David Dimbleby: History shows on TV fill the gaps left by schools

Broadcaster David Dimbleby has criticised the paucity of history teaching in schools.

The 71-year-old's BBC1 series The Seven Ages Of Britain explores the country's past through its art and treasure.

Dimbleby told the Radio Times that the popularity of such programmes suggests that viewers are hungry to know more about history. He said: "The success of Seven Ages and other programmes - by Andrew Marr, Simon Schama and David Starkey - suggests to me that there is a great, and perhaps growing, interest in our history. Maybe we are filling in the gaps left by the less impressive treatment of history in the school curriculum."

The Question Time presenter defended the presenting of history programming by non-academics, saying: "There is a place for the specialist, of course, but there is a place too for the broadcaster with a general layman's curiosity and interest. Neither should exclude the other."