What are they? Alexander's Lost World, six episodes on two discs; and David Suchet: In the Footsteps of St. Paul, two episodes on one disc, both from Athena
When? Now
How much? $49.99 for Alexander, $29.99 for Paul
Alexander as in ... Alexander the Great, the ancient Greek ruler who conquered much of central Asia.
In this series, photojournalist David Adams spends six months trekking his way from the Volos Harbor in Greece all the way to the eastern border of Afghanistan. Along the way, he explores ancient ruins, meets native people, follows dried-up riverbeds and grapples with local bureaucracies in one of the world's most inhospitable regions.
Adams has a lot of theories about Jason and the Argonauts, the water levels of ancient times, the cities Alexander was supposed to have founded and the source of the Oxus River. He doesn't really get definitive answers, either. He's a photojournalist, not a historian, so any conclusions he makes should be taken with a grain of salt.
He does go into some of the history of the region and of Alexander himself, but really he just skims the surface. If it's history the viewer wants, it helps to have some working knowledge of ancient Greece.
Where this series functions best is as a travelogue. He spends quite a bit of time mingling with local people in some very remote areas in Afghanistan, in some beautiful, if barren, landscapes. He eats with indigenous tribes and explains and even participates in local customs. It's fascinating, a unique glimpse into a place and a people few Westerners will ever see.
Adams is an eager, energetic, ingratiating host who presents his topics well and seems game for any adventure.
Are there extras? Yes. There are about 42 minutes of deleted scenes (more on the changing landscape, cultural texture and social commentary) and a slideshow of behind-the-scenes photos. There's also a text-only biography and a booklet with essays and an interview with Adams.
And who is David Suchet? Suchet is best known to TV-loving Anglophiles as the actor who portrays Hercule Poirot in a long-running series of Agatha Christie adaptations. But here, he takes on a decidedly different role: tour guide on a biblical journey.
Suchet is the face of the series, but it's really about St. Paul. Paul traveled thousands of miles through the Roman Empire during his ministry and Suchet follows his journeys from Jerusalem to locations in modern Turkey and Greece and finally Rome.
Along the way, Suchet talks to archaeologists, biblical scholars, historians and psychologists to try to understand the nature of the world and Jewish community at the time and to get a handle on Paul, a man of contradictions.
The series goes into some depth and the amiable Suchet is someone with an obvious interest in and enthusiasm for the subject matter, making this lesson in history and theology easy to digest and entertaining. The territory he's covering isn't nearly as remote or dangerous as that explored by Adams and this series is much more focused on the man (Paul) than on the land itself. But it's still exotic and with a fascinating story behind it.
Extras? A 12-page viewer's guide and a text-only Suchet biography.
New this week: Dalziel and Pascoe, Season 10; Shogun, Miniseries (Blu-ray); Xena: Warrior Princess, Season 5.
Next week: Adventure Time, Volume 7; Midsomer Murders, Set 24; Mystery Science Theater 3000, XXX; Twin Peaks, The Entire Mystery.
Style on 07/20/2014