Tony Robinson’s Wild West in 3D will use exclusive, never-before-seen 3D stereoscopic photographs to expose the untold story of the ‘Wild West’ and reveal the truth behind the Hollywood legends.
The three, hour long episodes chart the relatively short, 50 year period that begins at the end of the American Civil War in 1865 when all the western territories in America were opened up to be civilised and exploited.
In the first episode, The Last Stand, Tony looks at the clashes between the native Indian tribes and Americans, namely the famous ‘Last Stand’ of General Custer at Little Big Horn. Whilst this was the one and only battle the Sioux ever won against the Americans, it led to the total destruction of their people and culture, from which they never recovered.
Episode Two, Outlaws and Lawmen, examines the infamous western bandits, often glorified in Hollywood’s latter-day spaghetti westerns, including Butch Cassidy and Jesse James.
The last episode, How the West Was Won, focuses on the pioneers that capitalised on the opportunities of the West, one of which was the renowned Buffalo Bill, the world’s first global superstar.
Many of the early photographs of the American West were taken with 3D stereographic cameras – the images they captured have never been seen on TV before. This hoard of lost images is a real discovery. The 3D stereographic slides are unknown to academics and experts working in the field. This means that the series has genuinely exclusive and ground breaking content.
Tony is a huge fan of Western movies but wants to see if the films he grew up with relate to the reality of the Old West. Now Tony Robinson is using this unique archive to bring the Wild West back to life as he tells the true stories of the men and women who tamed the American wilderness. From Custer’s Last Stand and the Battle of Little Big Horn to the gunfight at the OK Corral and death of Jesse James, this is a history of the West unlike any other.