The Spy Who Brought Down Mary Queen of Scots (2014)

With the aid of dramatised scenes and location-based interviews with leading historians, this film tells the riveting story of how, over an eight-week period in 1586, England's greatest spymaster used covert espionage techniques to foil a Catholic conspiracy to murder Queen Elizabeth I and engineered the execution of Mary Queen of Scots. Sir Francis Walsingham is recognised as one of history's master spies, thanks to the extraordinary trap that he set for Mary, Queen of Scots. Using a sophisticated network of double agents, informants, and secret codes he allowed Mary to believe that she was master-minding a plot to destroy Elizabeth. In fact, every move Mary made was tracked, by intercepting and decoding her correspondence. As a result, the Scots Queen was exposed as a threat to the Crown, and Walsingham was finally able to persuade Elizabeth to execute her.

* Gandhi (2009)

The first definitive series on the life of the great Mahatma Gandhi. This 3 part series charts Gandhi's Establishment beginnings, his move into politics and his campaign to bring independence to India. While he remains, unquestionably, India's revered 'Father of a Nation', there is another and less well known side to Ghandi and this series examines his relationship with his wife, his controversial views on race and his role on the path to Indian independence.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

* Ai Weiwei: Without Fear or Favour (2010)

Architect, photographer, curator and blogger, Ai Weiwei is China's most famous and politically outspoken contemporary artist. As Ai Weiwei's latest work is unveiled in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern, Alan Yentob reveals how this most courageous and determined of artists continues to fight for artistic freedom of expression while living under the restrictive shadows of authoritarian rule.

* Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2013)

The first feature-length film about the internationally renowned Chinese artist and activist, Ai Weiwei. In recent years, Ai has garnered international attention as much for his ambitious artwork as his political provocations. AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY examines this complex intersection of artistic practice and social activism as seen through the life and art of China's preeminent contemporary artist. From 2008 to 2010, Beijing-based journalist and filmmaker Alison Klayman gained unprecedented access to Ai Weiwei. Klayman documented Ai's artistic process in preparation for major museum exhibitions, his intimate exchanges with family members and his increasingly public clashes with the Chinese government. Klayman's detailed portrait of the artist provides a nuanced exploration of contemporary China and one of its most compelling public figures.

* Dancing With Dictators (2011)

Ross Dunkley is a mix of pragmatism and idealism: he is a free speech warrior prepared to do business in a country dominated by the dead hand of the military dictatorship. Originally, influential liberals supported Dunkley's newspaper because they wanted reform but four years later a hardline crackdown saw his colleagues jailed and Dunkley hanging on by his finger nails. Set against the background of the country's first election in 20 years, "Dancing With Dictators" is an observational documentary about Burma from the inside.Those outside the country see the election as a sham - for many inside the country, including the paper's journalists, this is an opportunity they cannot afford to turn their back on a chance for a step towards democracy no matter how limited. The film was made with considerable risk to the filmmakers and to the participants. The film-makers presence during the election does not go unnoticed and four days after the vote they are deported, focussing attention on Dunkley. Shortly afterwards the hardliners strike again and Dunkley is arrested and charged with immigration offences linked to an alleged assault on a woman. He spends seven weeks in Burma's notorious Insein prison before being granted bail and appears in court over 20 times. Once free, he remains committed to regaining control of the newspaper and continuing the fight for freedom of speech in a country he has grown to love.

* All the President's Men Revisited (2013)

All the President's Men Revisited brings Watergate to life with riveting archival footage, shocking Oval Office recordings, and compelling new interviews with those who perpetuated the crimes, those who pursued them, and those who portrayed them. The film unravels the story that began with a “third-rate burglary attempt” and escalated into the first and only Presidential resignation in American history. A remarkable cast tells the tale, including Robert Redford, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Dustin Hoffman, Jon Stewart, Rachel Maddow, and others.

* Edward VIII: The Lion King (2013)

Edward VIII is a maligned figure in recent British history, widely seen as the playboy prince who refused to conform to establishment rules, and remembered as the King who threw away the throne and turned his back on his country, all for the love of a twice-divorced American woman. But newly released home movies shot in 1928 and 1930 by Edward himself tell an extraordinary story and show him in a new light. The films reveal the untold story of his safaris in East Africa with the real life cast of Out of Africa, and his role in changing the future of African wildlife. In the early part of the 20th century, safari meant hunting. When he arrived in the bush, Edward was shocked by the scale of the uncontrolled slaughter he encountered: elephants, rhinos, lions and leopards were being killed in their thousands. He put down his gun, picked up a movie camera instead and led the first celebrity conservation campaign to protect African wildlife. His legacy is the creation of the iconic Serengeti National Park – the jewel in the conservation crown, and the start of a royal tradition of supporting wildlife causes.

* Our Nixon (2013)

Three of Nixon's top aides -- H.R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman and Dwight Chapin -- documented their experiences with home movie cameras during their time in the White House. A few years later, they were all in prison. Now, that footage seized by the FBI during the Watergate investigation is presented in a new documentary along with other rare footage and interviews to reveal a new look of the Nixon presidency as never seen before.

* The Last Emperor of China (2008)

Living through one of the most tumultuous periods of Chinese and world history, Puyi, the last Emperor of China, was both a participant in, and victim of, his times. In 1908, aged only two, Puyi ascended the throne at the Forbidden City in Beijing as Qing Emperor of China. At six, rebellions forced his abdication but he continued to live at the palace surrounded by women and eunuchs. At 13 he started to learn of the wider world from his British teacher Reginald Johnston. Soon afterwards Puyi was evicted from the Palace and embarked on an amazing personal quest to recover his throne. He became a puppet Emperor controlled by the Japanese, a prisoner of the Soviet Union, an inmate of a Communist Chinese re-education camp and finally an ordinary citizen living in Beijing through the brutal upheavals of the Cultural Revolution. Featuring never-before-seen archive footage and photographs, as well as extracts from his writing and interviews with eyewitness relatives.

* Defying Putin (2014)

A behind-the-scenes look at justice and democracy with 3 unforgettable people - the man President Putin may fear the most; the maverick fighting Moscow for control of his city; and his romantic partner, a journalist battling political persecution – all risking everything to make change in Russia.

* Barack Obama Great Expectations (2012)

This film will be an epic tale of Barack Obama's White House battles. Since taking office, Obama has had to confront economic crisis as well as an opposition determined to discredit him and destroy his agenda. Obama has been forced to adapt his governing style, and to rein in his ambitions for change. These four years crystallize the very nature of the political machine in representative democracy. What happens when the best speeches and best of intentions meet up with the unforgiving reality of economic recession and relentless political opposition? The film will take us behind the scenes of those battles using interviews with Barack Obama?s main advisors and leading political analysts led by James Traub, political journalist for the New York Times Magazine. The exclusive footage of the White House and the Obama administration from NBC News Archives will not simply be historic banners but will allow us to walk the halls of the White House, backstage with the President of the USA, capturing the man, his solitude under pressure and his ease at combat.

* The Fairytale Castles of King Ludwig II (2013)

Ludwig II of Bavaria, more commonly known by his nicknames the Swan King or the Dream King, is a legendary figure - the handsome boy-king, loved by his people, betrayed by his cabinet and found dead in tragic and mysterious circumstances. He spent his life in pursuit of the ideal of beauty, an ideal that found expression in three of the most extraordinary, ornate architectural schemes imaginable - the castle of Neuschwanstein and the palaces of Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee. Today, these three buildings are among Germany's biggest tourist attractions.

Dan Cruickshank explores the rich aesthetic of Ludwig II - from the mock-medievalism of Neuschwanstein the iconic fairytale castle, which became the inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle, to the rich Baroque splendour of Herrenchiemsee, Ludwig's answer to Versailles. Dan argues that Ludwig's castles are more than flamboyant kitsch and are, in fact, the key to unravelling the eternal enigma of Ludwig II.

* Defying Putin (2014)

A behind-the-scenes look at justice and democracy with 3 unforgettable people - the man President Putin may fear the most; the maverick fighting Moscow for control of his city; and his romantic partner, a journalist battling political persecution – all risking everything to make change in Russia.

* Lawrence of Arabia: The Battle for the Arab World (2003)

Lawrence of Arabia: The Battle for the Arab World An intensely personal drama, the story of T.E. Lawrence is a story of courage and guilt, betrayal and triumph. The British Army Officer's role in the unification of the Arab tribes against the Turks during WWI endeared him to a generation of Bedouins, but it also set in motion a chain of events that Lawrence would be powerless to stop - events that would profoundly shape Arab-Western relations for generations to come. Filmed in England and throughout the Middle East, and including rare archival footage, Lawrence of Arabia: The Battle for the Arab World draws upon eyewitness accounts of Arabs, Westerners, and Lawrence himself to tell the poignant and dramatic tale of one of the 20th century's most influential yet enigmatic figures.

Episode 1
Born to unmarried parents in the strict Victorian era, Lawrence is embarrassed by his illegitimacy. He spends most of his childhood alone, driving for physical and academic achievement. At Oxford, his passion for medieval history results in an expedition to study the great crusader castles of Syria, where he gains invaluable knowledge of the Arabs. While employed as an archaeologist, he is recruited by British intelligence to monitor Turkish activities. He also befriends an Arab who will deeply influence his views towards Arabs and their cause. After World War I begins, Lawrence becomes an intelligence officer in the British Army. His mission is to gather information about an Arab Revolt planned against Turkish rulers. In return for a promise guaranteeing their independence, the Arabs join the war on the British side. But a secret agreement between the British and French will shatter this dream. Torn by conflicting loyalties, Lawrence continues to assist the Arabs, becoming more deeply entrenched in their fight. Against all odds, he leads the Arabs in a daring attack on the Turkish port of Aqaba. It is a stunning success and a turning point for Lawrence, the Arabs, and the British.

Episode 2
Flush with victory, Lawrence and the Arabs continue their attacks on the Turks, inflicting serious damage. Undertaking increasingly dangerous missions, Lawrence is captured alone and brutalized by the Turks, but escapes. Though the experience is disputed by many, Lawrence stands by his story. After the Turks surrender Jerusalem, the Balfour Declaration paves the way for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. In the hope that control of Damascus will legitimize Arab claims for independence, Lawrence leads the Arabs in an allied race for the city. However, soon after, the truth of the British deception is exposed. Now a celebrated figure to the British public, Lawrence returns to England and continues to fight for an Arab homeland in Europe. At the Paris Peace Conference, Britain, France and America draw new maps, ensuring their control over the Middle East. Reeling with guilt for his part in deceiving the Arabs, Lawrence retreats, enlisting as an ordinary recruit in the Royal Air Force. In 1935, he leaves the military for the last time, planning to spend his life in seclusion. Weeks later, he is killed in a motorcycle accident. Although gone, the impact of Lawrence's role on the Middle East will be felt for generations to come.

* Empty

* JFK - Breaking the News (2004)

JFK: Breaking the News offers a close-up look at how reporters responded to a national tragedy. Through the lens of journalists working in Dallas in 1963, audiences will learn about the moment-by-moment experiences of those who covered one of the most significant events in U.S. history. Their reflections also allow us to witness the remarkable rise of television as a primary source for breaking news coverage. Narrated by Jane Pauley, the documentary also reveals the tremendous technical obstacles that had to be overcome and the immediate journalistic decisions that accompanied the initial live remote broadcasts generated by television four decades ago.

* Hitler: The Rise of Evil (2003)

The movie describes the life of Adolf Hitler from childhood to manhood, and how he became so powerful. It describes his poor childhood in Austria, it describes the first world war from his point of view, and how he became the strongest man in Germany. The movie show us how turned Hitler from a poor soldier into the leader of the Nazis, and how he survived the attempts to kill him. It describes his relationship with his mistress Eva Braun, and his decisions and enemies inside Germany and inside the Nazi party.

* Warriors a/k/a (Heroes and Villains)

Napoleon
Filmed on location in Malta, this story covers the siege of Toulon. Beginning in Marseilles on 24 August 1793 and ending on 18 December 1793, it covers his rivalry with Fr豯n as well as his sister Paoletta's affair with Fr豯n and his rise through the ranks as they fight the English at "Little Gibraltar."

Attila the Hun
Attila and his brother, Bleda, make a pact with the Western Roman Emperor to leave their lands untouched. This sends them to the Eastern Roman Empire instead and they take the city of Naissus, prompting the eastern emperor to buy them off. They leave with their prize but Attila soon kill his brother and returns. After defeating the emperor's army, Chrysaphius and Vigilas attempt to bribe Edeco in order to kill Attila but he betrays them. Attila then attacks the western empire because he feels he must, but in doing so he faces Aetius and a coalition of armies belonging to his enemies.

Spartacus
Spartacus, sold as a gladiator, organizes an escape and the Roman army is soon hunting him and his fellow escaped slaves. He and his men attack the Romans and other slaves soon arrive to join them which causes trouble between those who want revenge and Spartacus who wishes to flee to Gaul. After another attack by the Romans, they head for Gaul. Yet, after facing the Romans again and winning, Spartacus's men convince him to attack rather than flee. The Romans, however, push them to the ocean and a final battle ensues.

Cort豦lt;/b>
Cort豠and his men arrive in Central America in search of riches. They cross the mountains and soon become allies with the Tlaxcalans. Once they reach Tenochtitlan, they are invited in but then proceed to insult the Aztec's customs and take their ruler, Moctezuma, hostage. Yet, when it is discovered that Cort豠is a criminal, he must leave the city to fight the army that the king has sent after him. When he returns, he finds that a war has started and the battle over Tenochtitlan begins.

Richard the Lionheart
During the Third Crusade, the crusaders arrive in Jaffa and find it destroyed. Amidst uneasiness in the ranks and an attack that leaves one of his close friends dead, Richard hopes to marry off his sister to Al Adil and create an alliance. However, Al Adil will not agree and the crusaders begin to suffer from a lack of supplies. Finally, Richard decides not to attack Jerusalem and the coalition falls apart. Eventually he must face the decision of protecting his kingdom from his brother or completing his oath to God. In the end, Richard plans to return home but when Jaffa is assaulted, he returns to rescue his men.

Shogun
After the Taiko's death, Ieyasu has his son sent away which upsets Mitsunari. After an attack by Mitsunari, Ieyasu's son, Hidetada, takes his men to find Mitsunari but he escapes. Ieyasu forces Mitsunari into exile and begins to take control of the government. However, when another lord begins to rebel, Ieyasu convinces Hideaki to join him in battle only to have Mitsunari turn him later on. Eventually the two armies meet and the battle begins, with Hideaki unable to choice which side to fight for. He eventually chooses Ieyasu and they win the battle, taking control of Japan.

* Henry VIII - Patron or Plunderer (2009)

Episode 1
Architectural historian Jonathan Foyle looks at the palaces, tapestries, music and paintings created in the King's name and questions whether the art he commissioned compensates for the religious treasures he would come to destroy.

Episode 2
In the 1530s, King Henry VIII was at a crossroads. In his desperation for a new wife and an heir, he had broken with Rome, divorced Catherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn. Isolated and vulnerable, he needed a powerful new image as head of church and state. Jonathan Foyle looks for clues in the king's art to glimpse what was going on inside Henry's head as he faced his darkest days.

* Henry VII: Winter King (2013)

Author Thomas Penn takes an extraordinary journey into the dark and chilling world of the first Tudor, Henry VII. From his victory over Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth to his secret death and the succession of his son Henry VIII, this programme reveals the ruthless tactics Henry VII used to win - and cling on to - the ultimate prize, the throne of England. Exploring magnificent buildings and long lost documents, Penn reveals the true story of this suspicious, enigmatic and terrifying monarch.