Cursed Histories

You don’t have to believe in curses, but history is filled with them. CURSED HISTORIES explores people, places, and objects linked to devastating chains of misfortune. From Tutankhamen’s tomb and the Hope Diamond to James Dean’s Porsche, the Bermuda Triangle, and the Kennedy dynasty, each story traces how a single moment can unleash tragedy that echoes through generations. Examining legend alongside historical record, the series asks whether these events are coincidence, consequence, or something more sinister, and why tales of the cursed continue to endure.

Should We Bomb Auschwitz?

In April 1944 two men miraculously escaped from Auschwitz and revealed to the world the shocking truth about the Holocaust. When the Allies heard their story they devised a chilling plan: to end the slaughter by bombing Auschwitz. But not everyone agreed the plan should go ahead. Meanwhile the killing machine ground on… and, in Budapest, 800,000 Jews were being held in an old brick factory awaiting transport to Auschwitz. By November, the Allies had decided to bomb the death camp. But by then, it was too late… For the first time on television, we will tell the whole of this incredible story – and ask the biggest moral question of our time: should the Allies have done the unthinkable and bombed Auschwitz?

Search For The Biggest Mako

Mako sharks - fast, strong and agile - are in decline everywhere in the world except for in the South Pacific waters north of New Zealand. This used to be home to world-record sized mako: now, scientists believe that the giant sharks of the past are back. Underwater cinematographer Kina Scollay and marine scientists Veronica Rotman and Clinton Duffy launch an expedition to find them. SEARCH FOR THE BIGGEST MAKO is a series of fascinating encounters with this elusive and highly intelligent shark in an attempt to prove that, at least in this location, massive mako sharks are making a comeback.

WW2 Treasure Hunters

Britain's foremost amateur WW2 detectorist and a war history buff team up to bring forgotten stories of WW2 back to life by unearthing relics from former military activity sites once in danger of being lost forever. The duo has made it their mission to unearth these artifacts, preserve their history, and bring these forgotten stories back to life. Using state-of-the-art geotechnology, archival documents, and period-accurate maps, the team races against time to find the burial location and perform extensive digs to excavate the artifacts before they are destroyed by urban progress or corroded by the very soil they are encased in. S1: 8 x 60' S2: 7 x 60'

World War II: History On Trial

As WWII ended and the full scale of its atrocities came to light, the world faced a pressing question: who would be held accountable? WORLD WAR II: HISTORY ON TRIAL explores the global pursuit of justice in the aftermath of humanity’s most devastating conflict. From the landmark trials in Nuremberg and Tokyo to lesser-known but vital proceedings in countries like Norway, Poland, and France, war criminals were brought before the courts. This series uncovers the stories behind these trials, revealing how they not only delivered justice - but also laid the legal foundations for prosecuting crimes against humanity today.

Canada 1812: Forged In Fire

It may be the most misunderstood war in history. When Americans and Canadians needle each other over a few beers, both sides say the other started it; Canadians say the Americans were trying to take over Canada, Americans say they were trying to fight British oppression. Both sides claim victory. But one thing is certain: no event did more to affect the course of two nations – the fledging United States of America, and the soon-to-be-established Canada – than the War of 1812. Through six central characters, this series explores the events that unfolded in the different arenas and social spheres to shape the true north strong and free.

The Jury: Murder Trial

THE JURY: MURDER TRIAL is a ground-breaking experiment that asks profound questions about how we administer justice - by putting the jury system itself on trial. For the first time ever, we examine the fairness of the system, and the inner workings of justice in the UK. Filmed over ten days, a real murder trial is recreated word-for-word from the original transcripts, and two randomly-chosen juries, neither of whom are aware of the other, are asked to judge. The case? A man who admits he killed his wife, but whose defence maintains that he lost control, and is therefore not guilty of murder. What will the two juries decide, and why? How well will they follow the complexities of the law? And after they have deliberated, will they agree with each other’s verdicts? FORMAT AVAILABLE Awards: Best Factual Entertainment and Reality, 2025 Rose d'Or Awards Best Reality Show, 2025 BAFTA Television Awards Best Factual Entertainment Format, 2024 International Format Awards Ratings Highlights: -Episode 1 was the highest rated new format launch in 10 years and the 3rd highest unscripted launch on C4 in 10 years -Episode 1 had a 112% higher rating than the slot average, and 124% higher audience share than average -In the first week of launch, the series as a whole is the strongest streaming series of any genre currently on the Channel 4 platform.

Who Sank The Titanic?

WHO SANK THE TITANIC? explores how engineering flaws and unlucky circumstances led to the ship’s demise. Through CGI and drama reconstruction, this documentary uncovers a series of fascinating and unknown details of the ship’s construction to determine how and why the Titanic sank and who was most responsible for the tragedy.

World's Most Scenic River Journeys

There’s no better perspective than from a boat on a river, as it gently winds its way through stunning landscapes and outstanding natural beauty. Bill Nighy narrates this visually stunning six-part documentary series, telling the stories of six epic river journeys through the characters who live and work on them. Winding through rivers in the UK, Europe, Canada and the USA, each episode showcases beautiful and distinctive landscapes, from emerald green hills, ancient forests and biodiverse river deltas, to fairytale castles, chocolate box villages and iconic cities. We meet the rich diversity of people who live and work on the rivers, hitch rides on fishing boats and yachts, even canoes and replica Viking Ships, hopping on and off to explore the wealth of hidden stories along the riverbanks of the world’s most beautiful rivers. *Ratings: 1.2 million viewers each and the 4th highest rated show in the Friday night slot on Channel 5 in the UK *Brand new series World's Most Scenic River Journeys launched on Channel 5 on 2nd April 2021 in the Friday 8pm slot *Running for six episodes, the show averaged 1.2m/6.5% Individuals, growing 8% against the weekday slot average *The programme also performed well for key demographics, increasing 45% for ABC1s to a share of 8.0% and an even higher 51% for ABC1 Men to a share of 8.6% *Whilst on air, Channel 5 was the fourth most popular terrestrial for ABC1 Men, beating the likes of Joe Lycett and News on Channel 4 *Across its run, 6.7m came to the show at one point, with 38% watching two or more episodes

Lost Worlds: Deeper Into The Black Sea

A journey to the depths of the Black Sea yields the greatest series of ancient shipwrecks ever discovered. In 2015, an international team of scientists began a three year exploration of the Black Sea in search of evidence of the ancient empires that sailed their ships into unknown waters in pursuit of trade, treasure and conquest. This documentary captures a series of astonishing discoveries; a treasure trove of shipwrecks uniquely preserved that date back 2500 years to the Greek and Roman empires, culminating in maritime archaeology’s greatest ever wreck. A fully intact Roman wreck, perfectly preserved in the anoxic waters of the Black Sea.