastern" was way ahead of its time. 4. The Transcontinental Railway. To connect the east & west coasts of the USA by rail had been a dream of Abraham Lincoln's before his assassination. 5. The Brooklyn Bridge. Begun by John Roebling & completed by his son Washington Roebling it was an ambitious & very dangerous undertaking. Work on the bridge's foundations had caused many deaths & illness from what is now called "the bends". After Washington, himself, became seriously ill his wife Emily stepped in. She had familiarised herself with every aspect of her husband's work & devotedly saw it through to completion. 6. The Panama Canal. It was begun by the french engineer Ferdinand De Lesseps (who had already overseen the construction of the Suez Canal) in the late 19th century until financial & many other problems forced him to abandon it. President Theodore Roosevelt saw the paramount importance to shipping of an Atlantic/Pacific Ocean connection & engaged railroad engineer John Frank Stevens to complete the project in the early 20th century. 7. The Hoover Dam. It was realised by around 1900 that the damming of the fast-flowing Colorado river could provide hydro-electric power to develop the barren near-desert area of Arizona. After careful study of various possible locations a site was chosen & president Calvin Coolidge gave it the green light in 1928. In this documentary the actors & actresses playing the leading roles of the various people involved in all these undertakings are using historical documents as their source material.

johnmcc150 This is an inspired series. Each episode has a great story to tell about the human and technical problems in realising some of the world's most monumental structures. It should inspire a new generation of civil engineers, though I suppose most big projects these days are less arduous for the participants, because of better technology and better working practices.The depiction of the projects by reconstruction and by special effects was awesome. Gone are the days when you could see that you were looking at a model; you really could believe that they built another one of each just so they could film it properly this time. Mention should also be made of the part that the music played in stirring the emotions of grandeur and achievement. Another excellent demonstration of why the BBC charges us Brits to own a television. It's worth every penny.

mpjones-2 This series showed what truly inspired engineers (and their wives) can achieve. All episodes are essential viewing for anyone aspiring to be an engineer. Their imagination, courage, dedication and persistence should be an inspiration to us all.Each episode has amazing on-the-job footage. This footage is interfaced with expert and insightful documentary commentary, creatively supporting the exposition of the marvels being created.The historically accurate (seemingly) and seamlessly integrated acting provides for riveting viewing.A must see!

McTodd I can only agree with the previous comment posted by Richard Tunnah (I note that he, like me, is from Birmingham, cradle of the Industrial Revolution) - this is, quite simply, an astonishingly accomplished series. The dramatisation of the seven incredible projects is superb, featuring excellent actors (some unknown, some familiar, and some surprising - an unrecognisable, and suitably restrained, Steven Berkoff as Roebling of the Brooklyn Bridge, for example), and instantly banishes the knee-jerk feelings of trepidation one has upon hearing, or reading, the dread words: 'dramatic reconstruction'. This is opulent costume drama of the highest order, and based in fact! No neurotic young women or old maids, no moustache-twirling cads or callow bores here - these are true heroes of the old school, whether it be the pugnacious cigar-chomping Brunel, the youthful Scot Stevenson, or the mother and son team of the Roeblings.The techniques of filming the characters in to-camera interviews, following them at times with hand-held cameras as if for a news programme, and other 'faux live' methods, could have been risible if not performed by the consummate professionals who clearly made this series. They make the events covered accessible and relevant, without dumbing down, a difficult trick to pull off but here successful.The special effects are magnificent and illustrate the stories to perfection. Although not always convincing, they never fail to be beautiful. Who could not be stirred by the sight of the gigantic 'Great Eastern' beached at Millwall, looming over the surrounding landscape as she takes form?And who could not fail to be moved by the sheer determination of these great engineers?This is a series which does them justice, and is simply unmissable for anyone with even a vague interest in how the modern world was shaped.