Blood and Honey

Easter 1994. Coming back from a depressing night out to the void of home. A silent prayer to the stars for something, anything, decent on television to take my mind off things for a moment. And there it was, the very first Blood and Honey episode, late on a Sunday night on the ABC (of Australia).

Personal anecdotes aside, this show is a charming little gem that has gone unnoticed by just about everyone. It consists merely of Tony Robinson wandering around historical sights of West Asia, telling Biblical stories. Sounds dry and dull? But it is Tony Robinson. Anyone who watched his show "Tales from Fat Tulip's Garden" as a child will know what a wonderful storyteller Tony is. It is alchemy. He is amusing, entertaining, delightful. He takes you into stories better than any but the best movies, merely with his storytelling ability.

The Biblical stories are interpreted rather than told word-for-word. This show is so gentle and sweet to watch; that's the honey. The blood is the sardonic shades of the show. The title of the show comes from the announcement of arrival at the land of "Milk and Honey". "Blood and Honey more like", one of the people replied. The show's name sums it up beautifully.

If only it was out on DVD...