Best British history series

A show of heroic deeds and epic battles with a thematic depth that embraces politics, religion, warfare, courage, love, loyalty and our universal search for identity. Combining real historical figures and events with fictional characters, it is the story of how a people combined their strength under one of the most iconic kings of history in order to reclaim their land for themselves and build a place they call home.

The Doctor and his companion travel across time and space encountering incredible friends and foes.

Landmark mockumentary-maker Philomena Cunk traces the history of Britain and Earth.

An epic drama set in 43AD as the Roman Imperial Army – determined and terrified in equal measure - returns to crush the Celtic heart of Britannia - a mysterious land ruled by warrior women and powerful druids who can channel the powerful forces of the underworld. Or so they say.

Count Alexander Rostov finds himself going from riches to rags following the Russian revolution. A Soviet tribunal banishes him to the attic room of an opulent hotel, where, oblivious to the world outside, he discovers the true value of friendship, family and love.

A rich story of love, intrigue, betrayal and belonging told from the perspective of the Trojan royal family at the heart of the siege of Troy.

In 17th century England, Mary Villiers molds her beautiful son, George, to seduce King James I, intending to gain riches and influence through outrageous schemes.

A series of British television films featuring William Shakespeare's History Plays.

What it felt like to live through the collapse of communism and democracy. A series of films by Adam Curtis.

With unique personal archive from civilians and soldiers from both sides of the conflict, this series takes viewers closer to the realities of war and life under Isis than they have ever been before.

Covers the 1941 Japanese military strike on a Hawaiian naval base in never before seen detail.

The naturalist visits uncharted territory in pursuit of new discoveries. Steve Backshall takes on physical challenges, encounters extraordinary wildlife and meets remarkable people.

As told through clips from 183 female directors, this epic history of the cinema focuses on women’s integral role in the development of film art. Using almost a thousand film extracts from thirteen decades and five continents, Mark Cousins asks how films are made, shot and edited; how stories are shaped and how movies depict life, love, politics, humour and death, all through the compelling lens of some of the world’s greatest filmmakers – all of them women.

Simon Reeve sets off on an extraordinary adventure across Australia. This mad adventure, involving specially adapted off-road vehicles and a chopper, is part of an ongoing effort to stop the damaging spread of up to a million feral camels across the country.

This is the story of a power struggle between two men - one fictional, and one real. In one corner is the master of crime – the greatest detective who never lived, Sherlock Holmes. In the other is writer, physician and spiritualist leader Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Lucy Worsley explores the extraordinary love-hate relationship between author and creation.

The nation’s favourite travel companion, Dame Joanna Lumley, is on an adventure to three of the world’s greatest cities, Berlin, Paris and Rome, for this brand-new ITV documentary series.

It spans over 5,000 years of history that have shaped the world. It is full of spectacular sites and epic stories and an evolving society of inventors, heroes, heroines, villains, artisans and pioneers. Professor Joann Fletcher reveals the highs and lows of the most beguiling civilisation in humanity’s rich history in this four-part series made for BBC2.

A murder that obsessed the nation, and a disappearance that's mystified police for 50 years. Is the son of victim Sandra Rivett about to solve the case of the fugitive aristocrat?

Paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi reveals humanity's incredible story across 300,000 years of human evolution – and how the story is stranger and more surprising than ever imagined.

Empire is a major five-part series presented by Jeremy Paxman. It tells the story of the British Empire in a new way, tracing not only the rise and fall of the empire but also the complex effects of the empire on the modern world – political, technological and social – and on Britain.

Guy joins an ambitious bid to lift a lost Lancaster bomber off the bottom of a Dutch lake.

Three-part documentary about the sinking of the Spanish Armada, featuring dramatic reconstructions and information gleaned from recently recovered documents. Dan Snow takes to the sea to tell the story of how England came within a whisker of disaster in summer 1588.

Carrying nearly five million passengers per day, the London Tube is one of the world's oldest and busiest metro systems in the world. Today the Tube is undergoing a complete overhaul that is long overdue. Take a behind the scenes look into the daily lives of drivers, emergency personnel, operations managers, and many others among the near twenty thousand employees of this massive rail system, as they navigate the evolution of the London Tube.

From space, the US appears to be an immense single land mass hemmed between the planet's two greatest oceans. Look a little closer, however, and you notice something else. All around its coastline floats a gauntlet of countless islands.

It was the defining moment of the 20th Century – the scientific, technological, military, and political gamble of the world’s first atomic attack. This drama-documentary attempts to do what no other film has done before – to show what it is like to live through a nuclear explosion, millisecond by millisecond. Set in the three weeks from the first test explosion in New Mexico to the eventual dropping of the bomb, the action takes viewers into the room where the crucial political decisions are made; on board the Enola Gay on her fateful voyage; inside the bomb as it explodes; and on the streets of Hiroshima when disaster strikes. Parallel storylines interweave, unfolding the action from both US and Japanese perspectives, and revealing the tensions and conflicts in the actions and minds of people who were making history. Special effects recreate the reality of the mission – even going inside the workings of the bomb – and archive film replays the horrific aftermath.

Bettany Hughes take viewers on armchair travels to explore household-name treasures and new finds from across the world.

The story of NASA's Space Shuttle program, from its very first test flight to its final mission.

Heroes and Villains was a 2007-2008 BBC Television docudrama series looking at key moments in the lives and reputations of some of the greatest warriors of history. Each hour long episode featured a different historical figure, including Napoleon I of France, Attila the Hun, Spartacus, Hernán Cortés, Richard I of England, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. The statements at the beginning of each episode read: "This film depicts real events and real characters. It is based on the accounts of writers of the time. It has been written with the advice of modern historians." In the United States the show is aired on The Military Channel and was called "Warriors".

Documentary series which uses film and eyewitness accounts from both sides of the conflict that divided Spain in the years leading up to World War Two, also placing it in its international context.

Treasures of Ancient Rome is a 2012 three-part documentary written and presented by Alastair Sooke. The series was produced by the BBC, and originally aired in September 2012 on BBC Four. In the documentary Sooke sets out to "debunk the myth that Romans didn't do art and were unoriginal". This is based on the view that Romans heavily incorporated Greek style in their art, and hence produced nothing new or original. Sooke has received some criticism from the media owing to the fact that there is no consensus among academics on this topic, and hence no 'myth' exists in the first place.

An affectionate look at life in 1970s Britain - the news, fads, fashions, music and more.

As April 2015 marked the 70th anniversary of the death of Adolf Hitler, this documentary investigates the before, during and final days of the most terrifying dictator of the western world. The three-part series features rare archive footage and expert analysis from Sir Richard Evans, Regius Professor of History at the University of Cambridge; Martin Kemp, Emeritus Professor of the History of Art, Oxford University; and Nicolas O’Shaugnessy, Professor of Communication at Queen Mary, University of London.

Architectural salvage expert Drew Pritchard looks back at the most eccentric characters, the hardest hagglers and the most extraordinary places he's hunted for antique treasure. Drew gives us the inside track on his wheeling and dealing, the stories behind his picks, as well as top tips about salvaging and how to get the best deals.

Documentary about the three different orders of Crusader knights from 1000 AD to 1500 AD

Former Special Forces soldier Ant Middleton invites pop star Liam Payne to take part in the journey - and interview - of a lifetime in Namibia.

Following one of the few women in Britain to helm an auction house, Irita Marriott. The series follows her as she builds her business in south Derbyshire, helping vendors make money from unwanted items.

Egypt's Cosmic Code charts Bradley Walsh's first trip to Egypt in search of answers to some of Ancient History's biggest mysteries - who built the pyramids, why and how? Could Ancient Egyptians have supernatural abilities, and is the Great Sphinx much older than we think? This three-part series sees Bradley fulfil a lifetime’s ambition to visit the monuments of Ancient Egypt and try to understand how it could have been possible to produce such 'wonders of the ancient world' 4,500 years ago. Apprenticed to Rolls Royce long before he embarked on his stellar TV career, Bradley has had an enduring fascination with ancient engineering and with the idea that the construction feats of our ancient forebears could only have been possible with the participation of some 'other worldly' or extraterrestrial influence.

Professor Catharine Edwards explores the dramatic story of the women who tasted power in the Roman Empire.

A new collection of rare and unseen footage of World War II and the very latest colorization techniques come together in World War II In HD Colour. With satellite-delivered terrain mapping and state-of-the-art graphics, this new series reveals the epic conflict of the 20th century in a fresh light. Narrated by English actor Robert Powell, World War II In HD Colour is a vivid, in-depth experience that provides viewers with new insights and information. Newly divulged documents, files and photographs, code breaking revelations, and recently released government papers on both sides of the Atlantic add a different dimension to our understanding of the strategies and battles of World War II.

The War of the Century: When Hitler Fought Stalin, is a BBC documentary film series that examines Adolf Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 and the no-holds-barred war on both sides. It not only examines the war but also the terror inside the Soviet Union at the time due to the paranoia of Joseph Stalin - the revenge atrocities, the Great Purge of army officers, the near-lunacy orders, and the paranoia of being upstaged by others, especially Marshal Zhukov. The historical adviser is Ian Kershaw.

Series using the Rank Organisation's "Look at Life" documentary shorts to examine British society during the 1960s.

Michael Portillo examines the role of the railways in World War I and travels through Britain and Europe uncovering stories from the Great War.

An exploration of the history of bohemians - weird and wonderful artists and writers who have chosen to defy convention, from radical romantics to sandal-wearing vegetarians and sexual-experimenters.

How four iconic British-built trains revolutionised rail travel and inspired incredible railway projects the world over.

Eight-part history of the Christian faith, looking at its origins, development and turbulent past. High-profile British personalities examine a religion that has particular resonance for them.

British show about possible x-files style stories.

British show about possible x-files style stories.

Vera Atkins' files were kept sealed until after she died, but the story of the female spies and the spy-mistress who led them, which has remained secret for over 50 years, can now be revealed.

Griff Rhys Jones hosts a comedy panel show providing alternative perspectives of our past.

The long and storied history of the French warrior monks who fought in the Crusades, formed a powerful banking empire in Europe and collapsed under the weight of rumors that they had captured both the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant.

Programmes to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

Dan Cruickshank and Charlie Luxton uncover the incredible hidden stories behind historic buildings as they are dismantled brick by brick and meticulously resurrected in new locations.

Dan Snow is taking on a massive challenge, recreating the first ever exploration of the mighty Colorado River.

A group of history experts from London's King's College has created this documentary series that tries to assess the key political figures of WWII.

Human beings throughout the Twentieth Century have experienced the most amazing Action Adventures . On the one hand they have attempted certain exploits with mixed results, on the other epic events have proved beyond their control. In both cases, humanity has had to summon up enormous resources of ingenuity and fortitude to control circumstances, events and the environment. In some cases people have found themselves struggling against their own kind and in other cases against the elements which have resulted in an interaction which has produced Great Adventures. Whether discovering hitherto unknown tombs of kings or fighting globally for a ideal or just simply surviving - here in this series you will find the stories on which every action adventure film ever made was based - the only exception is that these stories were filmed at the time and are true. Since the dawn of the age of moving film it has been possible to capture some of humanity’s greatest achievements. This series is concerned with those adventures where footage exists of the successes, the strivings and in some cases the failures of people against the elements or overwhelming odds. It covers the way in which the two greatest oceans were conquered by air transportation. How the secrets of antiquity were unlocked - sometimes with deadly results. How expeditions have reached the extremities of the Earth in polar exploration and the mountains. How man has grappled with the elements of ocean, fire and flood - and in the ultimate adventure - the frontiers of space. During the brief time on this planet which has been possible to film, humanity has found itself locked several times in global conflict. This has produced heroes of the hour whose adventures stand as definitive factual stories seldom matched in the annals of fiction. The adventures of Lawrence of Arabia; the sinking of the Bismarck; JFK and the Motor Torpedo Boats; the quest for speed in the air, on land and on water; the race to the so

See the sparks of today's conflicts in yesterday's explosive wars. ITN British News cameras capture military tactics and warfare that is frighteningly relevant today.

With the 00s now firmly in our rear view mirror, the decade is ripe for re-evaluation. From 9/11 to the financial crisis, the decade shows not only a period of turmoil in the United States but its also a golden age when the Internet hadnt been colonized by corporations, when social media was still young and fresh and when it was easy to make money.

Chris Packham introduces a classic documentary from the BBC's archive, which takes a look at the worst winter of the 20th century in 1963. He also explores what we now know about how this big freeze affected Britain's wildlife, and how it would cope if we experienced another equally bad winter.

In a unique experiment, Dallas Campbell, Professor Danielle George and Dr Hugh Hunt join forces in an attempt to restage the very first official broadcast on British television, exactly 80 years after it made history.

Anthropologist and author Richard Rudgley sets off on an epic journey back in time and around the world to discover the real roots of civilization.

Archaeologists are making new discoveries about life during the glory days of the Roman Empire.

A group of twenty-first-century crafters move in to a late-1800s Victorian Arts and Crafts commune in the Welsh hills to renovate four of the key rooms in the house. Presented by Anita Rani.