8 episodes · 21st February 2009
A mile off the coast of Alderney in the Channel Islands lies a 16th-century shipwreck that could rewrite England's naval history. Here, Saul David joins a team of divers and experts as they try to raise the ship's timeworn cannons. By recasting and firing one of them, the team hopes to provide an insight into how Elizabeth I became the mother of British naval dominance. NEW SEASON 1/7.
Over 40 years after the QE2's launch, the world's longest-serving cruise ship is set to embark on her final voyage. This celebratory film hops aboard to pay tribute to the much-loved ocean liner as she glides gracefully towards retirement. As well as exclusive footage of the trip, there's a look back over the vessel's glittering history, from humble beginnings on the River Clyde to her status as a British icon. 2/7.
The tale of outlaws Bonnie and Clyde enjoyed a renaissance during the 1960s - Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway portrayed the duo on screen, while Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot teamed up to add Gallic cool to the story. But the reality of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow's life on the run was one of violence and danger. Access to gang members' memoirs, family archives, and police records provides an epic road trip through the heart of depression-era America in search of the truth. 3/7.
In the late 18th century, Captain James Cook embarked on three great voyages that pushed the borders of the British Empire to the ends of the Earth. For many, Cook remains the greatest explorer in history; for others, he was a ruthless conqueror. Vanessa Collingridge sets out to uncover the motivations of this controversial figure. 4/7.
They rose from modest backgrounds to become two of Britain's greatest First World War fighter pilots. But as the number of Edward Mannock and James McCudden's victories grew, so did the chances of their going down in flames. This programme tells the story of their battle to survive against the odds - and of the 90-year-old mystery surrounding their deaths. 5/7.
For centuries archaeologists have been trying to work out how the ancient Egyptians raised huge stone blocks to the top of the Great Pyramid of Giza. French architect Jean-Pierre Houdin believes an internal ramp was used and that it's still inside the structure waiting to be unearthed. If he is right, it could be the greatest discovery since Tutankhamun. 6/7.
A small group of British men have some unfinished family business in Antarctica. A century ago their ancestors, under the leadership of the explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, tried and failed to become the first men to reach the South Pole. Following in their footsteps, the team embarks on a 900-mile trek across an area so rarely visited that more men have walked on the Moon. 7/7.
Forty years ago on 1 July, Wales was celebrating one of the great royal events of the 20th century - the investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon. It was a day of pomp and pageantry, but also a day of bombs and threats to the lives of the royal family. Presenter Huw Edwards chronicles the extraordinary events of a day when police, politicians, and royalty held their collective breath as a group of nationalist extremists violently plotted against the investiture.
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