Editing Time Commanders

{{Short description|British television series}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox television
| image        =
| genre        = [[Technological]] [[game show]]
| creator      = Adam MacDonald
| presenter    = [[Eddie Mair]] <small>(2003–04)</small><br>[[Richard Hammond]] <small>(2005)</small><br>[[Gregg Wallace]] <small>(2016)</small>
| country      = United Kingdom
| language     = English
| num_series   = 3
| num_episodes = 27
| runtime      = 45–60 minutes
| company      = Lion Television
| network      = [[BBC Two]] <small>(2003–05)</small><br>[[BBC Four]] <small>(2016)</small>
| first_aired  = {{Start date|df=y|2003|9|4}}
| last_aired   = {{End date|df=y|2016|12|27}}
| related      = ''[[Decisive Battles]]'' 
}}

'''''Time Commanders''''' is a technological [[game show]] that originally aired on [[BBC Two]] from 4 September 2003 to 13 March 2005 with [[Eddie Mair]] hosting the first series and [[Richard Hammond]] hosting the second series. It returned for a 3-part special on [[BBC Four]] from 12 to 27 December 2016 with [[Gregg Wallace]] as host.

==Format==
In the first two series, teams of four contestants directed opposite forces. The teams were unfamiliar with computer games, to make sure their gaming skills did not influence their success. In the 2016 revival, two teams of three controlled opposing factions (for example, one team would play as Carthage and the other as Rome).

After a brief introduction of the battle, including an overview of military units, terrain and available forces, the players had to develop a [[strategy]] and then deploy their forces. In the first two series, two of the players were selected as [[general]]s, who directed the battle and had access to a strategic map; in the 2016 revival, only one player was selected as the general. The other two players were designated [[lieutenant]]s in the first [[Television season|series]], and [[Captain (land)|captains]] in the second series and 2016 revival. The units were indirectly controlled by the lieutenants, who issued commands to programme assistants, who in turn used the game interface to control the units. Troop deployment and battle followed, although in both the 2005 and 2016 series there was a small skirmish conducted as a separate event to acquaint the players with the game mechanics and their units. In the 2016 series the teams also got strategic pauses where they could refine their strategies. 
 
During each game, a pair of military specialists analysed the performance of the players and explained how the real historical battle unfolded. [[Lynette Nusbacher]] appeared in every episode of the first two series and was joined on a rotating basis by [[Mike Loades]], [[Saul David]], [[Mark Urban]] or Dr. [[Adrian Goldsworthy]], the series' historical advisor. In the 2016 revival, Nusbacher and Loades fulfilled this role in all three episodes.

==Background==
The game engine used was based on ''[[Rome: Total War]]'', the game being released a year later. ''Rome: Total War'' designer and writer Mike Brunton said, "''Time Commanders'' did use ''Rome'' code pretty much 'as is', with tweaks for different troop types and camera controls". The televised programmes contained no reference to the origin of the software powering the 3D visuals, due to the [[BBC]]'s rules against [[product placement]]; however, ''Rome: Total War'' makers [[The Creative Assembly]] were named in the credits of the show with a specific mention of them providing the game engine.

==Related media==
A tie-in book was written by Peter Harrison and published by [[Virgin Books]] in 2004, called ''Time Commanders: Great Battles of the Ancient World.'' It covered the 16 battles of the first series, along with details of all the contestants in each of the teams, which battle and which army they each played and whether they won or lost the battle they had been given.

==Airings==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Series !! Start date !! End date !! Episodes
|-
| '''1''' || 4 September 2003<ref>{{cite web |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3ec257fe74334093aa569d3c93506fb7 |title=Time Commanders – BBC Two England – 4 September 2003 |date=4 September 2003 |publisher=[[BBC Genome Project]] |accessdate=18 March 2017}}</ref> || 26 March 2004<ref>{{cite web |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/c700dd1d32404d82b4e62780d9be69d1 |title=Time Commanders – BBC Two England – 26 March 2004 |date=26 March 2004 |publisher=[[BBC Genome Project]] |accessdate=18 March 2017}}</ref> || 16
|-
| '''2''' || 16 January 2005<ref>{{cite web |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/0b8f8f7d67ba4547a626727a9c2bdb6b |title=Time Commanders – BBC Two England – 16 January 2005 |date=16 January 2005 |publisher=[[BBC Genome Project]] |accessdate=18 March 2017}}</ref> || 13 March 2005<ref>{{cite web |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/674b191141304ebab63fb9d7df01de94 |title=Time Commanders – BBC Two England – 13 March 2005 |date=13 March 2005 |publisher=[[BBC Genome Project]] |accessdate=18 March 2017}}</ref> || 8
|-
| '''3''' || 12 December 2016<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b084xym1 |title=Time Commanders – Series 3, Episode 1 |publisher=[[BBC Online]] |accessdate=18 March 2017}}</ref> || 27 December 2016<ref name="Series 3">{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08653wx |title=Time Commanders – Series 3, Episode 3 |publisher=[[BBC Online]] |accessdate=18 March 2017}}</ref> || 3<ref name="Series 3"/>
|}

==Episodes==
Series 1 (2003):
# [[Battle of the Trebia|Trebia]] (218 BC)
# [[Defeat of Boudica|Watling Street]] (AD 60 or 61)
# [[Battle of Bibracte|Bibracte]] (58 BC)
# [[Battle of Mons Graupius|Mons Graupius]] (AD 83)
# [[Battle of Tigranocerta|Tigranocerta]] (69 BC)
# [[Battle of Pharsalus|Pharsalus]] (48 BC)
# [[Battle of Cannae|Cannae]] (216 BC)
# [[Battle of Raphia|Raphia]] (217 BC)
# [[Battle of Kadesh|Qadesh]] (1274 BC)
# [[Battle of Leuctra|Leuctra]] (371 BC)
# [[Battle of Adrianople|Adrianople]] (AD 378)
# [[Battle of Telamon|Telamon]] (225 BC)
# [[Battle of Gaugamela|Gaugamela]] (331 BC)
# [[Battle of the Catalaunian Plains|Chalons]] (AD 451)
# [[Battle of Marathon|Marathon]] (490 BC)
# [[Battle of the Silarius River|Silarus River]] (71 BC)

Series 2 (2005):
# [[Battle of the Teutoburg Forest|Teutoburg Forest]] (AD 9)
# [[Battle of Stamford Bridge|Stamford Bridge]] (AD 1066)
# [[Battle of the Hydaspes|Hydaspes]] (326 BC)
# [[Battle of Cynoscephalae|Cynoscephalae]] (197 BC)
# [[Battle of Dara|Dara]] (AD 530)
# [[Trojan War|Troy]] (circa 1200s BC)
# [[Battle of Hastings|Hastings]] (AD 1066)
# [[Battle of Sarmisegetusa|Sarmizegethusa]] (AD 106)

Series 3 (2016):
# [[Battle of Zama]] 202 BC
# The [[Battle of Waterloo]], June 1815
# [[Battle of the Catalaunian Plains]], June 451 AD (same battle as series 1, episode 14, under a different name)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{BBC programme|id=b084zh3v}}
*{{IMDb title|0386245}}
*{{UKGameshow|Time_Commanders}}

[[Category:2003 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:2016 British television series endings]]
[[Category:BBC television game shows]]
[[Category:2000s British game shows]]
[[Category:2010s British game shows]]
[[Category:Machinima works]]
[[Category:Television series by All3Media]]
[[Category:British television series revived after cancellation]]
[[Category:BBC television documentaries about prehistoric and ancient history]]
[[Category:BBC television documentaries about medieval history]]
[[Category:BBC television documentaries about history during the 18th and 19th centuries]]
[[Category:Total War (video game series)]]