Docs to Watch

Women life in 17th century.

Neil Oliver tells the epic story of how Britain and its people came to be over thousands of years of ancient history - the beginnings of our world forged in ice, stone, and bronze.

Documentary of architecture on ghothic buildings, the makeup and the evolution to the perpendicular (British) gothic architecture that we see much of in Britain today.

Alastair Sooke takes an in-depth look at the art of the Roman Empire in an attempt to refute the claims that Rome didn't produce any art of originality during its

Andrew Graham-Dixon travels to 3 areas of Spain to examine and interpret the various art of this country. He also has other series about art, one of German art and the other in Sweden.

A group of archaeologists have 3 days to discover historical artifacts in different sites around Britain.

Cerys Matthews tells the story of one of the great literary treasures of the medieval world, The Mabinogion, ancient tales that were later translated from Welsh.

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

Classicist Dr Michael Scott presents a three-part series looking at the power, influence and history of Ancient Greece, particularly Athens, through the prism of one of its most important cultural spaces - the theatre.

Neil Oliver, Chris Packham, Andy Torbet and Dr Shini Somara follow the work of archaeologists from around the world who are working on one of Europe's largest digs that is reshaping the map of Stone Age Britain.

Andrew Graham-Dixon looks at neglected, but rich German art from the time of the Middle Ages.

Andrew Graham-Dixon examines the history of French art, revealing how it emerged from a struggle between tradition and revolution, and rulers and citizens. He compresses centuries of culture into three thematically linked chapters.

Best known for the myth of the Minotaur, Crete gave birth to Europe's first civilization. Yet little is known about those who inhabited the island. But now, with fresh archeological evidence, light is finally being shed on this ancient culture.

Acclaimed British historian Mary Beard fell in love with the intrigue of classical Rome as a child.

Two thousand years ago one of history's most notorious individuals was born. Professor Mary Beard embarks on an investigative journey to explore the life and times of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus - better known to us as Caligula. Caligula has now become known as Rome's most capricious tyrant, and the stories told about him are some of the most extraordinary told about any Roman emperor. Piecing together the evidence, Mary puts Caligula back into the context of his times to reveal an astonishing story of murder, intrigue and dynastic family power. Above all, she explains why Caligula has ended up with such a seemingly irredeemable reputation. In the process, she reveals a more intriguing portrait of not just the monster, but the man.

Pompeii: one of the most famous volcanic eruptions in history. We know how its victims died, but this film sets out to answer another question - how did they live?

This documentary looks at the search for the remains of King Richard III of England (1452-1485). After being killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field (August 22, 1485), his remains were taken to Leicester and it was believed that he was buried at Greyfriars Church. The church no longer exists and its remains were now believed to be under a car park. Phillipa Langley of the Richard III Society convinced archaeologists at the University of Leicester to lead a dig and surprisingly, as it turned out, the first skeleton they found was subsequently proven to be that of the King through DNA tests which showed a match to Canadian Michael Ibsen, a direct descendant of Richard III's sister.

French and English armies clash across medieval battlefields during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453). A historian explores key locations where pivotal conflicts unfolded.

Through this three part series Art Historian Dr Janina Ramirez tells the story of the Medieval monarchy as preserved through stunning illuminated manuscripts from the British Library's Royal Manuscripts collection. Dr Ramirez uses her in depth expert knowledge to explore the extraordinary art and culture of the period and decode the manuscripts which remain as vibrant today as when they were first penned. Embellished with gold, painted in jewel-like colours, they took months, even years to produce, and were priceless beyond compare. The series runs chronologically beginning with the unification of England under King Athelstan in the 10th Century, covering the 100 Years War with France, and ending with the brutal magnificence of Henry VIII. Spanning 800 years these amazing documents capture the dynastic struggles each ruler faced.

Art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon presents the incredible story of Russian art - its mystery and magnificence.

Anthropologist, Alice Roberts, and archaeologist, Neil Oliver, embark on an expedition to unravel the enigmatic ancient Celtic civilization; tracing their footsteps across various regions.