History documentaries
Sex and Sensibility
Civilizations: Rise & Fall
They were the greatest civilizations in history. Each believed they would live on forever. But each suffered a devastating decline. From the Ancient Egyptians and the mighty Roman Empire to the samurai of Japan and the Aztec Kings, expert testimony and dramatic reconstruction unpicks why these great empires collapsed, using the treasures they left behind to unlock the secrets of their demise.
Witches of Essex
Presenter and Essex native Rylan teams up with anthropologist Alice Roberts to investigate the infamous Essex witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries. In their incident room, they explore the lives and deaths of the women accused of witchcraft. Guided by original court documents along with a team of historians, psychologists and medical experts, each story is powerfully brought to life.
First Britons
New archaeological discoveries are painting a different picture of the very first native Britons. For centuries, it’s been thought that these hunter-gatherers lived a brutal, hand-to-mouth existence. But extraordinary new evidence has forced scientists to rethink who these Stone Age people were, where they came from, what impact they had, and how they give birth to the island nation of Britain.
The Greatest Knight: William Marshal
From Europe’s medieval castles to the holy city of Jerusalem, Thomas Asbridge explores the incredible life of William Marshal, who many consider the world’s greatest knight. He reveals a rip-roaring adventure story in the spirit of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table, featuring an English soldier and statesman who remained loyal to those he served through disaster and victory.