Meet an annoying French prankster from the Middle Ages, witness bizarre Aztec food on Historical Masterchef, see what happens when Queen Elizabeth I needs the toilet, and learn how not to impress a woman in Victorian times -a painful lesson in manners. The truth about Dick Turpin in song; certainly no New Romantic.
Savage Songs compilation. Featuring the hip hop battle of the boasting Celts, pop superstar Cleopatra, rock rebel William Wallace, the soulful Suffragettes, the funky Aztec priests, the crooning caveman, bad boy heartthrob Dick Turpin, pouting Richard III, the children of the Victorian workhouses, and the many, many, merry monarchs!
As part of the 2011 BBC Proms, the cast of Horrible Histories join up with the Aurora Orchestra, the Choir from the Music Centre, the Kids Company Choir and a group of dancers for a special event. The show features a selection of songs from the first three series, some excerpts from classical pieces and original sketches.
Featuring a female dinosaur expert who sells seashells down on the seashore, Brian the handsome scientist reveals the weird wonders of the Greek Universe, TV's fastest-talking pensioner, Bob Hale, tries to explain the Space Race between the USA and the USSR, and there's a fitting musical finale to the end of the series.
Horrible Histories returns for a special about King John and Magna Carta, starring Ben Miller. John annoys the Barons and agrees Magna Carta at Runnymede, after a banging rap battle. Meanwhile across the world we meet the formidable Genghis Khan in Mongolia, and catch up with the crafty Saladin during the Crusades. With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!
A special episode about King Alfred the Great, starring Tom Rosenthal. Watch Alfred argue with his older brothers then defeat the Vikings using his cunning hit-and-run tactics, summoning the spirit of Ed Sheeran. Meanwhile, across the world, Ant and Dec host a very special Chinese edition of I'm A Celebrity, and the Egyptians tell us how healthcare should really be done. With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!
A special episode about William the Conqueror, starring Kevin Eldon. We meet young William, Duke of Normandy, as he quarrels with Harold Godwinson about who should be King of England, before bashing the English and taking the crown at the famous Battle of Hastings in 1066! Meanwhile, across the world we discover Chinese technology light years ahead of the dunderheaded Normans and Saxons in England, and meet one of the world's first scientists in Egypt. With, of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!
A special episode about Mary Queen of Scots, starring Jessica Ransom. This episode follows the young Mary as she stumbles from young girl in Scotland to queen in France, back to queen in Scotland and finally to Elizabeth I's public enemy no 1 - with a bit of Queenian Rhapsody thrown in for good measure! Meanwhile, across the world we meet silver-nosed Danish scientist Tycho Brahe, and Mr H gives us his unique take on the epic Battle of Lepanto in another History's Craziest Fools. With, of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!
A special episode about the great French leader Napoleon Bonaparte, starring Jim Howick. We follow Napoleon as he rises from humble beginnings to be the Emperor of France, bashing most of Europe along the way, and ultimately meeting his Waterloo at, well, Waterloo! Meanwhile, across the world we meet the Indian traveller who brought shampoo to the world. With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!
A special episode about King Henry VIII, starring Rowan Atkinson. We meet the young Henry as he struggles with his boring dad Henry VII, before becoming king himself and going through wives like most people go through toothbrushes! Meanwhile, across the world we meet the great Ottoman leader Suleiman the Magnificent in Turkey, and the mad, bad, and very dangerous to know Emperor Zhengde in China. With, of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!
A special episode of the historical sketch show about the great Egyptian queen Cleopatra, starring Kathryn Drysdale. We meet Cleo as she clashes with her brother, seizes power and hooks up with great Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Meanwhile, across the world, we catch up with the thoughts of famous Chinese philosopher Confucius and encounter the less glamorous side of life in Rome. With, of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!
A special episode of the historical sketch show about King George III, starring Simon Farnaby. We follow George from a young unpopular king to a much loved figure some 60 years later, and check out a bit of his court life along the way. Meanwhile across the world we hear about some of the words we have got from India, and the Battles of the Day team give us their unique insight into the American Revolution. With, of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!
A special episode of the historical sketch show, focusing on the great British Queen Boudica, starring Lorna Watson from Watson & Oliver. We follow Boudica as she turns against her Roman masters and unleashes her wrecking ball on Colchester, St Albans and London. It is cut-throat Celts versus rotten Romans - it's going to be very gory! Meanwhile, across the world, we meet famous emperors Caligula and Nero, dishing out their own unique brand of Imperial nastiness. With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!
A special episode of the historical sketch show about Winston Churchill, starring Jim Howick. We follow Churchill from a young soldier in India during the time of Queen Victoria, through the First World War, to victory in World War II, and finally to his retirement in the Swinging Sixties - what a journey! Meanwhile across the world we meet the American soldier literally spreading propaganda around the battlefields, and learn about Gandhi's more eccentric side. With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!
A special episode of the historical sketch show about Queen Victoria, starring Sarah Hadland. We meet young Vicky as she becomes queen aged only 18, marries her true love Albert, and has to put up with the open sewers at the not-so-luxurious Buckingham Palace. Meanwhile, across the world, we catch up with Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, and discover plans for the Great Hedge of India. Yes, hedge! With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!
A special episode of the historical sketch show about Oliver Cromwell. We follow Oliver as he rises from obscurity, challenges King Charles I in the English Civil War, and ultimately orders the King's execution - as he says, a it was a 'cruel necessity'. In other parts of Britain we meet a bunch of oddly named Puritan soldiers, and the great writers Shakespeare and Milton square up for a word battle. With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!
A special episode of the historical sketch show, featuring all your favourite songs from the series! Sing along with King Alfred about his burnt cakes, or with Henry VIII about his love of reformation - or get down Norman-style with William the Conqueror. With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!
Horrible Histories goes pear-shaped in an explorers special, meeting Christopher Columbus as he tries to teach a class that the world is indeed shaped like a pear. On the strict instructions of Emperor Nero, some hapless Roman centurions are quite literally stuck in the mud, searching for the source of the Nile. And intrepid Arctic explorer Peter Freuchen has to dig his way out of the snow with a frozen poo. From the Vikings' first small steps on American soil to humankind's first giant leaps on the moon, join Horrible Histories on this epic adventure.
Horrible Histories charts the path towards true love. Henry VIII enlists the help of maitre d' Fred Sirieix as he tries to find the right wife on Historic First Dates. Elsewhere, we sample some medieval Munich love magic, see how Renaissance men tried to impress the ladies, listen to some of history's greatest love letters, and watch as King Alfonso of Spain's wedding takes a turn he's not expecting...
A look at some of history's greatest artists, from the first images painted onto the walls of caves through to Chris Ofili's work with elephant poo. We'll discover the most stolen painting in history, how Picasso and Dali found innovative ways of paying for things without using money, the horror of painting people smiling, and see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Renaissance Artists help a lady in distress. Sort of.
Horrible Histories takes a look at the world's greatest heroes and villains. On the heroic side, we have everything from Douglas Bader's frequent escapes to the first men on the moon and Martin Luther King Jr, whereas our more villainous side contains Al Capone and Rameses the Great, and Steve Biceps brings us History's Deadly 60.
Mankind's most ingenious inventors are given the Horrible Histories treatment, as we take in everything from the invention of the wheel to the crisp. Featuring the Gutenberg press, the man who invented both the dictionary (very successfully) and manned flight (less successfully). Also the Greeks and the Chinese battle as to which of them are history's best inventors.
A look at the most ruthless rulers of all time. Henry VIII is so demanding he has a brick wall built at his bedroom door every night, those vicious Vikings find that sorry seems to be the hardest word, hold your nose in Versailles, because Louis XIV hasn't got any loos, and rock out with the Warlords from Hell.
On its 100th anniversary, Horrible Histories takes a look at the Russian Revolution. Tsar Nicholas II gives tips for survival in Russia's extreme climate, and we reveal that Lenin's European Communism lecture tour took in a trip to London Zoo. Lenin also provides beauty advice on how to look good even after death! Meanwhile, Dave TDS finds out just how hard it is to invade Russia, and we listen to Uncle Joe Stalin's Nursery Rhymes and find out that, at one point, he also decided that the key to world domination might, in fact, lie in poo.
A look at the hideous history of health, from the invention of toilet paper to the healthy origins of the cornflake. Along the way we discover that the Mayans believe that drinking wee could cure all ills, that the Tudors had to teach themselves how to swim again (everyone had forgotten), Victorians had a taste in beauty products that was literally shocking, and we take an in-depth look at Louis XIV's bottom problems.
Horrible Histories takes a look at some of the most famous families that have shaped the world, including the Romanovs of Russia, the Tudors of England, and Ramesses and his children in Ancient Egypt ... all 162 of them! The First Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang takes the mic, and Rattus invites his nephew, Scrappus, to help explore the Great Rattus dynasty, but as we discover families are never straight forward.
An episode featuring some of history's finest songs (from the series, admittedly), as Rattus attempts to put together his own festival (the delightfully-named "Glastonsmelly"). From singing poos to tuneful Warlords, there's something for all musical tastes! Rattus has somehow also roped Brad from The Vamps in to help him out, although rather than playing live on the main stage, Brad's role seems to be more about unblocking the toilets just behind it...
Horrible Histories presents our guide to Ancient Civilisations, featuring new sketches about Alexander the Great's first kiss, Emperor Nero's greatest hits, and how double parking in ancient times could result in being impaled, rather than fined. Also, Swill Gumbitz takes a look at Greek statues, the musical instrument that could make you poo yourself, and the evolution of bottom-wiping.
Chop, chop, it's Horrible Histories' Terrible Tudor Special, with everything you need to know about history's most famous family, from Henry VII through to Elizabeth I - and, along the way, also find out about Mary I in her vlog. Featuring a never-before-seen sketch with the murderous Medicis, hilarious outtakes, and a special one-off written by a CBBC competition winner - it's your one-stop Tudor shop.
Horrible Histories charts the contribution of Black people to British life throughout history. How did African soldiers come to be guarding Hadrian’s Wall? Why was a West African diver asked to help salvage Henry VIII's ship, the Mary Rose? And the actor Ira Aldridge tells us how he came to leave New York to find fame in 19th-century England.
Life wasn’t always fun for children in the past. Horrible Histories delves into the not-so-easy lives of children throughout history, from the strict parenting of ancient civilisations, to the terrible fights the young King Louis XIV had with his little brother - even weeing on each other's beds! And find out just why Henry VIII was so keen for his son Edward VI to stay inside.
Horrible Histories celebrates 100 years of the BBC with this special episode. What was the secret of looking great on a 1930s TV show? How did the BBC try to defeat the Nazis using regional accents? And just what was a kangaroo doing at the launch of BBC Two? Our end song takes us through the history of children’s TV.
Henry VIII, Queen Victoria and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are our hosts for a special live concert as part of the BBC Proms season at London’s Royal Albert Hall, introducing us to the world of opera. Mozart is sure that the Horrible Histories audience will love opera, with all its grisly and gruesome stories. But Queen Victoria is not so sure, thinking opera is totally unsuitable for children. In fact, she thinks the audience need to leave at once! Can Mozart change her mind?
Christmas is a time for charity, hope and goodwill to all men - but for Horrible Histories it's a time of farting jesters, finding bacon in your Christmas card, and having your dinner confiscated by Oliver Cromwell. This episode showcases bizarre Yuletide absurdities from over the centuries with a unique blend of sketches, pastiche and song - a foul and festive treat. Revel in the smelliest, silliest and goriest stories about everyone's favourite time of year.
Special sport episode of the historical sketch show, based on the successful series of books. All the top sporting action from the past, including Emperor Nero and Jesse Owens singing the history of the Olympics. We're at the finish line to see Pheidippides run the first ever marathon, then we count down the top Marathon Cheats of all time and take a look back at some of our favourite Horrible Histories sporting events.
We find out what happens when Henry VIII takes part in TV show Dating In Darkness and meets latest love Anne of Cleves, discover the problems encountered by Queen Elizabeth I’s portrait artist, and are treated to romantic musical interludes from The Love Rats Club, plus Queen Victoria as she duets with Prince Albert. We also say hello to Rattus Rattus’s brand-new girlfriend Ratalie, who Rattus Rattus is hoping will be impressed by a romantic dinner of ‘cockroach in jus de rubbish bag’...
The Bafta Award-winning Horrible Histories returns for a run of three specials, beginning with Sensational Shakespeare. April 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of Britain's greatest playwright, William Shakespeare (or is it William Shagspeare or Willm Shakspere - even the great Bard himself didn't know!). In this episode, we look at the life and times of the playwright - from his largely unknown and humble beginnings in Stratford, through his times as a jobbing actor in London, to his success as the country's most respected and financially savvy writer. Along the way we meet his gang of London friends, the playwrights, poets and brawlers Marlowe, Jonson and Spenser. The episode looks at Shakespeare's little-known financial prowess, his legacy and the lasting influence of his work - not bad for a plot-stealing pen for hire! We also explore the social history of Britain and the world, and how, if you wanted to avoid the plague, it was important to eat your none-a-day portion of fruit and veg. All this served up with a healthy dollop of poo and wee! Also with, of course, our trusty host Rattus to guide the way!
Who wrote the first detective novel? When were books invented? Why do we like stories so much? In its own distinctive and irreverently accurate style, the episode takes a look at some of literature's greatest works and history's wackiest writers. Along the way we see the development of storytelling technology. We learn how a party at Lord Byron's house led to the writing of the Gothic masterpiece Frankenstein, and how Charles Dickens was the Harry Styles of his day. Spanning 3,000 years of recorded history we take a look at the funny and ridiculous ways some of our finest writers cured their writing block - did you know Tennyson used to pretend to go the loo as a party trick? Also, of course, our trusty host Rattus guides the way.
For the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London, Horrible Histories returns for a one-off special looking at the disaster and the events that surrounded it. On the night of 2 September, a spark from a baker’s oven in Pudding Lane ignited a fire which roared through the tightly packed streets of London, tearing up the timber-framed houses and destroying up to a third of the city. In true Horrible Histories fashion, this special episode explores London and Britain before the fire, full of plague and party in the raucous Restoration atmosphere personified by King Charles II. We see how London’s Mayor preferred to stay in bed during the fire because been partying the night before, and how Samuel Pepys rushed to bury his parmesan cheese for safety. We meet Christopher Wren, astronomer and self-styled architect. We see how his new St Paul’s, that rose phoenix-like from the ashes, was a physical manifestation of the ideas of the age. We take a look at Isaac Newton and the Royal Society with their wonderfully crazy and gruesome experiments! And, of course, our trusty sewer dweller Rattus to guide the way!
England footie star Alex Scott delves into the Horrible history of Soccer. From the Middle Ages, when whole villages would play against each other, with dire injuries as a consequence - to the famous Christmas truce in World War 1, when British and German troops put down their guns and spoke the universal language of football.
In celebration of Black History Month, Oti Mabuse brings you a selection of Horrible Histories sketches and songs featuring Rosa Parks, Civil War spy Mary Bowser, pioneering boxer Bill Richmond, plus Mary Seacole and Martin Luther King Jr.
In honour of Science Week, Dara Ó Briain brings you some of his favourite science-themed sketches, including the music of Charles Darwin, the serious goings-on at The Royal Society, Historical Paramedics, Victorian Inventions and Vaccinations…
Second season extended episodes and sketches.
Outtakes and gag reel from the second season
All quizzes from the second season
More cut or extended scenes and sketches from the third season
More hilarious outtakes and gag reel from the third season.
Quizzes from the third season.
Extended scenes and cut sketches from the fourth season.
Finished work that had content that didn't match the themes.
Quizzes from the fourth season.
When Roman lad Atti offends edgy Emperor Nero, he is drafted to fight in far-flung Britain where local Celt lass Orla itches to join Boudicca’s uprising against the occupying legions.