Britain Begins

Sifting through writings, relics and ruins, historians piece together the time before, during and after the Roman invasion of Britain.

University Challenge icons Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull road trip around Britain in search of hidden gems of British scientific and technological ingenuity.

Janina Ramirez discovers how monasteries shaped all aspects of medieval Britain and created a dazzling array of art, architecture and literature, a story of faith, sacrifice, violence and corruption.

Examining the the British government's approach to dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. With Britain's confirmed death rate from coronavirus now one of the highest in the world, and the Government's strategy to get the economy restarted and prevent a second spike still developing, Dispatches reporter Antony Barnett begins asking questions that may shed a light on how to beat the virus in the future. With the input of people at the heart of events, Barnett investigates the eight astonishing weeks that saw the UK move into lockdown, and reveals the key decisions and moments that led to the UK shutting down and that have determined what has happened since

Michael Buerk looks at the transformation of the nation during the Victorian era, telling the surprising stories behind famous landmarks and the hidden heroes behind epic constructions. He begins by revealing how the Victorians created public transport and sewerage systems. Michael Buerk looks at how the Victorians created what is now known as the modern home, exploring the huge rise in house-building during the period. He travels to Fakenham, Norfolk, to visit the last remaining gasworks in England, and discovers how the Victorians mastered the art of producing `town gas" from coal.

Tony Robinson explores the history of the nation through the everyday lives of ordinary people.

With exclusive access to a major new excavation, Alice Roberts pulls together all the latest evidence to reveal what Dark Age Britain was really like. In the fifth century, the future of Britain hung in the balance; after four centuries of straight roads and hot and cold running water the Romans upped and left, called back to support their own ailing Empire. The country quickly descended into chaos, plunging the native population into poverty and instability as their livelihoods - many dependent on the Romans - disappeared almost overnight.