麻豆约拍

Series celebrating the infinite variety of the natural world and its depiction in culture. In the final episode of the series we present our swan song. Ethereally white and otherworldy, the Swan has featured in countless fairytales and myths. Brett Westwood gets up close with the bird itself, paddling and snuffling his way through 2000 years of cultural history. On its way he visits ancient Greece, Swan Lake, and Putin's Russia. He hears the swan-infused poetry of WB Yeats, and finds out whether a swan can really break your arm.

With contributions from:
Kevin O'Hare - Director of The Royal Ballet
Fumi Kaneko - First Soloist, The Royal Ballet
Edith Hall - Professor of Classics, Kings College London
Sacha Dench and Kevin Woods - Wildfowl and Wetlands Trusts at Slimbridge
David Barber - Queen's Swan Marker
Chris Perrins - Queen's Swan Warden
Waldemar Januszczak - Art Critic, The Sunday Times
Suki Finn - Philosopher, University of Southampton
Reader: Deirdre Mullins