Mankind: The Story of All of Us — Season 1
About this season
"Mankind : The Story of All of Us" is an epic 12-hour television event about the greatest adventure of all time—the history of the human race. It takes 10 billion years for the ideal planet to form and 3 billion more for the right conditions to emerge before it finally happens: mankind begins. From there unfolds a fast-paced story told here through key turning points—stepping stones in our journey from hunter-gatherer to global citizen. It’s a tale of connections—why some ideas take hold and spread around the globe, and how the lives of people in one part of the world are shaped by events in another.
Episodes (12)
1. Inventors
8.0Aired 18 November 2012 • 44 min
On a unique planet, a unique species takes its first steps: Mankind begins. But it's a world full of danger.
2. Iron Men
8.0Aired 18 November 2012 • 60 min
A mysterious band of pirates plunders the Mediterranean coast - leaving destruction in its wake. Empires fall, but out of the chaos, we discover iron. Armed with this wonder metal, ordinary folk can overthrow tyrants and build a new world order.
3. Empires
8.0Aired 25 November 2012 • 60 min
The crucifixion of Jesus gives birth to global religion, but Christianity may never have happened without the Roman Empire: the Roman Empire's vast network of roads and shipping lanes allows goods and ideas to flow across three continents, allowing Jesus' message to transform Mankind around the world.
4. Warriors
8.0Aired 25 November 2012 • 60 min
When Rome is sacked by barbarians, Europe enters a Dark Age. But from the fringes of the old empire, two new forces remake the world. The Arabs, funded by a gold rush, unite under the banner of Islam.
5. Plague
8.0Aired 2 December 2012 • 60 min
Genghis Khan, the bloodiest warlord in history, sweeps south from Mongolia into China and creates a mighty empire. He leaves 40 million dead bodies in his wake. But a greater killer stalks Mankind - the Plague.
6. Survivors
8.0Aired 2 December 2012 • 60 min
Gold from Africa kickstarts the rebirth of Europe. Money flows into Venice, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs willing to take risks. In China, a new weapon, the gun, allows a peasant uprising to unify the country.
7. New World
8.0Aired 9 December 2012 • 60 min
The Aztecs have built a mighty empire that dominates Central America. But it will be destroyed because of a domino effect. 7,000 miles away in modern-day Turkey, the great trading center of Constantinople is overrun by an Islamic army.
8. Treasure
8.0Aired 9 December 2012 • 60 min
In the Andes, the Spanish open up the largest silver mine in the world and mint millions of pesos de ocho (pieces of eight). These coins transform the global economy. They fill the treasure chests of pirates.
9. Pioneers
8.0Aired 11 December 2012 • 60 min
Mankind embarks on a new age of exploration and tames the wilderness. In North America, Siberia and Australia ancient traditions are swept away in the name of commerce and science.
10. Revolutions
Aired 11 December 2012 • 60 min
Two great revolutions entwine. The American Revolution inspires dreams of political and personal liberty. The Industrial Revolution replaces muscle power with machines, freeing Mankind from nature's limits.
11. Speed
8.0Aired 18 December 2012 • 60 min
The end of the Civil War allows Mankind to go into overdrive. This is an age of innovation, transformation and mass production. People believe that `Anything, everything, is possible.
12. New Frontiers
8.0Aired 18 December 2012 • 60 min
Mankind takes on godlike powers: to feed billions of people, reshape the landscape, re-engineer the human body. The greatest power of all was unleashed over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.