The Great Debate: 3 Questions for History Today Editor Peter Furtado
With a Super-panel of Industry Professionals and Academics in place, one of the History Congress' most highly anticipated sessions is The Great Debate: Does Television Enhance or Diminish History? This thought provoking session, taking place November 17th, will kick off the first full day of HISTORY 2006. We asked session Co-Producer and History Today Editor Peter Furtado to give us a glimpse into what delegates should expect.
What do you hope to accomplish through the session?
Academic historians know that far more people learn their history from the small screen than from books – but they don't really understand how programs get made or the constraints within which program-makers work. They sometimes feel that they get taken advantage of by the program makers, and their complex, cautious arguments can get oversimplified in the process of putting them on screen. I hope that we can explore why this misunderstanding occurs, and see whether ways can be found to ensure that you can get the most out of your academic consultants, and that they are happy with the end product.
Do you believe history and entertainment can co-exist?
History certainly doesn't have to be dull, and when it's done intelligently and with flair it never is. So long as a program has something new or interesting to say, and so long as it doesn't infuriate the viewer with gaps in the argument or the evidence, then I believe it doesn't need a flashy production to be truly entertaining. A recent survey has suggested that three-quarters of people who enjoy history do so because they believe it helps them understand the problems of the present. So if you can make your programs challenging as well as entertaining, then so much the better!
Do you see a one emerging trend for history programming?
I'm looking forward to finding out the answer to that question at the Congress! Now that the 60th anniversary of World War Two is now complete, and the 70th hasn't kicked in yet, I'd like to know what the future holds for screen treatment of that conflict. My second big question is about the big-budget programs based on dramatized reconstructions often involving epic battles: Whether these can be done incorporating interesting new insights and new research, as it can be hard for the viewer to see them, through all the blood and smoke...
For more details on The Great Debate: Does Television Enhance or Diminish History? visit http://www.history2006.com/schedule.php
