History documentaries
Queen Elizabeth's Secret Agents
It was the world’s first secret service. When the pope declared Queen Elizabeth I as a heretic, she was the immediate target of Catholic assassins. To combat this, her spymaster William Cecil set up a network of informers and agents to prevent any plots. This soon grew into a huge espionage operation using brutal methods to protect the monarchy. It would change history forever.
Britain Under the Nazis: The Forgotten Occupation
In June 1940, the Nazis swept through Europe. France fell and the British government took the strategic decision to withdraw troops from the Channel Islands, leaving them open to German invasion. It’s a propaganda victory for Hitler and a possible first step to invading the mainland. At first the islanders are treated with courtesy, but soon they witness a nightmare roll out of Nazism.
Meet the Roman Emperor with Mary Beard
Acclaimed classicist Mary Beard explores what it was really like for the emperors of ancient Rome, taking us behind palace walls to reveal the hidden world of the Roman imperial court and lifestyle. Deciphering rare inscriptions, imperial-era artifacts and exploring epic locations, Mary gives us her unique insights into the emperors’ lives, homes, entourages, sex lives and health.
The Victorians
Jeremy Paxman takes his love of Victorian paintings as the starting point for a journey into Victorian Britain. Such works of art may not be fashionable today, but they are a goldmine of information about the most dynamic age in British history. He discovers the Victorians were a romantic, adventurous, creative, and inventive people who made Britain the richest and most powerful nation on Earth.
Wellington: The Iron Duke Unmasked
The Duke of Wellington was one of the most famous Britons of the 19th century. His victory over Napoleon at Waterloo altered the course of history. General, politician, lover, outsider, this military hero was far more complex than his public image suggests. Actor Richard E Grant goes in search of the true Iron Duke in this thrilling history documentary.