Not Just the Tudors

Witchfinder General

In the aftermath of the Civil War, a remote corner of Essex witnessed the most brutally devastating witch-hunt in English history. A dangerous maverick Matthew Hopkins -

How Persia Influenced Elizabeth I

Could an ancient Persian drama have stopped Mary, Queen of Scots from being executed? When Queen Elizabeth I faced an agonising dilemma over her captive cousin, a perfor

Thomas, Oliver and the Cromwell Dynasty

From Thomas Cromwell's rise under Henry VIII to Oliver Cromwell’s rule as Lord Protector, how did the faith, ambition, and power of one family shape the course of British

Gulliver's Travels

Is Gulliver’s Travels just a whimsical children’s adventure story, or is it a scathing satire designed to expose political hypocrisy? From suppressed Irish resistance al

Dark Origins of Fairy Tales

What if the fairy tales you grew up with were never meant for children at all? Long before these stories were transformed into family-friendly animated films, they were

How to Survive Henry VIII

How did one man survive serving Henry VIII as principal secretary when others lost their heads? Why is the mastermind behind the King’s final, most turbulent decade so of

Britain's Slave Traders

How did a risky 16th-century venture evolve into a national enterprise that fuelled the rise of the British Empire? How did a vast network of royalty, politicians, cultur

John Dudley, The 'Wicked' Duke

How did the son of an executed traitor rise to become the power behind young Edward VI? Was John Dudley a visionary patriot saving England from crisis or a ruthless oppor

How the Americas Transformed Tudor England

In 1588, mathematician Thomas Harriot mapped a doomed colony and drafted the playbook for English empire. But did Indigenous culture reshape Shakespeare's England just as

Earl of Essex: Rise & Fall of Elizabeth I's Favourite

How did a favourite of Elizabeth I go from royal darling to executed traitor? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Alex Gajda and Dr. Will Tosh to explore the me

Dutch Armada: The Last Invasion of England

Why did the Dutch Republic risk everything to launch one of the boldest seaborne invasions in English history and overthrow King James II? Why did England’s defences coll

Royal Favourites: The Filthy Earl of Rochester

**CONTAINS VERY STRONG LANGUAGE & ADULT THEMES** What really went on behind closed doors in the scandalous court of the "Merry Monarch"? What made John Wilmot, 2nd Earl

The Rotten End of Henry VIII

Death, death, and more death surrounds Henry VIII's final years. What happens when a monarch is trapped by physical decay, paranoia, and lethal court factionalism? He ma

Henry VIII's Reign of Terror

**Contains graphic description of execution** What happened when one monarch's personal obsession dismantled an entire international order? How did Henry VIII transform

Quest for an Heir: Henry VIII, Aragon and Boleyn

In the 1520s, a dynastic crisis loomed behind the brilliance of Henry VIII's court. Desperate for a male heir after Catherine of Aragon's string of tragic pregnancies, He

Henry VIII: From Cradle to Crown

How did a dazzling young Tudor prince become one of history's most notorious kings? How much of Henry VIII’s later tyranny was shaped by the world into which he was born?

How to Survive as a Tudor Peasant

What was everyday life like for an ordinary person in Tudor times? How did dramatic changes in population, climate, disease and the economy reshape villages across Englan

Young Elizabeth I: Princess & Prisoner

How did a child written off by the Tudor court rise to become one of England's most iconic monarchs? Before she became queen, Elizabeth Tudor was surrounded by scandal,

Captain Cook: The Voyage that Changed the World

How did Captain James Cook's scientific voyage of 1768 become a mission for the British empire? While expanding knowledge of Pacific geography and natural history, Capta

Manhattan’s Most Notorious Couple

Who were the scandalous, defiant couple on the margins of Dutch society who became part of the founding story of New York? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Profe