In this series, History Hit explores the remarkable collections of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

Kursk: 10 Days That Shaped Putin is a dramatic and forensic examination of events that took place in August 2000, after an explosion onboard the Kursk submarine trapped a group of survivors at the bottom of the Barents Sea. Why did the Russians take so long to accept international assistance? How...

Age of Iron: this is what the survivors called the Thirty Years War, which raged in Europe from 1618 to 1648.

For the people at the time, the war was a huge catastrophic event. It was a war about religion and about power in Europe. What began as a regional conflict between Bohemian rebels and th...

Who were the players in the “ultimate poker game” between East and West? Who really had their fingers on the trigger, and who was just bluffing? What were the stakes? This series sets to shed new light onto the history of the Cold War, not merely as a series of events, but focusing on the multi-f...

A ground-breaking three-part documentary series that dedicates each episode to an extraordinary artist – Michelangelo, Rembrandt van Rijn, and Vincent van Gogh.

Discover the men behind the genius, and how their lives were shaped by their artistic talent. From the rebellious Michelangelo and his ...

Conflict analyst Professor Michael Livingston journeys across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom on the trail of some of Britain’s best known rebels.

Dan and Kate Lister take us into the preserved Roman city to reveal what life was like.

The programme goes behind the scenes in London, Dubai, New York and Hong Kong, as staff, experts, advisers and buyers set art trends, prices and records.

Dan Snow presents this archaeological documentary series about Tutankhamun, the boy king.

Across 13 episodes this series recounts the major events of World War Two.

Wife, monarch and much-loved public figure: Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was one of the most respected members of the British Royal family. But did her image disguise something? This moving royal family documentary reveals the dramatic inside story of her life and the moments of pain and up...

Documentary series giving an insight into the activity behind-the-scenes at The Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, The Tower of London and Hampton Court.

Recent discoveries from archaeological excavations reveal much of the Maya civilization: lost citadels in the Guatemalan jungle found around Tikal, a sacred cenote at Chichen Itza, and underground network of tunnels discovered at Teotihuacan. How were these ancient people able to build such struc...

A being with a cube-shaped skull, like an astronaut’s helmet sprouting long antennas linked together with filaments, and without feet, nor legs. This picture does not come from some visionary artist’s canvas but it is drawn in the Utah desert. Here, as in many other incredible natural spots, awes...

Both were massively powerful and history-defining women. Both courted controversy as they devotedly ruled over a nation. But what similarities exist between Queen Elizabeth I and II? In this fascinating royal documentary, two of Britain's greatest monarchs are profiled, revealing what unites or d...

This classic series narrated by Robert Powell examines the weapons used in World War Two.

In this major series, Professor Robert Bartlett examines the extraordinary expansion and unchecked ambition of the Normans, and shows how they transformed the history of Europe.

Professor Robert Winston meets Lucy, the first upright ape, and follows her ancestors on the three-million-year journey to civilisation. Broadcast in 2003, Walking with Cavemen combined special effects with the latest scientific theories, to show us what it really means to be human.

In the early 1900s, Albert Einstein developed an idea - called Relativity - that changed our understanding of reality. It explained how both space and time were flexible - and how the Universe was made of a four-dimensional fabric called space-time. This single idea gave us a new way to understan...

Prunella Scales researches the life of Queen Victoria and interviews historians to help her with her portrayal of Queen Victoria in her one-woman stage show "An Evening with Queen Victoria". She also portrays Queen Victoria in the historical reconstructions in this programme and reads from Queen ...

This is the story of Queen Victoria - a widow in mourning who had to raise her nine children on a very public stage.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were an unusually devoted couple with strong ideas about the role of the Royal Family. But when Albert died, Queen Victoria was left a single (car...

Magna Carta - one of the most important documents from the medieval period. It’s still held up as a totem of democracy even in today’s turbulent world. But why did Magna Carta get written and sealed in the first place?

In the first of two episodes, Prof. Michael Livingston heads to France to exp...

The story of legendary Carthaginian general Hannibal. From his beginnings as an enemy of Rome in the Iberian Peninsula, to his daring crossing of the Alps and the decisive Battle of Zama against Roman general Scipio Africanus.

Alexander Siddig performs as Hannibal, supreme commander of the Carth...

Tudor and Stuart England saw the most dramatic shifts in thinking and innovation since the Romans. It was a period that saw the emergence of Protestant churches, the increase in the power of parliament, the end of the feudal system, the development of empire, the union of Scotland and England and...

Using his love of Victorian painting as a starting point, Jeremy Paxman takes a journey into Victorian Britain.

Dan Snow uncovers the lost Vikings in America with space archaeologist Dr Sarah Parcak. Sarah uses satellites 383 miles above the earth to spot ruins as small as 30cm buried beneath the surface. As Sarah searches for Viking sites from Britain to America, Dan explores how they voyaged thousands of...

From popular revolt to obsession with the self, Simon Schama explores the legacy of the Romantics.

Dr Janina Ramirez follows the momentous and nation-shaping war between England and France.

A docu-drama covering the rise and the fall of the Roman world, including the establishment of strong individual rule by Julius Caesar and the rebuilding of Rome under Nero.

Tristan Hughes travels to Ireland to delve into the mysteries and myths of prehistoric Ireland.

In the first episode, History Hit’s Ancients expert Tristan Hughes travels to Ireland to delve into the mysteries of Newgrange and its surrounding tombs — exploring the secrets of Stone Age Ireland. A...

Real stories from World War II, examined in great detail with rich footage, maps, and graphics.

The dramatic events of three historic days in September 1939 that took Britain to war.

The people who made a major difference to the outcome of World War II, narrated by Robert Powell.

Over its history Britain's Special Air Service regiment has carried out a wide variety of clandestine missions - from deep-penetration raiding to hostage release operations - which have made it respected and feared for its professionalism and daring.

The SAS prides itself on doing its work in t...

8 May is Victory in Europe Day, celebrating the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Nicola Tallis and History Hit present a 2-part series about the extraordinary young woman who would become Elizabeth I - one of the most remarkable people to sit on the throne of England, but whose life before her coronation was just as incredible.

Historian Nicola Tallis, author of Young Eliza...

What does it take to become a royal favourite?

In Episode one we climb under the sheets and into the arms of the first Stuart King of England, James I and VI of Scotland. We’ll find out what made George Villiers stand out from the crowd and remain at the pinnacle of 17th century society and the...

Collection of documentaries on the topic of natural history.

A special History Hit deep dive into the fascinating world of the Inca. Dan Snow travels high into the Peruvian Andes to explore how they thrived in their high altitude empire, building extraordinary structures, a vast road network and harnessing the resources of the mountains. We investigate the...

Over a thousand years ago, the Vikings swept like a storm through the world.

These Scandinavian warriors plundered, killed and enslaved many, but they also changed society forever and they still beguile and fascinate us. Now, new discoveries challenge what we thought we knew about them. 'Viking...

This documentary series explores the most influential figures from our collective past; examining the evidence of who these world changing characters really were. What were their early lives like, and which events and people influenced them to become incredibly powerful, growing their following t...

Some 9,000 years ago, dark-skinned, blue-eyed hunter-gatherers roamed our forests and plains. Thousands of years later, a new wave of settlers washed into Europe from the Middle East and Mediterranean, bringing with them a dynamic new technology - farming. Now Lara Cassidy, a young geneticist at ...

Take a trip to France to discover the construction secrets to some of its most legendary megastructures. See how Napoléon the 1st instigated many constructions that are anchored in the Parisian landscape. The Arc de Triomphe, the Vendôme Column, the Palais de la Bourse, the church of La Madeleine...

In this new History Hit series Mike Loades embarks on a hands-on exploration into the amazing history of dogs - from giant Newfoundlands to skilled sheep dogs, delightful chamber dogs to resilient carriage dogs. It’s a fascinating story of how humans and dogs have lived and worked together for th...

Documentaries on the topic of the Cold War.

This three-part series narrated by Dan Aykroyd explores how aviation changed the course of the First World War, including its vital part in Canada's nation-defining victory at Vimy Ridge. A Nation Soars offers a fascinating and refreshing look at Canada's part in the Great War.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb unravels one of the most profound transformations in Tudor society, when faith and politics collided: the dissolution of the monasteries. Over just four years in the 1530s, Henry VIII dismantled the spiritual and cultural bedrock of medieval England. This was the most ...

History Hit presenter Luke Tomes returns to the Royal Armouries in Leeds to fire some of the most iconic weapons of the Second World War.

He is joined by Keeper of Firearms & Artillery, Jonathan Ferguson who talks him through the history of all the pistols, rifles and machine guns employed in th...

Castles are the powerhouses that dot across our islands. History Hit’s Matt Lewis discovers Irish castles, from ancient high points to Norman keeps to medieval citadels.

Dan Snow uncovers the shocking story of the Black Death, which devastated Britain 700 years ago, killing over three million people - half the entire population of Britain.

Join Dan Snow as he uncovers the incredible story behind the Colosseum's creation: separating fact from fiction, discover the real story from Roman concrete to gladiators, and the spectacular opening games.