Greek Island Odyssey With Bettany Hughes

In this series Bettany Hughes embarks on an epic journey to unpack the myths and legends of the Greek islands. Bettany follows the trail of Odysseus, with exclusive unique access to live archaeological digs uncovering bronze age warriors and virgin sacrifices. A gripping adventure amidst a stunning landscape.

Bettany Hughes' Lost Worlds: The Nabataeans

For decades, historian Bettany Hughes has been fascinated by the enigmatic kingdom of Nabataea. Petra, their iconic capital, was part of a vast empire that is only now revealing its secrets. Seemingly lost to history, it's time to tell their story and show they were as important as Ancient Greece, Rome, or Egypt. Bettany traces their incense trade routes from the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean, accessing newly revealed research across Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Greece, Italy and Oman. From towering tombs to underwater temples, Bettany unveils the Nabataeans' spectacular story from the periphery of their world to its very centre.

Caesar

This is the story of a Roman youth at the end of the republic, Gaius Julius, who, with guts and good fortune reaches the heights of triumph. His story leads us to travel through six countries around the Mediterranean and retell the story of his military, political and love life unravelling. Told in the present tense, CAESAR creates a young hero that viewers can relate to - showing his humanity, struggles, doubts, hopes and flaws - in a way that today’s young audience can identify with. It is the man behind the statue that interests us. The orphan, the civil war outcast, the young impoverished conscript on the frontline, the hostage of pirates in the Aegean Sea, the bisexual lover of a Turkish king, the conqueror of Gaul and of Great-Britain, Cleopatra’s companion in Egypt, etc. This series follows Caesar’s footsteps along the shores of “mare nostrum.” From the Carthage ruins in Tunisia to the Lutece arena in Paris and Antakya’s victory arches in Turkey, we will explore the common history of three continents where the Roman heritage lives on.

The Spy Who Stole The Atom Bomb

Newly declassified MI5 files reveal the story of the female spy who stole Britain’s atomic secrets and gave them to the Soviets. In January 1941, Ursula Kuczynski, a Jewish German refugee, arrives in Oxford with her children, on a British passport. She has no possessions, no accommodation and seemingly no connections in the area. She settles into the daily life of a housewife, where many of Britain’s governmental and military organisations have relocated in wartime. But this woman has a secret – she is a Soviet spy.

Tombs Of Egyptian Priestesses

A team of Egyptian archaeologists has discovered a previously unknown cemetery that opens a window onto a unique period in the history of ancient Egypt - a time when the country was ruled by rich and powerful princesses, "The God’s Wives of Amun." We follow the excavation of the tombs in real time and witness the discovery of amazing artifacts belonging to these elite women. It was a time when Egypt was ruled by the Kushites from Nubia. To cement their rule, the Nubian kings sent their wives and daughters to rule over their new Egyptian conquests. These women embraced the local culture and religion and became known by the name of the all-powerful Egyptian god Amun. They ruled like kings, but having female rulers empowered women throughout Egyptian society. Through the discoveries in the cemetery, we explore one of the most mysterious periods of Egyptian history, when power was in the hands of women.

World's Biggest Beasts

Before man ruled the world, Earth was a land of giants. Count down the biggest beasts of their kind to ever roam the planet in this eye-opening special, and uncover the secret lives of these supersized species. Birds with plane-length wingspans, dinosaurs rivalling a Boeing 737; this stunning CGI special goes in search of the truth behind these monsters, counting down the ten largest and most extraordinary finds.From handling the recently unearthed bones of a dinosaur far larger than previously known, to analysing the flight technique of a giant seven-metre bird – uncover the unique adaptations that allowed each animal to thrive.

Ultimate Tutankhamun

Nearly a century after Howard Carter’s momentous discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, Egyptologist Dr Chris Naunton returns to Carter’s vast excavation files. Hidden amongst thousands of notes he has uncovered clues that point to a mysterious burning of the Boy King’s mummy. But this mystery of the burnt mummy also provides a fresh new clue to the greatest enigma of Ancient Egypt – what caused the young pharaoh’s death. Combined with new, historical evidence of Tutankhamun leading the charge in Egypt’s foreign wars what emerges is a new image of this young ruler – and a tragic death.

Cracking The Code

CRACKING THE CODE uncovers some of the world’s most famous – and infamous – encryptions. From bizarre ancient markings to random numbers and letters, codes and ciphers have been used for millennia to send secret messages, hide identities and operate outside the law. Unravelling these codes can unlock military secrets, unmask deadly enemies and even decode lost civilizations.

Mao’s Cold War

Mao’s Cold War is a stunning and unique historical angle on China’s involvement in the Cold War, told through the declassified top-secret Chinese army film record of their campaigns. There are always two sides to every story, and the PLA archive combined with first person accounts and expert commentary paints a far more complex picture of the Cold War than has ever been told before.

Osama Bin Laden: The Inside Story

Osama Bin Laden was the world's most infamous terrorist. Everyone knows about his atrocities and the impact of his campaign on terror. But how much is known about the man himself and what set him on his path of destruction? From a quiet and introspective son of a billionaire, to global terrorist mastermind, OSAMA BIN LADEN: THE INSIDE STORY is narrated by those who witnessed every step of the journey he made. Featuring the testimony and accounts of those who know Bin Laden as a child, a student, a fundraiser-turned-fighter in Afghanistan, the leader of Al Qaeda and the driving force behind 9/11 - this series adapts an alternative lens through which to view his life that is unlike any the West has seen until now.