History Documentaries
Film and TV Documentaries on History
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- StarsTony RobinsonPaul Andrew HuttonThom HatchExploring the iconic figures of the Wild West, an investigator employs cutting-edge technology to unravel the authentic narratives behind the legends.
- StarsTony RobinsonJaega WiseNinya MikhailaThe actor and history enthusiast explores the history of Britain through the everyday lives of ordinary people during four periods of British history.
- StarsTony RobinsonJohn SentamuActor and history enthusiast Tony Robinson examines six monumental British cathedrals, their history and the treasures that they house.
- StarsTony RobinsonCatrine ClayMax HastingsIn this series Sir Tony Robinson, the history presenter and former Black Adder star, tells the story of the Great War. How it started, how it changed the world and how it finished with a 100 day flourish of military brilliance, which finally put an end to four years of incompetence and slaughter. With the aid of hundreds of amazing archived 3D images of the Great War which chronicle WW1 from start to finish and breathe new life into the story, Tony Robinson's World War 1 allows modern audiences to see the war in a completely new way. Robinson will also show how the Great War changed British people for generations to come - liberating large portions of the working class, powering the rise of the Labour party and breaking the old ties of service to the aristocracy. The series will begin with Robinson visiting a Berlin Kaiserpanorama show, where he will explain the stereoscope 3D process and uses it to show Europe (in 3D) before the war - a cultured and beautiful lost world.
- StarsTony RobinsonLittle Woodham VillagersPeter MarshallFrom kings to commoners, people believed that gods, witches, demons, and evil spirits were all indisputably real. In this series, Tony Robinson delves back through 2,000 years of history, exploring everything from the brutal human sacrifices of Iron Age Britain to the horrifying witch-hunts and exorcisms of the 16th, 17th centuries and beyond. See what dark corners of our history Tony unveils!
- StarsTony RobinsonIn this fascinating series Sir Tony Robinson journeys through time to uncover amazing, dramatic and bizarre stories from the past.
- StarsTony RobinsonTony Robinson brings his inquisitive storytelling approach to Australia's diverse suburbs and towns. His mission is to uncover the hidden history that lies behind, below and above the places we walk every day. In each episode we find a different postcode laden with stories. They're all established walks that tourists and locals frequently do, but Tony digs deeper to draw out the drama of the past. He'll roam through the streets and lane-ways; divulging the tales of crimes, recounting acts of bravery, notable characters and showdowns that have shaped the area.
- StarsTony RobinsonAndrew Wallace-HadrillRay LaurenceThe lives of Julius Caesar, Nero, and Caligula are examined.
- StarsTony RobinsonTo commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of WW2, Tony Robinson's Victory in Europe will use never-before-seen archives of 3D pictures to tell the story of the last days of the Nazi regime.
- DirectorRebecca JoyceTony Robinson's VE Day: Minute By Minute takes a unique look at a pivotal day in the history.
- StarsTony RobinsonTony Robinson walks our oldest roads to find the truth behind the megaliths, burial sites, ley lines and hidden caves along their path, and connect the clues they have left hidden in the British landscape.
- StarsTony RobinsonMichael HollandThe actor and television presenter embarks upon a 200-mile journey from source to sea to discover what makes the Thames one of the greatest rivers in the world.
- StarsTony RobinsonThe actor picks up a pebble from the beach at St Bees in Cumbria and sets off along the 192 mile Wainwright Coast to Coast Walk to deposit it on the beach at Robin Hood's Bay on the other side of the country exploring the area en-route.
- StarsTony RobinsonZac SpielvogelTony Robinson travels across Australia, giving an insight into the history of Australia.
- StarsTony Robinson
- CreatorTim TaylorStarsTony RobinsonPhil HardingJohn GaterA group of archaeologists have 3 days to discover historical artifacts in different sites around Britain.
- StarsMichael WoodTao Tao LiuFrank ChingMichael Wood embarks on a great historical adventure, exploring the stories, people and landscapes that have helped create China's distinctive character and genius over four thousand years.
- StarsMichael WoodMichael Wood argues that the most important and influential British kings were a father, son and grandson who lived over a thousand years ago during the age of the Vikings.
- StarsSean Cameron MichaelScot CooperPaul HampshireSeries looking at history through the eyes of ordinary people. Rulers and royals, lords and ladies have all had their say down the centuries, what were the last 1,600 years like for everyday Britons?
- StarsMichael WoodCarenza LewisChris DryerIn each episode, English historian Michael Woods's team sheds an original light on a major period in British history. However, instead of a merely descriptive approach, they attempt to report as if on the present and stress links with our age.
- DirectorDavid WallaceStarsMichael WoodMichael Wood explores village life in 14th century England, a time of plague, war and famine. Through the use of a remarkably complete set of documentary records, he explores one village - that of Codicote in Hertfordshire - looking at its boom times and its poorer times. Wood brings the period to life by focusing in on one family, that of the poor peasant Christina Cok, her father Hugh, her estranged husband William, and her children John and Alice. By looking at the poorest members of Codicote's society, Wood approaches his history from the bottom-up rather than taking the traditional historical approach of top-down, 'kings and barons' story-telling.
- StarsMichael WoodChris BailyMichael Wood visits places and interviews experts all over India to cover the great chapters of the subcontinent's history.
- StarsMichael WoodAdjoa AndohSasha BeharMichael Wood explores four of the world's most famous myths: Shangri-La, the Golden Fleece, the Queen of Sheba and King Arthur.
- StarsMichael WoodGregory DoranRay FearonMichael Wood tours the English locations important to William Shakespeare as he explores the playwright and poet's life and work.
- StarsMichael WoodAndreas BirnbaumPeter BieringerThis documentary tells the story of the Spanish expeditions in the early sixteenth century that conquests America. This 4-part series Michael Wood (historian) travels in the footsteps of the Spanish expeditions of Hernán Cortés whose conquests was one of the most cataclysmic events in Modern American history.
- DirectorTilman RemmeStarsMichael Wood
- StarsMichael WoodDocumentary series retracing the journey of Alexander the Great across sixteen countries.
- DirectorChristopher JeansStarsMichael Wood
- StarsMichael WoodWhat can the past teach us about the present? Come along as charismatic historian Michael Wood (The Story of India) travels the globe to trace the origins of six great civilizations: Iraq, India, China, Egypt, Central America, and Western Europe. Each journey offers surprising perspectives on questions that matter today-about the environment, the individual, society, and spirituality.
- DirectorGerry TroynaStarsMichael Wood
- StarsMichael WoodJohn ChadwickColin RenfrewOver six hour-long programs, Michael Wood marshals the disparate strands of evidence to present as fully rounded a portrait as possible of both the historical and the legendary city of Troy, its central place in Western culture, and the Mycenaean Age itself. From Schliemann's initial cavalier bulldozing of the mound at Hisarlik, to Homer's epics, the Hittite Empire, and the role of slave women, Wood journeys back and forth across the Aegean and elsewhere, from a pre-unification Berlin to Liverpool, to illuminate the dawn of Western literature, myth, and history. Did the Trojan war ever happen, or was the city destroyed by natural causes? Wood doesn't claim to find a definitive answer, of course, but for the viewer it's rewarding enough simply to accompany him on this fascinating journey.
- StarsMichael Wood
- StarsMichael Wood
- DirectorMichael WoodsStarsMichael WoodThe lost history of Eric Bloodaxe, the last king of Northumbria, is traced through written fragments and other historical evidence.
- StarsSusan PierceMichael WoodImpassioned documentary by Michael Wood, exploring the achievements of Athelstan, the first king of England, and grandson of Alfred the Great, enhanced by a late 70's - early 80's soundtrack.
- StarsDavid HillDavid HintonPhil HoldsworthThe only British monarch bestowed with the superlative of Great ruled during the age of the Vikings. This short documentary sheds new light on the legacy of the king who created England.
- StarsMichael Wood
- StarsMichael Wood
- DirectorDerek TowersStarsDavid HillBob MeesonRon ShusnikMost traces of Mercian King Offa have vanished since his rule in the mid-8th Century, leaving little more than some coins and remnants of a dyke he built as a barrier along the Welsh marches. Michael Wood attempts to find other traces.
- DirectorDemos PanagiotakisStarsNeil OliverThe Story of St Andrew narrated by Neil Oliver
- StarsNeil OliverNathan Laudrup CraigCatriona Lexy CampbellFrom the Stuart fall to Bonnie Prince Charlie's rise, the clans face civil war, betrayal by Rob Roy MacGregor, and a new king's challenge, amidst blood and treachery, testing their survival.
- StarsNeil OliverDarren MitchellHannah YoungScotland's ancient clans are renowned as some of the most legendary warriors in history - fierce tribes forged by the country's wild mountains and glens. This is their thrilling story of heroism and villainy, featuring Scotland's most iconic characters - from Robert the Bruce to Mary, Queen of Scots. Find out how the united clans defeated Europe's greatest military power to claim Scottish independence, and how they used their influence to topple rulers and change the course of history. This is the real-life Scottish game of thrones: an epic struggle for power, told from the point of view of the feuding clans.
- DirectorIan LilleyStarsNeil OliverIn this documentary, archaeologist and historian Neil Oliver examines racism in the Deep South and the Scots who first occupied it who influenced where we are today. Oliver travels to the south and speaks with many people and researchers to discuss the Klans history in Southern United States.
- StarsJim AmbuskeMarjory HarperJim HunterThe story of the 1773 highland migrants who left Scotland to settle in Nova Scotia.
- 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.
- DirectorIan LilleyStarsNeil OliverScotland has exported many great things to the rest of the world, and people like Neil Oliver have often celebrated the disproportionate impact of its ideas and energy on places like America. The role of Scots in shaping the concept of the American Dream is a story often told, but could Scottish settlers have also had a hand in America's racist nightmare? Neil Oliver travels over 2,000 miles to examine links between racism today in the Deep South and the Scottish settlers that first occupied it. Throughout the 18th century, hundreds of thousands of Scots emigrated to America, and some believe that it was their wariness and moral certainty that significantly shaped the south into an isolated, fearful society that easily took to slave-owning when the opportunity came. Walter Scott, the creator of a romantic vision of the 'Old Country' is blamed for reinforcing their fantasy world of Georgian gentility. When that world was threatened, the southern states opted for civil war rather than give it up. After the devastating war, attitudes in the south were hardened by defeat and fear of the now-freed slaves. When six Scottish-American former Confederate officers formed a fraternal society, clan turned to Klan. The oldest and most feared racist hate group in America - the Ku Klux Klan - was born. Now, well over 800 hate groups stalk the United States, and Neil finishes his journey by visiting the Neo-Confederate League of the South. The League advocates a return to a separate southern society run by what they call 'Anglo Celts', and Neil discovers that here Scottishness still abides and that attitudes don't seem to have changed much in the last 200-300 years.
- 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.
- DirectorIan LilleyStarsNeil OliverMat UreySteve PearsonNeil Oliver describes the worst ever railway accident in the UK, which happened a hundred years ago on 22 May 1915, in which three trains collided at Quintinshill near Gretna Green. One of the trains was a troop train taking soldiers to fight in World War I at the Battle of Gallipoli: many of the dead were in this train which caught fire due to escaped gas from the archaic gas lighting in the carriages. The cause of the crash was attributed to a catastrophic signalman's error, but Neil examines whether there were other contributory factors and whether there was a cover-up to prevent investigation of them, making convenient scapegoats of the signalmen.
- DirectorAndy TwaddleStarsNeil OliverThe development of the Maxim machine gun and its effects on a remote Highland community.
- StarsIoan GruffuddMichael PortilloHelen MirrenSeries about the 2000 years tumultuous history of Britain. Seven part series with a Journey from the Roman invasion to the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953.
- 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.
- DirectorRobin DashwoodStarsNeil OliverNeil Oliver is given exclusive access to a team of historians and scientists investigating the final resting place of Alfred the Great. Alfred's bones have been moved so many times over the centuries that many people concluded that they were lost forever. Following a trail that goes back over a thousand years, the team wants to unravel the mystery of Alfred's remains.
- StarsNeil OliverRonald HuttonJane DownesAt the edge of Europe, the British Isles is home to one of the world's richest collections of sacred sites. With stunning photography, Sacred Wonders of Britain tells stories of the landmarks that have attracted visitors not just today, but for thousands of years; from the Orkneys to Canterbury, and Stonehenge to Glastonbury. Exploring major new discoveries about what our ancestors believed, this illuminating series reveals how these ancient people's view of the sacred meets our own today.
- 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.
- 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.
- StarsNeil OliverSimon TaitLee StetsonArchaeologist and writer Neil Oliver presents a series on the golden age of exploration, charting the routes of contact that drew together the farthest reaches of the world. Neil Oliver follows in the footsteps of four Scottish explorers who planted ideas rather than flags - ideas that shaped the modern world we know today.
- 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.
- StarsNeil OliverScott GlynnJames FlemingA documentary charting the birth and growth of the Scottish nation.
- DirectorPaul ElstonStarsNeil OliverPrudence JonesStanley BursteinCleopatra. The most famous woman of antiquity. We remember her as a beautiful femme fatale who used her sexuality as a weapon to seduce two of the most powerful men in the ancient world. But there was a darker side to her. One that was forgotten for 2000 years-until now.
- DirectorTim KirbyStarsDavid Olusoga
- DirectorTim KirbyStarsSarah O'ConnorAnthony BryanJudy GriffithThe "hostile environment" of the Windrush Scandal isn't the first time the British Caribbean community has had to fight to be seen as British.
- 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.
- StarsDavid OlusogaDocuments the history of Black people in Britain and its colonies, starting with those who arrived as part of the Roman occupation, and relates that history to modern Black British identity.
- StarsKaren BrysonDavid HarewoodMary ElliottAn exploration of how slavery has underpinned world history.
- StarsDavid OlusogaSteven JohnsonExplore the science and medical innovations that conquered some of the world's deadliest diseases and doubled life expectations for many across the globe
- StarsAlice RobertsVanessa CollingridgeSaul DavidUsing archive footage from the long-running Timewatch series and the BBC in general, the televised evolution of a particular subject is examined each time.
- StarsDavid OlusogaTwo-part documentary looking at the abolition of slavery in Britain and the extraordinary choice by the government of the day to compensate slave owners for their loss of 'property'.
- DirectorMatt CottinghamBen CrichtonStarsDavid OlusogaSam MartinezVictor BrownSome of the last surviving Caribbean veterans tell their extraordinary WWII wartime stories.
- StarsLeo WringerSantanu DasGeoff BridgerBritish historian David Olusoga, along with other historians, narrates the story of millions of Indian, African and Asian troops who fought and died alongside French and British troops to help win the war against Germany, Austro-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.
- StarsDan SnowKyle Jon ShephardChristopher WillsA series of short films offering a fresh perspective on some of the most fascinating aspects of WWI, shining a light on the real experience and answering key questions.
- DirectorSouthan MorrisStarsMelvyn BraggAsh AtallaDavid AttenboroughOn the 50th anniversary of BBC2 being the first ever channel to regularly broadcast in colour, Melvyn Bragg and guests look at the history of the box in the corner of the room, and how that indeed has changed our history.
- StarsSimon SchamaPiotr AnderszewskiHarriet WalterHistorian Simon Schama explores the enduring and powerful legacy that the Romantics have left on the modern world.
- StarsSimon SchamaNorman LebrechtA historical documentary tracing the Jewish experience from ancient to modern times, presented by Simon Schama and based on his book of the same name.
- StarsSimon SchamaHarriet WalterPeter De JerseySimon Schama explores the life and times of William Shakespeare to shed a new light on some of the greatest plays ever written.
- DirectorClare BeavanStarsJohn CareySimon SchamaFiona Shaw
- StarsSimon SchamaRaphael G. WarnockNita GonzalezTo coincide with the US elections of 2008 comes this refreshing antidote to the whir of sensationalist spin and scandal, measuring up to the seriousness of the moment without diluting the excitement of campaign politics. After 9/11, Katrina, Enron and Baghdad, the robustness of American optimism is struggling to reassert itself against the sobering reality of military frustration and domestic anxieties. This is an America grappling with an un-American sense of its own limits. This series offers a timely and gripping vision of the United States - past and present - facing its moment of truth.
- DirectorSteve CondieStarsJulien BallStephen Campbell MooreNiall MacgregorSimon Schama's Rough Crossings movie was released Jan 20, 2009 by the Warner Home Video studio. One of American history's most unknown chapters is told in this BBC documentary: the stories of slaves who fled to the British side during the American Revolution. Simon Schama's Rough Crossings movie Historian Simon Schama hosts this intriguing program that follows the odyssey of two slaves, Thomas Peters and David George, who earned their freedom--with heavy irony--fighting against America's war of liberty.
- StarsSimon SchamaAllan CordunerPaul PopplewellFocusing on eight iconic works of art, Power of Art reveals the history of visual imagination through the ages.
- CreatorStephen FitzmeyerHenry HamptonStarsDavid McCulloughDavid Ogden StiersMichael MurphyA series showcasing documentaries on American history.
- StarsSimon SchamaMichael KitchenSamuel WestA comprehensive historical survey of the British Isles.
- StarsHoward JacobsonRachel GriffithsBarry HumphriesBooker Prize winner Howard Jacobson traces the footsteps of Germaine Greer, Barry Humphries, Clive James and Robert Hughes arguing these Australian giants didn't just join the cultural revolution in the 60s, they led it.
- StarsVeronika HyksTamsin GreigKim NewmanSeries looking at changes in British society, employing archive footage from the BBC and other sources.
- DirectorDavid GrubinStarsPhilippe AltierAntoine de BaecqueCaroline BernardOne of the most controversial monarchs in history, the queen thrives in the Austro-Hungarian Empire; Blair Brown narrates.
- StarsSimon Russell BealeBill PatersonSimon SchamaDocumentary series with each episode focusing on the work of a different historian from the past (Carlyle, Gibbon, Macauley); actors in modern dress delivered their words to the camera, making them seem like a contemporary presenter.
- StarsMelvyn BraggPaul CartledgeCarolin CrawfordIn Our Time is a podcast, starting in 2011, that explores a wide variety of historical topics through interviews with academics and scholars. It is presented by Melvyn Bragg and is broadcast weekly throughout the year. It features topics in history, philosophy, psychology, economics, and a variety of other disciplines.
- DirectorJohn Hayes FisherStarsJeremy PaxmanLouise BakerBoris JohnsonOn the 50th anniversary of Winston Churchill's death, Jeremy Paxman tells the story of his state funeral and examines whether Churchill's immense legacy still has resonance today.
- 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.
- StarsJeremy PaxmanIan MaineAlasdair BruceJeremy Paxman, presenter of the BBC's current affairs program Newsnight examines the life and times of the Victorian era. In the first program he focuses on the styles of Victorian artists and their stark contrast between the dreams and nightmares of the age. Victorian artists painted cozy, opulent interiors of domestic happiness without any of the hardships of the poor. Many artists however rebelled against this in the mid Victorian era and painted what happened was happening to the unfortunates and the destitute and depict the dark, lingering fears and anxieties that threatened too destroy the calm of home which the Victorians had insulated themselves with.
- DirectorMike ConnollyStarsJohn DeLoreanJeremy PaxmanChris HegedusJohn Z DeLorean's extraordinary Life and how he build a car of the future in Northern Ireland in 1980s.
- StarsJeremy PaxmanGyles BrandrethIngrid SewardTwo-part documentary in which Jeremy Paxman examines the lives and roles of the Queen's children - looking at their changing relationship with the British public over the past 60 years.
- DirectorDavid ShulmanStarsBrenda EmmanusJeremy PaxmanIf there were an olympic league table for design, Britain would be right at the top. Since the Second World War, British designers have revolutionised our homes, our workplaces, our roads and our public institutions. In November the Design Museum opens its new £83m home in Kensington. To mark this great moment for British design, BBC Arts profiles ten great living British designers. Arts reporter Brenda Emmanus meets and profiles our 'Top 10', to find out what inspires them to make such phenomenal objects. She reveals how designers have responded to society's evolving tastes, from the brash 60s modernism of Margaret Calvert's road signs through to the colourful technology of Rick Dickinson's ZX Spectrum. She also meets Britain's most prolific designer, Sir Kenneth Grange (Intercity 125, bus shelters, the Kenwood Chef...), as well as Andrew Ritchie, who gave the world the Brompton Bike.
- DirectorJack MacinnesStarsJeremy PaxmanBernadette MurphyJeremy Paxman joins forces with 'art sleuth' Bernadette Murphy to try and solve one of the greatest and bloodiest mysteries of the art world - why Vincent Van Gogh cut off his own ear in December 1888?
- StarsJeremy PaxmanJulian FellowesAngela HartnettTo commemorate the centennial of the horrific event, this four part documentary mini-series presented by host Jeremy Paxman explains how Britain faced the horror that was World War One and how the country profoundly changed in the process.
- DirectorMatt CainStarsJer BulsaraKashmira CookeRoger Taylor
- StarsMelvyn BraggRoger MooreMichael GradeThe Story of ITV: The People's Channel looks at the network's 50 year history and talks to many of the players, celebrities and key executives who helped shape Britain's most popular commercial channel.
- StarsMatt LucasSamira AhmedMatthew SweetClips from 1970s television are reflected on as an exploration of changing societal mores. Among those watching the clips are those who made the content, those who watched it, and those who were too young to have seen it.
- StarsMelvyn Bragg
- StarsMelvyn BraggLes DennisDerek MartinMelvyn Bragg takes a restored 1967 Bedford mobile cinema around the country, showing excerpts from historical documentary films that record British life. It includes interviews with people who lived through the times and, in some cases, are featured in the films.