Based on the best-selling children's books and liberally splattered with guts, blood and poo, a group of British comedians offer an anarchic and unconventional take on some of history's most gruesome and funny moments, with topics including the Stone Age, the Middle Ages, the Egyptians and the Romans, among others.
Air date: 2021-04-30
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: 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.
Air date: 2021-07-07
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: 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.
Air date: 2021-08-20
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Protests about inequality or environmental damage are common today, but how have people protested in the past? Emmeline Pankhurst is our guide through this history of protest, from Cato the Younger’s talkative protest in ancient Rome to the cheese riots of 18th-century Nottingham. Also, how will the Luddites cope with the newfangled technology of a video call?
Air date: 2021-11-01
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Charles Darwin presents a special show, as Horrible Histories takes a timely look at our planet and how we’ve behaved towards it throughout history. We look at how we’ve not always treated the planet's resources with the utmost care, from the 19th-century gold rush, to Henry VIII enjoying a little too much deforestation to build his warships.
Air date: 2021-11-26
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Strictly’s Shirley Ballas joins Rattus for a waltz through the history of dance, with Bruno Tonioli as Nero, who had his dance teacher killed, and Queen Vic’s Highland reel!
Air date: 2021-12-10
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Horrible Histories brings you a cracking Christmas special, delving into the origins of the festive season.
Air date: 2022-01-07
Runtime: 29 min
Overview: Horrible Histories serves up the history of foul feasting, from Stone Age lentils to Queen Victoria’s anti-fart bread.
Air date: 2022-01-14
Runtime: 29 min
Overview: From Cleopatra’s hairdo to Elizabeth I’s flushing loo, meet history’s biggest Influencers.
Air date: 2022-01-21
Runtime: 29 min
Overview: From Henry VIII’s wine fountain, to Empress Dowager’s marble boat, Horrible Histories talks money, jewellery and untold treasures.
Air date: 2022-01-28
Runtime: 29 min
Overview: Daily life can be a bit of a grind, but not as much as it was in the past! Rattus takes us round the clock, revealing daily routines throughout history, from waking in Ancient Egypt to Medieval Loo Man.
Air date: 2022-02-04
Runtime: 28 min
Overview: Count Rattula guides us through some of history’s greatest myths and monsters, including Henry VIII’s Robin Hood obsession and ancient ghostbusters.
Air date: 2022-02-11
Runtime: 28 min
Overview: Terrible Tudors King Henry VIII and his daughter Queen Elizabeth I bicker about who was the best ruler. Henry had a mechanical dragon kite, but Liz had a flushing toilet.
Air date: 2022-02-18
Runtime: 27 min
Overview: Rattus considers a career change, and luckily he has the whole of history to look through for ideas. Could he be an inventor like Babbage, or is the pirate life for him?
Air date: 2022-02-25
Runtime: 28 min
Overview: Rattus has an idea that might make him millions – he is going to launch a streaming service. However, to make Ratify a success, he is going to need some great songs from history.
Air date: 2022-10-15
Runtime: 21 min
Overview: An animated special, celebrating BBC's birthday.
