Janina Ramirez looks at how monasteries transformed society and rose to a position of immense power, only for sin and corruption to lead to collapse as the medieval period ended. Show more

Alan Yentob follows the celebrated Turner Prize-winning British artist Chris Ofili as he creates a spectacular contemporary tapestry - The Caged Bird's Song. Show more

Dr Janina Ramirez begins her series by exploring how monasteries evolved from a cult of isolation and self-deprivation into powerhouses of Anglo-Saxon art, industry and learning. Show more

Writers and historians including Hilary Mantel and Philippa Gregory revisit the last days of Anne Boleyn, who in 1536 became the first queen in British history to be executed. Show more

David Starkey looks at the origins of Magna Carta, the document that has underpinned British liberties since it was created in 1215 to check the abuses of King John. Show more

David Starkey looks at the origins of Magna Carta, the document that has underpinned British liberties since it was created in 1215 to check the abuses of King John. Show more

Documentary covering Winston Churchill's failure to be re-elected following the Second World War, with input from first-hand witnesses and historians. Show more

In 1944, two prisoners miraculously escaped from Auschwitz. They told the world of the horror of the Holocaust and raised one of the greatest moral questions of the 20th century. Show more

One of the world’s greatest living writers - Hilary Mantel - delves into her past and present, intertwining the themes of the Wolf Hall trilogy with stories from her own life. Show more

Dr Janina Ramirez discovers how the immensely rich and powerful monasteries that had dominated British society for 1,000 years were annihilated in less than five years. Show more

The story of Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin over the 245 days that brought them to power. As the history unfolds, writers and historians debate the meaning of the Russian Revolution. Show more