Celebrate National Poetry Month In April With 'SIX CENTURIES OF VERSE,' On DVD 4/27

Featuring poetry's highlights through the years, as read by distinguished actors, Six Centuries of Verse debuts on DVD from Athena (Playing Shakespeare) on April 27, 2010. Presented by Oscar® winner John Gielgud (Gandhi), one of the most revered actors of his generation, this star -studded series traces the evolution of English-language poetry from Beowulf to modern times. Historical background complements the seductive rhythms of the poems themselves, as performed by the greatest actors of our times, including Peggy Ashcroft, Lee Remick, Stacy Keach, Ian Richardson, Ralph Richardson, Julian Glover, and Anthony Hopkins. Six Centuries of Verse broadcast on public television in the 1990s (DVD 3-vol., 16 episodes, approx. 25 min. each, www.AthenaLearning.com).

Rediscover the music of the spoken word as John Gielgud (Arthur) conducts a grand tour of English-language poetry through the centuries. Compiled by poet and literary critic Anthony Thwaite, these works show the power of verse to stir the emotions and fire the imagination. They include not only classics by great English and American poets, including Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Byron, Whitman, and Yeats, but also surprising, often-overlooked gems. Gielgud provides the literary and historical context for each, while readings by outstanding British and American actors reveal the rich textures and seductive rhythms in every line.

The performers include Peggy Ashcroft (A Passage to India), Lee Remick (Days of Wine and Roses), Stacy Keach (Mike Hammer, Private Eye), Ralph Richardson (Doctor Zhivago), Ian Richardson (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy), Julian Glover (By the Sword Divided), and Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs), among others. Produced in 1984 by Thames Television, Six Centuries of Verse is written and compiled by Anthony Thwaite, recipient of the Order of the British Empire for his services to poetry.

One of the finest Shakespearean actors of his generation, John Gielgud won an Oscar®, Emmy®, Grammy, and Tonys® during his long career.

Bonus Features

· 20-page viewer's guide includes what to listen for, questions to consider, avenues for further learning, glossary, English verse by era, and more.

· Lives of the Poets and About the Actors

Street: April 27, 2010 SRP: $69.99

DVD 3-Vol. Boxed Set: 16 episodes (approx. 25 minutes each) - Total 410 minutes - SDH subtitles

Athena is Acorn Media Group's new home video brand for consumers interested in lifelong learning through documentary programming. Each Athena release provides an authoritative and entertaining learning experience through high quality, informative, non-fiction programming, along with a host of extras to extend the learning experience beyond the screen. Athena releases include Playing Shakespeare, The Shape of the World, The Adventure of English, The Genius of Charles Darwin, The Story of Math, among others. Special web content and clips are available at www.athenalearning.com. Athena's DVD sets are available from select retailers, catalog companies, and direct from Acorn at (888) 870-8047 or www.acornonline.com.

Coming up from Acorn Media:

May 4: "Must-see viewing for two decades... endlessly watchable" (Los Angeles Times) On the Road with Charles Kuralt Set 2 and CSI meets Sherlock Holmes in Murdoch Mysteries Season Two

May 25: George Gently Series 2 (U.S. Debut), Martin Shaw stars in the popular BBC detective series set amid the upheavals and excesses of 1960s Britain; Testament (Athena, DVD Debut), a global search exploring the fascinating and often surprising history of the Bible; and A Cold War Spy Collection: The Glory Boys & The Contract with featured stars Rod Steiger, Anthony Perkins, and Joanna Lumley.

About Acorn Media: The Acorn Media Group, a leading independent global media company, provides distinctive home video products and other merchandise to consumers in North America, the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. With a special focus on the best of British television programming, Acorn Media has exclusive distribution rights to hundreds of collectible titles on DVD. Its U.S. division will release 100 DVDs in North America in 2010, including Foyle's War Set 6, On the Road Set 2, Poldark, The Queen, The Evelyn Waugh Collection, Hitler's Bodyguard, The Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries, Midsomer Murders, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Murdoch Mysteries, Visions of New York City, Doc Martin, Agatha Christie's Poirot and Marple, Six Centuries of Verse, and The Story of Math.

Acorn's and Athena's DVD sets are available from select retailers, catalog companies, and direct from Acorn Media at (888) 870-8047 or www.acornonline.com.