Zig Zag: The Normans

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companyBBC
started19th Sep 1983
ended3rd Oct 1983
last rpt27th Jan 1988
5 school years
episodes3
duration20 mins
subject 🏛️History
age rangeAge 7-9
languageenIn English


Zig ZagNext unit: Hungry TimesHierarchyNext.gif

The Normans is a unit of the BBC Schools TV series Zig Zag from the 1980s, covering Miscellany for Primary pupils.

A look at life during and after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Through the magic of the television studio Sheelagh meets William the Conqueror's brother Bishop Odo, who explains the circumstances of the invasion, the Bayeux Tapestry, how castles were built and and how life worked for the peasants.

Bishop Odo with Sheelagh

A two-part drama serial set in early Norman times, Hungry Times was shown immediately following these documentary programmes, and is covered on a separate page of this site.

The theme of Normans appears in various other Zig Zag units of the early 1980s. Later in 1983 the series looked at Computers, including specifically software for schools studying the Normans. And the Domesday Book inspired the BBC's 1980s Domesday Project which was covered in two of Zig Zag's Topical Programmes. Later still the Over to You programmes showing school projects in action included both a puppet show and an animated film recreating the Battle of Hastings.

Episode List

# Title Broadcast
1. The Norman Invasion #1983-09-19-00-00-0019 Sep 1983
2. Norman Castles #1983-09-26-00-00-0026 Sep 1983
3. Norman Rule #1983-10-03-00-00-003 Oct 1983


Broadcasts

Year Term Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Channel Details
1983-84 Autumn 1983 Monday, 11:00am Wednesday, 2:40pm BBC2
1985-86 Autumn 1985 Monday, 11:00am Wednesday, 2:40pm BBC2
1987-88 Spring 1988 Monday, 11:00am Wednesday, 1:38pm BBC2
Zig Zag follows shortly

Credits

Presenter Sheelagh Gilbey
With Arthur Hewlett as Bishop Odo
Music Elizabeth Bennett
Gustavo Artiles
Producer Tom Stanier

Resources

There were teacher's notes and project books available.

Links

Topics

School topics covered in this programme. Click to find other programmes covering the same topics, but bear in mind topics are a new addition to the site in 2023 and not many are set up yet.

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