Early Modern Britain

05: The Battle of Naseby | Battlefield Britain

Peter and Dan Snow take an in-depth look at the battles that shaped our nation using state-of-the-art graphics. They go back t...

The Making of the United Kingdom: 04: Oliver Cromwell: Hero or Villain? | History File

A look at the career of Cromwell, plus an analysis of how different interpretations of...

00: Learning Zone | Fit to Rule: How Royal Illness Changed History

Lucy Worsley presents six films about the mental and physical health of our past monarchs, covering Henry ...

S02E01: The British Wars | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama looks beyond the romantic stories of Cavaliers and Roundheads to the real story of the English C...

S01E11: HHTV News: English Civil War | Horrible Histories

The English Civil War breaks out.

Oliver Cromwell: Warts and All

Charles I has been executed and an East Anglian farmer is about to become leader of all England. Using drama and documentary this film tells t...

Cromwell (1970)

Epic retelling of the clash between two great historical figures in the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the enigmatic, forceful Charles I fought in ca...

S02E02: The Gunpowder Plot | Lucy Worsley Investigates

On 5 November 1605, a group of conspirators planned to blow up parliament. Lucy Worsley investigates the Gunpowder Plo...

S10E03: Witchfinder General | Secret History

Documentary account, drawn from court records and testimonies, of how Matthew Hopkins and John Stern convicted hundreds of men, ...

S01E04: War | The Battle for Britain's Soul

This edition looks at the English Civil War and how much it was a war of conflicting religious beliefs.

01: The Making of Britain | Union with David Olusoga

David Olusoga tells the story of attempts to form a united Britain in the 17th and early 18th centuries, a period define...

04: Cromwell | Great Britons (2002)

Monarchist and military historian Richard Holmes proposes Oliver Cromwell, the reluctant republican and revolutionary who helped establis...

04: Age of Revolution | Seven Ages of Britain

In the 17th century the people of Britain learned to question everything, resulting in the Civil War.

S02E02: Revolutions | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Featuring the revolutionary period in Britain after the execution of Charles I, from Cromwell's iron rule to Charl...

S02E03: Battle of Naseby | War Walks

Richard Holmes visits Britain's historical sites. He travels to Naseby, where, in 1645, King Charles I lost the decisive battle of the E...

S03E01: The Return of the King | Monarchy By David Starkey

The remarkable story of King Charles II, who secured the restoration of the English monarchy in 1660.

Charles is Executed | Charles I's Treasure Reunited

Brenda Emmanus discusses the execution of Charles I.

03: The Final Showdown | Charles I: Downfall of a King

Having failed to bring round Pym, Charles accuses the 'Five Members' of high treason and marches on Westminster.

03: The Cromwell: New Model Englishman | Plague, Fire, War and Treason

How did this non-descript East Anglian gentleman emerge from the Fens to prove himself a military geni...

Newspaper | Charles I: Downfall of a King

29th November 1641 marks the date of the first English political news sheet, which gave everyone access to political news.

Episode 1 | Elizabeth I's Secret Agents

A look at the world's first secret service. When the pope declares Queen Elizabeth I a heretic, spymaster William Cecil must stop the...

S01E01: The Reformation | Royal History's Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley

Lucy Worsley discovers how the history of the English Reformation has been manipulated and mythologi...

S01E06: Burning Convictions | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama tells the story of the Reformation, from Henry VIII's love for Anne Boleyn to Bloody Mary's u...

S01E03: Reformation | The Battle for Britain's Soul

Rev Peter Owen-Jones discusses the chaotic 30 years that followed Henry VIII's purely political decision to break with th...

The Making of the United Kingdom: 02: The Religious Divide | History File

Starting with the problems of the 1630s and examining the religious tensions in England.

Thomas Cromwell's fall | Henry VIII's Enforcer: The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell

This clip describes the reasons for Thomas Cromwell's fall from power and execution.

England's Reformation: Three Books That Changed a Nation

Janina Ramirez tells the story of three books that defined the Reformation in England - Tyndale's New Testament, Cra...

Part 1 | Reformation

Five hundred years ago a revolutionary priest named Martin Luther changed the face of Christendom and the path of European civilization forever.

Episode 2 | Henry VIII: Patron or Plunderer?

Jonathan Foyle looks for clues in Henry VIII's art to glimpse what was going on inside the king's head as he faced his darkest d...

Henry VIII's Enforcer: The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell

Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch argues that rather than being a thug, Thomas Cromwell was a principled and pioneeri...

Episode 3 | Saints and Sinners: Britain's Millennium of Monasteries

Dr Janina Ramirez discovers how the immensely rich and powerful monasteries that had dominated British so...

Part 2 | Reformation

1521, and the Catholic church has excommunicated Luther and condemned him as a heretic, but the Reformation can no longer be stopped.

05: Court and Kirk | In Search of Scotland

Fiona Watson examines how the emergence of Protestantism changed Scottish society and opened new political divides.

S01E01: Georgian elections | Horrible Histories

How to vote in Georgian elections.

S01E13: HHTV Sport: Lice Racing | Horrible Histories

Georgian Lice Races

S01E13: Earl of Sandwich | Horrible Histories

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, ''invents'' the sandwich.

S01E08: Georgian Dentist | Horrible Histories

A Georgian dentist prepares to replace a tooth.

S01E08: This is Georgian Food | Horrible Histories

A parody of Marks & Spencer advertisements; features the finest of mouldy rotten food.

S01E06: Historical Wife Swap: Georgians | Horrible Histories

Lord & Lady Posh from the Manor swap with the Peasant family of Poorville.

S01E06: A Gorgeous Georgian Lady (Song) | Horrible Histories

In this song, a Georgian woman gives a step-by-step tutorial on doing Georgian makeup.

S01E05: Historical Hospital: Montague Fuzzlepeck, Georgian Doctor | Horrible Histories

Master of medicaments' Montague Fuzzlepeck diagnoses a patient.

S01E05: Georgian Navy | Horrible Histories

Join the Georgian Navy! (advertisement).

S01E01: Twisted Fairytales: The Three Little Pigs | Horrible Histories

Meera Syal is the storyteller of ''The Three Little Pigs'' which is applied to the Georgian ''window t...

The Great Plague

The Great Plague of 1665 killed 100,000 Londoners - one in three of the people living in the city. While kept diaries have provided terrifying testaments to...

02: Bad Blood: Stuarts to Hanoverians | Fit to Rule: How Royal Illness Changed History

Lucy Worsley explores how the health of monarchs has shaped the nation. She looks at t...

02: The Glorious Revolution | British History's Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley

Lucy explores how British history is a concoction of fibs. She debunks the 'Glorious Revolutio...

The Supersizers Go...2: Restoration | The Supersizers

Restaurant critic Giles Coren and writer and performer Sue Perkins try the food of Restoration Britain in the 1660s, a ...

James II | Fit to Rule: How Royal Illness Changed History

The birth of James II's son triggered a Protestant coup from William of Orange.

The Best King We Never Had

Documentary in which Paul Murton investigates the disappearance from history of Henry Fredrick Stuart, the forgotten Scottish prince and maybe the...

05: Marlborough | Great Britons (1990)

Military historian Corelli Barnett presents a program on John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, covering his military career and per...

S01E03: Queen Anne and the Union | Royal History's Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley

Lucy Worsley explores how Queen Anne's legacy has been marred by historical fibs.

S02E04: Grand Heist: The Theft of the Crown Jewels | Days That Shook the World

The theft of the Crown Jewels on May 9, 1671.

02: Queen Anne | Queens that Changed the World

Queen Anne took the throne in 1702. As the last Stuart monarch and the first queen of Great Britain, she united Scotland and E...

S02E04: Boyne | War Walks

Richard Holmes visits the site of the Battle of the Boyne, the defeat of James II by William III in 1690, and shows how the battle could have been ...

Was the Glorious Revolution glorious? | The Battle for Britain's Soul

A discussion about how the Glorious Revolution had a number of unexpected consequences

08: Charles II | Landmarks

This programme looks at the life of Charles II.

S01E09: HHTV News: Plague | Horrible Histories

Mike Peabody reports on efforts to cope with the Great Plague of London.

S01E03: Charles I's execution | Horrible Histories

HHTV News: Charles I's execution.

Episode 1 | Charles II: The Power and the Passion

In 1660 after years in exile, Charles II is restored to the throne of England but is abandoned by his friend, the Duke of B...

Episode 3 | Charles II: The Power and the Passion

A plot is unearthed against the King. Anti-Papist fury threatens the King's position.

02: The Applyance of Science | What the Stuarts Did for Us

Hart-Davis travels around Britain to introduce the idea and inventions of the Stuart Period in science and enginee...

Episode 2 | Charles II: The Power and the Passion

A fiery comet in the sky is rumoured to portend doom on Charlie's reign.

04: Newe Worldes | What the Stuarts Did for Us

Hart-Davis travels around Britain to introduce the idea and inventions of the Stuart Period in science and science-fiction.

S01E09: Ye Sun: Plague | Horrible Histories

Ye Sun newspaper: Plague Special.(Parody of The Sun newspaper).

S01E02: My Stuart Family | Horrible Histories

My Stuart Family tries to keep up with the neighbours with the help of some exotic new foods; a parody of My Family.

The Making of the United Kingdom: 05: The Settlement | History File

This week looks at Charles II and constitutional struggle between the King, Parliament and the land-ownin...

02: Act Two: At Home | Harlots, Housewives and Heroines: A 17th Century History for Girls

Lucy Worsley explores the ordinary and the extraordinary lives of women in the home...

04: Horrible Conspiracies | Elizabeth R

Elizabeth finds her position increasingly threatened by Mary, Queen of Scots and her loyal supporters. Will Elizabeth have to execute...

Episode 4 | Charles II: The Power and the Passion

As Protestant dissent rises, the king tries to silence his enemies once and for all.

07: Charles I | Landmarks

This programme looks at the life of Charles I.

03: The Organysed Isle | What the Stuarts Did for Us

Hart-Davis travels around Britain to introduce the idea and inventions of the Stuart Period in economics and politics.

01: Desygner Livinge | What the Stuarts Did for Us

Hart-Davis travels around Britain to introduce the idea and inventions of the Stuart Period in architecture and life-style.

S01E09: Ready Steady Feast: Great Fire | Horrible Histories

How to start the Great Fire of London.

S01E03: Historical Wife Swap: Stuarts | Horrible Histories

Historical Wife Swap'': The Miserables, a Puritan family, swap with Cavalier family the Merrys post-Restoration (p...

S01E03: Twisted Fairytales: The Frog Prince | Horrible Histories

The Frog Prince with Witchcraft!

04: The Battle Against the Spanish Armada | Battlefield Britain

Peter and Dan Snow take a look at the battles that shaped our nation. Drake's unlikely sea victory against th...

01: Elizabeth I | Queens that Changed the World

Elizabeth I pacified a divided nation, and foiled multiple plots against her. English culture flourished under her reign, and...

Episode 1 | Elizabeth I's Secret Agents

A look at the world's first secret service. When the pope declares Queen Elizabeth I a heretic, spymaster William Cecil must stop the...

What Caused the Spanish Armada? | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

Dan Snow discusses the foundations of what caused the Spanish Armada.

S02E04: Bloody Mary | Lucy Worsley Investigates

Does 'Bloody Mary', England’s first crowned queen, deserve her reputation? Lucy Worsley investigates, asking whether Mary sho...

06: Mary, Queen of Scots | Historyonics

Nick Knowles asks whether Mary, Queen of Scots, one of history's most famous monarchs, was a manipulator or a martyr.

02: The Battle for England | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

Dan Snow relives fierce sea battles and looks behind the scenes in the court of Elizabeth I as the Spanish fleet...

01: Day One | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

Anita Dobson stars as Elizabeth I, and Dan Snow tells the story of how England came within a whisker of disaster in summer 1588.

Fireships | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

Dan Snow explores the English use of fireships against the Spanish Armada.

Bloody Queens: Elizabeth and Mary

Drama revealing the intimate and ultimately deadly relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, using the words of the ...

02: Henry VIII | Landmarks

This programme looks at the life of Henry VIII. A history series for 9-11 year olds.

S01E01: From the Prison to the Palace | David Starkey's Elizabeth

In this first episode David Starkey examines Elizabeth I's life before her coronation. If her reign was ful...

03: Jane, Mary and Elizabeth | She-Wolves: England's Early Queens

Helen Castor explores the lives of the Tudor queens Jane, Mary and Elizabeth, and how each struggled with w...

Episode 2 | Elizabeth I's Secret Agents

A look at the secret network behind Queen Elizabeth I's 40-year reign and the world's first secret service. An ambitious aristocrat t...

00: Learning Zone | Fit to Rule: How Royal Illness Changed History

Lucy Worsley presents six films about the mental and physical health of our past monarchs, covering Henry ...

S02E02: Bosworth | War Walks

Professor Richard Holmes travels to historic British sites. He visits the scene of Henry Tudor's victory over King Richard III, which changed th...

01: Tudors to Stuarts: From Gods to Men | Fit to Rule: How Royal Illness Changed History

Lucy Worsley explores how the health of past monarchs has shaped the nation. She exa...

S09E06: The Spanish Armada | Secret History

Documentary looking at the attempted invasion of England by the Spanish Armada in the summer of 1588. Looks at what happened and ...

Religious reform under Edward VI | A History of Britain by Simon Schama

Simon Schama discusses the religious reform under Edward VI.

04: Peasants' Revolt to Tudors | Michael Wood's Story of England

A portrait of one village through the whole of English history. Amazing finds in the school archive help tra...