In The Footsteps Of Marco Polo

Stanley Johnson - author, environmentalist, and father of ex-PM Boris Johnson – and his youngest son Max set off from China’s far western border with Pakistan to undertake an epic 5,000km journey down the Silk Road. Following the trade route taken by Marco Polo 700 years ago, Stanley and Max’s seven week journey reflects on both ancient and modern China as they weave a path through what was the Yuan Dynasty’s land, ruled by Emperor Kublai Khan and to the capital city of Dadu, now known as Beijing. Stanley and Max throw themselves into every adventure along the way, embrace every encounter and share an unforgettable – and often hilarious – experience that brings them closer together and unites them in their love for Chinese culture. IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF MARCO POLO is a perfect blend of history, adventure, and a father and son’s once-in-a-lifetime journey.

USS Indianapolis: The Last Chapter

This scientific detective story details the discovery of the USS Indianapolis wreck site three and a half miles below the Philippine Sea. The ship’s sinking in the final days of Second World War was the largest loss of life in US Naval history, and the harrowing survival story of 316 sailors drifting in failing life preservers is legendary. The programme combines never-before-seen archival footage and CGI with the moving accounts of the few remaining survivors, testimony of historians and spectacular footage of the well-preserved wreck.

Lost Voyage Of 499

Discover the story of the steamship SS Ventnor, which, in 1902, sank off Hokianga, North Island, with the remains of 499 Chinese gold miners on board

Mao’s Cold War

Mao’s Cold War is a stunning and unique historical angle on China’s involvement in the Cold War, told through the declassified top-secret Chinese army film record of their campaigns. There are always two sides to every story, and the PLA archive combined with first person accounts and expert commentary paints a far more complex picture of the Cold War than has ever been told before.

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.

How The Victorians Built Britain

In less than a century, the Victorians totally transformed the face of industry, technology, transport, communications, medicine, public health, and the home. They built iconic buildings, constructed the Underground, sewers, cotton mills and invented cutting-edge technology. In this exciting series we discover the surprising stories and hidden heroes behind the epic constructions and inventions and find out how their incredible advances forged the way we live life today.

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.

Aleutians: Cradle of Storms

This is the absorbing story of an island chain and its people who have endured and survived wave after wave of invaders. We reveal the storm-lashed islands, the 9000 year culture forever changed by fur-seeking outsiders, and the story of the impact on the Native Aleuts as the violence of a world at war arrives on their islands.

Bettany Hughes' Grand Tour: From Paris To Rome

Prof. Bettany Hughes is on the journey of a lifetime through France and Italy to understand how travel, art, and culture can enrich our lives. Inspired by the 18th Century’s Grand Tourists, Bettany is making her own modern, pleasure-filled pilgrimages to some of Europe’s most beautiful cities including Paris, Nice, Florence, Lake Como, Venice, and Rome. Over four stunning episodes, Bettany reveals the honeypot of art and culture that make these the world’s most desired and popular destinations. This landmark series is a sumptuous treat filled with staggering access, good food, fine wines, and the most inspiring art and history. Think charisma, culture, and Camparis - the ultimate chance for the armchair traveller to relax, learn, discover, delight, and enjoy.

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.