City Guides

CITY GUIDES is a revealing series about the history of beautiful structures and their finer details, many of which are lost in the hustle and bustle of the cityscape. It is with this discerning eye for design that a city’s past, and its transformation over the years, is revealed. The first season spotlights Toronto, providing a new perspective on the stunning architecture that frames this beautiful city, while the second season episodes each focus on a different metropolis.

Much Ado About Shakespeare

MUCH ADO ABOUT SHAKESPEARE follows Steven Wadlow, a window cleaner who believes that a painted portrait that has been hanging above his family’s television set for over half a century may be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Over eleven years, Steven embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about the portrait, visiting some of the world’s top art institutions. The history of the painting suggests it could be a missing portrait of William Shakespeare that had been painted during his lifetime. Facial comparison software shows a striking resemblance to The Bard, more so than any known image. Despite the art world’s skepticism, Steven’s breakthrough comes in Paris, where a renowned expert, who has examined masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, confirms his discovery. This captivating film uncovers the mystery behind a painting that could rewrite history and change Steven’s life forever.

Taking Venice

It’s 1964, the Cold War is raging, and the US sets its sights on a new front: the art world. At the prestigious Venice Biennale, a covert cultural campaign unfolds. A savvy Washington insider enlists a rising curator to organize America’s entry. Teaming up with a legendary dealer, they launch an audacious plan to make Robert Rauschenberg—an unorthodox artist using pop culture imagery and street junk—the grand prize winner. As the competition heats up, the team’s behind-the-scenes tactics echo a Hollywood thriller. When Rauschenberg wins, the art world erupts—and the artist is left questioning the political agenda behind his triumph.

Warbird Workshop

They are the planes that wrote history in the sky. Military aircraft long since pensioned off – outdated, corroded or wrecked beyond repair. But now WARBIRD WORKSHOP is prising open the hangar door to join the pilots and engineers fighting to return rare aviation relics to the skies decades – even a century – after their last flight.

Bettany Hughes' Lost Worlds: The Nabataeans

For decades, historian Bettany Hughes has been fascinated by the enigmatic kingdom of Nabataea. Petra, their iconic capital, was part of a vast empire that is only now revealing its secrets. Seemingly lost to history, it's time to tell their story and show they were as important as Ancient Greece, Rome, or Egypt. Bettany traces their incense trade routes from the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean, accessing newly revealed research across Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Greece, Italy and Oman. From towering tombs to underwater temples, Bettany unveils the Nabataeans' spectacular story from the periphery of their world to its very centre.

Shadow of Dumont

Since the loss of his mother, Trevor Cameron has never felt so detached from his Métis roots. As he examines his childhood hero, Gabriel Dumont, Trevor realizes that he knows very little about the buffalo hunter turned freedom fighter outside of the textbook history of the 1885 Métis uprising in Canada. Backed with decades of research and kin folklore, Trevor follows the nomadic path of his great-great-great-uncle across North America in his dusty 80s camper van to visit the things, places and times that defined Canada’s last rebel.

Tombs Of Egyptian Priestesses

A team of Egyptian archaeologists has discovered a previously unknown cemetery that opens a window onto a unique period in the history of ancient Egypt - a time when the country was ruled by rich and powerful princesses, "The God’s Wives of Amun." We follow the excavation of the tombs in real time and witness the discovery of amazing artifacts belonging to these elite women. It was a time when Egypt was ruled by the Kushites from Nubia. To cement their rule, the Nubian kings sent their wives and daughters to rule over their new Egyptian conquests. These women embraced the local culture and religion and became known by the name of the all-powerful Egyptian god Amun. They ruled like kings, but having female rulers empowered women throughout Egyptian society. Through the discoveries in the cemetery, we explore one of the most mysterious periods of Egyptian history, when power was in the hands of women.

Ultimate Tutankhamun

Nearly a century after Howard Carter’s momentous discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, Egyptologist Dr Chris Naunton returns to Carter’s vast excavation files. Hidden amongst thousands of notes he has uncovered clues that point to a mysterious burning of the Boy King’s mummy. But this mystery of the burnt mummy also provides a fresh new clue to the greatest enigma of Ancient Egypt – what caused the young pharaoh’s death. Combined with new, historical evidence of Tutankhamun leading the charge in Egypt’s foreign wars what emerges is a new image of this young ruler – and a tragic death.

What's In A Name

A fun and exciting romp through history telling the stories of the names we know best—from perfume to hockey teams and cars to cocktails. What names have worked, why, and what impact have they had? Every episode sets out to help name something new like a newly invented electric car, a mouth-watering chocolate bar, or a baby about to be born! Branding experts and celebrities weigh in - actor George Wendt (Norm from Cheers) gives tips on branding beer, wrestling legends Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan weigh in on punchy monikers in the ring, and musician Randy Bachman gives a young band tips on finding a name that rocks.

Mysteries From Above

MYSTERIES FROM ABOVE sets out to investigate significant historic and contemporary sites from above with drone, satellite, and aerial photography. Each story begins with a view from above, which allows a unique perspective to understand the site below and dramatically changes the way we see these mysteries, ourselves and the world around us.