Browse - Most popular shows on Sky History

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.

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.

In the 1980s, Liverpool became the epicentre of a drugs boom that was to change Britain forever. With unprecedented access to some of the biggest players, this is the story of how drugs went mainstream and dealing became a multi-billion pound business

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Billy Hayes' legendary escape from a Turkish prison was the basis for the Oscar-winning movie Midnight Express. Now, with his unique first hand experience Billy takes us into the world of the Greatest Prison Escapes! Through reenactments, we'll experience audacious jail and prison breaks in dramatic form.We'll hear intriguing interviews with the survivors, witnesses, historians, and law enforcement of each event. We'll meet the prisoners. Experience the private hells. The risks, rewards, and failures. One by one, with each dangerous and thrilling step, host Billy Hayes will present to the audience a vivid tour of the Greatest Prison Escapes!

The true story of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar through the eyes of his son, Juan Pablo, whose life changed astronomically the day his father died.

The new six-part documentary series reveals how and why the central alliance between Great Britain, the United States and The Soviet Union was formed leading into World War II. The series paints an in-depth picture of the race to ultimate victory and post-war supremacy, concluding with VE day on 8th May 1945.  Race to Victory homes in on the personal battles between wartime leaders Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin, and illuminates the behind-the-scenes battles fought between the men - the war behind the war. The trio manoeuvred and grappled to exert their will over one another, to win the conflict on their terms and impose their competing ideologies on what was left of Europe. This relationship between the three leaders was, despite their allied opposition to Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany, marked from the beginning by deception, suspicion and mistrust. World War II and its aftermath were shaped away from the battlefields, behind closed doors by a small number of men who could just as easily have been enemies based on their conflicting ideologies and beliefs.  Featuring former Head of the British Army, General Sir Michael Jackson, the series focuses on the critical moments and locations where World War II was won and lost. It was not only a race to defeat the fascist Axis Powers, but also to gain territory, to create alliances and to win the right to shape the post-war world. Each episode begins with a decisive moment in the war - sometimes a great victory, such as El Alamein and Stalingrad, sometimes a moment of horror or shame, such as the attack on Pearl Harbor or the massacre at Katyn - and then back-tracks to explore who was responsible, who rushed to take the credit and who managed to escape the blame. Expert interviews with today's historians, military personnel and political figures give the series a contemporary relevance. 

In a brand-new Sky HISTORY show, Ross Kemp dives on a series of incredible shipwrecks around the British coastline to reveal some of the nation's murkiest and best-kept secrets. From the remains of a slave ship discovered off Plymouth, to the Kaiser's sunken Imperial Fleet in Scapa Flow and an experimental submarine aircraft carrier, which sank with all passengers and crew on deck during its sea trials, Ross uncovers Britain's hidden maritime past.

Since the dawn of civilisation, mankind has created treasures that celebrate and revere their leaders. Yet the fall of Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome left the whereabouts of many of their greatest riches unknown: plundered, hidden or lost to time. These lost worlds captured the imaginations of the greatest philanthropists, collectors and even governments of the day. With vast investment explorers, such as: Andrew Carnegie and Lord Caernarfon, mounted expeditions to go in search of the great treasures of the ages. From the Valley of the Kings to the depths of the Aegean Sea, no expense was spared in the pursuit of these priceless, mythical objects. Yet the pursuit of them sometimes came at the ultimate price

This series tells the stories of three little-known but incredible Egyptian queens, revealing how they became standard bearers for their sex long before the modern era.

Dictators' Hideouts takes viewers on a visual journey through underground bunkers, remote palaces, and fortified complexes, revealing how these structures served as both symbols of power and sanctuaries from external threats. The series incorporates rare archival footage and expert interviews to provide a unique insight into the lives of these controversial figures and how these hideouts shaped their regimes.

Ramses the Great is one of the most emblematic pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, who saw in the construction of the city of Pi-Ramses a way to reach power. Professor Henning Franzmeier and his team have recently discovered a splendid palace and treasure room inside the city walls. This documentary follows this unprecedented mission for eight weeks and reveals for the first time the true history of the lost city of Ramses the Great.

In 1991, Greek politician Makis Metaxas discovered a 3000-year-old tomb on Kefalonia, unearthing an object resembling a possession of King Odysseus. This is the story of how this tomb was found.

The most eminent fighters in human history, detailing the greatest achievements on the battlefields, command of their armies, brilliant strategies and unique fighting styles that enabled them to conquer their enemies in overwhelming force.

Who Financed Hitler? Where did he get the money and backing to achieve power in 1933 Germany? This eye-opening mini-series unearths Hitler's money trail and exposes the people who enabled him to become the most powerful man in Europe.

Join actress, singer, and presenter Amanda Holden and best-selling author and historian Dan Jones as they explore how sexual behaviours through the ages have shaped civilisations in ways we are only now beginning to discover. The series will use archive footage and drama reconstruction, with Amanda Holden and Dan Jones taking the leading roles to shed light on history's best unknown sex stories.

Homicide detective Rod Demery and famed scientist Professor Turi King team up to investigate history's most intriguing murders using modern investigation techniques. Demery visits crime scenes and interviews archaeologist witnesses, while King, best known for leading the DNA verification of Richard III of England, examines the latest forensic evidence.