Boys watching TV in the 1950s

Historical film TV and radio

From binge-worthy period dramas to award-winning documentaries, find out why historical movies, TV and radio programs are more popular than ever, with this series of articles, podcasts and video

Leonardo: bringing Da Vinci to the screen. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Aidan Turner as Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo: the real history behind the new Renaissance drama

The Irregulars. From left to right: Prince Leopold (Harrison Osterfield), Jessie (Darci Shaw), Bea(Thaddea Graham), Spike (McKell David), and Billy (Jojo Macari)

The Irregulars: the real history behind Netflix’s supernatural Sherlock spinoff

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, c1870. He was the youngest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany: the sickly fourth son of Victoria and Albert

Ammonite and the real fossil hunter Mary Anning. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) and Charlotte Murchison (Saoirse Ronan) in Francis Lee's new film 'Ammonite'. (Photo courtesy of Lionsgate UK / See-Saw Films)

The real history behind Ammonite

What happened to the Franklin Expedition? The real mystery behind The Terror. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Long read |The man at Sutton Hoo. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Exclusive podcastGame of Thrones’ medieval roots. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Crafting historical weapons for Wolf Hall and The Witcher. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Terracotta plaque which is believed to show the poet Sappho rejecting an amorous advance by her contemporary who is also from the island of Lesbos. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)

From Sappho to It’s a Sin: 9 LGBT+ histories, chosen by experts. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Cary Grant: from humble beginnings to Hollywood icon. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The Sutton Hoo excavations are the focus of a new film, 'The Dig'. Carey Mulligan stars as Edith Pretty, and Ralph Fiennes portrays Basil Brown

Second World War

The Dig: the real history of the remarkable Sutton Hoo excavation

Spectacular discoveries at Sutton Hoo. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Alexander Ludwig as Bjorn Ironside, son Ragnar Lothbrok and king of Kattegat

Vikings Season 6: plot recap, plus 8 historical questions answered

Rege-Jean Page as Simon Basset and Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton

Bridgerton season one: “A period drama like no other”

Bridgerton: ripping up the rulebook on Regency romance. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Alex Hogh Andersen as Ivar the Boneless

The real Vikings: the early medieval world behind the hit drama

Actress Lily James and actor Michael Huisman looking at each other in a still from the film The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Life under Nazi rule: the occupation of the Channel Islands. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Ian Fleming, British author and creator of the James Bond character

James Bond in real life: where did Ian Fleming's inspirations come from?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Bernard Cornwell on The Last Kingdom’s finale and the next Sharpe. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The time travelling Tudor: Anne Boleyn’s most surprising representations in film, TV and literature

Gwrych Castle in Abergele, North Wales

The history of Gwrych Castle, home of I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here

Emma Corrin as Princess Diana in season 4 of ‘The Crown’

The Crown S4 E10 real history: Thatcher’s resignation and the unravelling of a royal marriage

Emma Corrin as Diana, Princess of Wales and Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles in season 4 of ‘The Crown’

The Crown S4 E9 real history: Prince Charles’s ski avalanche accident and his failing marriage to Diana

Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher in season 4 of ‘The Crown’

The Crown S4 E8 real history: why did Margaret Thatcher & the Queen clash over apartheid in South Africa?

Helen Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret in 'The Crown'

The Crown S4 E7 real history: Princess Margaret’s decline and a royal secret revealed

Diana, Princess of Wales, played by Emma Corrin in Netflix's 'The Crown'

The Crown S4 E6 real history: Charles and Diana’s 1983 royal tour of Australia & the start of ‘Dianamania’

Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher in season 4 of 'The Crown'

The Crown S4 E5 real history: Michael Fagan’s Buckingham Palace break-in and the Falklands crisis

Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II and Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles in season 4 of ‘The Crown’

The Crown S4 E4 real history: mothers in the spotlight and the ‘favourite’ royal child