Uploaded April 2017 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
When the 20th century opened, Britain dominated world affairs, and America stood on the sidelines. Now their positions are reversed. This is the story of how it happened.
This is Part 2 of David Dimbleby's much acclaimed 1988 documentary in seven parts on British-American relations in the 20th century. Dimbleby explores the relationship between Great Britain and the United States from World War I to the 1980's, and examines the people, ideas, and events that have shaped the mutual history of the two nations.
In this episode, Dimbleby examines the economic relations between England and the United States during the 1920s and discusses how free trade and mass production techniques after World War I changed British and U.S. manufacturing and created economic rivalry between the two countries.
Every week during the 20s, millions of British cinema-goers had a taste of the American dream - 'a form of life far beyond anything we knew'. In the wake of those films, American business pioneers like Ford, Edison and Firestone launched their assault on the Old World. With the lipstick and light bulbs, patent leather shoes and vacuum cleaners came the salesmen of the commercial revolution. One example of their technique: persuading a widow to sell her husband's gravestone to raise money for the deposit. The film also reveals some of the subterfuges American companies employed to break into lucrative British markets, and take over British firms.
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An Ocean Apart
Eminent British television journalist David Dimbleby presents this seven-part BBC documentary TV series from 1988 on the history of British-American relations from the beginning of the First World War and Wilson to the end of the Cold War and Thatcher. Produced by Adam Curtis.
Presented By: David Dimbleby
Editor: David Gladwell
Executive Producer: George Carey
Producer: Adam Curtis
Production assistant: Linda Parker
When the 20th century opened, Britain dominated world affairs, and America stood on the sidelines. Now their positions are reversed. This is the story of how it happened.
This is Part 2 of David Dimbleby's much acclaimed 1988 documentary in seven parts on British-American relations in the 20th century. Dimbleby explores the relationship between Great Britain and the United States from World War I to the 1980's, and examines the people, ideas, and events that have shaped the mutual history of the two nations.
In this episode, Dimbleby examines the economic relations between England and the United States during the 1920s and discusses how free trade and mass production techniques after World War I changed British and U.S. manufacturing and created economic rivalry between the two countries.
Every week during the 20s, millions of British cinema-goers had a taste of the American dream - 'a form of life far beyond anything we knew'. In the wake of those films, American business pioneers like Ford, Edison and Firestone launched their assault on the Old World. With the lipstick and light bulbs, patent leather shoes and vacuum cleaners came the salesmen of the commercial revolution. One example of their technique: persuading a widow to sell her husband's gravestone to raise money for the deposit. The film also reveals some of the subterfuges American companies employed to break into lucrative British markets, and take over British firms.
----------------------------------
An Ocean Apart
Eminent British television journalist David Dimbleby presents this seven-part BBC documentary TV series from 1988 on the history of British-American relations from the beginning of the First World War and Wilson to the end of the Cold War and Thatcher. Produced by Adam Curtis.
Presented By: David Dimbleby
Editor: David Gladwell
Executive Producer: George Carey
Producer: Adam Curtis
Production assistant: Linda Parker
