Secrets Of The Lost Empires (Nova)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C+     Extras: C-     Episodes: B

 

 

Can stonemason Roger Hopkins and Egyptologist Mark Lehner recreated some of the most amazing ancient structures in world history?  Well, they have a group of local men helping them and will try to rebuild a Pyramid, Obelisk, Colosseum, Stonehenge and Inca building techniques and results in Secrets Of The Lost Empires.  In this, we are constantly amused as each of the five shows devoted to it given structure cuts back and fourth between history, the current building project and theories about the structures that are still standing centuries.

 

Each show is very entertaining, well thought out, shot on location, loaded with facts, diagrams, stills and older footage where possible and even animated illustrations.  This is what one always expects from Nova, a great show, but is more amusing as a multi-part mini-series that proves the long and rich way that all the structural subjects remain a mystery and may continue to do so for a long time to come.  This is very smart and also more fun than you’d expect, so catch it when you can.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image is soft throughout, likely from the analog NTSC transfer of the original materials.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is simple and without surrounds.  Extras are the usual DVD-ROM printable materials and weblinks, but the actual shows leave little to expand on ands no progress in figuring out how to build these wonders has been uncovered since their original broadcast.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo