History Bites: "Gratuitous Sex and Violence: Shakespeare 1601 AD"

S&S Productions

Season 4, Episode 85. Written by Jason Taniguchi and Rick Green (Starring: Ron Pardo, Janet Van De Graaff, Bob Bainborough, Teresa Pavlinek, Sam Kalilieh, Rick Green). Air Date: 05/07/02

History Bites is a Canadian skit comedy show that explores the premise, "What if television had been around for the past 5,000 years?" Each episode channel surfs through a particular day in history and the result is a history lesson hidden inside a clever spoof of TV.

"Excess violence in popular entertainment is not a new issue. Shakespeare came under attack for the excessive gore in his play Titus Andronicus. But the Bard's latest play, Hamlet is opening this week, and Merriment Tonite is there to cover all the Renaissance glitz and glamour. We go behind the scenes to meet the playwright, and the players! Rounding out this episode are Elizabethan game shows, fashion shows, and more." (http://www.historybites.com)

Video Clip: "Richard Burbage on playing Hamlet."
In this clip Shakespeare (Ron Pardo) makes a last minute change to the script, and Richard Burbage (Bob Bainborough) is interviewed by Mary Hearty (Janet Van De Graaff) about playing the role of Hamlet.

Video Clip: "Is Titus Andronicus too violent?"
Host Rick Green talks about bear baiting on the Elizabethan stage, and Shakespeare (Ron Pardo) explains the use of special effects in Titus Andronicus.

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History Bites.com.
<http://www.historybites.com>.

S&S Productions Inc.
<www.ssp.ca>.

CASP gratefully acknowledges the permission of S&S Productions to publish clips of its Shakespeare segment to our site.