Discover the story of the fighter plane and pilots that helped win the Battle of Britain in World War II. Through people personally connected to the events, the film investigates the story of how the Spitfire, its stable-mate, the Hawker Hurricane and its great adversary, the Messerschmitt 109 came into being during the huge advances in aviation in the interwar period. And then how the pilots fared in combat, three miles up in the skies over Europe, Africa and Asia.

In an enthralling documentary, Dan Snow and archaeologist Raksha Dave delve into the catastrophic impact of the Black Death on Britain 700 years ago, a pandemic that extinguished around half of the population, or three million people. The duo embarks on a journey to trace the origins and merciless spread of the plague, starting from its arrival on Britain's South coast in June 1348, through the bustling trade routes that brought the disease to Melcombe Regis, Dorset. Their investigation takes them to various hotspots of the outbreak, including the Old Operating Theatre in London and Wildwood Animal Sanctuary in Kent, where they explore the role of rats in dispersing the bubonic plague. Through dramatic reconstructions and visits to places like Nottingham University's biomedical laboratories, they uncover the rapid spread and deadly impact of the plague, offering a month-by-month account of how it ravaged the country, decimating cities, towns, and villages alike.
The documentary not only showcases the horrific symptoms and desperate attempts at cures through brutal medical practices of the time but also leverages cutting-edge research to explain why the Black Death remains the deadliest pandemic in history. The personal stories of victims, from princes to paupers, are brought to light, revealing the indiscriminate nature of the disease. Dan's visit to Canterbury Cathedral and Raksha's investigation into the recent discovery of mass graves beneath a tranquil London square underline the widespread desperation and devastation. Their journey through the history of the Black Death, culminating in the discovery of its indiscriminate toll and the unveiling of mass graves in London, not only sheds light on the darkest chapters of British history but also ignites a profound understanding of the tragedy, making a compelling case for why this documentary is a must-watch for anyone interested in the profound impacts of pandemics on human society.

The documentary tells the story of the extremely rare discovery of evidence of Roman crucifixion, unearthed in a routine archaeological dig in the Cambridgeshire Fens. When human remains were found alongside a variety of Roman artifacts, none of the team at Albion Archaeology saw anything out of the ordinary. But once the bones were washed back at HQ, something highly unusual was uncovered: a nail through the heel bone of one of the individuals. Could this be evidence of a Roman crucifixion? When they did some research, they found that only one confirmed example had ever been unearthed before, discovered in the 1960s in Jerusalem. To find out more, they called in renowned osteoarchaeologist Dr Corinne Duhig to investigate. With exclusive access to Corinne’s investigation and the remains themselves, The Cambridgeshire Crucifixion sets out to find out who this person was, how they lived and why they were put to death in this notoriously gruesome way. We perform a CT scan, DNA and isotope analysis of the remains, and use them to create a cutting-edge virtual autopsy of the skeleton, conducted by Corinne and one of her former students, biologist Prof Ben Garrod.
A supporting cast of expert contributors help to analyse the artefacts found at the Fenstanton site and reveal a compelling picture of life in Roman Britain in the 1st century CE. The film culminates in a world first: a full forensic facial reconstruction of a victim of Roman crucifixion, conducted by world-leading expert Joe Mullins.

Dr Janina Ramirez embarks on a journey through six decades of the BBC archives to create a television history of one of the most celebrated figures in art - Leonardo Da Vinci. Ramirez shows how experts and art presenters have turned to television to bring Leonardo's artwork out of galleries and into our living rooms. Through television they have explored the origins of Leonardo's boundless curiosity, his pioneering use of light and shade, and his remarkable scientific exploration.
Along the way Dr Ramirez discovers Britain's little-known version of The Last Supper, the gruesome ways Leonardo acquired his anatomical knowledge - and even what lies beneath the Mona Lisa.

Professor Richard Fortey delves into the fascinating and normally-hidden kingdom of fungi. From their spectacular birth, through their secretive underground life to their final explosive death, Richard reveals a remarkable world that few of us understand or even realise exists - yet all life on Earth depends on it. In a specially-built mushroom lab, with the help of mycologist Dr Patrick Hickey and some state-of-the-art technology, Richard brings to life the secret world of mushrooms as never seen before and reveals the spectacular abilities of fungi to break down waste and sustain new plant life, keeping our planet alive. Beyond the lab, Richard travels across Britain and beyond to show us the biggest, fastest and most deadly organisms on the planet - all of them fungi. He reveals their almost magical powers that have world-changing potential - opening up new frontiers in science, medicine and technology.

Professor Robert Bartlett explores the impact of the Norman conquest of Britain and Ireland. Bartlett shows how William the Conqueror imposed a new aristocracy, savagely cut down opposition and built scores of castles and cathedrals to intimidate and control. He also commissioned the Domesday Book, the greatest national survey of England that had ever been attempted. England adapted to its new masters and both the language and culture were transformed as the Normans and the English intermarried. Bartlett shows how the political and cultural landscape of Scotland, Wales and Ireland were also forged by the Normans and argues that the Normans created the blueprint for colonialism in the modern world.