PBS' Empires series of documentaries ought to be required viewing for any would-be maker of historical documentaries. They're a clear demonstration that an intelligent, information-rich program does in fact make for compelling viewing. Most history programs end up being no more than a few bits of information with a lot of padding, with their substance quickly disappearing upon contact, like so much cotton candy. But rejecting this kind of empty junk food for the mind doesn't mean we're stuck with the equivalent of dry bread and water. In contrast, the Empires programs are like well-balanced meals prepared by skilled chefs. We enjoy the subtle flavors and nuances, and we also feel nicely satisfied by the time the end credits roll.

This particular boxed set brings together five of the Empires documentaries under the heading of "Dynasties," presumably because they all deal in some way with the expansion and transmission of political power. It's a loose heading, and really is no more than an excuse to package together a set of programs that otherwise don't have much in common with each other in terms of the historical timeline. That's not a problem, though; since the documentaries are well produced across the board, it's an opportunity for viewers to sample the history of cultures that they might not have selected otherwise.

One of the strengths of these documentaries is that each has a fairly tight focus. Instead of trying to capture the entire length and breadth of an empire that might span centuries, each program focuses on a particular slice of history that has special significance in that empire's development. Because of this relatively tight focus, we get increased depth; the programs go beyond superficially mentioning key historical figures, and explains exactly how these people really did shape the course of history. It also helps that each program is fairly lengthy, running around three hours apiece; there's plenty of time to dig into the material. Because of the wealth of content presented, though, the programs never feel too long.

Overall, I think that the makers of these documentaries have the right attitude toward their material: that it's fun and stimulating to learn new things. Once you get over the pain of having been force-fed random facts in school (and consequently forgetting them as soon as the test was handed in), you realize that real learning (as opposed to useless test-prep) is one of life's true pleasures. Material like the history covered in the Empires: Dynasties films is already compelling: it doesn't need to be "made" interesting or hyped up by an Overly! Dramatic! Narrator! (if you've watched enough documentaries, you know the type). All it needs is to be presented in a clear, mature, intelligent manner, as it is here. These films are interesting first of all in the insight they give into very different times and places, but they also offer a fascinating look at how civilization has developed. For instance, The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization is extremely informative in its examination of the foundations of democracy, and definitely illuminates both the strengths and weaknesses of this form of government.

In addition to their other strengths, the films are also very polished, with good editing and excellent use of maps, artifacts, on-location footage of the landscape and important archaeological sites. Re-enactments are used well and tastefully, giving a sense of the living people who were part of the history we're hearing about, without ever going over the top. (The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization is perhaps a bit too enamored of its wax figurines of key historical figures, but it's easy to forgive.)

Five documentaries are included in the set, as follows:

Egypt's Golden Empire focuses on the period of approximately five hundred years, from 1500-1000 BC, when the New Kingdom was being formed. The ancient Egyptians are always fascinating, but how often do we get a documentary that gets past the fascination with mummies and pyramids? This one takes us into the reigns of the most influential pharaohs of the period, including the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, the young Tutankamen, and the empire-builder Ramesses. I'd rate this as one of the best in the set. Keith David narrates.

The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization takes a look at the formation of the world's first democracy, with a tight focus on particularly important individuals who shaped the course of Greek history. The political, social, and cultural changes in Athens over the 4th and 5th centuries BC are carefully and thoughtfully presented, giving us an excellent insight into the rise and fall of democracy. Liam Neeson does a nice job as the voiceover narrator here.

The Roman Empire in the First Century follows the fortunes of a critical family in the history of the Roman empire: Augustus Caesar and his successors, who ranged from bitter to stark raving mad, but who were undeniably important in the shaping of that particular empire. As a cultural parallel, we also follow the poet Ovid's fortunes. Because this period of Roman history is well documented, we hear from many of the people involved in their own words, and we get a real sense of the personal as well as political issues of the time. If you've seen the outstanding miniseries I, Claudius you already know most of what's covered here (though you may be surprised to find out how accurate much of that series is!) but if you haven't, then you'll likely find this program to be rather an eye-opener. Sigourney Weaver provides the voiceover narration.

The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance takes viewers much closer to the present day, with its focus on the Medici family in 15th-century Florence. Members of the Medici family would become important in politics and religion on the grandest scale, and they would also, as patrons of the arts, help nurture the Renaissance. It's very interesting material, though I think the narrator was a poor choice. Massimo Marinoni's main "qualification" seems to be his Italian-accented English. Is this supposed to give an Italian "flavor" to the documentary? (Hello: people don't have foreign accents when they speak in their native language!) In any case, it would have been better to get an experienced native English-speaking narrator for the program.

Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire is the most historically recent, but perhaps also the most culturally distant of all the empires in the set. This documentary takes a look at the closed society of Japan under the rule of the Shoguns in the 16th through 19th centuries, giving us an insight into how Japan underwent a renaissance of its own while hidden away from the rest of the world. There's occasionally a touch of over-dramatism in the reenactments, and annoyingly, when we hear the words of the Japanese of the time read to us, the voice actors have accents, an example of catering to popular misconceptions. The main voiceover narration, though, is done well, by Richard Chamberlain.

The DVD

The Empires: Dynasties set contains the five separate DVDs packaged just as they're sold separately, in individual keepcases, inside a glossy paperboard slipcase.

Video

The transfers are solid across the board, though some are better than others. The Greeks, Japan, and The Medici are all presented in nice anamorphically enhanced widescreen transfers, while Egypt's Golden Empire and The Roman Empire in the First Century are widescreen but unfortunately not anamorphic. The image in all five documentaries looks clean and clear; some are softer than others, and the two non-anamorphic transfers show some pixellation, but overall they're very watchable.

Audio

The Dolby 2.0 soundtracks do the job well. The main voiceover in all five documentaries is always clear and distinct, with the rest of the soundtrack nicely balanced. Egypt's Golden Empire doesn't sound as good in the last section of the program, with some harshness creeping in, but it's still satisfactory overall.

Extras

Only two of the documentaries have any special features. The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization has a nice slate of extras: a director's commentary track and about twenty minutes of additional scenes. These additional segments are just as polished as the main program, and touch on hoplites, women in Greek society, Delphi, and Greek theater. The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance has a promotional-style "Making of" that only runs eight minutes, and a list of important historical figures with some text information and links to clips about that figure in the documentary.

Final Thoughts

If you're interested in history, it's hard to go wrong with a nice set of documentaries like the five included in the Empires: Dynasties set. With the content ranging widely over time and across the world, the set provides insightful looks into different cultures at key points in their history. Though some are better than others, as a whole these Empires programs are great examples of intelligent, in-depth documentaries that capture the viewer's interest through a thoughtful presentation of interesting material, not gimmicks. You can also buy the individual films separately, but as a set it makes a nice gift, for instance. Highly recommended.