Award-winning writer Jimmy McGovern and film director Gillies MacKinnon bring the story behind the Gunpowder Plot to BBC TWO in two original films exploring the lives of Mary Queen of Scots and her son James 1st.The first concentrates on Mary's short-lived reign and the battles she has to fight with both her Protestant subjects and the English Queen, Elizabeth 1st. She conspires with the Earl of Bothwell to assassinate her miscreant husband Lord Darnley.The story continues with her son James VI of Scotland (who, on Elizabeth's death, became James 1st of England), and the plot against his reign masterminded by the influential Catholic Robert Catesby - a plot planned by Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament in order to rid the nation of an oppressive Protestant monarch.

The Buccaneers is an ITV series about a swashbuckling reformed pirate, Captain Dan Tempest, as he defends the island of New Providence in the Caribbean from the evil Spanish in the 1600s.

Historical series about Carlos I of Spain and V of Germany, born in 1500 and died in 1558, who ruled the crowns of Castile, including the Kingdom of Navarra and Aragon between 1516 and 1556, and was also Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Carlos V from 1520 to 1558. Carlos was the grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella and son of Philip the Handsome and Joanna I of Castile. A young man whose willpower, tenacity and determination become the most powerful man in Europe, despite the hostility that surrounds it and the large size of its rivals.

The story of John Wilmot, a.k.a. the Earl of Rochester, a 17th century poet who famously drank and debauched his way to an early grave, only to earn posthumous critical acclaim for his life's work.

Historian Lisa Hilton discovers how, in just fifty tempestuous days, Charles I's rule collapsed, laying the foundations for civil war, the loss of royal power and, ultimately, the king's head.

In this satirical comedy, a zany nobleman navigates through family feuds and clashes with peasants in his quest to become Poland's most famous figure.

With his noble squire by his side, a retired country gentleman sets out on an adventure to right the wrongs of the world.

Embarrassed by his large nose, a romantic poet/soldier romances his cousin by proxy.

During the 16th century, Japanese pirates proliferate along the Chinese coastline. In 1557, the pirates take over Cengang in Zhejiang. After months of futile advances, Commander Yu (Sammo Hung) finally defeats them under the leadership of newly promoted General Qi (Vincent Zhao). The Pirates, however, manage to escape.

Winstanley explores the attempt by Gerrard Winstanley who formed 'The Diggers' and with a group of followers attempted to form a small farming community in one of the first proto-Communist attempts at collective agriculture.

The exiled royal physician to King Charles II devotes himself to helping Londoners suffering from the plague, and in the process falls in love with an equally poor woman.

When the young republic of The Netherlands is attacked by England, France and Germany and the country itself is on the brink of civil war, only one man can lead the country's strongest weapon, the Dutch fleet: Michiel de Ruyter.

A hapless carnival performer masquerades as the court jester as part of a plot against an evil ruler who has overthrown the rightful king.

The story of Sir Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarry.

Romeo and Juliet secretly wed despite the sworn contempt their families hold for each other. It is not long, however, before a chain of fateful events changes the lives of both families forever.

At a New Millennium Eve party, Blackadder and Baldrick test their new time machine and ping pong through history encountering famous characters and changing events rather alarmingly.

Adapted from the work of Miguel de Cervantes, this is the story of a hidalgo, fanatic for chivalry novels, who loses his sanity and believing to be a knight named Don Quixote de La Mancha, decides to go on imaginary adventures along with his friend, the simple farmer Sancho Panza, who becomes his squire. On their journeys, they rescue dames in distress in honorable acts and fight giants among other perils, with Don longing to be with the love of his life, lady Dulcinea, and Sancho waiting to be rewarded with an island where he's about to become a governor.

King Henry VIII marries five more times after his divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon.

Snow White's mother dies during childbirth, leaving baby Snow and father John for dead on an icy field, who then receives a visit from one of Satan's representatives, granting him three wishes.

An extravagant, exotic and moving look at Rembrandt's romantic and professional life, and the controversy he created by the identification of a murderer in the painting 'The Night Watch'.

A portrait of the bloody dynasty that spawned a pope, Alexander VI, as well as the role model for Machiavelli's "The Prince," his son Cesare Borgia, and a legend of femme duplicity, daughter Lucrezia Borgia.

A crown prince emerges as a leader during the war between Korea and Japan in 1592.

A 17th century Hungarian countess embarks on a murderous undertaking, with the belief that bathing in the blood of virgins will preserve her beauty.

Prince Naresuan is now the crown prince of Ayutthaya and the king of Burma is dead. While the new Burmese king is waging war, the crown prince plots to assassinate Naresuan. Hearing this, the prince decides to evacuate Thais out of the Burmese capital and declare that Siam will no longer bow to Burma. The war for the kingdom's independence begins.

This adventure follows a mid-18th-century British scout through the wilderness on a mission to sneak into a French fortress.

The death of King Henry VIII throws his kingdom into chaos because of succession disputes. His weak son King Edward VI is on his deathbed. Anxious to keep England true to the Reformation, a scheming minister John Dudley marries off his son, Guilford, to Lady Jane Grey, whom he places on the throne after Edward dies. At first hostile to each other, Guilford and Jane fall in love. But they cannot withstand the course of power which will lead to their ultimate downfall.

In this dramatization, the Virgin Mary works a miracle on a girl in 1623 Mexico. Four centuries later, a family make a pilgrimage for their own child.

King Henry VIII of England discards one wife, Catharine of Aragon, who has failed to produce a male heir, in favor of the young and beautiful Anne Boleyn.

D'Artagnan and his fellow Musketeers plot to replace the ineffectual Louis XIV of France with his secretly imprisoned twin brother Phillipe, who is the firstborn and rightful King.

Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII, is named regent while the tyrant battles abroad. When the king returns, increasingly ill and paranoid, Katherine finds herself fighting for her own survival.

Life of Isabella I of Castile, also known as Isabella the Catholic.

This movie focuses on a dozen of the five hundred characters depicted in Bruegel's painting. The theme of Christ's suffering is set against religious persecution in Flanders in 1564.

During the early sixteenth century, idealistic German monk Martin Luther (Joseph Fiennes), disgusted by the materialism in the church, begins the dialogue that will lead to the Protestant Reformation.

The story of Monsieur de Sainte Colombe, fierce and somber man, grand master of the viola da gamba and professor of Marin Marais, prestigious musician in the court of Louis XIV.

Masterpiece Theatre brings its four-hour fling with a scandalous 18th century heroine, in a broadcast of Moll Flanders. A costume drama which follows the fortunes of Moll Flanders in 18th Century England. Her determination to reach a secure place in society results in incest, bigamy, adultery, wealth and poverty. Based on the novel by Daniel Defoe.

THE GIRL KING paints a portrait of the brilliant, extravagant Kristina of Sweden, queen from age six, who fights the conservative forces that are against her ideas to modernize Sweden and who have no tolerance for her awakening sexuality.

The biographical story of Michelangelo's troubles while painting the Sistine Chapel at the urging of Pope Julius II.

In 1701, Lord Takuminokami Asano has a feud with Lord Kira and he tries to kill Kira in the corridors of the Shogun's palace. The Shogun sentences Lord Asano to commit suppuku and deprives the palace and lands from his clan, but does not punish Lord Kira. Lord Asano's vassals leave the land and his samurais become ronin and want to seek revenge against the dishonor of their Lord. But their leader Kuranosuke Oishi asks the Shogun to restore the Asano clan with his brother Daigaku Asano. One year later, the Shogun refuses his request and Oishi and forty-six ronin revenge their Lord.

Based on the novel, a young gypsy becomes a Minister's obsession in 1483. Only the bell ringer and her husband and the court of miracles can save her.

In the 16th-century Ukraine, the Polish overlords and Ukrainian cossacks fight for control of the land but frequent Turkish invasions force them to unite against the common Turkish foe.

The story of time-tested loyalty of two friends during Europe's 16th-century Inquisition. Orphans Martin and Georg bond as children, but walk very different paths as adults. Georg follows his calling to join the church, while Martin becomes an army captain. When fate places Martin in the role of executioner, he must choose between friendship and fundamentalist doctrin...Read all

A Chronicle of England's Golden Age of the late 16th century. Academy Award winner Glenda Jackson stars in one of the most popular and acclaimed Masterpiece Theatre presentations ever created, the story of England's Queen Elizabeth I. Filled with palace intrigue, royal romance and stunning historical detail, it traces her reign from young Princess through almost 5 years of rule over England's Golden Age. Long sought by collectors, this Emmy Award winning production boasts an all-star cast, riveting performances, gripping drama, and all the pomp and pageantry befitting this legendary Queen.

The history of this grand 500-year-old palace is inextricably tied to the lavish lifestyle of King Henry VIII and the doomed fates of his six wives.

A retelling of the life of the celebrated 17th-century painter through his brilliant, nearly blasphemous paintings and his flirtations with the underworld.

A young Jesuit priest seeks to convert the Indian tribes in Canada while also trying to survive the harsh winter.

In the pre-Spanish era Philippines, a young beautiful native princess falls in love with a handsome Spanish soldier. Against all odds, and pulled apart by their loyalties to their own people, they fight for their clandestine romance.

In the sixteenth century, Francis Barnard travels to Spain to clarify the strange circumstances of his sister's death after she had married the son of a cruel Spanish Inquisitor.

During the sixteenth century, the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots engages in over two decades of religious and political conflict with her cousin, the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I of England, amidst political intrigue in her native land.

Shortly before his death in 1547, the injured King Henry VIII is forced to take refuge a manor house closed for the season. While there, he must confront both his mortality and the ghosts of his past.

The funny story of mad but kind and chivalrous elderly nobleman Don Quixote who, aided by his squire Sancho Panza, fights windmills that are seen as dragons to save prostitute Dulcinea who is seen as a noblewoman.

Still Star-Crossed picks up where the famous story of Romeo and Juliet ends, charting the treachery, fight for power and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers' tragic fate. The series is based on the eponymous book by Melinda Taub. In the wake of Romeo and Juliet's tragic deaths, the Montague and Capulet rivalry escalates. A new royal takes the throne and struggles to determine what is best for his city when Verona as an epicenter of mayhem.

It's 1649: Cardinal Mazarin (Philippe Noiret) hires the impoverished D'Artagnan (Michael York) to find the other Musketeers: Oliver Cromwell (Alan Howard) has overthrown the English King, so Cardinal Mazarin fears revolt, particularly from the popular Duke of Beaufort (Eusebio Lázaro). Porthos (Frank Finlay), bored with riches and wanting a title, signs on, but Aramis (Richard Chamberlain), an abbé, and Athos (Oliver Reed), a brawler raising an intellectual son, assist the Duke of Beaufort in secret. When they fail to halt the Duke's escape from prison, the Musketeers are expendable, and Cardinal Mazarin sends them to London to rescue Charles I (Bill Paterson). They are also pursued by Justine de Winter (Kim Cattrall), the avenging daughter of Milady de Winter, their enemy twenty years ago. They must escape England, avoid Justine, serve Queen Anne (Geraldine Chaplin), and secure Beauford's political reforms.

During the middle of the 16th century, Martin Guerre returns to his village in southwestern France, after being away in the war for almost a decade. The villagers who knew him as a young man suspect he is not Martin, but he seems to know all about his friends, his family and his wife, even the most unusual things. Is this man really Martin Guerre?

Geoffrey Thorpe, a buccaneer, is hired by Queen Elizabeth I to nag the Spanish Armada. The Armada is waiting for the attack on England and Thorpe surprises them with attacks on their galleons where he shows his skills on the sword.

A female theatre dresser creates a stir and sparks a revolution in seventeenth century London theatre by playing Desdemona in Othello. But what will become of the male actor she once worked for and eventually replaced?

Disfigured man Quasimodo (Sir Anthony Hopkins) is feared and tormented by the townspeople of Notre Dame, but he has a sensitive nature of which few are aware.

Ireland 1587. Hugh O'Donnell inherits the title of The O'Donnell, the prince of Donegal, and tries to unite Ireland to make war on England. But then Hugh is kidnapped and imprisoned by the Viceroy of Ireland and held ransom for the Clans' good behavior. Hugh must escape prison and the Viceroy's villainous henchman, Captain Leeds, before he can fight.

France, 1640: Cyrano, the charismatic swordsman-poet with the absurd nose, hopelessly loves the beauteous Roxane; she, in turn, confesses to Cyrano her love for the handsome but tongue-tied Christian. The chivalrous Cyrano sets up with Christian an innocent deception, with tragic results. Much cut from the play, but dialogue not rewritten.

Henry VIII is a proud and wilful monarch who defies Rome's ban on divorce to marry his mistress Anne Boleyn. Cardinal Wolsey, the Powerful Lord Chancellor of England, attempts to bend Rome to the king's wishes in the matter of the divorce of Catherine of Aragon so he can marry Anne Boleyn. Later, near death, he repents his unpriestly activity. After Henry divorces her, Catherine is sent to Kimbolton Castle. Anne marries Henry and becomes his queen.

A young artist is commissioned by the wife of a wealthy landowner to make a series of drawings of the estate while her husband is away.

Professor David Starkey chronicles the story of Queen Elizabeth I, first broadcast in 4-parts on Channel 4. The series uses a combination of tableaux, testimony from descendants, contemporary documents, actors and Starkey's own narration to tell the story of Elizabeth who reigned for over 40 tumultuous years. She was in constant danger from both ambitious men and the adherents of the Catholic religion. Starkey says that her deep distrust of men derives from two events: molestation by her stepfather Thomas Seymour, and an uprising by the Protestant Wyatt against Queen Mary, which landed the young princess in the Tower. The survival instinct she developed in her early years would become invaluable later when she succeeded to the throne. As Queen, Elizabeth had to prove that a woman was capable of ruling the warring factions in her court. The self styled Virgin founded a national church, and warded off the Spanish Armada.

Storm Voeten, son of printer Klaas Voeten, becomes the target of a hunt by the Inquisition. Aided by Marieke, a mysterious girl living in the underground sewers of Antwerp, Storm is caught in a race against time to save his father from death.

A queen who lost three kingdoms. A wife who lost three husbands. A woman who lost her head.

This period drama frames the tumultuous affair between Queen Elizabeth I and the man who would be King of England, Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex. Ever the victor on the battlefield, Devereux returns to London after defeating Spanish forces at Cadiz. Middle-aged Elizabeth, so attracted to the younger Devereux but fearful of his influence and popularity, sends him on a new mission: a doomed campaign to Ireland. When he and his troops return in defeat, Devereux demands to share the throne with the heir-less queen, and Elizabeth, at first, intends to marry. Ultimately sensing the marriage would prove disastrous for England, Elizabeth sets in motion a merciless plan to protect her people and preserve her throne.

In 1532, Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro leads an expedition into the heart of the Inca Empire and captures the Incan Emperor Atahualpa and claims Peru for Spain.

King Henry VIII wants to divorce his wife, and seeks the approval of the aristocracy. Sir Thomas More is a man of principle and reason, and is thus placed in a difficult position: should he stand up for his principles, risking the wrath of a corrupt King fond of executing people for treason? Or should he bow to the seemingly unstoppable corruption of King Henry VIII, who has no qualms about bending the law to suit his own needs?

A chronicle of England's turbulent years of the early 16th century recounting the life and times of the vibrant and lusty King Henry VIII in a cycle of six plays.

Clopin bought Esmeralda from the gypsies when she was young. Dancing in the square at the festival, Esmeralda is spotted by Jehan, the evil brother of the good archdeacon Claude Frollo. When he sets Quasimodo out to kidnap Esmeralda, Phoebus, Captain of the Guards, rescues her and captures Quasimodo. The courts sentence Quasimodo to be flogged, and the only one who will give him water while he is tied in the square is Esmeralda. After Clopin forces Esmeralda to leave Phoebus at the ball, she sends a note to Phoebus to meet her at Notre-Dame. In the garden, Phoebus is stabbed in the back by Jehan. Esmeralda is accused of stabbing Phoebus, convicted by the courts and sentenced to hang. When Esmeralda again rejects Jehan, he tells her that Phoebus is dead, even though it is not true. Clopin, Phoebus and Quasimodo all try different ways to save Esmeralda.

NOTHING IS TRUER THAN TRUTH is a feature length documentary about Edward de Vere, Seventeenth Earl of Oxford, A-list party boy on the continental circuit, who spent a year and a half in Venice and traveling in Europe, learning about commedia dell'arte and collecting the experiences that would become the Shakespeare plays. Shot in Venice, Verona, Mantua, Padua, and Brenta, the film ventures to actual sites De Vere visited in 1575-76, including the settings for THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, OTHELLO, ROMEO & JULIET, and TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA. The film features renowned Shakespeare scholars, actors, and directors, including Sir Derek Jacobi, Mark Rylance, Tina Packer, and Diane Paulus, and argues that De Vere's bisexuality is the reason for the pseudonym Shake-speare.

Passionate love story set in 17th century rural England, charting the young John Ridd's search for revenge after his father's murder, and the chance encounter with beautiful Lorna Doone that changes the course of his life.

A dramatized biography of William Tyndale, the 16th Century reformer determined to translate the Bible into English, which illegal act set him at odds with the Catholic Church, Sir Thomas More and King Henry VIII.

A dramatization of the last days of the queen. It starts on the 2nd of May 1536 when a unit of the kings guard arrives with a warrant for the arrest of the Queen of England, because of incest, adultery and for conspiring against the king.

In 1500s England, a cruel witch-hunting magistrate, who often tortures innocent villagers for his entertainment, runs afoul of a witch who conjures a banshee to kill the magistrate and his family.

This is the story of "The Forty-Seven Ronin." Based on historical events in 1701-2, the movie tells the tale of the Asano clan's downfall and the revenge of its former samurai on the perpetrator of the catastrophe.

The 16th-century sculptor woos the Duchess of Florence despite the duke.

Queen, lover, mother, outcast, victim and survivor - this is how historian and series narrator David Starkey assigns the roles of the six wives of Britain's most famous monarch Henry VIII in the sexual intrigue and cut-throat power politics of his long reign from 1509 to 1547. The series, The Six Wives of Henry VIII takes a fresh approach and presents each wife's story from her perspective. Through the women's own words and powerful dramatizations, we learn that the wives were not pitiful victims or pawns but rather knowing players in a high-stakes game and remarkable individuals who managed to show great dignity even when facing exile and death.

Imprisoned for debt, playwright Molière is rescued by an aristocrat who needs his help in order to seduce a young marquise.

In 1547, Ivan IV (1530-1584), archduke of Moscow, crowns himself Tsar of Russia and sets about reclaiming lost Russian territory. In scenes of his coronation, his wedding to Anastasia, his campaign against the Tartars in Kazan, his illness when all think he will die, recovery, campaigns in the Baltic and Crimea, self-imposed exile in Alexandrov, and the petition of Muscovites that he return, his enemies among the boyars threaten his success. Chief among them are his aunt, who wants to advance the fortunes of her son, a simpleton, and Kurbsky, a warrior prince who wants both power and the hand of Anastasia. Ivan deftly plays to the people to consolidate his power.

In 1700, a Spanish princess travels from New Mexico to California with ruthless outlaw El Tigre as guide.

Queen Elizabeth is running this show. The men in her court should be thinking about how to add to the glory of the Elizabethan Age and how to foil those pesky Spanish who got far too much influence in England when her older sister Mary was on the throne after their father Henry VIII was succeeded by their sickly half brother. Elizabeth thinks Michael Ingolby can do great things. Michael is mostly thinking about one of Elizabeth's ladies in waiting, Cynthia. Soon his mind is on survival when Elizabeth sends him on a voyage to Spain.

Bertrand Tavernier is in top form with this gripping, superbly mounted drama set against the savage Catholic/Protestant wars that ripped France apart in the 16th century. Based on a novella by the celebrated Madame de Lafayette, the action centers on the love of Marie de Mezières for her dashing cousin Henri de Guise, thwarted when her father's political ambitions force her into marriage with the well-connected Philippe de Montpensier, whom she has never met. When Philippe is called away to fight, she is left in the care of Count Chabannes, an aging nobleman with a disdain for warfare, and soon becomes exposed to the sexual and political intrigues of court.

'If you could hear the voice of God, would you want to keep it secret?' A historical drama based on the memoirs of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order. This is the story of a soldier, a man of vice and violence who, in his attempt to turn to the light, was forced to wrestle with his inner demons to the very brink of death. A Filipino production shot in Spain and the Philippines, the film chronicles his valiant but futile defense at the Battle of Pamplona, his struggles with depression and near-suicide, his trial before the Inquisition, and his ultimate vindication.

Based on the controversial novel by Philippa Gregory, "The Other Boleyn Girl" is a fictionalised account of the life of Lady Mary Boleyn who becomes mistress to England's King Henry VIII, before being ousted by her younger sister, Anne. Mary leaves the Court to marry a commoner, but returns when Anne embarks on a reckless policy to save herself from ruin.

The early life of Elizabeth I, from her childhood until her accession to the throne of England in 1558.

On Kit and Lyre's wedding night, Lien Ni-Chang, the bride with white hair kidnaps Lyre and takes her to her harem of fighting women to indoctrinate her against Kit. Kit tries to lead a rescue party and go up against the formidable enemies.

As Ivan the Terrible attempts to consolidate his power by establishing a personal army, his political rivals, the Russian boyars, plot to assassinate their Tsar.

In the 15th century Richard Duke of Gloucester, aided by his club-footed executioner Mord, eliminates those ahead of him in succession to the throne, then occupied by his brother King Edward IV of England. As each murder is accomplished he takes particular delight in removing small figurines, each resembling one of the successors, from a throne-room dollhouse, until he alone remains. After the death of Edward he becomes Richard III, King of England, and need only defeat the exiled Henry Tudor to retain power.

The Stuart dynasty lived through arguably the most eventful, bloodthirsty and trying period in British history, and this series reassesses the royal house's history and legacy in a new and unique way.

As the great fire tears London apart, this brand new epic drama details the heart-wrenching stories of a city and its people in crisis.  This drama recreates the chaos of a city imploding in 1666 Great Fire of London.

Genoese navigator overcomes intrigue in the court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain and gains financing for his expedition to the East Indies.

Cho Yat-Hang, the unwilling successor to the Wu-Tang clan throne and the unsure commander of the clan's forces in a war against an evil cult, falls in forbidden love with Lien Ni-Chang, a killer for the evil cult.

A look at theories, possible motives and suspects behind the mysterious disappearance of two young princes, Edward and Richard, upon the ascension to the throne of their uncle, King Richard III.

John Ridd was just a boy when the villainous Carver Doone callously murdered his father. Now a young man, John has two driving passions: his thirst for revenge against the outlaw Doones, and his love for the beautiful Lorna, daughter of his sworn enemies.

Historical story of the ruthless Rodrigo Borgia. A man who intends to become Pope and who will not let anything stand in his way.

Young love is poisoned by a generations long feud between two noble families.

The story begins on the autumn of 1654 in South France. Eloise lives in a cloister. Her famous father left her there. The young lady is enthusiastic about honour, faithfulness, affection to the poor people, and life of course. She seems powerless when the leader of the nuns is executed because she tried to save an unlucky servant who escaped from odious Crassac and his evil Muse, the Red Lady. Eloise is seized with a fit of temper.

Brenda Emmanus explores the art collection of Charles I, much of which is being reunited for a unique exhibition for the first time since his execution. Brenda hears the stories behind the works of art and learns how the collection was sold off by Parliament following Charles' death.

A sixteenth century love story about a marriage of alliance that gave birth to true love between a great Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a Rajput princess, Jodha.

Action epic about young Johanna "Of Ghent" (Sophie Cookson), who seeks revenge on the holy Roman Emperor Charles V (Adrian Brody) for the death of her father. It happens in a world of wealth, debauchery, violent retaliations, sex, manipulation, and treason. It's the sixteenth century revisited.