Scorched Earth

The Last Days of Anne Boleyn

May 2013 •English

Writers and historians including Hilary Mantel and Philippa Gregory revisit the last days of Anne Boleyn, who in 1536 became the first queen in British history to be executed.

Victoria & Albert: The Royal Wedding

December 2018 •English

Historian Lucy Worsley restages the 1840 wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Aided by a team of experts, Worsley recreates the most important elements of the ceremony and the celebrations, scouring history books, archives, newspapers and Queen Victoria's diaries for the details. She reveals how every moment was brilliantly stage-managed for maximum effect. Woven into the recreation of the wedding day is the story of Victoria and Albert's courtship and engagement, and its political importance.

Love and Betrayal in India: The White Mughal

September 2015 •English

Historian William Dalrymple travels to Hyderabad in India to explore the remarkable 18th-century love affair between a British diplomat and the Muslim princess he married. Tensions ran high when an Englishman fell for a Mughal ruler's daughter.

Lucy Worsley's Royal Palace Secrets

September 2020 •English

Chief curator of historic royal palaces Lucy Worsley provides an exclusive tour of London’s most extraordinary palaces: the Tower of London, Hampton Court, and Kensington Palace.

The Queen

April 2016 •German

Clarissa & the King's Cookbook

March 2008 •English

Clarissa Dickson Wright tracks down Britain's oldest known cookbook, The Forme of Cury. This 700-year-old scroll was written during the reign of King Richard II from recipes created by the king's master chefs. How did this ancient manuscript influence the way people eat today? On her culinary journey through medieval history she reawakens recipes that have lain dormant for centuries and discovers dishes that are still prepared now.

The Bloody Border

August 2020 •German

The painful story of Ireland and the Irish people, who struggled for centuries to free themselves from the tyrannical clutches of the British Empire; an epic tale of poverty, hunger, despair, violence and unyielding courage.

Royal Babylon: The Criminal Record of the British Monarchy

July 2012 •English

A video polemic, based on Heathcote Williams' investigative poem 'Royal Babylon: The Criminal Record of the British Monarchy' - every film a crime. The collective at Handsome Dog have used the best of new media to present a video polemic based on Heathcote William's investigative poem "Royal Babylon: The Criminal Record of the British Monarchy". Sixteen short films have been made the chronicle the crimes of the Royal Family and their ancestors: RB intro, Killing an Ibis, Mad Monarchs, Michael X, Harry Trouble, I Danced with a Man, Foot in Mouth, Folk on the Hill, Knight Hoods, Milton Gas, Swift Justice, Raj Doubt, Gaunt etc., Koh i Noor, Paine and Thoth, Blake Acres Zappa, Glitter Freeze. Written by Margaret Cox

Land of Tradition

January 1950 •English

This Traveltalk series short visits an array of locations associated with England's heritage. Included are Runnymede, Windsor, Ascot, Lincoln, Wells, Salisbury, Glastonbury, and the ancient Stonehenge site.

Prince Philip: The Plot to Make a King

April 2016 •English

Documentary telling the inside story of the plans by Louis Mountbatten to maneuver his nephew and heir to the Greek throne, Philip, into marrying the future queen Princess Elizabeth and the tensions that that unleashed.

Adolf Island

June 2019 •English

Caroline Sturdy Colls, a world leader in the forensic investigation of Nazi crime scenes, is chasing clues to an unsolved case: a concentration camp that existed on the British island of Alderney. Witnesses and survivors claimed that thousands died there, but only 389 bodies have ever been found. Under heavy restrictions imposed by the local government, which may not want its buried secrets revealed, Colls must uncover the truth using revolutionary techniques and technologies.

The Unwanted: The Secret Windrush Files

June 2019 •English

David Olusoga opens secret government files to show how the Windrush scandal and the ‘hostile environment’ for black British immigrants has been 70 years in the making.

Tales from the Royal Wardrobe

July 2014 •English

Today, 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.

Tales from the Royal Bedchamber

August 2013 •English

Lucy 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.

Richard III: The Unseen Story

February 2013 •English

In this special follow-up programme, the only television team with access to the dig and the scientific tests on the skeleton uses unseen footage and conducts two days of additional interviews to tell this extraordinary forensic detective story in even greater scientific and archaeological detail.

Sheene

March 2023 •English

This documentary from BT Sport Films celebrates the life of two-time world champion biker Barry Sheene, paying homage to his trailblazing career.

General Buller Embarking on the 'Dunottar Castle' at Southampton

November 1899 •English

Watched by crowds, Sir Redvers Buller, Lady Buller, the Mayor of Southampton and others walk along the gangway leading to the ship towards the camera. Sir Redvers pauses to be introduced to one of the ship's officers before embarking. According to BFI programme notes, the filmmaker William K.L. Dickson can be seen bottom left, attempting to introduce himself to General Buller as he passes. Film companies were in competition to film reportage of the Boer War and Dickson was one of those filmmakers keen to do so.

The 'Roslin Castle' (Troopship) Leaving for South Africa

November 1899 •English

Spectators on the quayside at Southampton wave farewell as the crowded troopship Roslin Castle moves away to the right of the picture. Large numbers of troops on board wave back to loved ones and the crowd including thr 2nd Battaliion West Yorkshires. Date: 20th October 1899.

Scenes on Mr. Smit's Ostrich Farm

November 1900 •English

Scenes on an ostrich farm, filmed in Natal during the Boer War.

In Jane Austen's Footsteps with Gyles Brandreth

June 2021 •English

Broadcaster Gyles Brandreth travels to the West Yorkshire moors, known as "Bronte Country". It is an area that shaped the Bronte sisters, and they have, in turn, helped shape it. He explores some of the influences on their writing.