Name: The Story of the Open University
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2009-08-01
Rating: 5.6
Cast: Lenny Henry, David Attenborough, Anna Ford

Slightly Disappointing History of a Great Institution

Established in 1969, the Open University in Britain was an initiative of the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson, designed to democratize education. Now anyone could try and work for a degree, irrespective of their educational pasts. Presented by Lenny Henry (himself an Open University graduate), this documentary traces the evolution of the university, from its early days of primitive television broadcasts to its latest incarnation as an internet-based educational source. What emerges most tangibly is the lengths to which students are prepared to go to complete their studies: many of them combine their work with work and family lives, and spend most of their leisure hours dedicated to reading and writing, often at considerable personal and emotional cost. The tutors working for the OU are equally dedicated, even though they seldom have face-to-face contact with their students. Unlike the regulation students, OU students actually spend most of their time working; there is no problem about their having not completed the requisite reading. David Symonds' documentary tells an uplifting tale, with contributions from David Attenborough (a former controller of BBC2) and Anna Ford (a former OU tutor) among others. The only criticism that might be leveled at the program is its jokey emphasis on the primitive early television broadcasts, many of which comprised lecturers talking straight to camera (and often looking distinctly uncomfortable doing so) with only some awkward-looking graphics to help them. Such broadcasts might look silly to contemporary viewers, but they fulfilled an important function at the time, helping to establish the OU as a university with the highest rate of student satisfaction in the country. It's certainly entertaining to watch a clip of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie making fun of these broadcasts, but we have to treat them with respect as well.

The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

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The Story of the Open University

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