Great documentaries need not be long. In barely three and a half minutes Times New Roman gives a fantastic insight into what it means for a typeface when it acquires an almost mythical status.

The video by Betsy Works is the third episode of the Unquiet Film Series from The Times, "a series of extraordinary and independently made short films [about] some of the amazing, true-life stories behind the stories." Some of the biggest names in British design and publishing comment on the ubiquitous serif workhorse – Andy Altmann of Why Not Associates, Creative Review's Patrick Burgoyne, Jason Smith of Fontsmith, Neville Brody of Research Studios, Jonathan Barnbrook of Barnbrook, Eye Magazine's Simon Esterson, to name but a few – while Monotype's Studio Type Director Dan Rhatigan gives snippets of background information. Akin an impressionistic painting, this little gem creates the whole picture by piecing together fragments of knowledge and opinion. Definitely worth watching.

The Times and Times New Roman typefaces exist in many variations. We also compiled a Fontlist with Times Alternatives.