Journal - History Documentaries

Explore the complicated bond between Queen Elizabeth II and her eldest son, Charles, from a childhood shaped by royal duty and long periods apart to his decades preparing for the throne. Through family tensions, his turbulent marriage to Diana, his relationship with Camilla and his growing responsibilities within the monarchy, the documentary reveals how mother and son evolved into Queen and future King.

From a child surviving the Bethnal Green disaster and a young tank gunner watching almost his entire troop perish to a brave Channel Island baker defying the Nazis, this episode reveals the Second World War through the experiences of ordinary Britons. Amid bombing, occupation and devastating loss, there are also stories of remarkable courage — and an unlikely wartime romance.

From Prince William’s extraordinary upbringing and the tragedy of losing Diana to Kate Middleton’s middle-class childhood and entry into royal life, this documentary explores how two very different worlds came together. It follows their university romance, royal wedding, growing family and increasing responsibilities as they prepare for their future roles at the heart of the monarchy.

The Victorians throw open the doors of science, art and culture to ordinary people, creating spectacular museums, galleries, gardens and zoos. From Darwin's revolutionary theory of evolution and the discovery of Archaeopteryx to the Great Exhibition and Prince Albert's cultural vision, Britain's thirst for knowledge helps create institutions that still shape our lives today.

Tony Robinson explores the lives of ordinary people who shaped Britain during the 1950s. From an Irish nurse who escaped home to help victims of a devastating train crash to factory workers, rag-and-bone men, struggling housewives and a Jamaican RAF veteran turned pop star, their stories reveal how post-war Britain was rebuilt.

Buried beneath volcanic ash for nearly 2,000 years, Pompeii offers an extraordinary window into everyday Roman life. From busy shops, bakeries and public baths to lavish villas and haunting casts of its victims, this documentary reconstructs the thriving city and the final hours before Mount Vesuvius brought everything to an end.

Victorian London is drowning in sewage, while contaminated drinking water helps deadly cholera tear through the population. From John Snow's groundbreaking discovery to Joseph Bazalgette's colossal sewer network, ingenious engineers battle to clean up the capital — but one horrific disaster on the Thames will still claim around 640 lives.

Discover how Roman engineers built the Colosseum and transformed it into the empire’s greatest arena. From flooded naval battles and deadly gladiatorial contests to the stolen treasure and enslaved labour that financed its construction, this documentary reveals the engineering, brutality and political ambition behind ancient Rome’s most famous monument.

Princess Diana transformed royal duty by championing people society had ignored. From holding hands with AIDS patients and secretly visiting London’s homeless to walking through an Angolan minefield, her fearless compassion challenged royal convention, changed attitudes around the world and created a legacy continued by William and Harry.

Walk in the footsteps of William the Conqueror from his landing at Pevensey to the battlefield at Senlac Hill. Using the Bayeux Tapestry, medieval chronicles and the Sussex landscape, this documentary investigates the strategy, destruction and enduring myths surrounding the Norman invasion and the Battle of Hastings.

Tony Robinson uncovers the extraordinary lives of ordinary people in Edwardian Britain. From Titanic survivor Arthur John Priest and striking chain-maker Patience Round to pioneering footballer and Army officer Walter Tull, their stories reveal an era divided by class, transformed by industry and ultimately shattered by war.

Tony Robinson uncovers the forgotten lives of ordinary people in Roman Britain. Through the stories of an African soldier, an enslaved girl, a celebrated gladiator and a gifted British craftsman, he reveals a world shaped by military service, slavery, brutal entertainment and remarkable engineering.