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| Great Greeks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Narrated by | Alexis Papachelas |
| Country of origin | Greece |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Original release | |
| Network | Skai TV |
| Release | January 2009 (2009-01) |
Great Greeks (Greek: Μεγάλοι Έλληνες, Megali Ellines) is a television program, produced and broadcast by the Greek television network Skai TV, based on the BBC's equivalent show 100 Greatest Britons. The show features lists and biographies of influential persons, who came to prominence in their fields throughout the history of Greece, in order to be determined through a voting procedure who is considered the greatest Greek of all time by the audience of Greece.
Format
The whole format of the show is made up of three parts. The first part consisted of a voting procedure, which began on 16 April 2008 and lasted until 7 May 2008, in order to choose the 100 predominant personalities. The second part launched with a couple of two-hour-long episodes, which presented the top 100 and revealed the 10 nominees. A new voting began on 23 February 2009, with the audience assuming to vote for the greatest among the final 10 persons, while a series of ten episodes contains extensive biographies of the 10 nominees.
Each episode features a celebrity supporting a nominee. The third part, the Great Final, took place on 18 May 2009, hosted by Alexis Papahelas. It was a live debate between the ten celebrity supporters of the previous episodes and twenty-five advocates, until the end of the voting and the announcement of the Greatest Greek.
Ten greatest Greeks
The final ranking of the ten greatest Greeks.
| Rank | Name | Image | Notability | Nomination defended by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander the Great | 
|
King and military commander. Conquered the largest empire ever in history (up to that point). Expanded Greek culture throughout the then-known world, from North Africa, the Middle East to India. Likewise Greece also underwent influence from the cultures he conquered. Admired as a military and political genius. | Yannis Smaragdis |
| 2 | George Papanikolaou | 
|
Physician. Invented the pap smear test, which provides early and quick detection of cervical and uterine cancer. He also improved a test for detecting stomach cancer. | Maria Houkli |
| 3 | Theodoros Kolokotronis | 
|
General. Admired for leading his troops to victory during the Greek War of Independence. | Sia Kosioni |
| 4 | Konstantinos Karamanlis | 
|
Politician. President of Greece (1980–1985) (1990–1995) and Prime Minister (1955–1958) (1958–1961) (1961–1963) (1974–1980). Admired for bringing the post-war country back to a parliamentary democratic stateform. | Stefanos Manos |
| 5 | Socrates | 
|
Philosopher. Inventor of the Socratic method. Pioneer in Western philosophy and one of the most influential thinkers in history. | Vasilis Karasmanis |
| 6 | Aristotle | 
|
Physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher. Laid the foundations of Western science. One of the most influential thinkers in history. | Gregory Patrikareas |
| 7 | Eleftherios Venizelos | 
|
Prime Minister (1910-1915) (1917-1920) (1924) (1928-1932) (1932) (1933). Most often re-elected Prime Minister of the country. Introduced many constitutional and economic reforms which modernized Greek society. | Petros Tatsopoulos |
| 8 | Ioannis Kapodistrias | 
|
President. First president of independent Greece (1827–1831). | Thanos Veremis |
| 9 | Plato | 
|
Philosopher. Founder of Platonism. One of the most influential thinkers in history. | Pemy Zouni |
| 10 | Pericles | 
|
Politician and general who led at classical Athens at the peak of its political prominence | Tasos Telloglou |
100 Great Greeks
By vote
|
|
|
Alphabetical
By era
Ancient Greece (27)
Byzantine Era (6)
- Basil II (the Bulgar-Slayer)
- Constantine I
- Constantine XI Palaiologos
- Justinian I
- Plethon, Georgius Gemistos
- Theotokópoulos, Doménicos (El Greco)
Modern Era (67)
By discipline
Leaders (37)
Artists (32)
|
Intellectuals (22)
Religion (4)
Sports (3)
Business (1)
Other (1)
See also
External links
- Skai.gr. "Μεγάλοι Έλληνες"
- Skai TV official website Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- BBC Press release on the original British version of the format
- Kathimerini (English Edition). The 100 greatest Greeks of all time. 16 May 2008.