Explore TV Series

Penelope Keith delves into the BBC's written archives.

A behind the scenes look through the corridors of power in ten of the most opulent and historic royal residences on Earth. We reveal the stories behind the Kings and Queens who lived in these grand homes and uncover the secrets of the architects, engineers and courtiers who brought them to life.

Our World is full of beautiful and diverse ecosystems that house all sorts of life. Join us as we explore some of earths last paradises.

For the 70th anniversary of the EB climbing shoe brand, French climber Seb Bouin decided to tour France of the climbing routes that have marked the history of our sport. From 7a to 9a, the Vintage Rock Tour is a project that was born from the desire to rediscover historic climbing sites, the evolution of climbing styles but above all to be able to meet the actors who made the history of our sport. This is what Seb Bouin offers you, with major climbing sites revisited in the company of those who wrote their pages.

The General was a BBC fly-on-the-wall Television series hosted by Yvette Fielding, Chris Serle and Heather Mills. Based at Southampton General Hospital, the programme tracked the progress of selected patients, including outpatients, at the hospital. The series was broadcast live every weekday on BBC One, in a daytime slot. 61 episodes of the programme were aired in total; 58 of them in 1998, and the other three in 2002. The original director of the series was Dave Heather. As well as the presenting team tracking patients and staff in the hospital, the programme also featured Heather Mills abseiling down the side of the hospital and demonstrating various uses for her prosthesis. However, it was alleged some years after the series finished that Mills was appointed to the presenting role under false pretences, having claimed that newspaper articles written by a journalist namesake were written by herself. The show also featured occasional celebrity guest appearances, including a visit from endurance expert Mike Stroud. The programme was subsequently renamed City Hospital, continuing with exactly the same format, initially with the same presenters but subsequently presented by Nick Knowles and Gaby Roslin. City Hospital later moved from Southampton General Hospital to Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals in London, with the presentation team changing; subsequent presenters included Jeremy Milnes and Nadia Sawalha.

A series chronicling the events which shaped the continent of Europe as we now know it.

An affectionate look at life in 1970s Britain - the news, fads, fashions, music and more.

Actor Brian Cox reveals the rich and controversial past of sugar, alcohol, tobacco and opium to uncover how the commercial exploitation of these products hooked the world.

Follow a team of more than 10,000 engineers and construction workers as they race to build a brand new railway under London - Crossrail - London's new Underground.

Join Keith Floyd on a vibrant journey through India, where bustling cities, ancient traditions, and extraordinary landscapes provide the setting for an unforgettable culinary adventure. From crowded markets and roadside stalls to royal kitchens and family homes, every destination offers new flavours, aromas, and stories. Guided by curiosity and a passion for good food, Floyd explores the rich regional diversity that makes Indian cuisine one of the world's most celebrated culinary traditions.

The third series of this nature documentary uses the very latest in underwater filming techniques to reveal brand new and untold stories from magical underwater worlds focusing on five major underwater habitats: the tropical seas, temperate seas, polar seas, high seas and deep seas.

Dan Snow breathes new life into incredible archaeological discoveries, including an in-depth exploration of each discovery, delving into the history, myths, and legends surrounding these ancient sites. Through interviews with experts and on-site exploration, Snow brings these fascinating stories to life, offering a fresh perspective on some of the world’s most renowned archaeological wonders.

Actor and author Ross Kemp dives into the deep ocean to uncover long lost stories and mysteries in this new Sky series, `Ross Kemp: Shipwreck Treasure'. Accompanying him for the dives of a lifetime is expert diver Emily Turton, and together they will go on many expeditions to some of the most famous shipwrecks around the UK. They hope to find answers to long-standing questions, hidden secrets, and any potential treasures that could be lost on the sea floor. Through these wrecks, Britain's complex history will become a little more clear.

A Year in the Beacons follows the course of a year in the national park for the staff of the Glanusk Estate, the Brecon Mountain Rescue Team, and a family of farmers in the foothills of Pen y Fan.

A captivating voyage into the world of intellectual exploration, where host Bryan Magee engages in illuminating dialogues with some of the most distinguished thinkers of the last century. Join Magee in riveting conversations with eminent guests like Herbert Marcuse, A. J. Ayer, John Searle, Noam Chomsky, Iris Murdoch, and W.V. Quine, as they unravel the complexities of philosophy, language, politics, and culture. From the radical reevaluation of Marxism by Herbert Marcuse to the profound insights on language by John Searle and Noam Chomsky, this series presents a tapestry of thought that has shaped our understanding of existence. With each episode, "Men of Ideas" offers a unique window into the minds of these leading philosophers, making it an intellectually invigorating experience for both avid scholars and curious minds alike.

Egyptian Journeys with Dan Cruickshank is a BBC Television documentary series in which Dan Cruickshank explores the mysteries of Ancient Egypt.

As morning broke on the 1st of September 1939 and the first invasion force of German troops crossed the Polish border, few could have imagined the sheer scale of devastation, misery and bloodshed that the following years of war would bring. World War II saw the mobilisation of over 100 million military personnel as all corners of the globe were thrown into a state of 'total war', where each nation involved drained every resource at their disposal - human, natural, economic, industrial and military. The result was the conflict to end all conflicts. With over 500 minutes of footage, this gripping documentary series covers all the major events, people and machinery involved in the 20th Century's most terrible conflict and examines the roles of all three branches of the armed forces - navy, air force and army.

Dr Xand van Tulleken and archaeologist Raksha Dave tell the brutal story of one of the most bloody and savage conquests in English history.

One hundred years after the Russian Revolution, Simon Reeve embarks on a three-part journey across Russia.

Sue Perkins undertakes an epic, personal journey to the source of India's Ganges river in the Himalayas, meeting hermits and holy men to understand the sacred nature of this river.

Motorcycle racer and mechanic Guy Martin undertakes a series of speed-based challenges, exploring the boundaries of physics and learning about the science of speed.

Michael Portillo explores the region of Andalucia in southern Spain, visiting six of his favourite locations in the area.

Andrew Graham-Dixon undertakes an epic journey to uncover the art of China.

See your body like never before - from the inside out. Kate Garraway and Dr Guddi Singh use the latest technology to help patients understand their everyday medical conditions.

This ground-breaking three-part series takes 75 dieters and employs the latest science to fashion a diet tailor-made to counteract the main reason they put on weight.

How do young children make and break friendships and learn to share, stand up for themselves, and find their place in a new social group?

The Hairy Bikers traverse the infamous Route 66, serving up plenty of delicious food along the way.

White was a series of documentaries shown in March 2008 on BBC 2 dealing with issues of race and the changing nature of the white working class in Britain. The series alleged that some white working class Britons felt marginalised and poses the controversial question, "Is white working class Britain becoming invisible?"

Karl and Chris goon a 3 week trip, where they got to travel through China, Tibet & Nepal with the highlight of reaching Mount Everest base camp. However, their plans fall apart with Chris being hospitalised with severe altitude sickness. Will they succeed with our quest for Everest?

Documentary showing the many travails of the UK Labour Party during its long period in opposition from 1979 and through the 1980s and 1990s.

We tell great stories about video games and the people who make them.

This series gives a new life to silent archives. It shed new light on WWII and the preceding years by revealing what the masters of the Reich and their acolytes were really saying to each other while being filmed, thinking no one could hear them. Surprising or trivial, mundane or astonishing, their words now deciphered give a new perspective on these historical archives and get us closer to the harsh reality of these tragic days.

The remarkable stories and characters at the heart of Leeds Bradford Airport as it attempts to reinvent itself as one of Britain’s most successful regional airports. The series reveals the behind-the-scenes characters responsible for the smooth running of all things airside.

Magic Numbers was a British television show in which celebrity contestants answer questions to generate a sequence of 6 numbers. Members of the public then call a Premium-rate telephone number if their home or mobile phone numbers contains two or more of these digits. Callers are entered into a prize draw to win the chance of competing for a prize of up to £350,000. The show was created by CPL Productions and Paul Brassey and commissioned by John Kaye Cooper at ITV. The show is very similar to a previous ITV game show, Talking Telephone Numbers, the key difference being that viewers of Magic Numbers can call in if two of the numbers match their phone number, rather than five as on the previous show. This was a technique employed by ITV to generate more calls, and hence higher revenues from the show. Magic Numbers was hosted by Stephen Mulhern when it aired for one series of seven episodes in 2010.