Seven Wonders of the Industrial World
| Seven Wonders of the Industrial World | |
|---|---|
BBC DVD cover
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| Genre |
Documentary Docudrama History |
| Written by | |
| Directed by | |
| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Robert Lindsay |
| Composer(s) | Steve Jablonsky |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | |
| Cinematography | |
| Editor(s) | |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Distributor | BBC |
| Release | |
| Original release | 4 September – 16 October 2003 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | What the Industrial Revolution Did for Us |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Seven Wonders of the Industrial World is a 7-part British documentary/docudrama television miniseries that originally aired from 4 September 2003 to 16 October 2003 on BBC and was later released on DVD. The programme examines seven engineering feats that occurred since the Industrial Revolution. The same feats are covered in a companion book of the same name by producer Deborah Cadbury.
The programmes were dramatised versions of actual events: actors played the various figures involved, reciting monologues and dialogue based on their letters and writings. It cost approximately ₤1 million to create the 7-part documentary. A book of the same name was released by producer Deborah Cadbury, exploring the same feats.
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 fire that practically destroyed the shipbuilder's yard, problems with the launch and financial scandals, all of which contributed 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 legend of two bodies being found trapped in the hull upon its dismantling).
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.
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