Terry Jones' Medieval Lives

Last night I saw two episodes of Terry Jones' series on the History Channel, "Medieval Lives." Jones, of Monty Python fame, holds a degree in medieval studies, and he previously used his expertise in a miniseries on the Crusades, which I found an enjoyable and vivid introduction to the topic for newcomers. He continues this tradition in "Lives," in which he takes a role in medieval society, looks at the traditional view, then skewers the common preconception with some lesser-known facts.

Thus far the project is well done, amusing, and for the most part factual. Jones does take undeniable satisfaction in puncturing the accepted view, but it's a fairly easy task since he presents that view so idealistically. (The Knight appeared to come straight from nineteenth-century romanticized literature.) By pointing to the most extreme examples of corruption, greed and violence, he then paints an alternate picture of medieval people and the roles they played in society as base, driven by self-interest, and hypocritical.

The trouble is, the entire social strata in question is tarred with the same brush, and the darker picture isn't much more representative of reality than the nearly fictional version he presents at the outset. The truth, of course, lies somewhere in between -- a concept difficult to convey on television, and nearly impossible in a half-hour show.

Nonetheless, "Medieval Lives" is an entertaining introduction to a topic that most people know next to nothing about. If you like what you see, I urge you to read more about it. Some excellent starting points are recommended in our "Top Picks" pages.

The next installment of Terry Jones' Medieval Lives will air Saturday, January 10 at 7 pm eastern time on The History Channel.