The History Channel's blog

Part One on Sunday, May 22, at 8.30pm on The History Channel

Griff Rhys-Jones, Rory McGrath and Dara O’Briain head to the Hebrides for another adventure on the high seas, sailing around some of the prettiest and most remote seascapes in the British Isles. Since none of the three men in a boat have any particular connection to Scotland, they decide to use the 16th century travels of dictionary writer Dr Johnson and his biographer James Boswell as inspiration.

Concludes May 28.

Saturday, April 23, at 8.30pm on The History Channel

Secret Access provides a revealing look at the inner workings of the Vatican, from the secret archives to the Swiss guards, as well as some of the treasures locked inside. See what is housed under the 110-acre site as an ongoing excavation of an ancient cemetery that the Vatican was built upon uncovers priceless artefacts, including the bones of St. Peter himself.

Friday, April 22, at 10.00pm on The History Channel

According to the Bible, Jesus Christ spent 40 days on Earth after his Resurrection on that first Easter Sunday before ascending to Heaven. Astonishingly, the New Testament is practically silent on what happened during this period. Why are only a few scattered paragraphs devoted to perhaps the central, most defining and miraculous event in Christianity? And most importantly, what did Jesus do and say during those incredible 40 days?

Thursday, April 21 at 11.30pm on The History Channel

Scholars debate whether or not Jesus knew the significance of what was to be his last meal with his disciples.

Tuesday, April 19, at 7.30pm on The History Channel

Tony Robinson travels back through 200,000 years of human history to find out what happened to our ancestors when violent climate change turned their world upside down, and what they teach us as we face our own climate crisis today.

Ep 3.

Monday, April 18, at 7.30pm on The History Channel

This compelling and controversial film aims to shed new light on the Ark of the Covenant and perhaps finally unravel the truth behind one of the greatest biblical mysteries of all. According to the Bible, The Ark of the Covenant was a box which housed the two tablets of stone inscribed with the Ten Commandments; an object of immense power. Capable of laying waste armies, of killing those who dared touch it in a flash of sparks, and guaranteed victory to those who carried it before them into battle. Over the centuries it has remained an object of great mystery, inspiring books, feature films and infinite questions. But can modern science shed new light on what the Ark really was?

Saturday, April 9 at 7.30pm on The History Channel

Alcatraz was the America’s first maximum security penitentiary, holding infamous gangsters and cons like Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, “The Birdman” Robert Stroud and many other criminals who were no less dangerous. Over 29 years, these desperate inmates challenged the prison again and again. The Rock was tough, but the inmates were convinced they were tougher.

Thursday April 7, at 7.30pm on The History Channel

Even the most common, ordinary objects in the modern world and history may contain secret messages, steeped in codes and symbols. These mysterious ideas and theories come directly from the mind of best-selling author Brad Meltzer, who uncovered them during his research for his fictional thrillers. In each episode, Brad poses these questions to a group of elite researchers, who will travel far and wide to examine the clues and decode the hidden meaning behind these seemingly innocuous origins. They will canvas the darkest reaches of the world to connect dots toward revealing a deeper truth.

Wednesday April 6, at 8.30pm on The History Channel

This stunning aerial series is split into three parts. Part one, Building Britain, includes the best and most beautiful houses in the country: Britain contains a greater variety of domestic architecture than almost anywhere in the world and the story of Building Britain is wrapped up in the country’s history.

In part two, Britain at Work, the aerial journey seeks out Britain’s past and present industries, from sheep farming in Tudor times to steel production in the 19th century, as well as the power needed for fuelling industry, from water power to nuclear power. All this can be seen across the country, telling the story behind Britain at Work.

In part three, Spiritual Britain, we discover how sacred and secular places shape the landscape of Britain. From the southern tip of Cornwall to the cliffs of Orkney, Britain is touched by spiritual places, sanctified by centuries of worship. They have become more than just spiritual places – they are part of the fabric of Britain and the history that stretches back to the Normans and beyond.

Wednesday April 6, Wednesdays, at 7.30pm on The History Channel

Crimes That Shook Britain investigates some of the most horrendous murders through the eyes of the people at the core of the crime. Together with reconstructions, key interviews and archive material, piece together the last moments of the victim’s life and how the fall-out from the crime led to significant changes in British law.