Disasters Of The Century

Sometimes all it takes is a poorly-handled match to burn down the legacy of a cultural icon and reduce untold lives to ash. In heartbreaking detail, tragic disasters of our time are told through survivor stories, re-enactments, and accurate 3D renderings explaining exactly how these tragedies began, escalated, and destroyed the lives of thousands, and left an indelible mark on history.

China's Ghost Army

Uncovering the secret of how Emperor Qin Shihuangdi’s army of terracotta warriors was made reveals the true extent of the First Emperor’s power.

The First World War: The People's Story

THE FIRST WORLD WAR: THE PEOPLE’S STORY draws on an extraordinary and little known archive of two hundred interviews with the last survivors from the battlefields and the home front, filmed over the past twenty-five years. Vivid and heart breaking accounts are told from the main theatres of war - such as Passchendaele and the Somme - as well as on the home front where families were devastated by the loss of loved ones. One of the most catastrophic wars in human history is seen and heard as never before, as emotional testimonies are combined with digitally restored WWI footage to tell THE PEOPLE'S STORY.

The Remarkable Miss North

In the late 1800s, Marianne North traveled to the far corners of the world in search of exotic botanical life, paintbrush in hand. This documentary tells the life and adventures of this gifted Victorian trailblazer. Unbound by social convention she embarked on a project to paint the world’s plants, a legacy that is still as mesmerising today as it was when her gallery at Kew Garden was first revealed in 1882.

Unsinkable: Japan's Lost Battleship (Musashi)

How did this unsinkable giant go down so fast? Was it overwhelming American air power? Or a fatal design flaw? Musashi was literally the King Kong of the sea— the largest and most heavily armed battleship of its time. Built in total secret Musashi was finally unleashed in the world’s largest sea battle, which began on October 24, 1944 in the Philippines. Japan’s navy gambled on winning a decisive victory to turn the tide of World War II. Instead Musashi, the pride of the Japanese fleet, ended up at the bottom of the ocean. How did this unsinkable giant go down so fast? Was it overwhelming American air power? Or a fatal design flaw? 70 years later American deep sea explorers and Japanese military experts are determined to solve this 70-year old mystery. But first they must find the missing Musashi.

Hitler's Last Stand

On June 6th, 1944, the Allies finally landed troops in Normandy to open the western front. But after the surprise of the D-Day landings and Allied advances, Nazi loyalists dig in, determined to keep a merciless grip on the towns, strongholds and fortresses to defend the Third Reich. These are the stories of desperate battles waged on the edge of defeat, not just for victory but for survival.

Saving Places

Saving history - one building at a time. SAVING PLACES documents the hands-on restoration of a threatened but historically meaningful building by a team of artisans who use the materials, designs and craftsmanship of a bygone era.

Silk Road From Above

SILK ROAD FROM ABOVE is an exhilarating aerial adventure along the world’s most renowned trade route. Dramatic drone and ground visuals, and striking satellite imagery, bring alive the rich history, long-lasting legacy and grandeur of the Silk Road. State-of-the-art drone footage provides mesmerizing new angles of the countries, cities, and landscapes that the trade route once traversed. Viewers are taken on an epic expedition from the Silk Road’s eastern terminus in China, to the breathtaking shores of Italy's Lake Como, passing through Central Asia, Turkey, and Europe along the way. We encounter locals who have preserved ancient traditions for generations, and individuals who have infused Silk Road customs with a modern twist, blending the old with the new. From the craftsmanship of handmade paper to the marvels of high-speed trains, this exhilarating and immersive series bridges the gap between the ancient and the present, unearthing the enduring historic thread that connects East to West.

Wild About New Zealand

Writer and adventurer Gus Roxburgh connects with the people whose passion is wilderness. This rich treasure trove of characters will be our viewfinder to New Zealand’s national parks.

Lost Home Movies Of Nazi Germany

Thousands of German attics have become dumping grounds for countless hours of private home movies, left gathering dust for decades. Hidden on these rolls of film is a different story of Hitler’s Third Reich; a private window into the inner most recesses of life in the Nazi Germany – at home during peacetime, but even more astonishingly, from the front lines of Hitler’s wars of conquest. This two-part series delves into these private collections to reveal how ordinary Germans – both civilian and military – recorded the dawn of an empire that they thought would last a thousand years. Ordinary citizens, Party organisations, firemen, local officials and soldiers on the frontline lovingly documented their own lives, exuding both national and domestic pride. However, as Hitler’s plans turned to ashes in the catastrophe of May 1945, much of this footage was hidden away. Now, as the war generation passes away, their children and grandchildren are finding these films and sharing them. What emerges is a candid and engaging look at what life was really like for those living under Hitler’s Swastika.