Madness Out of Sight
A look at the rise and fall of the asylum, described by Miller as "a loony bin, a laughing academy, a bug house, a snake pit". Those who conceived of the idea had optimistic hopes of an asylum or safe haven for the insane. The depressing realities and often brutal treatments practised within the institutions they created are in complete contrast, culminating in the wholesale murder of the insane in Nazi Germany. As asylums are once again being closed down and their patients returned to the community, have attitudes to madness progressed at all during the last 400 years?
Documentary series examining the history of mental problems in humans.
Primary Title
- Madness
Episode Title
- Out of Sight
Date Broadcast
- Monday 14 October 1991
Original Broadcast Date
- Sunday 13 October 1991
Start Time
- 08 : 10
Finish Time
- 09 : 10
Duration
- 60:00
Series
- 1
Episode
- 2
Channel
- BBC Two
Broadcaster
- British Broadcasting Corporation
Programme Description
- Documentary series examining the history of mental problems in humans.
Episode Description
- A look at the rise and fall of the asylum, described by Miller as "a loony bin, a laughing academy, a bug house, a snake pit". Those who conceived of the idea had optimistic hopes of an asylum or safe haven for the insane. The depressing realities and often brutal treatments practised within the institutions they created are in complete contrast, culminating in the wholesale murder of the insane in Nazi Germany. As asylums are once again being closed down and their patients returned to the community, have attitudes to madness progressed at all during the last 400 years?
Classification
- PGR
Owning Collection
- Chapman Archive
Broadcast Platform
- Television
Languages
- English
Captions
Live Broadcast
- No
Rights Statement
- Made for the University of Auckland's educational use as permitted by the Screenrights Licensing Agreement.
Subjects
- Psychiatric hospitals--History
- Mentally ill--Institutional care--History
Genres
- Documentary
Hosts
- Jonathan Miller (Host)
Contributors
- Richard Denton (Director)
- Richard Denton (Producer)
- Udi Eichler (Executive Producer)
- Richard Cox (Editor)
- Brook Productions (Production Unit)
Subjects
- Psychiatric hospitals--History
- Mentally ill--Institutional care--History