World War II: History On Trial

As WWII ended and the full scale of its atrocities came to light, the world faced a pressing question: who would be held accountable? WORLD WAR II: HISTORY ON TRIAL explores the global pursuit of justice in the aftermath of humanity’s most devastating conflict. From the landmark trials in Nuremberg and Tokyo to lesser-known but vital proceedings in countries like Norway, Poland, and France, war criminals were brought before the courts. This series uncovers the stories behind these trials, revealing how they not only delivered justice - but also laid the legal foundations for prosecuting crimes against humanity today.

The Dambusters

The story begins in Spring 1943 as squadron leader Guy Gibson assembles and trains a crack team of 133 young airmen whose mission is to destroy the great dams of Germany using a revolutionary new bouncing bomb. If successful they’ll deal a hammer blow to the Nazi war effort. Pushing human skill and engineering capabilities to limit, this is the story of the single mission that can change the course of the Second World War. Over the course of three episodes, historian Dan Snow relives the nail-biting countdown to the most daring and ingenious bombing raids in history.

Bettany Hughes' Lost Worlds: The Nabataeans

For decades, historian Bettany Hughes has been fascinated by the enigmatic kingdom of Nabataea. Petra, their iconic capital, was part of a vast empire that is only now revealing its secrets. Seemingly lost to history, it's time to tell their story and show they were as important as Ancient Greece, Rome, or Egypt. Bettany traces their incense trade routes from the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean, accessing newly revealed research across Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Greece, Italy and Oman. From towering tombs to underwater temples, Bettany unveils the Nabataeans' spectacular story from the periphery of their world to its very centre.

Trains That Changed The World

In this series, we reveal how four iconic trains revolutionised rail travel – and inspired incredible railway projects the world over. For over 200 years, trains have transformed our lives. They have changed the way we travel, the way we work…even the way we holiday. In this series, we reveal how four iconic trains revolutionised rail travel – and inspired incredible railway projects the world over. We’ll journey aboard legendary railway engines such as The Flying Scotsman and Stephenson’s Rocket. Each episode will explore an area of life that saw dramatic transformation thanks to the train. We’ll learn how trains made us go faster; how they transformed our cities; how they powered industry and how they helped us to get away.

Hell Below

HELL BELOW is an event-based series charting the stealth game of subsea warfare from contact to attack of the greatest submarine patrols of World War II. From the rise of the Wolfpack to the drive for victory in the Pacific, meet the masterminds who brought together the strategy, technology and tactics to make every sailor’s worst nightmare to come to life.

History By The Numbers

HISTORY BY THE NUMBERS is an energetic, fast-paced documentary series taking a global dive into the extraordinary and often overlooked numbers that have created our world’s history. In each episode of HISTORY BY THE NUMBERS we examine a story that you thought you knew, but re-organized and decoded through the numbers and over-the-top stats to give viewers a new perspective on the people, events and themes that shaped the world we live in today. The series is loaded with mind-blowing factoids and stats, entertaining top five lists, comparisons and trivia, and uses numbers to reveal connections you never knew existed. Each episode delves into a different subject – from the massive growth of the global fast-food empire to the wealth and bloodshed of the world’s top crime bosses, the herculean numbers behind Mount Everest, the lives of the richest people on earth and so much more. *Curiosity launched the first 5 episodes in a prime slot for US thanksgiving and it was #4 of the top 8 rated shows.

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.

Warbird Workshop

They are the planes that wrote history in the sky. Military aircraft long since pensioned off – outdated, corroded or wrecked beyond repair. But now WARBIRD WORKSHOP is prising open the hangar door to join the pilots and engineers fighting to return rare aviation relics to the skies decades – even a century – after their last flight.

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.

The Black West: A Counter History Of The Wild West

It is one of the West’s most powerful myths. The story of how the American West was won - by great heroes and white men. BLACK WEST tells the flip side of that myth. In 1875, one of four American cowboys was Black—Black sheriffs, Black trappers and Black soldiers. Some were adopted by Native American tribes, while others became slaves. These anonymous heroes were the inspiration for many great Westerns; yet Hollywood has erased them from the silver screen. Pieced together from archives, carefully crafted re-enactments and first-hand historical accounts, BLACK WEST restores these invisible heroes to their rightful place in history.