History Documentaries
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- StarsNiall FergusonPeter JandaJohn LindellDocumentary: Niall Ferguson investigates how western civilization came to dominate the world.
- DirectorGloria Z. GreenfieldStarsNiall FergusonAyaan Hirsi AliVictor Davis HansonHard-hitting documentary that examines the internal and external threats facing the West. The distinguished cast of scholars and experts trace the penetration of anti-Western ideas and movements into academia, politics and society.
- StarsClive AndersonMary-Ann OchotaHelen GeakeTelevision and radio presenter Clive Anderson and anthropologist Mary-Ann Ochota explore the island's ancient places and rituals.
- StarsDan JonesJames Oliver WheatleySteffan BojeUsing a combination of documentary and drama, historian Dan Jones tells the story of the War of the Roses - the 30 year civil war between the House of York and House of Lancaster that saw the crown change hands seven times.
- StarsSuzannah LipscombOwen EmmersonDominic FontanaProfessor Suzannah Lipscomb wends her way around the country on the trail of history's most fascinating dynasty.
- StarsNiall FergusonGareth ArmstrongRichard LinternNiall Ferguson takes us on a historical adventure through the ascent of money, applying fact and opinion throughout.
- StarsNiall FergusonNiall Ferguson explores the history of social networks, demonstrating how human behavior, disruptive technology and the profit motive can change the world.
- StarsLucy WorsleyNicholas AgnewClaire CooperHistorian Lucy Worsley visits the time of Henry VIII and tells the story of his six successive wives.
- StarsAlice RobertsNeil OliverMike LoadesThis three-part documentary discovers the origins and beliefs of the Celts in artifacts and human remains across Europe. What emerges is not a portrait of wild people on the western fringes of Europe, but a highly sophisticated tribal culture that influenced vast areas of the ancient world - and even Rome.
- StarsTerry JonesPeter BarberFaye GetzTerry Jones hosts this series that looks at the real facts about the Middle Ages and its roots.
- StarsBettany HughesRay LonnenMargaret RobertsonA history of the ancient Spartans, featuring historian Bettany Hughes as presenter and narrator.
- StarsSuzannah LipscombDan JonesCharlie ClementsA series about Henry VIII and his wives, chronicling the ups and downs in his marriages and how they shaped his reign as King and ultimately the face of Britain.
- StarsAdam JamesClive RussellJuliet StevensonDrama-Documentary in which historian Dan Snow explores the political intrigues and family betrayals between Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and Normans that led to the Battle of Hastings.
- StarsNeil OliverChris PackhamShini SomaraNeil Oliver, Chris Packham, Andy Torbet and Dr Shini Somara follow the work of archaeologists from around the world who are working on one of Europe's largest digs that is reshaping the map of Stone Age Britain.
- StarsDan JonesChristophe LombardiJay DeeHistorian Dan Jones explores the millennium of history behind six of Great Britain's most famous castles: Warwick, Dover, Caernarfon, the Tower of London, Carrickfergus, and Stirling.
- StarsNeil OliverScott GlynnJames FlemingA documentary charting the birth and growth of the Scottish nation.
- StarsNeil OliverTony PollardDaniel ArbonThe Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 is a crucial point in the history of Scotland. To mark its 700th anniversary Neil Oliver and Tony Pollard lead a dig to find the site and using historical accounts recreate events of the 2-day engagement.
- StarsNeil OliverAlison SheridanFrancis PryorNeil Oliver tells the epic story of how Britain and its people came to be over thousands of years of ancient history - the beginnings of our world forged in ice, stone, and bronze.
- StarsLily ColeVincent KerschbaumSuzannah LipscombDocu-drama starring Lily Cole as a young Elizabeth I, featuring dramatic reconstructions of key moments in her life. Presented by historians Suzannah Lipscomb and Dan Jones.
- StarsNeil OliverBarry CunliffePhilip CrummyIn four chapters, largely based on and illustrated with archaeological finds and sites, Neil Oliver explains how, as far as is known, the Iron Age Celtic tribes known as the Ancient Britains evolved and entered European civilization. Their internecine tribal phase was warlike and partitioned. Overseas contacts, especially metal trade, brought wealth and progress. Ultimately, it attracted the superior Roman empire, which would conquer and pacify Britain into a province, like Gaul shortly before, but Caesar's invasion wasn't the definitive annexation yet, that was left to emperor Claudius; even afterward some Celtic traits and even rebellions remained.
- StarsTony RobinsonCarl Wilson-DownieDamian BrookeTony Robinson visits various periods in history, literally getting involved in the worst jobs our ancestors had to endure.
- StarsNeil OliverVikings is a documentary series written and presented by Neil Oliver charting the rise of the Vikings from prehistoric times to the empire of Canute.
- DirectorLaura WilsonLisa WilsonStarsJonathan BateCharles BeauclerkWilliam BoyleThis documentary explores the ongoing debate about the authorship of the works attributed to Shakespeare. Writers and critics, actors and scholars, including Mark Twain, Sigmund Freud, Charlie Chaplin, and many others have struggled to reconcile England's "Star of Poets" with the grain dealer from Stratford. Why?
- StarsWaldemar JanuszczakShaun GreenhalghChristianity slowly emerged from being a persecuted minority to the state religion of the Roman Empire. This episode is a history of the ways believers grappled with a way to depict Jesus. Simple symbolic meaning developed into splendid art and churches.
- StarsBettany HughesEdith HallKate CooperBettany Hughes looks into the role of women in the history of religion.
- DirectorOlivier van der Zee
- DirectorNick Gillam-SmithStarsBettany HughesSalima IkramColin ClementBettany Hughes goes to Alexandria, Egypt, too look at one of the great cities of history. Founded by Alexander the Great, Alexandria was once one of the intellectual and culture hubs of the world. It was home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the immense Library of Alexandria.
- StarsRobert BartlettThe story of England's longest ruling dynasty, starting with Henry II and ending with Richard III.
- StarsToby Leonard MooreBettany HughesEdith HallThey were an extraordinary people born of white rock and blue sea. They invented democracy, distilled logic and reason, wrote plays to plumb the deepest recesses of the soul, and captured the perfection of the human form in athletics and art. Quite simply, the Greeks created our world. ¶ Today, of course, Greece conjures very different images: civic unrest, financial meltdowns, long ATM lines. But as its ancient history attests, strife and discord are often incubators for greatness. From their beginnings as hunter-gatherers in harsh, unforgiving landscapes; to surviving the worst collapse in human history; to facing off against the greatest empire the world had ever known, the Greeks would have to overcome incredible odds to pave the way for the modern West. ¶ In National Geographic's landmark event series "The Greek's", historians and archaeologists, actors and athletes, scientists and artists launch a groundbreaking exploration into the ancient Greeks' journey - not just to better understand their past, but to discover how their legacy illuminates our present, and will shape our future. The story of the Greeks is the story of us.
- StarsBettany HughesApostolos C. DoxiadisShantum SethBettany Hughes travels to India, Greece and China, profiling Buddha, Socrates and Confucius, the three greatest thinkers of antiquity.
- StarsSimon SchamaMichael KitchenSamuel WestA comprehensive historical survey of the British Isles.
- DirectorTimothy CopestakeStarsBettany HughesAntonio AlmagroMoussa AouniThis program contends that the popular perception of the Muslim occupation of Spain toward the end of the first millennium is largely wrong. The eighth century Muslim invasion of the Iberian Pennisula was largely welcomed by the locals and rejuvenated the area with advanced technology, agriculture and a construction boom. This program describes these innovations. All this changed in the eleventh century when the regional government fragmented. That set the stage for the Christian invasion and the Islamic fundamentalist resistance leading to more of a civil war than a holy war that decimated the region with corruption, destruction and exile.
- DirectorSusan HorthStarsRob BrydonHamish MacLeodRobert BartlettA look at a case from 1307 Hereford in which a Catholic holy court convened to decide whether or not a dead English bishop should be made a saint following several alleged miracles, the most notable being the resurrection of a hanged man.
- StarsRobert BartlettHugh GilbertIn Inside the Medieval Mind, one of the world's greatest authorities on the Middle Ages, Professor Robert Bartlett of St Andrews University, investigates the intellectual landscape of the medieval world. In this series he opens up the often surprising discontinuities and similarities between the medieval age and our own as he remarks: "In many ways these were people very much like us, in terms of family, ambitions for children and the world of emotions. On the other hand, they inhabited a very different world, in which it was believed the dead visited the living, and where somewhere there lived a race of people with the heads of dogs." The series comprises four one hour programmes, each on a different aspect of medieval thinking: Belief; Sex; Power; Knowledge. During the series he visits numerous medieval locations, from Westminster Abbey to Pluscarden Abbey near Inverness, with wide use of readings from original medieval sources.
- StarsRobert BartlettProfessor Robert Bartlett examines the extraordinary expansion and unchecked ambition of the Normans, and shows how they transformed the history of Europe.
- StarsJulián TeurlaisJosé Ángel Zamora LópezAntonio SalazarMemory of Spain is a documentary series which was created by the RTVE that narrates in 27 episodes the history of the people of Spain from its prehistoric age till the 2004 Madrid train bombings.
- StarsFergal KeaneRoy FosterTom Ó LoughlinShowcases Irish history, charting the origin and impact of the myths that have been passed off as history in the past.
- StarsJeremy PaxmanMichael PalinAshley JacksonWritten and presented by English broadcaster, journalist, and author Jeremy Paxman, this richly detailed documentary follows the rise of the British Empire. At its height, the small island nation ruled over a quarter of the world's population. Examining what is often considered a dark stain on British history, it shows how greed and a lust for power marginalized numerous groups across the Empire's vast expanse.
- StarsDavid StarkeyTony CottrellGerard HaylingA history of the English Crown from AD 400 to today.
- StarsHuw EdwardsLee JessupMichael AustinHuw Edwards presents this history of Wales, showing the country in ways it's never been seen before. From prehistoric times, to power struggles with the barons, and England, through to the industrial revolution and today this history is comprehensive and is a compulsive viewing.
- StarsDavid StarkeyRachel JenkinsTim WrightWritten and presented by Dr. David Starkey (Monarchy), this is the compelling story of two siblings united by blood and affection but torn apart by religion and power.
- DirectorRenny BartlettStarsNicholas AgnewHelen BradburyAdam BurtonA dramatised documentary detailing the bitter feud between Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots. The two Queens never met, but communicated for many years via letter. Mary's turmoil is shown, and the events which led to her destruction. Elizabeth, one of Britain's most infamous monarchs would be haunted in later year's by the death of an anointed Queen.
- StarsAlixe BoveyArt historian Alixe Bovey follows the Gough Map, the oldest surviving road map of Britain, in search of the country as it was in the medieval era.
- StarsMarie BouvetDan JonesReenactments of key events during the multiple wars of royalty in Europe.
- StarsDan JonesDragos OniseiAdina EadyDocudrama series with author Dan Jones. It follows the period from control freak king Henry II to the tyrant king Richard II.
- StarsTony RobinsonJohn SentamuActor and history enthusiast Tony Robinson examines six monumental British cathedrals, their history and the treasures that they house.
- DirectorDavid WillcockStarsTony RobinsonTony Robinson takes a look at the facts behind the myth of Shakespeare's Macbeth, and finds a quite different character and story to that created by the 'Bard of Avon'.
- DirectorDavid WillcockStarsTony Robinson
- StarsTony RobinsonAndrew Wallace-HadrillRay LaurenceTony Robinson examines historical myths, legends and mysteries to sort out which are fact and which are fiction.
- StarsSimon ReeveSimon Reeve retraces the adventures of our ancestors, and learns about the forgotten aspects of pilgrimage - including the vice, thrills and dangers that awaited travellers.
- StarsAndrew Marr
- StarsFrancis PryorHelen GeakeRobin CookFrancis Pryor reveals that the Roman invasion of Britain was a beneficial experience.
- StarsFrancis Pryor
- StarsHelen CastorEilidh LoanAshley GyngellHistorian Helen Castor pieces together the story of Lady Jane Grey, the teenage girl who reigned as Queen of England for nine days in July 1553.
- StarsSuzannah LipscombEmma ConnellJack HawkinsThis two-part docudrama shows the love affair between King Henry VIII of England and his second wife, Anne Boleyn; presented by historian Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb.
- StarsColin TierneyDominic GreenKevin JamesThe secret agents that protected Queen Elizabeth from treason for over 40 years, through the execution of Mary Queen of Scots to the death of Queen Elizabeth, the capture of Catholic fugitive John Gerard and the infamous Gunpowder Plot.
- StarsLucy WorsleyNathen AminHistorian Lucy Worsley reveals how some of the biggest moments in British History are actually a concoction of fibs and stories which have been manipulated by whoever was in power at the time.
- DirectorSuzanne PhillipsStarsSuzannah LipscombTara HamlingMarc MeltonvilleThe introduction of world trade in Tudor England inadvertently introduces foreign poisonous substances. One such case is sugar and the subsequent rotting of teeth.
- DirectorSuzanne PhillipsStarsSuzannah LipscombJudith FlandersKate WilliamsSuzannah Lipscomb takes a tour of the Victorian home and unveils the hidden dangers that posed a deadly threat to Victorian life.
- StarsLucy WorsleyJustin ChampionRonald HuttonWomen life in 17th century.
- StarsHelen CastorHistorian of the medieval period, Helen Castor, presents an in depth and insightful series covering England's early Queens, from the High Middle Ages with Eleanor and get daughter-in-law Eleanor of Aquitane, through the Late Middle Ages with Isabella of France and Margaret of Anjou and finishing with Lady Jane Grey, Mary I and Elizabeth I.
- StarsHelen CastorCarol RawcliffeRoberta GilchristIn Medieval Lives: Birth, Marriage, Death, historian and author Dr. Helen Castor (She-Wolves: England's Early Queens) examines how the people of the Middle Ages handled three of life's great rites of passage birth, marriage, and death. Why were physicians of no help to women enduring the pains of labor and the dangers of childbirth? Why were newly married couples "put to bed" by the priest on their wedding night? What did it mean to "die well" and why was death such a communal affair, both before and after it happened?
- DirectorLucy SwinglerStarsHelen CastorGeorgia TennantMichael FeastWriter and historian Dr Helen Castor explores the life and death of Joan of Arc.
- StarsLaurence SpellmanNick SampsonDavid StarkeyDr David Starkey examines the history and motives that shaped the most infamous king of England. This series is beautifully researched and offers some new insights into life and times of Henry VIII.
- DirectorChristopher SpencerStarsDavid StarkeyDavid Starkey looks at the origins of Magna Carta, the document that has underpinned British liberties since it was created in 1215 to check the abuses of King John.
- StarsDavid StarkeyCaroline LintottDavid FleeshmanA dramatic documentary narrated and presented by controversial historian David Starkey about the lives as wives and Queens of the six wives of Tudor king Henry VIII.
- DirectorNick Gillam-SmithStarsLucy WorsleyJane SpoonerAnna WhitelockLucy Worsley gets into bed with our past monarchs to uncover the Tales from the Royal Bedchamber. She reveals that our obsession with royal bedrooms, births and succession is nothing new. In fact, the rise and fall of their magnificent beds reflects the changing fortunes of the monarchy itself.
- StarsLucy WorsleyAmanda VickeryPatricia Whittington-FarrellFinding secret doors add and rooms.
- StarsSuzannah LipscombKathy TrevelyanLee RavitzReligious zeal, paranoia and trumped-up charges. For a century, they fueled brutal scourges that claimed innocent lives.
- StarsDavid DimblebyGwendoline ChristieDamien HirstTraces 2,000 years of Britain's history through the arts - both as objects that have often played a decisive part in events and as marvels of their age.
- StarsWaldemar JanuszczakIn this three-part documentary series Waldemar Januszczak discovers paintings, sculptures and architecture of the Baroque period. Starting from the square of Saint Peter's Basilica in Italy to St Paul's Cathedral in England.
- StarsWaldemar JanuszczakRococo art is often dismissed as frivolous. But Waldemar Januszczak disagrees and in this three-part series he tries to bring Rococo art closer to us, and argues that the Rococo was the age in which the modern world was born.
- StarsKenneth ClarkIan RichardsonRonald LaceySir Kenneth Clarke walks through the ages exploring the glorious rise of civilization in Western man.
- StarsLiev SchreiberSimon SchamaMaya JasanoffNine-part series telling the story of art from the dawn of human history to the present day, for the first time on a global scale. It is now nearly half a century since Kenneth Clark's series Civilisation thrilled audiences with its authoritative interpretation of the glories of Western art. Inspired by that groundbreaking program, this new series of Civilisations introduces a new generation to the great masterworks of beauty, ingenuity and illumination created across the continents. It explores the visual culture of societies from around the globe, revealing alongside the magnificent objects made in the West the wealth of treasures created by other cultures, from the landscape scrolls of classical China and the sculpture of the Olmecs to African bronzes, Japanese prints and Mughal miniatures. Told by three presenters, each bringing their own skills and perspectives to the series - Simon Schama, Mary Beard and David Olusoga.
- StarsWaldemar JanuszczakIn this series critic and writer Waldemar Januszczak challenges the traditional review that the European Renaissance originated in southern Europe, advocating a case for the north instead.
- DirectorWaldemar JanuszczakStarsWaldemar JanuszczakA survey of Hans Holbein's career from his beginnings as a religious painter to his work for Henry VIII and beyond. The program also includes a close analysis of "The Ambassadors"
- DirectorWaldemar JanuszczakStarsWaldemar JanuszczakNico Van HoutWaldemar Januszczak sets out to correct the misconceptions that have arisen about the art of Rubens.
- StarsWaldemar JanuszczakArt writer Waldemar Januszczak explores the revolutionary achievements of the Impressionists.
- StarsWaldemar JanuszczakThe sunny landscapes and shimmering portraits of the 19th century impressionists adorn candy boxes and designer T-shirts. But as critic Waldemar Januszczak reveals in this four-part documentary, the artistic movement didn't always enjoy the widespread popularity it has today. In their time, impressionists were artistic rebels who threw out the rules set by Paris's prestigious art salons. As Januszczak visits the studios, hot spots, and rustic vistas that inspired the artists, he sheds light on a motley collection of personalities, from Jean-Frederic Bazille, a gifted, nearly seven-foot-tall painter who helped bankroll his fellow artists, to Claude Monet, whose obsession with water compelled him to build a floating studio. When they banded together for eight legendary exhibitions between 1874 and 1886, they forever expanded the boundaries of art.
- DirectorSally-Anne LomasStarsJanina Ramirez
- DirectorAnna CoxStarsJanina RamirezElizabeth Evenden-KenyonDaryl GreenIt is 500 years since the Reformation, when England broke away from the authority of the Catholic Church. This is the story of three books at the heart of the schism. Presented by Dr Janina Ramirez.
- StarsJanina Ramirez
- StarsJanina RamirezFrançois NeveuxNigel SaulThis 3 part series explains the various strategies and battles between the French and English in the Hundred Years' War that took place between the 14 th and 15 th centuries. The host has a Doctorate in Cultural History and she visits the various towns and country area that were sites for events. The host is very articulate and passionate and with a pleasing voice.
- StarsJanina RamirezScot McKendrickIan MortimerThrough this three part series Art Historian Dr Janina Ramirez tells the story of the Medieval monarchy as preserved through stunning illuminated manuscripts from the British Library's Royal Manuscripts collection. Dr Ramirez uses her in depth expert knowledge to explore the extraordinary art and culture of the period and decode the manuscripts which remain as vibrant today as when they were first penned. Embellished with gold, painted in jewel-like colours, they took months, even years to produce, and were priceless beyond compare. The series runs chronologically beginning with the unification of England under King Athelstan in the 10th Century, covering the 100 Years War with France, and ending with the brutal magnificence of Henry VIII. Spanning 800 years these amazing documents capture the dynastic struggles each ruler faced.
- DirectorAshley GethingStarsJanina RamirezSigurdur AtlasonVilborg DavíðsdóttirWhen we think of the roots of European civilization it's to Greece and Rome that our thoughts turn. But there is a culture whose effect may be even more profound. Hundreds of years ago in faraway Iceland the Vikings began to write down dozens of stories - called sagas. These sagas are priceless historical documents which bring to life the Viking world.
- DirectorAndy RobbinsStarsJanina RamirezKim SiddornDavid SymondsArt historian Dr Janina Ramirez reveals the codes and messages hidden in Anglo-Saxon art.
- DirectorPaul TilzeyStarsJanina RamirezTim AyersSarah BrownHistorian Dr Janina Ramirez unlocks the secrets of a centuries- old masterpiece in glass, the East Window at York Minster - the largest medieval stained-glass window in the country
- StarsStephen SmithDavid TennantClarissa Dickson WrightWriter and broadcaster Stephen Smith finds out what it took to survive and prosper in the most artistic, decadent and dangerous royal courts in history: Richard II of England's Medieval Court; Renaissance Florence under the reign of Italy's Grand Duke Cosimo Medici; and the flamboyant Baroque court of France's Sun King, Louis XIV.
- DirectorSean DashStarsRobert HeadlandEdward HerrmannA history of human exploration in the Antarctic.
- DirectorNick Gillam-SmithStarsLucy WorsleyBeatrice BehlenShaun ColeToday, few people's clothes attract as much attention as the royal family, but this is not a modern-day paparazzi-inspired obsession. Historian Dr. Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces reveals that it has always been this way. Exploring the royal wardrobes of our kings and queens over the last four hundred years, Lucy shows this isn't just a public fascination, but an important and powerful message from the monarchs. From Elizabeth I to the present Queen Elizabeth II, Lucy explains how the royal wardrobe's significance goes far beyond the cut and color of the clothing. Royal fashion is, and has always been regarded as a very personal statement to reflect their power over the reign. Most kings and queens have carefully choreographed every aspect of their wardrobe; for those who have not, there have sometimes been calamitous consequences. As much today as in the past, royal fashion is as much about politics as it is about elegant attire.
- StarsPeter CoyoteHuy DucJames WillbanksA comprehensive history of the United States' involvement in the bitterly divisive armed conflict in Southeast Asia.
- StarsTom AsbridgeKate RaphaelKhader SalamehFrom its beginnings in 1096 until its final defeat in 1291, the Christian Crusaders fight intermittent battles against the Muslims for control of Jerusalem.
- DirectorRussell BarnesStarsWinston ChurchillAdolf HitlerDavid ReynoldsWhy did the Allies chose to fight the Axis in North Africa and Italy, when France presented the most direct gateway to Germany?
- DirectorRussell BarnesStarsDavid ReynoldsThis is an interesting documentary about Stalin, his rise to power, and the invasion of the USSR by Germany in WWII. It's split into two parts, the first a general overview of the early history. The second part is the details of WWII and after. David Reynolds does an excellent job of explaining what happened with snippets from diaries, letters and other contemporaneous accounts. Well-assembled historical work.
- StarsDavid ReynoldsThe legacy of World War I is examined in depth.
- StarsAndrew MarrPierre MaraisJoe VazAndrew Marr's History of the World is a 2012 BBC documentary television series presented by Andrew Marr that covers 70,000 years of world history from the beginning of human civilisation, as African nomadic peoples spread out around the world and settled down to become the first farmers, up to the twentieth century.