The World 2004

Historian Bettany Hughes gives her personal take on the diverse cultures of the ancient world in this 2010 documentary series on More 4. The series begins with an examination of Alexandria, the city founded by Alexander the Great in 332 BC to become the world’s first global centre of culture. The programme explores Alexandria’s role as a powerhouse of science and learning, and focuses on the female mathematician, astronomer and philosopher Hypatia, the subject of the feature film Agora, starring Rachel Weisz.

Long before the atomic age, military masters engineered terrifying machines of war that were heralded as the technological wonders of the day. How would these "weapons of mass destruction" of millennia past measure up today? Superweapons of the Ancient World, a three-part documentary puts the theory to the test, as teams of experts are challenged to re-create some of the ancient world's most fearsome weapons and test them in action.

"In this series, author and journalist Simon Reeve travels to Central Asia to "meet the Stans" - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. His journey provides viewers with a unique insight into these countries' culture and politics. As well as discovering a region teeming with Islamic militants, ruthless tyrants and radioactive wastelands, Reeve also finds a more absurd side to these obscure countries, including an American military base that sells Soviet knick-knacks, a desert full of shipwrecks and a first-rate Beatles tribute band.

The first true super group of the seventies Emerson, Lake and Palmer were a world wide phenomenon and rose to prominence as one of the highest grossing acts in the history of rock.

A man decides to turn his moribund life around by winning back his ex-girlfriend and reconciling his relationship with his mother. Oh, and fighting off the entire town that has returned from the dead to eat the living.

Able to inspire wonder and awe in all who gazed upon them, The Seven Wonders of Ancient Rome - the Pantheon, the Aqueducts of Rome, the Via Appia, the Baths of Caracalla, Trajan's Markets, Circus Maximus and the Colosseum - were the works of great men who translated fantastic visions into the epitome of human achievement. These visionaries included ambitious Emperors like Hadrian and engineers with revolutionary ideas such as Apollodorus. By the second century AD, Rome had become the 'caput mundi' - the head of the world.

"On January 3, 1959, a column of victorious young rebels advanced along Cuba's main highway towards Havana. At the head of the column rode 33-year-old Fidel Castro Ruz. As he went by, a Cuban peasant turned to an American journalist, and said: "There he goes, the hope of a people." Over the next few decades, by the force of his personality and the might of his Soviet benefactor, Castro turned himself and Cuba into significant players on the world stage.

To produce one of the world's great masterpieces is impressive. To create three is truly astonishing - but this is exactly what Michelangelo did five hundred years ago.

The human brain remains the last great unconquered frontier of science. Somehow, that mass of grey sludge locked inside our skulls creates a whole inner world heaving with emotions, memories, ideas and desires. Everything we see, touch, hear and feel - the illusion of reality - is generated by this inscrutable organ.

Inspired by the best-selling book, Earth From Above is a magical tour of the world's most beautiful natural landscapes shot in stunning HD. Hosted by world-famous photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand, this program features some of the most stunning aerial photography ever attempted. Life - Take an awe-inspiring journey to discover some of the Earth's most precious living treasures. From the smallest living beings to the magnificent giants of the animal world, life is ever-present in all its diverse forms. Yet the dangers posed by human development and encroachment on animals' natural habitats loom ever present, and Life examines the forces in conflict that threaten the natural world. Through breathtaking photography showcasing natural beauty and amazing people, see how all forms of life can come together to make this a sustainable planet for future generations, and why it is so important to preserve its resources.