Egypt

2005 - 2005

The Search for Tutankhamun

30th October 2005

Episode 1

Carter's fledgling career in Egyptology suffers a blow when a tomb he opens to huge fanfare is found to be empty. Undeterred from his ambitions, Carter parts company from his partner, Thedore Davis, and resumes his work as an archaeological artist and desperately hopes he will find a new patron. A meeting with the maverick Lord Carnarvon is to change Carter's life forever. Carnarvon - who has come to Egypt to recover from a horrific car accident - has become obsessed with finding an undamaged tomb and teams up with Carter in the search for the elusive burial site of the Boy King Tutankhamun.

The Curse Of Tutankhamun

6th November 2005

Episode 2

The story of the tomb of Tutankhamun captivates the world's media and propels Carnarvon and Carter to instant celebrity status around the globe. The ultimate prize that Howard Carter has sought all his adult life yields more than he could ever imagine: thousands of priceless artefacts, eventually crowned by the solid gold coffin and death mask of Tutankhamun. However, Carter is uneasy with his new-found celebrity status, and the absence of any real historical information frustrates him.

The Pharoah and the Showman

13th November 2005

Episode 3

Belzoni fails to please Pasha Ali of Egypt and his new career in 'water mechanics' fails. He is penniless and stranded in Cairo without work. Just 16 years after the invasion by Napoleon, the enthusiasm of Europeans for all things Egyptian is growing and there is intense rivalry between explorers and collectors - the rivalry is particularly intense between the French and the British.

The Temple Of The Sands

20th November 2005

Episode 4

Belzoni's new ambition is to be the greatest collector in history, but in the fashion of all good swashbuckling tales, he has a rival. Drovetti, the tenacious French collector, is waiting to thwart him at his every turn. Henry Salt asks Belzoni to go back to Thebes and Philae to find more artefacts for the British Museum. However, Belzoni doesn't realise that Salt is using him to furnish his own collection and sell artefacts to the highest bidder.

The Mystery of the Rosetta Stone

27th November 2005

Episode 5

This is the story of Jean-François Champollion, the brilliant linguist, genius and one of the first true Egyptologists. The programme begins in Egypt in 1798, when the country had been virtually closed to Europeans for centuries and its ancient culture lost and forgotten for over a thousand years. Napoleon has with him scholars, including antiquarians and linguists, whose job it is to unravel the mysteries of ancient Egypt. But they were able to achieve little more than to paint its beautiful ruined monuments and wonder what it all meant, for Egypt's secrets were locked in the strange ancient writings, the hieroglyphs.

The Secrets of the Hieroglyphs

4th December 2005

Episode 6

In the final episode of Egypt, Jean-François Champollion has unlocked the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs but, in doing so, faces opposition from the Church and a challenge to his own beliefs.

Top Cast

Matthew Kelly•Lynsey Baxter•Andrew Sachs

Director

Ferdinand Fairfax

Documentary Drama

Television drama serial about various archaeological discoveries taking place in that country's history, with the occasional 'flashback' scene involving actors portraying the ancient Egyptians themselves.

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Production Companies

Full Cast

Matthew Kelly Image

Matthew Kelly

Giovanni Belzoni

Lynsey Baxter Image

Lynsey Baxter

Sarah Belzoni

Andrew Sachs Image

Andrew Sachs

Narrator

Julian Wadham Image

Julian Wadham

Lord Carnarvon

Caroline Langrishe Image

Caroline Langrishe

Lady Carnarvon

Alexandra Weaver Image

Alexandra Weaver

Evelyn Carnarvon

Elliot Cowan Image

Elliot Cowan

Champollion

Laurence Fox Image

Laurence Fox

Leonard

Stuart Graham Image

Stuart Graham

Howard Carter

Valentine Pelka Image

Valentine Pelka

Pierre Lacau

Full Crew

Stanisław Syrewicz Image

Stanisław Syrewicz

Music

Ferdinand Fairfax

Director

showData