Explore TV Series

Six of the best British crime thriller writers are profiled during the running up to the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards. Each author will be given their own week, featuring some of their finest TV adaptations every night, plus an exclusive documentary examining their lives and work, talking to the stars who have brought their characters to life on screen, fellow writers, fans and the authors themselves.

Complete four part series exploring the life of the world's greatest and most famous writer. Presenter-led, mixing travel, adventure, live action interviews and specially shot documentary and live action sequences with the RSC on the road. A history series - it focuses not on the plays, but on the history and sets the life of the poet in the extraordinary times in which he lived. We are introduced to the dark world of Queen Elizabeth's police state - a time of surveillance, militarism and foreign wars. We are reminded that Shakespeare lived through the Spanish Armada, the Gunpowder Plot, the colonisation of the New World and the beginnings of British power in America. But most importantly Shakespeare also lived through England’s Cultural Revolution: an enforced split with the old medieval English spirit world which was to lead the English people into a brave new Protestant future.

Tony Robinson's Crime and Punishment is a British documentary for Channel 4. In a four-part series, Tony Robinson goes on a fascinating and sometimes bizarre journey to discover the origins of our laws and what we do to people when they break them. From trials by boiling water, through the decapitation of a king, to the emergence of our modern democracy, it is a journey that starts two thousand years ago and remains unfinished today. It aired on Australian screens in 2009 on ABC1.

A series of spy thrillers exploring the key turning-points in the race for nuclear supremacy. From the development of the A-bomb, via the Cuban missile crisis, to the spread of nuclear weapons to the Middle East and beyond, each story is told through the eyes of the men who risked everything to proliferate their nuclear secrets and those who tried to stop them. Nuclear weapons and the actions of these men have transformed the face of war - and now the world could pay the price.

Planet in Peril is a two-part, four-hour documentary on CNN that premiered on October 23, 2007, broadcast in the CNN Presents format. It also aired as a special presentation on December 2 & 3, 2007 on Animal Planet & Animal Planet HD. CNN's Anderson Cooper, Sanjay Gupta and Animal Planet's Jeff Corwin investigate the current state of our planet, focusing on four major areas: global warming, overpopulation, deforestation and species loss. They report from a wide variety of locations including Alaska, Brazil, Madagascar, Southeast Asia, and Yellowstone National Park, examining the effects of population growth, rising temperatures, poaching and illegal wildlife trade, among others, on the global environment. Specific areas it deals with are the conflict in the Niger Delta and La Oroya, Peru. On December 11, 2008, CNN premiered a sequel to Planet in Peril, called Planet in Peril: Battle Lines. It featured Anderson Cooper, Sanjay Gupta, and Lisa Ling from National Geographic Explorer.

Lars Monsen travels to the Cap of the North to spend one full year in the arctic wilderness of Norway, Sweden and Finland.

Latest research has revealed that first mammals and first dinosaurs appeared on earth at about the same time and that the ancestral mammals underwent dramatic evolution while challenging the dinosaurs. It was these struggles that created the basic nature of all present mammals, including humans.

This intriguing documentary explores the ambitious effort to compile, transcribe, edit, and present the papers of, by, and directly related to the Latter-day Saint Prophet Joseph Smith.

The history of the Russian Tsars.

In each episode, geologist Dr. Iain Stewart explains the effects and importance of a specific force of nature, such as wind or volcanism. He also examines the various ways in which it shapes planet earth itself and influences life on it, often in conjunction with other natural forces, and sometimes with lifeforms, as in the 'apocalyptically' grave case of global warming.

First Australians is an Australian historical documentary series produced by Blackfella Films over the course of six years, and first aired in October 2008. The documentary is part of a greater project that further consists of a hard-cover book, a community outreach program and a substantial website featuring over 200 mini-documentaries. The series chronicles the history of contemporary Australia, from the perspective of its first people, or Aborigines. The series is essentially a synthesis of well documented historical information. It relies heavily on archival documents and interpretations from historians and members of both the Indigenous and European community and leaders. The story begins in 1788 in Sydney, with the arrival of the First Fleet and ends in 1993 with Koiki Mabo's legal challenge to the foundation of Australia. The series comprises seven episodes in which it explores what unfolded when the oldest living culture in the world was confronted by the British Empire. It explores the lives of particular individuals and uses their stories as a vehicle to explain the larger situations of the time. It explains violent aspects of European settlement of Australia, such as killings, battles, wars, as well as acts of friendship and decency between the early European settlers and Indigenous Australians. Indigenous Australian history has until recently been clouded by the "great Australian silence" where ignorance of the real history of Australia can be seen as a way for non-Indigenous to hide shame for their own history. In this respect it has been controversial in that many of these stories have not been portrayed on Australian television before and the Indigenous Australian perspective of European settlement is confrontational for many.

Why is the English spoken by Maine lobstermen so different from thatscene from the broadcast spoken by cowboys in Texas? Does Spanish pose a threat to English as the dominant language in America? And what on earth do yins, wickety wack, ayuh, catty whompus, and stomping it clean mean? Robert MacNeil travels cross-country to answer these questions and examine the dynamic state of American English – a language rich with regional variety, strong global impact and cultural controversy.

India with Sanjeev Bhaskar is a four-part documentary from the BBC in which Sanjeev Bhaskar travels to India with director Deep Sehgal. The documentary was created as part of the BBC's series of programmes on the 60th anniversary of the independence of India and Pakistan. The series was broadcast between 30 July and 20 August 2007.

Leading scientists from all over the globe report from the Planetary Investigation Lab - where they asses the most likely locations for extraterrestrial life. Under investigation are two new planets, The Blue Moon, world of flyers, and Aurelia, the land of light and dark. Using the lastest computer generated imaging (CGI) and 3-D effects, the show takes you on a galactic journey to these new planets and brings you face to face with alien life forms - like the skywhales, gulphogs, stinger fans, and caped stalkers.

Documenting the rise of mass air travel, starting with a look at the advent of commercial air travel through to the dropping of prices and the rise of mass air tourism. The series looks at how the system of airports developed, and how they have transformed people's attitudes towards travel and made long distance travel more widely available.

The Law of the Playground is a British television series broadcast on Channel 4 produced by Zeppotron in which various British comedians and celebrities recollect the past times of childhood at school. Throughout the series many different aspects of school life are brought up such as bullies, punishment, games, etc.

Documentary series dedicated to the history of the conquest of the 14 highest Himalayan peaks by Czech climbers.

Enlightening, uplifting and refreshingly innovative, this series takes a pioneering journey through the unexplored galaxy inside our own heads. Combining cutting edge science with extraordinary experiments, dazzling graphics and inspiring human stories, it shows how personality is formed throughout our lives and how our minds work to win friends and influence people. By exploring the science behind the workings of the human mind, the programmes reveal what each of us can do to make the most of its remarkable capability - including how to literally 'think faster' and even master our most powerful emotions.

Discovery Atlas is a documentary television series on the Discovery Channel and Discovery HD Theater which focuses on the cultural, sociological, and natural aspects of various countries by exploring their different peoples, traditions, and lands. The documentary follows the lives and individual struggles of locals, while taking in-depth looks at the countries' history and culture.

TCM has chosen 10 active film directors, its "Magnificent 10" and analyzes their filmography, their style, what makes each of them special. A review of the best films of recent years.

Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe was a four-part BBC television series hosted by Francesco da Mosto and originally shown on BBC2 from 18 June to 2 July 2006. In the series, da Mosto drives his Alfa Romeo Spider the length of Italy, from North to South, exploring the architecture and traditions in different regions. This series was rebroadcast by The Travel Channel in January 2007 and repeated on BBC2 in May 2007 and BBC Four in October-November 2007. The series was rebroadcast in Canada on the Knowledge channel during July and August 2011. During Episode 1, "The Romantic North", da Mosto left his native Venice and his family, and visited the Fiat Factory in Turin, Romeo and Juliet's balcony in Verona and the city of Milan. During Episode 2, "The Garden of Italy", da Mosto visited a 19th century reproduction of Michaelangelo's David in Florence, the city of Siena and the town of Assisi. In Episode 3, entitled "The Heart of Italy" da Mosto visited the Trevi Fountain, explores Italians love/hate relationship with Mussolini, visiting the city of Sabaudia, Rome and Naples, its underground secrets and the beautiful Chapel of St. Severo. In the fourth episode, "The Land of My Mother", da Mosto travelled to Sicily where he climbed to the summit of Mount Etna, visited the Trulli buildings and explored the Capuchin catacombs of Palermo with its array of mummified bodies – before being reunited with his family at last.

For over two millennia, India has been at the centre of world history. But how did India come to be? What is India? These are the big questions behind this intrepid journey around the contemporary subcontinent. In this landmark series, historian and acclaimed writer Michael Wood embarks on a dazzling and exciting expedition through today's India, looking to the present for clues to her past, and to the past for clues to her future. The journey takes the viewer through majestic landscapes and reveals some of the greatest monuments and artistic treasures on Earth. From Buddhism to Bollywood, from mathematics to outsourcing, Michael Wood discovers India's impact on history - and on us.

Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible is an American documentary television series on Science which first aired in the United States on December 1, 2009. The series is hosted by theoretical physicist Michio Kaku and is based on his book Physics of the Impossible. In each episode, Dr. Kaku addresses a technological concept from science fiction and designs his own theoretical version of the technology using currently-known science. He also visits scientists developing technology related to the episode's concept.

This documentary chronicles the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990) in fifteen episodes. It includes interviews with Lebanese, Arab, Israeli, American and European commentators and politicians, military personnel, militia leaders and civilian victims. The content is based on historical and archived material. This 2-year project cost several hundred thousand dollars and entailed filming over 150 hours of interviews with the major players in the events that took place in Lebanon between 1976 – 1990. Moreover, the program presents in the 1st two episodes the historical background of the major events that influenced the course of the 15-year war.

Puts one year under the microscope every episode, to remind us of the fads, fashions, movies, music, celebrities, news and events which made the year memorable.

Conquistadors is a documentary retelling of the story of the Spanish expeditions of conquest of the Americas. In this 4-part series historian Michael Wood travels in the footsteps of the Spanish expeditions, from Amazonia to Lake Titicaca, and from the deserts of North Mexico to the heights of Macchu Picchu.

Crime 360 is an American reality television show based on homicide detective units in various cities across the United States, including Richmond, Virginia; Rochester, New York; Little Rock, Arkansas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio. The detective units in each of these cities use a Leica or a Deltasphere three-dimensional scanner to photograph the crime scene, essentially "freezing" it for study during the investigation; hence, the series title "Crime 360." It is produced by BASE Productions.

Chris Barrie's Massive Speed follows on from the series Massive Engines and Massive Machines , both of which were also presented by petrolhead Chris (of Red Dwarf fame). In Massive Speed Chris turns his attention to the evolution of machines designed purely to achieve maximum speed. He travels the world searching for the most thrilling, speed-packed machines he can find and introduces audiences to huge engined bikes, planes, trucks and boats that battle it out in power races. Whether it's crossing an otherwise impenetrable snow drift, desert or swamp at the speed of an Olympic sprinter or cutting through the atmosphere at six times the speed of sound, Chris tells the stories of the greatest achievements of speed design and engineering. In each episode Chris follows the evolution of a specific genre of machine by testing them and reveals both the classsic stories and secret histories that surround each of them.

The Eyes of Nye was a science program airing on public television in the United States in 2005 and featuring Bill Nye. The show was more sophisticated than its predecessor Bill Nye the Science Guy, as it was aimed more toward adults and teenagers than children. All episodes were rated TV-G, except for "Addiction" and "The Evolution of Sex", both rated TV-PG. The creation of the show was motivated by the success of the television program Bill Nye the Science Guy, as well as a widespread contempt among scientists for scientific journalism in the media. The program was based in Seattle, Washington, produced by Buena Vista Television and broadcast during primetime by KCTS, the local PBS affiliate.

The IFC Media Project is an American television series which aired on the Independent Film Channel in the United States. The show is a documentary series which examines America's news media and seeks to uncover the truth about the news. In its first two seasons it was hosted by award winning journalist Gideon Yago and featured in-depth reporting on controversial topics facing today's media through its use of interviews and documentary footage. In the third season, the show dropped its "magazine-style" format and focused each episode on telling 22-minute short documentaries under the tagline "4 Nights, 4 Journalists, 4 Stories." The third season follows award-winning journalists Max Blumenthal, Nir Rosen, Charlie LeDuff and Andrew Berends. The series is filmed at various locations and is produced by Meghan O'Hara and Nick McKinney.

Griff Rhys Jones takes a startlingly honest look at anger in himself and others

Hard Time is an American reality-documentary television series on the National Geographic Channel. The series debuted on February 1, 2011 and is hosted by Thurston Moore as he sheds light on the daily life of the prisoners and guards at the Correctional Reception Center located in Orient, Ohio.

A documentary on some of the key campaigns and battles of the 20th century, seen as a match-up between the two sides' commanders. We see the strategies, tactics, personality traits and events that made one commander victorious.

Lars Monsen travels across Canada, encountering wildlife around every corner.

Travelogue of England, Ireland and Wales, presented by Billy Connolly, including clips from his stand-up performances.

Sex... with Mom and Dad is MTV's version of the British TV series. The series features teens and their parents working through their sex, dating and love life problems under the guidance of relationship expert Doctor Drew Pinksy.

UFO Hunters is an American television series that premiered on January 30, 2008 on The History Channel, produced by Motion Picture Production Inc., and ran for three seasons. Jon Alon Walz was the Executive Producer of the show and was responsible for selling the series to History Channel after a bidding war for the rights to the show broke out between History Channel and Sci-Fi Channel. The concept for the show was tested in a segment of History Channel's 2006 UFO special entitled "Deep Sea UFOs", produced by Motion Picture Production Inc, which featured two of the final four cast members. "UFO Hunters" was not a spin-off from a 2005 History Channel special with the same title. The tagline of the show is: Hoax or History? The series should not be confused with a similarly themed and titled UFO Hunters, a special that debuted the same day and time on the Sci-Fi Channel, and created by the producers of Ghost Hunters, but which only aired one episode. In the US, History Channel only released the first two seasons on DVD in the correct airdate order. However, the format was only released in full screen instead of wide screen. In the UK, History Channel released the third and final season on DVD however, the episodes were released in the incorrect airdate order.

Journey through the long-vanished corners of prehistoric North America, beginning when man first entered the vast, unspoiled continent some 14,000 years ago, in this appealing BBC documentary. Witness ancient beasts, mammoths, mastodons, giant bears, and sabre-toothed cats, and see the legacies each has passed to their modern successors. Computer animation and digital effects bring to life mammoths, saber-toothed cats, giant ground sloths, short-faced bears, glyptodonts, and a plethora of smaller animals in a lush Ice Age mosaic. Discoveries from sites across America are the basis for the reconstructions. The BBC team behind "Blue Planet" and "Walking with Dinosaurs" now takes you back to an 'early America' beyond imagination. Travel back 14,000 years as humans were first entering the continent, sharing it with ancient beasts.

By studying the action of drugs on the brain, scientists penetrate the workings of human consciousness. A documentary series in which we discover, in five parts, that the study of the effect of drugs helps to understand the functioning of the brain.

A back-to-basics live music show where the focus is on the music, the artists and their performances.

Conductor Charles Hazlewood journeys to Russia in search of clues to uncover secrets to the enigmatic and masterful composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, whose life has been heavily shrouded in mystery.

The Passions of Girls Aloud is a four-part television series starring girl group Girls Aloud. The series premiered on ITV2 on 14 March 2008.