The Age of Uncertainty: Full TV Schedule and Live Stream

Professor JK Galbraith presents a series on the history of economics.

Review scores
IMDb icon
IMDb 8.2/10
Google Users icon
Google Users 91%

Available for Streaming

Series 1 1. 1. The Prophets and Promise of Classical Capitalism

1. 1. The Prophets and Promise of Classical Capitalism

John Kenneth Galbraith tells the story of the men who laid the foundations of economics, including Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Thomas Malthus.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 10pm 10 Jan 1977
Availability: Available for 11 months (until 19 Oct 2026)
Series 1 2. 2. The Manners and Morals of High Capitalism

2. 2. The Manners and Morals of High Capitalism

Professor Galbraith looks at the ideas that sustained the rich in the 19th century and how they still affect our attitudes today.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 10 Jan 1977
Availability: Available for 11 months (until 19 Oct 2026)
Series 1 3. 3. Karl Marx - The Massive Dissent

3. 3. Karl Marx - The Massive Dissent

JK Galbraith investigates the impact of Karl Marx on our economic interpretation of society, exploring how his life and work set the pattern for a socialist future.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 9:50pm 24 Jan 1977
Availability: Available for 11 months (until 19 Oct 2026)
Series 1 4. 4. The Colonial Idea

4. 4. The Colonial Idea

Professor Galbraith traces the colonial adventure, from the Crusades to the present. He looks at the potent myths that sustained colonialism and the real motives behind them.
Duration: 53 mins First broadcast: 9:45pm 31 Jan 1977
Availability: Available for 11 months (until 19 Oct 2026)
Series 1 5. 5. Lenin and the Great Unglueing

5. 5. Lenin and the Great Unglueing

JK Galbraith examines WWI as an instrument for social change, looking especially at Lenin, who spent most of the war exiled in Switzerland urging soldiers to start a world revolution.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 9:50pm 7 Feb 1977
Availability: Available for 11 months (until 19 Oct 2026)
Series 1 6. 6. The Rise and Fall of Money

6. 6. The Rise and Fall of Money

From the elegant banks of 17th-century Amsterdam to the dark days of the Great Depression, JK Galbraith traces the history of money - its uses and abuses, successes and disasters.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 9:50pm 14 Feb 1977
Availability: Available for 11 months (until 19 Oct 2026)
Series 1 7. 7. The Mandarin Revolution

7. 7. The Mandarin Revolution

JK Galbraith looks at the influence of John Maynard Keynes, who drew the blueprint for the postwar economic boom, and recalls his own involvement in those momentous years.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 9:50pm 21 Feb 1977
Availability: Available for 11 months (until 19 Oct 2026)
Series 1 8. 8. The Fatal Competition

8. 8. The Fatal Competition

JK Galbraith visits the ruins of postwar Berlin, the corridors of power in the Pentagon and 'the world's largest used plane lot' in his assessment of the contemporary roots of war.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 9:50pm 28 Feb 1977
Availability: Available for 11 months (until 19 Oct 2026)
Series 1 9. 9. The Big Corporation

9. 9. The Big Corporation

JK Galbraith explores the modern large corporation - 'the most relentless force for change in modern economic life'.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 9:50pm 7 Mar 1977
Availability: Available for 11 months (until 19 Oct 2026)
Series 1 10. 10. Land and the People

10. 10. Land and the People

In Mexico and the Punjab, on the cotton fields of the old South and the farm where he was born, Prof Galbraith confronts the tragedy of the landless poor.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 9:50pm 14 Mar 1977
Availability: Available for 11 months (until 19 Oct 2026)
Series 1 11. 11. The Metropolis

11. 11. The Metropolis

Prof Galbraith looks at the economic and social forces that turned the magnificent conception of the princely city step by step into the modern metropolis.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 9:50pm 21 Mar 1977
Availability: Available for 11 months (until 19 Oct 2026)
Series 1 12. 12. Democracy, Leadership, Commitment

12. 12. Democracy, Leadership, Commitment

Prof JK Galbraith sets out his personal view of democracy, comparing politics in Switzerland, Britain and the US and emphasising Nehru's influence in India.
Duration: 54 mins First broadcast: 9:50pm 28 Mar 1977
Availability: Available for 11 months (until 19 Oct 2026)
Series 1 13. 13. Weekend in Vermont

13. 13. Weekend in Vermont

A distinguished international gathering at JK Galbraith's Vermont farm offer their views on the themes outlined in the series and on other major anxieties facing the modern world.
Duration: 2h 30m First broadcast: 7:40pm 2 Apr 1977
Availability: Available for 11 months (until 19 Oct 2026)

The Age of Uncertainty FAQs

When is The Age of Uncertainty next on?

The Age of Uncertainty is not currently scheduled for broadcast. Check back soon for fresh listings.

Which channel is The Age of Uncertainty next on?

We'll highlight the channel here as soon as a new slot for The Age of Uncertainty is confirmed. For now, keep an eye on the tables above.

When will The Age of Uncertainty be available on iPlayer?

Episodes land on BBC iPlayer just after the show finishes airing. Use the streaming section above to jump in as soon as it drops.

View The Age of Uncertainty on BBC