Historian Bettany Hughes journeys across ancient Anatolia, modern-day Türkiye, to uncover some of the earliest foundations of civilisation. From Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe to Sardis, Gordion, Ephesus and Cappadocia, she explores how the first settled communities developed agriculture, religion, trade and urban life, while remarkable discoveries such as early monumental buildings, ancient weapons and life-sized human sculptures reveal a world far more sophisticated than once imagined. Moving through landscapes where myth and history constantly overlap, Hughes follows the rise of kingdoms and empires, encounters the world of King Midas, and traces how Anatolia became a crossroads connecting cultures across continents. Presented here with both episodes combined into a single video, the series offers a sweeping archaeological journey into the places where some of humanity’s most important ideas, beliefs and institutions first began to take shape.
This four-part docuseries traces Mike Tyson’s extraordinary journey from the violent streets of Brooklyn to becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history. Through Tyson’s own reflections, archival footage and testimony from those closest to him, the series explores the fearsome talent, fame, excess, controversy and personal struggles that made him one of the most compelling and polarizing figures in sport. In the first two episodes of the series, Tyson’s troubled childhood, repeated arrests and life in Brownsville seem to point toward disaster until trainer Cus D’Amato recognizes his potential and transforms his future. Tyson rises with astonishing speed, conquering the heavyweight division and becoming a global superstar, but after D’Amato’s death his life begins to unravel. A turbulent marriage, the influence of promoter Don King, sudden wealth and destructive vices threaten both his career and the discipline that made him champion.
In 1984, horrifying images of famine in Ethiopia inspired Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to turn music into action. What began with Band Aid and the record-breaking “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” soon grew into Live Aid, the unprecedented 1985 concerts at Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia that brought together many of the world’s biggest stars, from Queen and David Bowie to U2, Elton John and Paul McCartney, while hundreds of millions watched around the globe. But the story did not end with one extraordinary day. The movement evolved into a wider campaign against poverty, debt and inequality in Africa, eventually leading to Live 8 and direct pressure on world leaders. Presented here with all three episodes combined into a single video, the series revisits the music, personalities, political battles and enduring legacy of the moment when rock ’n’ roll tried to change the world.
Snakes are among the most feared yet misunderstood predators on Earth. Across the Americas, Australia, Africa, Asia and Europe, more than 100 species reveal extraordinary adaptations that allow them to survive in rainforests, deserts, wetlands, mountains and oceans. Boas and pythons overpower prey with immense strength, while rattlesnakes, cobras, vipers, mambas, taipans and sea snakes deploy some of nature’s most sophisticated venoms, camouflage and sensory abilities. Far from being simple killers, they also play a vital role in controlling rodents and maintaining healthy ecosystems. From black mambas battling for mates and spitting cobras defending themselves with remarkable accuracy to the thousands of pit vipers inhabiting China’s extraordinary Shedao Island, the series reveals hunting techniques and behaviours rarely seen in such detail. Presented here with all three episodes combined into a single video, it offers a spectacular journey into the hidden lives of these highly specialised animals, showing how evolution has made snakes some of the planet’s most efficient and fascinating survivors.
In the final episode of the series, the Civil War reaches its bloodiest and most decisive stage. After the Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, Abraham Lincoln becomes increasingly frustrated by generals who fail to destroy Robert E. Lee’s army and finally turns to Ulysses S. Grant, a commander willing to fight relentlessly until the Confederacy is defeated. At the same time, Lincoln pushes the nation beyond simply preserving the Union, supporting Black soldiers, confronting Frederick Douglass over their unequal treatment and making emancipation central to the meaning of the war. As casualties continue to mount, Lincoln faces the election of 1864, the fight to abolish slavery permanently through the 13th Amendment and the final collapse of the Confederacy. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox finally brings the long struggle toward its end, leaving Lincoln to consider how a divided nation can be reunited and what freedom will mean for millions of formerly enslaved people. But just as victory opens the possibility of a new beginning, his assassination transforms triumph into national tragedy and seals his place in American history.
Moving through landscapes where myth and history constantly overlap, Hughes follows the rise of kingdoms and empires, encounters the world of King Midas, and traces how Anatolia became a crossroads connecting cultures across continents. Presented here with both episodes combined into a single video, the series offers a sweeping archaeological journey into the places where some of humanity’s most important ideas, beliefs and institutions first began to take shape.