Handmade on the Silk Road - Season 1
Season 1
Episodes
The Weaver
The first episode, The Weaver, is set in North West China, where the Uyghur community has been making Atlas silk for thousands of years. Mattursun Islam (pictured) and his family are continuing the tradition, using a combination of handmade techniques and mechanised looms, including a wooden loom which Mattursun built himself aged 17.
In a small workshop with a team of up to 12 workers, Mattursun produces the silk in over 200 different designs - and from creating the patterns to colouring, dyeing and weaving the thread, the film follows each stage in absorbing detail.
We also get an engaging glimpse into the challenges of running the family business. With rival companies often copying his designs, Mattursan Islam is proud of his reputation. But he and his wife also enjoy a good-natured rivalry over who is really in charge…
The Wood Carver
The second episode, The Wood Carver, is set in Khiva, Uzbekistan. This ancient walled city is one of the oldest centres of wood carving in central Asia. Shavkat Jumanijozov, pictured, has been working with wood in the city for over 30 years, producing superbly carved doors, chests and wooden pillars that are displayed and sold all over the world.
The Potter
The final episode, The Potter, is filmed in the Iranian town of Meybod, famous for its traditional ceramics production.
The desert soil of Iran lends itself to clay making and Iranian pottery has a long and distinguished history, dating back to at least the 8th century BC. Abdol Reza Aghaei was taught by his father Abbas Ali, a potter for over 70 years. Each day they travel to their workshop and diligently sculpt a vast array of everyday household objects.
Recently Updated Shows
General Hospital
General Hospital, which celebrated its golden anniversary on April 1, 2013, continues its tradition of passion, intrigue and adventure that takes place in the fictional town of Port Charles in upstate New York. The glamour and excitement of those who have come to find their destinies in this familiar seaport town intertwine with the lives, loves and fortunes of beloved, well-known faces. As always, love, danger and mind blowing plot twists continue to abound on General Hospital with contemporary storylines and unforgettable characters.
Svengoolie
MeTV is opening up the dungeon door and unleashing... Svengoolie! Svengoolie has been the premiere horror show icon of Chicago, since multiple Emmy award winner Rich Koz became the hand-picked successor to the original Svengoolie back in the late 70s. Since then, generations of viewers have become fans of the monstrous mirth and movies that this video vampire dispenses every week over the airwaves!
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills offers a glimpse inside the world of luxurious wealth and pampered privilege, where being seen and who you know is everything. These women are in the center of it all and they have the mansions, the cars, and the diamonds to prove it. From heiresses to entrepreneurs to a family of child actresses - they deliver the star power and the drama.
Brilliant Minds
Inspired by the extraordinary life and work of world-famous author and physician Oliver Sacks, Brilliant Minds follows a revolutionary, larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns as they explore the last great frontier - the human mind - while grappling with their own relationships and mental health.
