Britain's Scenic Railways At Christmas

BRITAIN'S SCENIC RAILWAYS AT CHRISTMAS follows the railway workers, volunteers and travellers who share their experiences of Britain’s most scenic railways with both warmth and humour during this festive time of year.

Design By Decade

Design defines culture and culture defines design. Stereos, chairs, lamps and even garbage bins can help trace the trajectory of a nation’s cultural growth. From mid-century Modernism to the eclectic designs of present-day, discover Canada’s stellar contributions to the world of design. Starting with the period after the First World War, DESIGN BY A DECADE reveals the exceptional stories behind the objects of everyday life.

House Special

Viewers go on a delicious, nostalgic, and bittersweet journey across Western Canada as designer and chef Jackie Kai Ellis goes out of her comfort zone to explore Chinese-Canadian history through the rich and colourful world of small-town Chinese restaurants. Kai Ellis travels through the region by train to uncover the dishes at the heart of the Chinese-Canadian story, and the story behind her own Chinese-Canadian identity. Along the way, she'll get a taste of kitchen table wisdom, culture and community, meeting local historians and restaurant owners, sampling staple dishes, and cooking recipes inspired by the comfort food of her past.

The First World War: The People's Story

THE FIRST WORLD WAR: THE PEOPLE’S STORY draws on an extraordinary and little known archive of two hundred interviews with the last survivors from the battlefields and the home front, filmed over the past twenty-five years. Vivid and heart breaking accounts are told from the main theatres of war - such as Passchendaele and the Somme - as well as on the home front where families were devastated by the loss of loved ones. One of the most catastrophic wars in human history is seen and heard as never before, as emotional testimonies are combined with digitally restored WWI footage to tell THE PEOPLE'S STORY.

How The World Ends

Exploring some of the most widely-held doomsday forecasts and their impending timeline to destruction. From the natural, to the religious, to the astrophysical, this series brings viewers the science, history, and people behind each theory, while probing for evidence for and against each scenario.

Hindenburg: The New Evidence

Inspired by newly found amateur film footage, HINDENBURG: THE NEW EVIDENCE follows a team of aviation experts, historians and scientists as they launch a new investigation into the Hindenburg disaster. They travel to the site of the crash, Lakehurst, New Jersey, to review the historical records from 6 May 1937- weather conditions, event timelines and eyewitness accounts- and evaluate the authenticity of the newly restored film. The investigators also meet with historians who explain how the Hindenburg was constructed and observe experiments in the labs of Caltech to determine the cause of the Hindenburg tragedy.

The Real Spies Among Friends

The real story behind hit drama series A Spy Among Friends. This documentary on Kim Philby, and his fellow Cambridge traitors, reveals the worst spy ring in history. From Cold War Washington to contemporary Moscow, Beirut backstreets to Buckingham Palace, the story is as gripping as any espionage thriller. The treachery of the privileged Philby, Burgess, Maclean, and Blunt shows how old school ties blinded the British establishment. Contributors include ex-officers from MI5, CIA and KGB who lift the lid on their secret tradecraft, and shed light on the ongoing threat from espionage. Ben Macintyre, author of the book behind the drama, is lead contributor.

The Good Nazi

THE GOOD NAZI tells the story of Major Karl Plagge, a high ranking Nazi officer who risked his own life to save hundreds of human beings. In a story reminiscent of Schindler’s List, Plagge employed some 1,240 Jews - men, women and children - and was able to protect many of them from the near total annihilation of Lithuania’s Jews. This film combines powerful first person testimonies, cinematic drama recreations and a unique present tense narrative to tell this extraordinary story for the very first time.

Mysteries of China

Archaeologist Agnes Hsu, a director of New York-based China Institute goes on a quest to answer some of ancient China’s most beguiling mysteries.

Disasters Of The Century

Sometimes all it takes is a poorly-handled match to burn down the legacy of a cultural icon and reduce untold lives to ash. In heartbreaking detail, tragic disasters of our time are told through survivor stories, re-enactments, and accurate 3D renderings explaining exactly how these tragedies began, escalated, and destroyed the lives of thousands, and left an indelible mark on history.