A mass grave at Zultepec, Mexico, containing more than 400 mutilated skeletons forces archaeologists to reconsider one of the most familiar stories of the Spanish conquest. Led by Aztec specialist Elizabeth Baquedano, the investigation follows forensic clues hidden in skulls, bones and artifacts to identify the victims and reconstruct what happened. Some remains prove to be European, including women, while Spanish-made iron objects and evidence of horses link the dead directly to the conquistadors who entered Mexico in the early sixteenth century. The evidence reveals a far more violent confrontation than the traditional image of an easy Spanish victory. Captured Spaniards and members of their entourage appear to have been imprisoned, ritually sacrificed, dismembered and, in some cases, consumed as part of ceremonial practices. By combining archaeology, forensic anthropology and Aztec codices, the documentary shows that indigenous resistance to the conquistadors could be organized, successful and terrifyingly effective, transforming Zultepec into crucial physical evidence of a conflict that history had long oversimplified.
In the final two episodes, the journey reaches the Pacific edge of North America and the remote wilderness of Patagonia, two spectacular regions shaped by powerful oceans, towering forests and extreme weather. Along the West Coast, wolves comb the shoreline for food, sea otters battle crashing surf, blue whales gather in a rare display of speed and movement, and giant Pacific octopuses devote everything to protecting the next generation. High in the redwood canopy, even tiny salamanders perform extraordinary leaps to survive, revealing how life has adapted to one of the continent’s most dramatic coastal environments. The series then travels to the far south of the Americas, where Patagonia delivers a fittingly wild finale. Pumas stalk guanacos through snowy mountains, rockhopper penguins fight their way through violent waves to reach their colonies, giant stag beetles climb immense trees to compete for mates, and elephant seals clash for dominance along the coast. In one of the most remarkable scenes, a family of orcas passes down a dangerous hunting technique from one generation to the next, showing how survival here depends not only on strength, but also on experience, cooperation and learning.
Dan Snow follows the route of Odysseus across the Mediterranean, beginning with the world of Troy and the Bronze Age warriors who inspired Homer’s epic. Sailing through Greece and the Ionian islands, he explores places traditionally associated with the Cyclops, Circe, the Sirens and other episodes of the hero’s long journey home, while examining the archaeology and historical evidence behind the legends. Along the way, Dan asks how much of the story may preserve memories of real places, peoples and events from the ancient Greek world. His voyage ends at Ithaca, where Odysseus’s struggle to return to his family reaches its climax. Combining myth, history, archaeology and travel, this documentary reveals how one ancient story became one of the most influential adventures ever told.
In the final three episodes of the series, Chris Packham follows three extraordinary evolutionary journeys to discover how the relentless demands of survival transformed simple early animals into some of the most remarkable creatures alive today. In Borneo, the voracious appetite of the bat leads back more than half a billion years to the origins of the through-gut, the first anus, heads and jaws, revealing how the need to find and consume food helped reshape animal life and ultimately produced the bat’s extraordinary powers of hearing. In the Bahamas, the intelligence of dolphins opens an even deeper story: from ancient cells able to sense light to the evolution of eyes, complex brains, sophisticated senses and the remarkable minds of modern dolphins. The journey culminates with one of nature’s supreme athletes. Tracing the horse’s ancestry through hundreds of millions of years, Packham reveals how primitive muscle cells evolved into increasingly powerful systems for movement, how beating hearts supplied those muscles with oxygen, and how limbs became ever more effective tools for locomotion. Slithering, swimming, walking and running eventually converge in an animal built for extraordinary speed and endurance. Together, these final episodes reveal a breathtaking truth: hunger, perception and movement were not merely necessities of survival—they were powerful evolutionary forces that helped create the astonishing complexity of animal life.
From ordinary mounted warriors to the legendary figures who came to embody courage, honour and chivalry, medieval knights dominated European life for centuries. Through dramatic reconstructions, historical experiments and surviving evidence, this series reveals the harsh reality behind the romantic image: brutal battles and personal feuds, swordsmanship and tournaments, the construction and defense of castles, courtly love and the strict codes of honour that could turn an insult into a fight to the death. It also follows knights to the Holy Land, where crusaders risked everything in pursuit of glory, wealth and salvation, while figures such as John of Bohemia and Joan of Arc show how courage and legend became inseparable from the medieval warrior. Presented here as all three episodes consecutively in a single video, the complete story also reveals how the world that created the knight eventually destroyed him. The rise of robber knights such as Götz von Berlichingen, the spread of mercenary warfare and increasingly spectacular tournaments mark the final years of an old order, while longbows, cannon, artillery and massed infantry transform the battlefield forever. Emperor Maximilian, celebrated as the “Last of the Knights,” embraces these new weapons even as he glorifies the traditions of chivalry. By the end, the armoured horseman who had ruled castles, battlefields and entire communities for centuries has become obsolete in war—but immortal in legend.
Captured during her Manchester shows on a sold-out world tour, this concert film brings Billie Eilish closer than ever, turning the stage into a dark, emotional and visually hypnotic space where every whisper, scream, silence and movement feels intensely personal. Co-directed with James Cameron, the film transforms a live performance into a cinematic experience, surrounding the audience with the atmosphere, scale and intimacy of one of the most distinctive artists of her generation. More than a concert recording, it becomes a journey through the sound and emotion of Hit Me Hard and Soft, where fragile ballads, explosive moments, dreamlike lighting and the roar of thousands of fans collide in one powerful experience. Billie moves between vulnerability and confidence, loneliness and connection, softness and strength, creating a show that feels both massive and intimate. The film invites viewers not just to watch the performance, but to feel as though they are part of it.
The evidence reveals a far more violent confrontation than the traditional image of an easy Spanish victory. Captured Spaniards and members of their entourage appear to have been imprisoned, ritually sacrificed, dismembered and, in some cases, consumed as part of ceremonial practices. By combining archaeology, forensic anthropology and Aztec codices, the documentary shows that indigenous resistance to the conquistadors could be organized, successful and terrifyingly effective, transforming Zultepec into crucial physical evidence of a conflict that history had long oversimplified.