BBC four

New Zealand was one of the last land-masses to be found and settled by people. Lush and fertile, almost everything brought here flourishes, often with surprising consequences. Told through the experiences of its native species – in particular, a charismatic and peculiar giant, flightless parrot – this is the moving story of the changing fortunes of New Zealand's wildlife, since humans first arrive

The great history of Egypt is inscribed on its monuments, temples and tombs, but hieroglyphs – the written language of the ancient Egyptians – fell silent until 1822 when a young French scholar, Jean-François Champollion, became the first person to decipher their texts for over a thousand years. Champollion's insights and the work of other scholars helped bring an entire civilisation back to life.

In the last of the series, archaeologist and historian Richard Miles examines the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. At the height of its power, the Roman Empire extended the benefits of its civilization to a 60 million citizens and subjects in a swathe of territory that extended from Hadrian's Wall to the banks of the Euphrates. Even under the rule of mad, bad and dangerous emperors, the imperial

The great history of Egypt is inscribed on its monuments, temples and tombs, but hieroglyphs – the written language of the ancient Egyptians – fell silent until 1822 when a young French scholar, Jean-François Champollion, became the first person to decipher their texts for over a thousand years. Champollion's insights and the work of other scholars helped bring an entire civilisation back to life.

The magical islands of New Zealand are explored in this fascinating documentary series, highlighting the country's rugged landscapes and dazzling species. Narrated by Kiwi actor Sam Neill (Jurassic Park), the series also examines New Zealand's natural history; a country that has been isolated in the South Pacific since the Jurassic period, with predators from that era still roaming its forests to

What makes sharks built for speed? How do snakes move without limbs? How do sugar gliders fly without feathers? The answer all lies in their skin. Professor Ben Garrod uncovers the secrets of how skin has evolved to enable animals to solve some of the most remarkable challenges on Earth. To do this, Ben heads to the specialist flight centre at the Royal Veterinary College to analyse the way a suga

Gareth and Maureen Edwards head to St Davids, a place which holds half a lifetime of special memories for them. After making 53 appearances for Wales, Gareth retired from rugby in 1978. After years in the public eye, he and Maureen booked a holiday in St Davids for them and their young boys. The holiday was such a hit, they returned every summer for more than 40 years. Gareth and Maureen begin wit

A gentle sitcom set in the fictional village of Grantleigh, and the aristocratic family seat of the fforbes-Hamilitons. The widow of the deceased Lord of the Manor is Audrey, who inherits the Grantleigh Manor, which has been in her family for hundreds of years. But her husband's debts have left the estate bankrupt and Audrey has no option but to sell up. The new Lord of the Manor is Richard DeVere

The story revolves around Hyacinth Bucket, a housewife from a lower class whose only aim in life is to impress others with her etiquette and social skills and climb the social ladder. She is terrified that her background will be revealed one day, and goes above and beyond to hide it. She insists her inharmonious surname is pronounced Bouquet. All her attempts as a rule lead to awkward comic situat

In the second of this three-part series, Professor Robert Bartlett explores the impact of the Norman conquest of Britain and Ireland. Bartlett shows how William the Conqueror imposed a new aristocracy, savagely cut down opposition and built scores of castles and cathedrals to intimidate and control. He also commissioned the Domesday Book, the greatest national survey of England that had ever been

Professor Jim Al-Khalili tells the story of how we went from thinking we were close to a complete understanding of the universe to realising we had seen almost none of it. Today, our best estimate is that more than 99 per cent of the cosmos is hidden in the dark, invisible to our telescopes and beyond our comprehension. The first hints that there might be more out there than meets the eye emerged

What makes sharks built for speed? How do snakes move without limbs? How do sugar gliders fly without feathers? The answer all lies in their skin. Professor Ben Garrod uncovers the secrets of how skin has evolved to enable animals to solve some of the most remarkable challenges on Earth. To do this, Ben heads to the specialist flight centre at the Royal Veterinary College to analyse the way a suga

Gareth and Maureen Edwards head to St Davids, a place which holds half a lifetime of special memories for them. After making 53 appearances for Wales, Gareth retired from rugby in 1978. After years in the public eye, he and Maureen booked a holiday in St Davids for them and their young boys. The holiday was such a hit, they returned every summer for more than 40 years. Gareth and Maureen begin wit

In the last of the series, archaeologist and historian Richard Miles examines the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. At the height of its power, the Roman Empire extended the benefits of its civilization to a 60 million citizens and subjects in a swathe of territory that extended from Hadrian's Wall to the banks of the Euphrates. Even under the rule of mad, bad and dangerous emperors, the imperial

UK history professor Robert Bartlett gives you a crash course in Norse history, outlining some of the most significant Norse (Viking) leaders. Robert travels across the British Isles, to Jerusalem over to Italy, exploring the extent of Norse influence between the 10th and 13th century. Watch as the professor visit historical landmarks and examine artefacts in relation to the greatest Norse conquer

How does a giraffe stay cool? What are different porcupine quills teaching us about medicine? What makes some people more likely to be bitten by mosquitoes than others? All the answers and more lie in the secrets of how skin protects us from a hostile world. When it comes to protecting our delicate insides, skin is like an external suit of armour. Animals have adapted ways of protecting themselves

For the last of their new adventures, Maureen has arranged a trip to the spectacular Brecon Beacons. But it's not the usual walks amid epic mountain scenery on the agenda. In a first for both, the childhood sweethearts enlist in tank school. After donning cam cream and military gear, the couple get a lesson in controlling a full-sized tank. Maureen's keen to see if the new vehicle can pick up spee

Professor Brian Cox continues his exploration of the solar system with a visit to a planet that dwarfs all the others: Jupiter. Its enormous size gives it a great power that it has used to manipulate the other planets – a power both for good and bad that it wields to this day. Jupiter is not only the biggest but also the oldest planet in the solar system. It alone witnessed the birth of the Sun an