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The story of the Christmas truce On Christmas Eve 1914 on the Western Front, British and German soldiers sang carols to each other across a frosty, moonlit No Man's Land. The next morning, on Christmas Day, hundreds of men of both nations emerged from the trenches to talk, joke, take photographs and exchange souvenirs, in the most famous fraternisation of the First World War. This remarkable event

Moving stories of loss and remembrance, told by the loved ones of those killed in action.

Having started out as a current affairs journalist, Peter Kosminsky made his name by telling contemporary social and political stories in the form of television drama. Warriors was about British soldiers in the peace-keeping force in Bosnia; The Government Inspector dramatised the events surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly; and The State explored the radicalisation of British Islamists. Kosmin

A celebration of one of our greatest musical lyricists, Tim Rice, who reminisces in the company of Michael Grade over 40 years of hit songs that conquered the world. Before each one is performed, hear the stories behind some of his best-loved work from Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Chess and The Lion King. On the stage of The Royal Festival Hall are stars Alexander Armstrong, Gemma Arterton, Rob

Michael Portillo strikes west from the waterside metropolis of Sydney, New South Wales, into the Blue Mountains, travelling 570 miles into the interior of the vast Australian continent to reach the mining city of Broken Hill. In the Blue Mountains, Michael hears from indigenous guide Yamandirra about his people's relationship to the land and is ceremonially 'welcomed to the country'. At Katoomba,

Narrowboater Robbie Cumming begins his 170-mile journey across the north of England and soon runs into difficulty when he encounters a problem with his craft's propeller in Wigan and runs aground in Blackburn. Nevertheless, he pushes on to navigate a true wonder of the waterways, the Burnley Embankment.

Simon Sebag Montefiore looks at how every event in ancient Rome revolved around religion. From the foundation myth through to the deification of emperors, nothing could happen without calling upon the pantheon of Roman gods. Simon investigates how the Romans worshipped and sacrificed to the gods. He discovers that sacredness defined what was Roman and it was the responsibility of every Roman to pl

Professor Mary Beard is known for her explorations of the ancient world, but here looks back on her more recent past, and the making of her acclaimed four-part 2016 series Ultimate Rome. She explains how the series wasn't just an education for her in regard to the Roman Empire, but also provided her with some valuable lessons in the art of film-making, and reveals some behind-the-scenes stories th

In this first episode, Mary Beard reaches back to the myths and legends of the origins of Rome to gain an insight into the deep-rooted psyche of the people of Rome – a city born through fratricide and rape. But from the very beginning, Rome was also an asylum for outcasts and exiles and because of this, it adopted a uniquely inclusive approach towards its neighbours and defeated enemies. The expan

This month, The Sky at Night teams up with BBC Ideas to discover the secrets of archaeology and astronomy and to reflect on our ancestral skies. Throughout history and across the world, humanity has looked up and marvelled at the night sky. From ancient civilizations who were guided by the sun, moon and stars, to modern astronomers uncovering the universe's history, we have always found deep meani

In AD80, the Colosseum opens. Emperor Titus plans 100 days of games to commemorate.

Although master builder Haterius constructs the Colosseum where Nero's Golden House once stood, his work is far from over. Rome's new emperor, Domitian, tasks him with adding in a complex network of underground tunnels – the hypogeum. Failure could cost Haterius his life.

We still live in the shadow of ancient Rome – a city at the heart of a vast empire that stretched from Scotland to Afghanistan, dominating the west for over 700 years. Professor Mary Beard puts aside the stories of emperors and armies, guts and gore, to meet the real Romans living at the heart of it all. In this programme, Mary asks not what the Romans did for us, but what the empire did for Rome.

Michael Portillo strikes west from the waterside metropolis of Sydney, New South Wales, into the Blue Mountains, travelling 570 miles into the interior of the vast Australian continent to reach the mining city of Broken Hill. In the Blue Mountains, Michael hears from indigenous guide Yamandirra about his people's relationship to the land and is ceremonially 'welcomed to the country'. At Katoomba,

Narrowboater Robbie Cumming begins his 170-mile journey across the north of England and soon runs into difficulty when he encounters a problem with his craft's propeller in Wigan and runs aground in Blackburn. Nevertheless, he pushes on to navigate a true wonder of the waterways, the Burnley Embankment.

Simon Sebag Montefiore looks at how every event in ancient Rome revolved around religion. From the foundation myth through to the deification of emperors, nothing could happen without calling upon the pantheon of Roman gods. Simon investigates how the Romans worshipped and sacrificed to the gods. He discovers that sacredness defined what was Roman and it was the responsibility of every Roman to pl

Michael Portillo continues his 1700 mile rail journey across southern Australia from Adelaide to Perth. Arriving in Kalgoorlie aboard the luxurious transcontinental Indian Pacific Railway, he strikes gold in one of the most lucrative goldfields in the world and strikes it lucky in the traditional Australian gambling game of Two Up. He enjoys a bird's eye view of Perth, one of the world's most isol

Narrowboater and film-maker Robbie Cumming crosses the Pennines on the picturesque Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and lends a hand to hire boaters in Gargrave, North Yorkshire. He also encounters Bingley Five Rise Locks, a wonder of the inland waterways.

Fletcher inadvertently becomes involved in the murky world of drugs.

When Sandy goes to Lionel's hotel for his book revisions, she is told he has checked out.

Documentary series featuring dramatic reconstruction in which Lucy Worsley revisits key events in the lives of Henry VIII's six wives, revealing how each attempted to exert influence on the king and the Tudor court. Lucy delves into records of private moments and personal feelings in the women's lives that ended up shaping the course of history. This episode follows the emotional and physical stru

Film following a Russian non-binary performer pursuing art-making and protest in Moscow.

Writer, broadcaster and Newsnight arts correspondent Stephen Smith looks back at the Medieval Age to find out what it took to get ahead at the court of Richard II. Richard presided over the first truly sophisticated and artistic court in England. Painters, sculptors, poets, tailors, weavers and builders flocked to court to make their fortunes. But these were dangerous times. Being close to Richard