Portillo's Hidden History of Britain

The Real Dad's Army

July 2025 •English

Using witness testimony, archive and archaeological evidence, this three-part series reveals the untold story of the preparations to defend World War Two Britain by the Home Guard.

Brits Who Made The Modern World

July 2025 •English

The three-part series tells the story of British architects Richard Rogers, Norman Foster, Nicholas Grimshaw, Michael Hopkins and Terry Farrell.

The Railway: Keeping Britain On Track

July 2025 •English

Documentary series revealing the inner workings of Britain's railways, introducing the track-workers, train guards, drivers, police officers and management teams determined to keep the country moving.

Robbie Coltrane: B-Road Britain

July 2025 •English

Robbie Coltrane has set himself a challenge to take a road trip across a Britain that we don't normally see. The route is from Scotland to the tip of Cornwall, stopping off at various locations - all on the scenic 'B' roads.

Abroad Again in Britain

July 2025 •English

Jonathan Meades gives a personal perspective of British history.

Secret Britain

July 2025 •English

Exploring the hidden corners of the UK in search of the best the countryside has to offer.

Timeshift

July 2025 •English

Documentary series which ranges widely over Britain's social and cultural history, its narrative-led storytelling offering a richly immersive and varied window onto the past.

The 80s with Dominic Sandbrook

July 2025 •English

Dominic Sandbrook takes a fresh look at a dynamic decade. 1980s Britain changed in everything from politics and sport to fashion and popular culture.

Britain's Bloodiest Dynasty

July 2025 •English

Acclaimed historian Dan Jones tells the story of the dynasty who ruled England and much of France during the Middle Ages. More shocking, brutal and exhilarating than Game of Thrones, these events actually happened.

La Grande-Bretagne Sauvage

July 2025 •French

Secrets of Great British Castles

July 2025 •English

Historian Dan Jones explores the millennium of history behind six of Great Britain's most famous castles: Warwick, Dover, Caernarfon, the Tower of London, Carrickfergus, and Stirling.

TOWN with Nicholas Crane

July 2025 •English

TOWN with Nicholas Crane is a BBC [documentary] series produced by Tern TV and first broadcast on BBC Two in 2011. It covers various subjects about the history and development of towns in the United Kingdom. The series is presented by geographer Nicholas Crane. Each four-part series covers one town per hour-long episode, and documents the benefits of life in a town as compared with a larger city.

Canal Walks with Julia Bradbury

July 2025 •English

Julia Bradbury dons her walking boots to explore her own British backyard, travelling along the country's network of canals and their accompanying towpath trails.

Harold Shipman

July 2025 •English

Examining what drove Harold Shipman to commit murder.

De Wit en de Brit

July 2025 •Dutch

Who are the winners and losers of Brexit? Former United Kingdom correspondent Tim de Wit returns to reflect on his own role as a journalist and to investigate what became of the Brexit promises. Has migration decreased? Has healthcare improved?

Oz & James Drink to Britain

July 2025 •English

Oz Clarke and James May travel through Britain and Ireland to discover the amazing array of drinks that is on offer.

The Great British Dig: History In Your Garden

July 2025 •English

Hugh Dennis and a team of expert archaeologists excavate back gardens around Britain, in an attempt to uncover the lost history buried beneath our lawns and flower beds

Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies

July 2025 •English

Series which celebrates an unlikely story of outstanding British aviation achievement at a time of national austerity, the breathtaking planes that were built and the remarkable men who flew them.

Rivers with Griff Rhys Jones

July 2025 •English

Actor and comedian Griff Rhys Jones sets out on an adventure to explore how rivers have influenced, nurtured and powered our lives throughout history.

Railways: The Making of a Nation

July 2025 •English

Historian Liz McIvor explores how Britain's expanding rail network was the spark to a social revolution, starting in the 1800s and continuing through to modern times.