1. Home
2. History and biography

In this unique docu-drama, uncover the true story of Verus, a gladiator who fought at the Colosseum in Rome.

We celebrate the lives of those who soared the highest. From Doris Day to Errol Flynn, we uncover what drove them and why the world loved them. Contributions from contemporary commentators and current Hollywood glitterati will bring each icon's legacy up to date as we relive their most magical motion picture moments and explore the personalities behind the names.

We celebrate the lives of those who soared the highest. From Doris Day to Errol Flynn, we uncover what drove them and why the world loved them. Contributions from contemporary commentators and current Hollywood glitterati will bring each icon's legacy up to date as we relive their most magical motion picture moments and explore the personalities behind the names.

Uncover the events that shaped the great Jewish revolt against Rome as told by Jewish General, historian and perceived traitor Flavius Josephus. Explore Josephus' early history as a Jewish leader and researcher, his travels to Rome, the folklore of his making as a prophet, and ultimately his involvement in the fall of Judea.

March 1953: Stalin is dead, and in Asia the heated conflicts are ending. But with foreign troops leaving the region, Ho Chi Minh formulates a new plan.

Dennis Hopper starred with James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and Giant (1956). Hopper made his directorial film debut with the iconic 1960s Easy Rider (1969), which he and co-star Peter Fonda wrote with Terry Southern, and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He appeared in Apocalypse Now (1979), Rumble Fish (1983) and The Osterman Weekend (1983). Blue Velvet (1986) and Hoosiers, again earning an Academy Award nom for Best Supporting Actor. Hopper also portrayed villains Super Mario Bros. (1993) and Speed (1994)

Mexico is an ancient civilisation steeped with culture and game changing innovations in science, engineering and astronomy. Our daily lives are filled with contributions that originated in Mexico. To celebrate these great achievements, we're going to imagine a world where they disappear from our lives.

Engineering has built our modern world. Everything from skyscrapers to roads and air travel are here because of Engineering. But what happens when engineering goes horribly wrong? Go behind the headlines to uncover what really happened in the most notorious engineering accidents.

Coppola, Scorsese, Lucas and Spielberg. These are the stories of the movies that have become timeless classics and defined the Seventies.

Christopher Doyle narrates the uniquely vivid picture of Chinese history through film. These never-seen-before films provide new insight into China's momentous changes, from the Qing dynasty through to the Communist era.

We celebrate the lives of those who soared the highest. From Doris Day to Errol Flynn, we uncover what drove them and why the world loved them. Contributions from contemporary commentators and current Hollywood glitterati will bring each icon's legacy up to date as we relive their most magical motion picture moments and explore the personalities behind the names.

Featuring classic moments in the careers of twelve legends of Opera, from Luciano Pavarotti to Enrico Caruso, Joan Sutherland to Kiri Te Kanawa and Jessye Norman to Mario Lanza. Filmed in in the United Kingdom and Italy, each episode features historical archive, performance highlights, and contributions from artists, critics and directors.

Bettany Hughes investigates the enduring relationship between warfare and worship by following the trail of Mars, from Rome and Carthage to the present-day.

The Gold Coast hides a past full of bitter struggle and huge enterprise. Greig explores how South Sea Islanders suffered brutal treatment to enable the early sugar boom in the 19th century.

Tokyo is the world's largest and most densely populated megalopolis. It stands as a symbol of our Futuristic high-tech civilisation. Yet over 150 years ago, before it opened up and embraced Western culture without losing its own identity, Tokyo was still Edo, a traditional Asian city ruled by the feudal powers of the Samurai. Twice the city experienced total destruction. Yet each time, like the mythical phoenix, the city rose spectacularly from the ashes. Discover the story of its history through never seen before restored and colourised archives filmed in Tokyo from 1905 onward. Examine the extraordinary resilience of the Japanese people.

This is the story of the apartment in downtown Johannesburg that, between the late 1940s and early 1960s, became a hub of resistance against apartheid.

Nobody is perfect' is the closing line from Some Like it Hot which many film buffs consider to be the best comedy of all time. Wilder with six Oscars to his credit once modestly remarked: 'Eighty percent of a picture is writing, the other twenty percent is the execution, such as having the camera on the right spot and being able to afford to have good actors in all parts.' Clara and Julia Kuperberg draw in their highly entertaining documentary on a wonderful interview Volker Schlondorff made with Wilder, whose films are always multi-layered and often full of caustic wit and irony, sometimes hidden behind very funny lines. Film critics Joseph McBride and Tony Maietta assess Wilder's career and Paul Diamond talks about Wilder's successful collaboration with his father 'Izzy' Diamond. Clips of most of his prize winning films and some lesser known ones round off an in depth profile of one of cinema's greats.

September 1950, and the war against Communism was being fought across Asia. While a beaten Truman considers the bomb, Stalin increases his influence.