I watched an interesting programme this afternoon about the power of the English longbow in the late medieval period. I don’t think it added much to my stock of longbow facts but there was also the overall look and feel of the production.

I could tell immediately that it was not a recently produced programme. Numerous clues pointed this way, including the clothing of the presenters but also subtleties such as the lighting of indoor interviews and the filming of outdoor scenes. I think it was particularly apparent because I recently watched another series, about the Hundred Years War that also featured a section on Henry V and the campaign that led to the fields of Agincourt. Modern filmography tends towards richer colours and closer views of the presenters and ever-more powerful computers have led to great steps forward in the presentation of maps; I suppose something has to be done to persuade people that their high definition, 3D TVs were a worthwhile investment!

The historical period in which this old series (Decisive Weapons) was produced? Why, 1996 – almost a whole two decades ago!