His reputation is uncontroversial. The reality couldn’t be more different.

Elton John: Uncensored

Elton John opens up to Graham Norton about his childhood, stardom and addiction battles.

A Life in Ten Pictures - Freddie Mercury

The life of Queen's Freddie Mercury told through photographs

Gauguin: The Full Story

Why was the life of influential artist Paul Gauguin mired in controversy and conflict?

Idris Elba: Mandela, My Dad and Me

Idris Elba returns to Africa to record an album inspired by Mandela and his late father.

A Life In Ten Pictures: Nelson Mandela

The character and motivations of this iconic global figure are explored via photographs.

A Life In Ten Pictures: Carrie Fisher

The story of the iconic actress and writer told through ten iconic photos

Dynasties: The Families That Changed The World

Delve into the inner workings of the world's most powerful and intriguing families.

A Life In Ten Pictures

Return of the series examining the lives of extraordinary people through ten photographs.

The Man Who Destroyed Oscar Wilde

The epic story of the famous playwright’s downfall at the hands of an old friend.

The Real Lawrence of Arabia

Who was the man behind Lawrence of Arabia and why does he inspire such devotion today?

Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette is considered decadent, uncaring, and reprehensible. But is this fair?

Turkey: The Rise of Erdogan's Empire

How did Recep Tayyip Erdogan become the most powerful leader in Turkey’s recent history?

Arthur: King of the Britons

Why do so many myths and stories surround King Arthur? And did he even exist?

Hitler: A Life In Pictures

Photos and film reveal the public and private life of Germany's infamous dictator.

Europe’s Royals Revealed with Katty Kay

What is the point of modern monarchy? Katty Kay visits Europe’s remaining royals.

Daft Punk: Unchained

Just who are Daft Punk and how do they stay so successful while remaining so mysterious?

Roberta Flack: Killing Me Softly

The astonishing story of one of the biggest music stars of the 1970s: Roberta Flack.

The Source Family

Meet Father Yod and his wild 1970s Hollywood commune, rock band and health restaurant.

Princess Anne: The Seven Loves of Her Life

The complex and at times scandalous love life of Queen Elizabeth’s only daughter.

The Amol Rajan Interviews: Billie Jean King

In an exclusive interview the tennis legend opens up about her incredible life and career.

The Amol Rajan Interviews: Novak Djokovic

In this BBC interview, Tennis star Novak Djokovic discusses his incredible career and recent events including his decision not to have the Covid-19 vaccine in the height of the global pandemic.

Before They Were Royal

A fascinating look into the familiar faces of the lives of those who married into the British royal family. What was life like before they joined the British royal family? This compelling documentary series looks at the early lives of various royals, including Prince Philip and Camilla Parker-Bowles before fame and their acceptance into the monarchy.

Schindler: The Real Story

How did Oskar Schindler differ from the one seen in the famous film?

Princess Diana: A Life After Death

How Princess Diana's tragic death and legacy changed the British monarchy forever.

A Life In Ten Pictures: Amy Winehouse

The story of Amy Winehouse told through 10 photos

Born To Be King

What will new British monarch King Charles III bring to the role?

Princess Margaret: Queen of Mustique

Scandal and gossip stalked Princess Margaret on the luxurious island of Mustique.

A Life In Ten Pictures: John Lennon

Photographs help to reveal the true nature of music icon and Beatles star John Lennon.

When the Queen Spoke to the Nation

Exploring the Queen’s annual Christmas Day messages and other special addresses.

Picturing Elizabeth: Her Life in Pictures

The stories behind some of the most famous and era-defining pictures of Queen Elizabeth II.

A Tribute to Her Majesty The Queen

A look back at the life of Queen Elizabeth II

A Life In Ten Pictures: Muhammad Ali

Ten photographs show a different side of boxer Muhammad Ali

Surviving the Holocaust

A Life In Ten Pictures: Tupac Shakur

The life of Tupac Shakur told through 10 photographs

Napoleon

The story of Napoleon

Rembrandt

Did scandal and torment drive the artist to even greater creative glories?

Thatcher & Reagan

What was the attraction between these two world leaders and how did it change history?

Elizabeth I and II: The Golden Queens

Exploring the parallels between Queen Elizabeth I and II

My Years with the Queen

What’s it like to be close friends with Queen Elizabeth II? Lady Pamela Hicks reveals all.

Kissinger: Statesman or War Criminal?

Henry Kissinger: canny political operator or a despicable war criminal?

The Queen Mother

The triumphs and pain that came to define the woman affectionately known as the Queen Mum.

Calculating Ada: The Countess of Computing

How did a scandalous 19th-century countess help create the modern era of computing?

Confucius

The remarkable story of a great thinker who helped to form a nation and shape the world.

Simon Schama's Shakespeare and Us

Get underneath the skin of the playwright to understand why his stories are so relevant today

Zelensky: The Making of a President

The transformation of Ukraine's President Zelensky from comic to respected world leader.

In Louboutin's Shoes

Sole man. Inside the fashion world of footwear designer Christian Louboutin.

Joanna Lumley’s Britain

Explore Great Britain in this charming travel series

Reclaiming Amy

The friends and family of Amy Winehouse reveal the truth about the British music icon.

Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards

What drives the legendary shoe designer and self-confessed 'cobbler' Manolo Blahnik?

David Bowie: Finding Fame

How did humble David Jones become David Bowie - an icon that transformed music forever?

Vincent: The Full Story

What do we really know about Vincent van Gogh, arguably the world’s most famous artist?

Thatcher & Reagan

What was the attraction between these two world leaders and how did it change history?

Kissinger: Statesman or War Criminal?

Henry Kissinger: canny political operator or a despicable war criminal?

Turkey: The Rise of Erdogan's Empire

How did Recep Tayyip Erdogan become the most powerful leader in Turkey’s recent history?

The Good Drug

Could psychedelic substances be used to treat a whole host of medical issues?

Charles R: The Making of a Monarch

An intimate portrait of King Charles told in his own words with rare archive footage.

Charles III: Will the King Change the Monarchy?

Will the new king of the UK change the monarchy to help it survive in the modern world?

Rebellion: The Stuarts In Exile

How much threat did the deposed Stuart dynasty pose to the developing British state?

King George and Queen Mary: The Royals Who Rescued the Monarchy

The pioneering reign of Elizabeth II's grandparents, King George and Queen Mary.

Philippa Gregory's The Real White Queen And Her Rivals

The women at the heart of the bloody War of the Roses that helped shape British history.

The Last Days Of Anne Boleyn

What led to the dramatic downfall and violent execution of Queen Anne Boleyn in 1536?

Ukraine: The People's Fight

Two months on the Ukrainian frontline battling alongside volunteer special forces.

Putin vs The West

The inside story on how Western leaders have struggled to deal with Putin over the years.

Mariupol: The People's Story

The people of Mariupol share powerful, shocking stories of bravery and loss in a war zone.

A Murder In Washington

An investigation into Seth Rich, a young staffer working for the Democrats, who was shot.

India: the Modi Question

Investigating tensions between the Indian Prime Minister and the country’s Muslim minority

Henry VIII's Enforcer: The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell

Was Thomas Cromwell a corrupt, ambitious politician or has history unfairly maligned him?

The Amol Rajan Interviews: Billie Jean King

In an exclusive interview the tennis legend opens up about her incredible life and career.

Storming the Capitol: The Inside Story

Magna Carta

David Starkey explores the origins of the Magna Carta

Churchill's First World War

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's extraordinary experiences during World War I.

Trump: The Comeback?

Could Donald Trump return to the White House in 2024?

When the Queen Spoke to the Nation

Exploring the Queen’s annual Christmas Day messages and other special addresses.

Leaving Afghanistan

Exploring attempts to end the war in Afghanistan

The Whistleblowers: Inside the UN

Does the United Nations punish whistleblowers and protect abusers to cover up the truth?

BBC at War

This enthralling series asks, how much did World War II shape the personality of the BBC?

Could Hitler Have Been Stopped?

Leading historians debate whether Adolf Hitler and the Nazis could have been stopped.

Churchill: Winning the War, Losing the Peace

Why was Winston Churchill ousted from power after World War II?

KKK: The Fight for White Supremacy?

What drives people to join America's infamous white supremacist group, the Ku Klux Klan?

Putin's Russia

Votes for Vladimir. Meeting Putin’s biggest fans.

Zelensky: The Making of a President

The transformation of Ukraine's President Zelensky from comic to respected world leader.

Mad Dog: Inside the Secret World of Muammar Gaddafi

Regime of terror: a horrifying portrait of Libya’s leader from the insiders who made him.

Louis Theroux: The Ultra Zionists

Louis Theroux gets close to the extreme end of the West Bank’s Jewish settler movement.

Louis Theroux: The Return Of America’s Most Hated Family

What happens when you’ve become the US’s most reviled family? Louis pays another visit.

Trump Takes on the World

Donald Trump's top advisers lift the lid on the critical moments of his foreign policy.

The Cult of Conspiracy: QAnon

Who are QAnon and what effect are they having on US democracy?

The Man Putin Couldn't Kill

Did Putin really try to kill a political rival with a plot involving poisoned underpants?

Nixon in the Den

Was President Nixon a visionary on China? Davin Reynolds investigates in Nixon in the Den

China: A New World Order

President Xi Jinping’s extraordinary first years ruling China.

Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History

From slavery to settlement, award-winning historian David Olusoga explores the history of black Britain.

Are You Scared Yet, Human?

Should we worry about the effect that Artificial Intelligence could have on our lives?

The Trump Show

Protests, impeachment, and a pandemic: A front row seat to Trump’s unpredictable Presidency.

American History's Biggest Fibs

American history is fake, fact? Historian Lucy Worlsey delves deeper into US mythology.