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S1 • E1
In 58 AD the arrival of a 10,000-strong Roman army changed England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland for ever. How did this historic moment effect the achievements of early Britons? What social structures held sway before the invasion and who built Stonehenge and for what purpose?
S1 • E2
The Norman Conquest of 1066 transformed Britain, as William the Conqueror sought to assert his power over the whole of England by dismantling the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy and crushing regional diversity. We discover the human cost of his campaign and the lasting legacy of the social structures established by the Normans, and how a spirit of resistance began to foment among the population. Dramatic reconstructions also reveal how the longbow was instrumental in Henry V's famous victory at the battle of Agincourt in 1415.
S1 • E3
During the reign of the Tudor and Stuart monarchs England became one of the world's leading naval powers and Henry VIII's began his feud with the Catholic Church. Contributors including Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley discover how literature from the period sowed the seeds of revolution, and why a riot organised from a prison cell laid the foundations for civil war.
S1 • E4
Money drove the making of modern Britain, beginning with its role in rebuilding London following the Great Fire of 1666. Underhanded deals brokered in coffee houses fuelled British prosperity, and the country profited from dubious practices, including the slave trade, the sex industry and global colonisation. But who rebelled against the status quo during the period, and how did the armed forces counter the threat posed by Napoleon Bonaparte.
S1 • E5
Britain's empire expanded through exploration and invention, as the Industrial Revolution transformed society and the economy - though the rise of mechanised factories was not welcomed by all. The advances of 19th-century technology aided the colonisation of Australia but also turned the Crimean War into one of the most brutal conflicts in military history. With contributions by Jessie J, Lily Cole and Dougray Scott.
S1 • E6
The development of London during the Victorian era - the rapidly expanding city at the heart of the British Empire - saw society's divisions become increasingly pronounced. The grandeur of the period, including the building of the Crystal Palace, was in stark contrast to the sharp rises in vice and crime and prompted outrage among reformers including Charles Dickens and Josephine Butler. Also during this period football became increasingly popular.
S1 • E7
The story of 20th-century Britain, including the many ways in which the nation was transformed by the two world wars. We explore the changing role of women through the decades, and examine some of the scientific and technological advances that had a significant impact on everyday life.
Narrator
Self - Broadcaster
Self - Actor
Self - Actor
Self - University of Bristol
Self - Actor
Self - Comedian
Self - Actor and Writer
Self - Playwright
Self - Broadcaster