Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to survive intact. Using the latest historical research and modern technology, this one-off programme tells the story of its construction as it would have appeared to those who built it.

History: Pyramid 9.00pm BBC1
Don't be confused by the opening seconds showing the drifting sands of the Sahara - you haven't tuned in to Michael Palin's new series. Although this documentary is also set in the Sahara, it takes us back 4,500 years to explain how the Eygptians built the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only one of the seven ancient wonders of the world to survive.
Some Walking with Dinosaurs-style digital trickery is cleverly interwoven with a story about a young Egyptian, Nakht, one of the pyramid's builders. Omar Sharif voices the character of Nakht, who, along with his brother, is conscripted on to the 2 5,000-strong workforce building this impressive burial site for King Khufu.
Although fictional, it's completely believable as every detail is based on real archaeological findings. The film is visually stunning and the combination of astonishingly realistic special effects and dramatic reconstruction make you feel that you've actually gone back to 2,500 BC Giza and are seeing the construction for real. Great television and a testament to what humans can do if they work together.

(Jane Rackham)

Rebuilding the Great Pyramid: page 29