Egypt: Rediscovering a Lost World

Tales of three explorer-archaeologists and their monumental (so to speak) discoveries in Egypt are recreated in this classy, six-part BBC production, which combines history and drama to edifying and entertaining effect. Each story is told in two parts, beginning with the saga of Englishman Howard Carter (portrayed with appropriate stiff-upper-lipness by Stuart Graham), who devoted the first two decades of the 20th century to discovering and unearthing the tomb of the legendary King Tutankhamun. Subsequent episodes focus on Italian explorer and former circus strongman Giovanni Belzoni (Matthew Kelly), who in 1815 removed a gigantic bust of Pharaoh Rameses II from a shrine in Thebes and later became the first modern Westerner to enter the astonishing temple at Abu Simbel, and Frenchman Jean-Francois Champollion (Elliot Cowan), a linguistics expert who deciphered hieroglyphs, translated the Rosetta Stone, and gained fame as perhaps the most important Egyptologist ever. Along the way, viewers learn details about the men's personal relationships (e.g., Carter's failed pursuit of his patron's daughter), and witness reenactments offering insights into the lives and customs of their ancient subjects (like Tut's marriage to his sister, or the rituals of mummification and burial). The production also underscores some of the more unsavory aspects of these stories, including the appalling European imperialism and the Catholic Church's paranoia that revelations regarding the actual age of some of the statues and other discoveries might prompt the faithful to question if human history really began with Adam and Eve. DVD extras include the lovely bonus documentary "Nile: Crocodiles and Kings," as well as a historical timeline and catalog of trivia. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Graham)