A Bard’s tale. How Shakespeare united the intellectual and populist like no one else.

Watch Simon Schama's Shakespeare and Us on BBC Select

How much is the personality of England intertwined with the visions of Shakespeare?

Acclaimed historian Simon Schama tries to get beneath the skin of the playwright and understand why his stories are so relevant today.

In this insightful documentary we are shown how Shakespeare knew the importance of not just reflecting the lives of the kings and queens who peppered his plays, but ordinary people too – including thieves, clowns and prostitutes.

Watch Simon Schama's Shakespeare and Us and more acclaimed documentaries on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.

More documentaries you might like...

Subscribe to BBC Select for hundreds of hours of thought – provoking, award – winning and critically – acclaimed documentaries from the BBC and beyond.

literature

Stream The Romantic Revolution on BBC Select

The Romantic Revolution

Wild visionaries and imaginative truth seekers whose radical ideas still resonate today.

Watch Harry Potter - A History of Magic on BBC Select

Harry Potter - A History of Magic

They’re the fastest-selling books in history. But what inspired the enchanting world of Harry Potter?

Stream Greek Myths - True Stories

Greek Myths: True Stories

Godlike genius. Exploring the inspiration of our Greek myths.

Stream CLimate Change - Ade on the Frontline

History of Mother Earth: Gaia Uncovered

In space, you can hear the Earth scream... History of Mother Earth: Gaia Uncovered

Start your free trial now

BBC Select is available on Amazon Prime Video Channels and the Apple TV app for only $6.99 a month. Start your free 30-day trial today to stream documentaries on Smart TVs, laptops, tablets and mobile devices. Restrictions apply*.

history

Stream Bacchus Uncovered on BBC Select

Bacchus Uncovered: Ancient God of Ecstasy

What does Bacchus, the ancient god of wine and excess, have in common with Jesus Christ?

Stream Genius of the Ancient World with Bettany Hughes on BBC Select

Genius of the Ancient World

The original free thinkers. The stories of the Buddha, Confucius and Socrates.

Stream Mars Uncovered on BBC Select

Mars Uncovered: Ancient God of War

What can the ancient, immortal, Roman god Mars teach us about warfare in the modern age?

Stream Venus Uncovered on BBC Select

Venus Uncovered: Ancient Goddess of Love

Forget everything you thought you knew about the frequently nude, love goddess Venus.

Stream The Persians - A History of Iran on BBC Select

The Persians: A History of Iran

How was the world's first empire born and what led to its ultimate destruction?

Watch A History of Chritianity on BBC Select

A History of Christianity

Where did Christianity originate and how did the religion develop and take hold globally?

Stream Archaeology - A Secret History on BBC Select

Archaeology: A Secret History

Better living through archeology. How can our past make sense of our present?

Stream Greek Myths - True Stories

Greek Myths: True Stories

Godlike genius. Exploring the inspiration of our Greek myths.

Stream Fake News - A True History on BBC Select

Fake News: A True History

Fake news isn’t new: an entertaining look at 200 years of lies and the media

Stream Cousins at War on BBC Select

Royal Cousins at War

It makes The Crown look like Sesame Street. The bitter regal rivalries that led to war.

Stream American History's Biggest Fibs on BBC Select

American History's Biggest Fibs

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

The Birth of Empire - The East India Company on BBC Select

The Birth of Empire: The East India Company

The world’s first megacorp. How Britain’s East India Company grew into an imperial power.

Stream The Romantic Revolution on BBC Select

The Romantic Revolution

Wild visionaries and imaginative truth seekers whose radical ideas still resonate today.

Stream Racism - A History on BBC Select

Racism: A History

Where did the notion of racism come from and how did such an abhorrent idea develop?

Stream Queen Victoria and her Nine Children on BBC Select

Queen Victoria and her Nine Children

Devastated by her husband’s death Queen Victoria starts to meddle in her children’s lives.

Watch The Flu That Killed 50 Million on BBC Select

The Flu That Killed 50 Million

Is Spanish flu the warning from history that should have crushed coronavirus?

Stream Vienna - Empire, Dynasty and Dream on BBC Select

Vienna: Empire, Dynasty and Dream

The rise of one of the great cities and how it offers a window into power, faith and war.

Stream Filthy Cities on BBC Select

Filthy Cities

Dan Snow explores the murky histories of London, Paris and New York from the bottom up.

Stream Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners on BBC Select

Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners

People as property: historian David Olusoga on the untold stories of British slavery.

Stream Secret Cities on BBC Select

Secret Cities

How much can the artistic history of a great city tell us about its character?

Stream Genius of the Modern World on BBC Select

Genius of the Modern World

Emigres, recluses, enemies of the state. How Marx, Nietzsche and Freud changed the world.

Bright Lights, Brilliant Minds - A Tale of Three Cities on BBC Select

Bright Lights, Brilliant Minds

Paris, Vienna and New York. The seismic influence of three cities on the artistic world.

Stream Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness on BBC Select

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness

Can the thoughts and ideas of history’s greatest thinkers help in our day to day lives?

Watch Rome: Empire Without Limit with Mary Beard on BBC Select

Rome: Empire Without Limit with Mary Beard

World renowned historian, Mary Beard, is back to shatter myths about the Roman Empire.

Stream War Art with Eddie Redmayne on BBC Select

War Art with Eddie Redmayne

Academy Award winning actor Eddie Redmayne discovers the artists who saved lives during WW1

Stream The Six Queens of Henry VIII on BBC Select

The Six Queens of Henry VIII

Rediscover the Queens who shaped a King & his legacy in The Six Queens of Henry VIII, BBC's new look at the King's infamous wives.

Watch The World's First Computer on BBC Select

The World's First Computer

Think your computer’s had it? Meet one found in a shipwreck that’s 2,000 years old.