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The Best Episodes of Civilisations

Every episode of Civilisations ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Civilisations!

Binge this in 7h 57m•Peaking at 7.6/10

The story of art from the dawn of human history to the present day—for the first time on a global scale. Inspired by Civilisation, Kenneth Clark’s acclaimed landmark 1969 series about Western art, this series

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Civilisations Season 1 Episode 5 - Renaissances
    7.6/10(72 votes)

    S1:E5

    Travel east and west to explore the connections and rivalries between Renaissance Italy and the Islamic empires that experienced their own cultural flowering in the 15th and 16th centuries. Both spheres were open to influences flowing both ways.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Civilisations Season 1 Episode 1 - Second Moment of Creation
    7.5/10(129 votes)

    S1:E1

    Examine the formative role of art and the creative imagination in the forging of humanity itself. Images and artifacts found in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia and South America testify to the urge to develop civilizations. Liev Schreiber narrates.

    Director:Tim Niel
    Writer:Simon Schama

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  3. Civilisations Season 1 Episode 3 - God and Art
    7.4/10(84 votes)

    S1:E3

    Trace the relationship between religion and art, which has inspired some of the most ingenious, affecting, majestic and breathtaking works of art ever made. Yet beneath great works of religious art often lie conflict, intrigue and divine mysteries.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Civilisations Season 1 Episode 9 - What is Art Good For?
    7.3/10(57 votes)

    S1:E9

    Explore art in the age of revolution, war and profound scientific change and consider the question: Should art create a separate realm, a place of escape, or should it plunge into the chaos, transforming the way we see and live in the world?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Civilisations Season 1 Episode 2 - How Do We Look?
    7.2/10(114 votes)

    S1:E2

    Explore the many functions of the human image in art. Portraits, paintings and sculptures, both life-size and colossal, perform a role—assuaging loss, expressing strength, inspiring fear—and were instrumental in depicting the human body today.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Civilisations Season 1 Episode 4 - Encounters
    7.2/10(79 votes)

    S1:E4

    See how advances in seafaring and a thirst for trade and exploration sent human beings around the planet. Distant and disparate cultures met for the first time, and art became the great interface by which civilizations understood each other.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Civilisations

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  7. Civilisations Season 1 Episode 6 - Paradise on Earth
    7.2/10(69 votes)

    S1:E6

    Explore one of humanity’s deepest artistic urges: the depiction of nature. But landscape painting is seldom a straightforward portrayal of observed nature; it's a projection of dreams, idylls, escapes and refuges—the elusive paradise on earth.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Civilisations Season 1 Episode 7 - Color and Light
    7.2/10(66 votes)

    S1:E7

    Explore the story of light and color in art—both in the search for greater realism and spiritual ecstasy. Journey from Gothic cathedrals and Indian courtly painting to modern art.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Civilisations Season 1 Episode 8 - The Cult of Progress
    6.9/10(64 votes)

    S1:E8

    Examine the rise and fall of “progress” as an ideology, and see how the “civilizing” project that arose from Enlightenment ideas was fraught with contradictions that troubled European artists in different ways.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Renaissances" is the best rated episode of "Civilisations". It scored 7.6/10 based on 72 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 5/15/2018. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Second Moment of Creation".