This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

It was a landmark documentary series that is still discussed in hushed tones today. Now Kenneth Clark's Civilisation, the acclaimed BBC2 series from 1969 that traced the history of western art and philosophy, is to be remastered in high definition for a new generation of television viewers.

The 13-part series will be repeated in full from next month on the BBC's high definition channel, part of what the corporation called its "wider commitment to the arts through showcasing the jewels of its arts archive".

It will also be hoping it boosts the profile of the BBC HD channel, which is currently watched by a fraction of the audiences garnered by its standard definition parent channels, despite the booming popularity of HD TV sets.

Danielle Nagler, head of HD and 3D at the BBC, said: "Kenneth Clark's Civilisation defined a new gold standard for arts programming when it was first broadcast. Watching it now, the programme is clearly of its time but the production quality still shows through."

Civilisation, one of the first series ever filmed in colour for BBC2, was ripe to be remastered for HD because it was originally shot on 35mm film to ensure the highest possible quality.

The BBC arts commissioning editor, Mark Bell, added: "Civilisation has cast a long shadow, and even now people still talk about it. This is an opportunity to celebrate the richness of the European Renaissance and also that of the BBC's archive, which in itself is a treasure worth preserving, celebrating and making available for future generations."

Civilisation will begin on BBC HD on 9 February.

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