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June 30th, 2011
09:44 PM ET

To be, or not to be...the question is: Is this Shakespeare?

William Shakespeare is, arguably, the most well-known name in literature. With such a legendary reputation, it's hard to believe there are disputes among scholars about which painted portrait of him is his real likeness.

There are many copies of his face stippled onto canvas, but though they may be labeled as photos of the man, they all have differences.   Nick Glass speaks to Shakespearean experts who are still unsure about what William Shakespeare looked like.

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"The Revealer" – Clue #2: A Storytelling Legend
June 29th, 2011
06:35 PM ET

"The Revealer" – Clue #2: A Storytelling Legend

You most certainly know his name. You may have even read his stories. But his actual image is one that is shrouded in mystery and some degree of controversy.

On Thursday's segment of "The Revealer" we will examine how a relatively-recent discovery is raising new questions about this legendary writer.

Can you guess who it is?

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"The Revealer" Returns: Photo Clue #1
June 27th, 2011
07:38 PM ET

"The Revealer" Returns: Photo Clue #1

Several years ago, a remarkable painting was discovered.  It was thought to be the only known portrait of one of the most iconic figures in the world of literature.  But some wondered if it was actually a true likeness of the legendary artist.  Now another copy of that image has been discovered, that some believe should quiet age-old controversies surrounding the writer.

This photograph offers a clue as to the subject of this week's edition of The Revealer.  Think you know what it is?  Post your guess in the comments section.  The first person to get it right will have his or her name read out on Thursday's show, in the Revealer segment!



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June 16th, 2011
10:03 PM ET

Hitchcock: The Man Behind the Movies

He's been called the master of suspense. But Alfred Hitchcock isn't without a bit of mystery of his own. A rare collection of Hitchcock sketches was recently discovered in England.

They were storyboards from one of his movies. And they seem to offer some fascinating insights into the legendary director's creative mind. Nick Glass has the details in this week's edition of "The Revealer."

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"The Revealer" clue for this week, revealed
June 16th, 2011
08:50 PM ET

"The Revealer" clue for this week, revealed

He is the master of suspense, yes some of you guessed right. We're still not going to stay his name until "The Revealer" airs live on Back|Story on the day of this posting. Be sure to watch the show where we name who guessed correctly first. You're going to love this fine piece from Nick Glass and producer Deborah about this famous director who's curious working methods are examined.

And we'll tell you new details about the way he created motion pictures that you may not have known before.


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All new "The Revealer" this week: clue #2
June 14th, 2011
06:43 PM ET

All new "The Revealer" this week: clue #2

The legendary master of suspense in this week's "The Revealer" was a very hands-on leader. He also prepared for his projects extensively. Some of his work was recently found revealing a side to this creative storyteller that you probably didn't know. Place your guesses about the topic in the comments below and stick with us on facebook and twitter. The all new Revealer will premiere this Thursday on Back|Story.


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The Revealer is back! Your first clue...
June 13th, 2011
05:24 PM ET

The Revealer is back! Your first clue...

This week's episode of "The Revealer" is about a creative leader with a very hands-on approach to work. The artist is gone, but the art lives on. Rudimentary images helped build the ideas that set things in motion for this legendary master. But new clues reveal a different view of how he did his best work. What you think you know about this famous person and how he built an entertainment empire, will be changed on this week's episode of The Revealer.


Filed under: backstory • The Revealer • Uncategorized
May 19th, 2011
10:22 PM ET

A bit of modern archeology, to challenge recorded history

All roads lead to Rome – some 400,000 of them, constructed during the early civilization of the Roman Empire.

At least, that’s what we were taught in school.

Roman roads are, or certainly were, long and straight. They’re made from broken stones, mixed with cement, tightly packed then paved.

The aim, of course, was to make getting from A to B – by foot, cart or horseback – as easy as possible.

The Romans were clever folk, sophisticated for their time. Remnants of their reign are scattered across Europe.

Monty Python couldn’t have summed it up better than in the legendary scene from the comedy sketch ‘The Life of Brian’ (1979).

One of the characters, Reg, gives a revolutionary speech asking, “What have the Romans ever done for us?”  His audience goes on to outline the achievements of the Romans – including sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, public health and peace!

This may be satire at its best but it’s also what’s etched in the history books.

That is, until now.

We stumbled across a gem of a story that, in archaeological terms, seemed too good to be true.

A team, excavating a quarry, has unearthed a road that they believe was not the work of the Romans.  They say evidence shows it was actually constructed during the Iron Age.

This revelation completely changes our long-held views and could even rewrite history, according to archaeologist Tim Malim.

The Revealer production team set off from London to film the find.  The name of the town is a bit of a tongue twister – Shrewsbury in Shropshire – but it only took reporter Don Riddell a dozen or so takes to get it right.

Now, the discovery was made at a quarry, not the most picturesque of places at the best of times.  It’s an understatement to say how disappointed we were that the actual road had been covered over. How on earth were we going to tell this story in a visual way? All we could see was a big hole in the ground, a rather large pile of chipped stones and a serene field full of sheep.

Fortunately, the archaeologist Tim Malim – who led the dig – was very helpful and managed to paint a picture of what life would have been like all those hundreds of years ago.

Don donned a hard hat and retraced the steps that those who built the road, the Celtic Cornovii tribe, would have walked.

Our editor Tam added some clever graphics, plus a few more interesting snippets, and we had our story.

The discovery seems to show that Iron Age Britons were more sophisticated than we thought. It’s certainly made us rethink what we were taught in history class.


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Revealer Clue #3: It’s really all about people
May 18th, 2011
06:26 PM ET

Revealer Clue #3: It’s really all about people

Take a look at this picture. Who do you think these people are?  One thing we can tell you: they are major players in this week’s installment of “The Revealer”.

If you know the culture represented in the drawing, then you’re almost halfway to figuring out what we’ll reveal during the show on Thursday. 

Just put your answer in the comments section here and the first person to get it right will be announced on BackStory live tomorrow as well. 


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Clue #2, The Revealer: From a place and time, that will change your mind
May 17th, 2011
07:28 PM ET

Clue #2, The Revealer: From a place and time, that will change your mind

Here is clue # 2 about this Thursday's installment of "The Revealer":

This week’s segment somehow brings together two well-known ancient cultures, Charles Darwin, a quarry and transportation. We're hoping that these clues plus seeing a little more of the above photo help you guess the time, place or subject we’re bringing you this week.

Put your guess in the comments section and be sure to see “The Revealer” live on Back|Story this Thursday at 2300 CET/1700 EST.

(Tomorrow we'll provide you with a different clue that could help unravel more of the mystery.)



Filed under: backstory • The Revealer
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