Browse - Most popular shows on Sky History

Gold Wars Downunder follows three hardcore mining teams as they battle it out on the one patch of gold-rich-land to see who can unearth the biggest nuggets and the most gold in an epic made-for-television gold hunting season.

Surviving power struggles, betrayals and plots, Hitler's inner circle of Nazi leaders seizes control of Germany and designs its disastrous future.

Aims to shatter myths around the Gunpowder Plot, one of the most infamous moments in British history and when, in 1605, a group of plotters organized by Catesby attempted to blow up King James I at the opening of Parliament.

From Al Capone, to the real Peaky Blinders, from The Krays twins to the Queen of Harlem, each episode of Original Gangsters will see the legendary actor Sean Bean take a deep dive through a rogues' gallery of some of the most notorious criminals in history to separate the fact from the fiction, as we find out what they mean to us today and just why they were the original gangsters.

In 2000, boxes containing top-secret files were found in a garden shed in Cornwall. They detailed the lives and code names of Britain's first female agents sent to the front line during the war. Vera Atkins' files were kept sealed until after she died, but the story of the female spies and the spy-mistress who led them, which has remained secret for over fifty years, can now be revealed.

The series shines a light on one newspaper in particular - The Star - and its shameless exploitation of the killings to boost circulation and profits, hindering the police investigation to further its own agenda.

Black Death Patient Zero explores the origins of the 14th-century Black Death pandemic, using new DNA analysis to investigate its earliest victims. The show investigates the plague's spread from Central Asia, with filming locations in the UK, Italy, and Germany, and highlights scientific efforts to trace the pandemic's roots, such as the study of plague victims found in Kyrgyzstan in 1338 or 1339.

Killer Kings is a ground-breaking blend of true crime and historical documentary, which will vigorously present the case against six formidable Kings who have left an indelible mark on the world. The series will reveal the haunting mitigating factors and introduce conflicting and fresh evidence, ultimately leading to potentially new verdicts concerning these enigmatic men.

Deep beneath the streets of London sit thousands of previously top-secret government files which disclose the details of investigations into the paranormal. Tim Tate reveals just how far authorities were willing to go to venture into the unknown.

Rylan Clark teams up with anthropologist Professor Alice Roberts to investigate one of the darkest and most harrowing chapters in Essex's history - the murder of hundreds of women accused of witchcraft. Each episode centers on a specific witch trial, with Rylan and Alice opening a cold case into the stories behind some of the women accused of witchcraft during the 16th and 17th centuries, many of whom were found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging.

How, from bizarre ancient markings to random numbers and letters, codes and ciphers have been used for millennia to send secret messages, hide identities and operate outside the law.

Actor and documentarian Ross Kemp will be investigating and exposing Britain's surprising and deep-rooted links with the mafia, dating as far back as the 1920s. It's always been assumed that Britain has had no links to the world's most infamous organised crime organisation, but the truth - as Ross will discover and as recent arrests of mafiosiin the UK reveal - is far more sinister and complex. Since the UK does not recognise membership of the mafia as a crime, it has at various points in history become a safe haven for mafia 'Cosa nostra' lieutenants, 'soldiers' and hit men who have hidden all over the UK in locations as unlikely as caravan parks and newsagents.In this series Ross will start his journey in London, taking us back to 1982, where the body of the so-called 'God's Banker', Roberto Calvi, was discovered under Blackfriars Bridge with his pockets stuffed full of foreign currency from all over the world. From there Ross will embark on an epic odyssey to New York, Italy, Sicily, Colombia and Spain, before arriving back in London,to reveal the intricate path of the mafia's involvement with Britain over nearly a century.On his travels, Ross will be speaking with those closest to mafia bosses, top organised crime investigators, and some who have been affected by their crimes. Ross will use this knowledge to trace the complex network of money, drugs, and criminals, in and out of the UK, creating a historical map and timeline to reveal how the mafia has quietly and effectively inveigled its way into the heart of Britain's underworld.

Against the backdrop of major events in American history, like the Civil War and the Great Depression, "The Toys that Built America" shares a different story: one that brings new products and nostalgic toys to the forefront as driving forces behind untold cultural and economic shifts. The four-part docuseries showcases visionaries, such as the Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley and Ruth Handler, who transformed a small toy company into the billion-dollar empire now known as Mattel. The series unveils competitive rivalries between iconic brands that changed the fabric of the nation forever.

Throughout history certain civilizations, events and objects have fascinated and inspired us to dig deeper, climb higher and go further on our endless quest to be the first to finally uncover the truth. In this 12-part series, we look at some of the most iconic and enduring mysteries the world has known.

Greatest Escapes of WWII looks at some of the most incredible escapes of World War II. From both sides of the war and all around the world, captured soldiers, sailors and airmen dared the impossible to win their freedom. They dug tunnels, stole planes, forced their way through deadly jungles, and marched huge distances pursued by death squads... a testament to the unrelenting human spirit that refuses to concede. These are their stories.

Secrets of The Lost Liners is an in-depth marine history series charting the design, service and loss of some of the world's greatest ocean liners. From art deco icons, luxury floating palaces, to national symbols, this six-part documentary covers 100 years of extravagant ships that pushed the boundaries of engineering and design, but which, one by one, were tragically lost through conflict, accident or human error. With unprecedented access to experts and historians, and never before seen footage, Secrets of the Lost Liners will uncover each ship's storied past. Episodes include the Cap Arcona, the Queen Elizabeth, SS Rex, the Andrea Doria, the Normandie, and SS America.  

Royal Autopsy investigates the cause of death of two of Britain's most famous monarchs: Queen Elizabeth I and King Charles II, in an entirely new and realistic way. Professor Alice Roberts will bring together a blend of historical and medical expertise and by using contemporaneous accounts and documents piece together how and why these monarchs died.

Featuring the minute-by-minute accounts of the brave soldiers who crossed deep into enemy territory in 1942, recounting these heroic top-secret operations.

Authorities all over the world say UFOs are real, but what are they, and are they a threat? This series examines the best and latest evidence caught on camera.

Royal Kill List is an epic story of bloody revenge during a pivotal period of English history. This is a story about espionage, revenge, power, loyalty, and the moment that changed the landscape of British politics and society forever. The three-part drama-documentary follows King Charles II's hunt for his father's killers - the Regicides - as a window into a remarkable and often overlooked historical period to explore how we became the nation we are today.

Professor Alice Roberts reveals how scientists are unearthing the evidence for cataclysmic events in the past and their disastrous consequences. From wars to earthquakes and floods to famines - these are the events that have helped shape our modern world. In each episode, Alice takes viewers on a journey across Europe and North Africa to discover epic sites and landmarks - fabulous cities abandoned, battlefields long forgotten and sophisticated civilisations toppled and lost to the mists of time. To our ancient ancestors, suffering these catastrophic events, it must have seemed they were cursed but science is now exploding those myths and re-writing history.

The seafloor of the Atlantic is littered with mysteries, prompting professional salvage diver Tony Sampson and his team to brave the shifting currents and bone-chilling legends of Nova Scotia in search of answers.

Kursk: 10 Days That Shaped Putin is a dramatic and forensic examination of events that took place in August 2000, after an explosion onboard the Kursk submarine trapped a group of survivors at the bottom of the Barents Sea.

The Last Hunt for Nazi Gold follows historian Guy Walters and Justine Ostrowska on a journey across Europe, chasing legends of hidden Nazi treasure. From the mines of Germany and the Amber Room mysteries of Czechia, to stolen art in Austria, the Gold Train myths of Poland, bunker hunts in Italy, and the infamous waters of Lake Toplitz

This series examines the role of women in the Third Reich through a contemporary lens of women as active participants in all aspects of German society.