Trains That Changed The World

In this series, we reveal how four iconic trains revolutionised rail travel – and inspired incredible railway projects the world over. For over 200 years, trains have transformed our lives. They have changed the way we travel, the way we work…even the way we holiday. In this series, we reveal how four iconic trains revolutionised rail travel – and inspired incredible railway projects the world over. We’ll journey aboard legendary railway engines such as The Flying Scotsman and Stephenson’s Rocket. Each episode will explore an area of life that saw dramatic transformation thanks to the train. We’ll learn how trains made us go faster; how they transformed our cities; how they powered industry and how they helped us to get away.

Queen’s Coronation In Colour

This film takes us behind the scenes of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, arguably the most elaborate ceremony of the 20th century, to celebrate not only the Royal Family and those who masterminded the Coronation but the people from all walks of life who contributed to making it a unique occasion. Presented by British actor Alexander Armstrong.

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.

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.

Lost Voyage Of 499

Discover the story of the steamship SS Ventnor, which, in 1902, sank off Hokianga, North Island, with the remains of 499 Chinese gold miners on board

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.

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.

In The Footsteps Of Marco Polo

Stanley Johnson - author, environmentalist, and father of ex-PM Boris Johnson – and his youngest son Max set off from China’s far western border with Pakistan to undertake an epic 5,000km journey down the Silk Road. Following the trade route taken by Marco Polo 700 years ago, Stanley and Max’s seven week journey reflects on both ancient and modern China as they weave a path through what was the Yuan Dynasty’s land, ruled by Emperor Kublai Khan and to the capital city of Dadu, now known as Beijing. Stanley and Max throw themselves into every adventure along the way, embrace every encounter and share an unforgettable – and often hilarious – experience that brings them closer together and unites them in their love for Chinese culture. IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF MARCO POLO is a perfect blend of history, adventure, and a father and son’s once-in-a-lifetime journey.

Who Sank The Titanic?

WHO SANK THE TITANIC? explores how engineering flaws and unlucky circumstances led to the ship’s demise. Through CGI and drama reconstruction, this documentary uncovers a series of fascinating and unknown details of the ship’s construction to determine how and why the Titanic sank and who was most responsible for the tragedy.

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.