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

Women in WW2 army uniform march in front of an airplane

Second World War

Is The Six Triple Eight a true story? The real WW2 history, as told by the movie’s historical consultant

Cast of 'Call the Midwife'. (Picture by BBC)

History TV and radio in the UK: what's on our screens this week?

Connie Nielsen as Lucilla in Gladiator 2

Was Lucilla from Gladiator real? What her tragically short life tells us about women in ancient Rome

Paul Mescal as Lucius in Gladiator II

Sharks in the arena? Gladiator II's real history and historical accuracy explained

Engraving of Roman emperor Macrinus and Denzel Washington as Macrinus in Gladiator II

The real Macrinus: how Gladiator II’s power broker became a short-lived Roman emperor

Caracalla and Geta: the real lives of the mad emperors of Gladiator II

Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator

Was Maximus Decimus Meridius real? These five historical figures inspired Gladiator’s hero

Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and Damien Lewis as Henry VIII in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light

Thomas Cromwell on screen: is Wolf Hall the best depiction of the Tudor statesman?

What is the greatest historical movie of all time

General History

What is the best historical movie of all time? Vote now!

Should period dramas reflect modern sensibilities? (Photo by Hugh Cowling)

Should period dramas reflect modern sensibilities?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Author/veterinarian Dr. James Alfred Wight (pen name James Herriot) holding up a black cat that he is examining at his veterinary surgery.

Who was the real James Herriot?The true story behind All Creatures Great and Small

Lee Miller and Kate Winslet.

Second World War

Who was Lee Miller?The model-turned-war correspondent who photographed WW2 horrors

Henry Cavill as Gus March-Phillipps in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Second World War

Is The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare based on a true story? The audacious real history of Operation Postmaster

Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots.

Why Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots never met

Two couples kissing in The Decameron

“Slapstick and smutty”: the real medieval history behind The Decameron

Leo Suter as Harald Sigurdsson in season 3 of Vikings: Valhalla

Vikings: Valhalla ending explained: here’s what would have happened in season 4, according to history

Video podcastThe real Lady Whistledown & the golden age of gossip. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Choreographer Jack Murphy with Sam Phillips as Lord Debling, and Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington.

How to recreate a Regency ballInsider secrets from Bridgerton's choreographer. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Arthur Hughes as Matthew Shardlake in Disney+ drama Shardlake

Watch thisThe best historical movies and TV series streaming now

Video podcastMasters of the Air: the real history behind the show. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A composite image of athlete Gertrude Ederle and actor Daisy Ridley

Gertrude Ederle: the first woman to swim the English Channel

A photograph of Huey P Newton sat at an event.

Is The Big Cigar true? The real story of how a fake Hollywood film helped Black Panther Huey P Newton escape the FBI

The real Lady Whistledown & the golden age of gossip. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton, Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington

Bridgerton: the real history explained

Castle Howard.

General History

Where is Bridgerton filmed? 5 places to visit for fans of the popular Netflix period drama

From balls to Bridgerton: a brief history of debutantes and the social season

Jonah Hauer-King as Lali Sokolov and Anna Próchniak as Gita Furman in The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Second World War

Are we right to fictionalise the Holocaust? It’s a question The Tattooist of Auschwitz should make us ask ourselves

Jonah Hauer-King in The Tattooist of Auschwitz series

The Tattooist of Auschwitz: is it ok to fictionalise the Holocaust?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Shardlake: bringing the Tudor murder mystery to the screen. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Roman pizza, the Black Room, and renovation: 4 incredible things we learned from Pompeii: The New Dig