Revealed

The historical documentary series continues with this examination of Britain’s ancient Druids, as new archaeological discoveries suggest that they engaged in barbaric killings, ritual sacrifice and even cannibalism. The programme also explores the Druids’ revered status amongst ancient Celts, and tells the story of their bloody last stand against Rome’s conquering legions.

Contrary to their popular depiction as gentle, nature-loving mystics, the Druids of ancient Britain wielded a great deal of power. Dating back as far as 1500 BC, they acted as priests, judges, doctors, diviners, sages and scholars, and were considered amongst the wisest and most respected members of Celtic society. But was there a more sinister side to the Druids’ activities?

The historical documentary series continues with this look at the tabloid pursuit of Princess Margaret. In the 1950s, the Queen’s sister became the glamorous face of royalty, hounded for her controversial affairs and notorious lifestyle. The press fascination with Margaret led to the birth of paparazzi photography and marked the end of deference to the Royal Family.

In February 1976, Princess Margaret was snapped while on holiday in the Caribbean with a male companion some 17 years her junior. The revelation of her affair with Roddy Llewellyn destroyed her marriage and marked the first time a royal scandal became front-page news. It began a new era of royal reportage, in which no story was out-of-bounds.

The historical documentary series continues with this look at efforts to crack the Neanderthal genome. Neanderthals are the closest relative to the modern human, and scientists are keen to discover whether they once interbred with our distant ancestors. This film follows researchers around the world as they bid to crack the Neanderthal code and solve an evolutionary mystery, while dramatic reconstructions bring the world of ancient humans to life.

Neanderthals were humans that dominated Europe for a quarter of a million years and then mysteriously became extinct. They are the closest relatives to modern humans – and the most misunderstood. Once dismissed as backward brutes, experts now want to know whether Neanderthals interbred with our ancestors, thus making all modern humans part Neanderthal.

tutankhamun – secrets of the boy king: revealed (9/9)

The concluding film in Five’s award-winning historical documentary strand explores the legend of Tutankhamun. Lord Carnarvon, the greatgrandson of one of the men who discovered the tomb, travels across Egypt on a quest to reexamine the life of the Boy King. With the help of archaeological discoveries, computer graphics and new historical research, he presents a portrait of Tutankhamun that challenges pre-conceived wisdom about the famous but enigmatic pharaoh.

On the eve of the Tutankhamun exhibition at the 02 Arena in London – which will bring priceless artefacts to the UK for the first time in 30 years – this timely documentary provides a comprehensive review of the pharaoh’s life. The young king reigned for only a decade some 3,000 years ago, dying in mysterious circumstances at around the age of 19. Although there are few hard facts about the Boy King, the established view has always held that Tutankhamun was a sickly, fragile prince whose poor health most likely accounted for his demise. However, this new film questions these old perceptions as Lord Carnarvon follows new clues to Tutankhamun’s true nature.

tutankhamun – secrets of the boy king: revealed

The historical documentary strand continues with an investigation into the truth about Tutankhamun. On the eve of the Tutankhamun exhibition at the O2, Lord Carnarvon travels across Egypt to examine new research and archaeological findings to present a fascinating new insight into the life of the Boy King.

George Herbert, the eighth Earl of Carnarvon, was raised on tales of how his great-grandfather risked the family fortune and ultimately lost his life in the quest for Tutankhamun. It was the fifth Earl of Carnarvon who bankrolled Howard Carter’s expeditions and witnessed the opening of the tomb in 1922.

The present Earl is a keen amateur Egyptologist. His vast ancestral home, Highclere Castle in Berkshire, houses an exhibition of rare treasures recovered by his great-grandfather, with others added by himself. Fuelled by family stories of the great discovery, the Earl says he has always been obsessed by one burning question: “Who was Tutankhamun –the flesh and blood figure behind the iconic funeral mask?”

the family that defied hitler: revealed (8/9)

This next film in Five’s award-winning historical documentary strand explores the extraordinary and hitherto unknown case of an entire Jewish family that survived the Holocaust to be reunited again after the war.

In the dark days of the Nazi regime, Jews faced a desperate and often futile battle to save their lives. It was extremely rare for more than one child in a family to survive, and even rarer for a married couple to escape alive. But a few years ago, filmmaker Michael Attwell discovered within his circle of friends a true story that is among the most amazing of all: the survival of an entire family – including the father, mother and two daughters. Only one other whole family in Nazi-occupied Europe is thought to have survived Hitler’s rule.

This film recounts the history of the family that defied Hitler through an astonishing combination of guile, nerve and luck. Their story is even more extraordinary because not only did they survive to be reunited after the war, but the parents voluntarily gave up their children once again to help them escape communist rule.

surviving the holocaust – the family that defied hitler: revealed

This next film in Five’s award-winning historical documentary strand explores the extraordinary and hitherto unknown case of an entire Jewish family that survived the Holocaust.

Using interviews with the two surviving daughters, photographs from the time and dramatic reconstructions, the documentary brings to life this inspirational story. The family were separated, forced to endure the Warsaw ghetto, placed into concentration camps and tormented by the Gestapo, but through an astonishing combination of guile, nerve, perseverance and luck, they managed to find each other again and were reunited after the war.

the yorkshire ripper – mind of a killer: revealed (7/9)
20.00–21.00

Part of Five’s historical documentary strand, tonight’s programme focuses on the controversial case of Peter Sutcliffe –the man responsible for the deaths of 13 women between 1975 and 1980. The film examines Sutcliffe’s behaviour throughout his 25 years behind bars to shed new light on his true mental state and address the question that has been asked ever since the man’s arrest: could the Yorkshire Ripper have been suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time he committed his crimes?

It is now 26 years since the Yorkshire Ripper was arrested in Sheffield for murdering 13 women and attacking a further seven across West Yorkshire and Manchester. At first, the authorities thought they were dealing with a straightforward – if appalling –multiple murder case, but things got more complicated when Sutcliffe claimed that he had carried out his attacks after hearing God tell him to kill all prostitutes.

the yorkshire ripper – mind of a killer: revealed

It is now 26 years since the Yorkshire Ripper was arrested in Sheffield for murdering 13 women and attacking a further seven. Claiming to have staged his attacks after hearing a message from God, Peter Sutcliffe pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, but denied murder. However, the jury refused to accept that he suffered from schizophrenia, and Sutcliffe was given 20 life sentences.

Ever since the trial, controversy has raged about the state of Sutcliffe’s mind –whether he faked the symptoms of schizophrenia or whether he was genuinely mentally ill. Another documentary in Five’s Revealed strand, The Yorkshire Ripper – The Prison Years examines the 25 years that Sutcliffe has spent in jail to discover what his behaviour tells us about his mental state.

The film features interviews with key figures who have met Sutcliffe and played a significant part in his story since his arrest –including police officers, lawyers, a psychiatric nurse and the victim of one of his attacks. Also contributing are Sutcliffe’s brother, Carl, and a former pen pal of the killer who fell in love with him while he was in prison.

the plot to kill jfk – the cuban connection: revealed(6/8)
20.00–21.00

The historical documentary strand revisits one of the most shocking events of the 20th century with a fresh examination of the assassination of John F Kennedy. A three-year investigation across four countries by award-winning German filmmaker Wilfrid Huismann has revealed what may be the missing link between JFK’s assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, and the Cuban secret service.

With the help of newly released documents and eyewitness testimony, this film presents a startling new insight into the events of November 22, 1963. Wilfrid Huismann has persuaded key figures in the US and Cuban intelligence services to talk for the first time about their role in JFK’s story. The documentary also explores the volatile relationship between the US and Cuba, demonstrating a link between the CIA’s plots to remove Fidel Castro and the death of Kennedy.

Among the new evidence is a top-secret US memo which reveals that a high-ranking member of G2 – the Cuban secret service – flew out of Dallas airport hours after JFK’s death. The film tracks down this man, Fabien Escalante, 40 years on to hear his story for the very first time. Escalante denies any involvement in Kennedy’s assassination, but Huismann soon finds other exCuban agents who are prepared to talk.

the captain bligh conspiracy: revealed (5/8)
20.00–21.00

Five’s historical documentary strand continues with a compelling new examination of the mutiny on the Bounty. Popular history has long depicted this famous event as a tale of plucky sailors confronting their brutal master, Captain Bligh. But now Mark Arundel, a direct descendent of Bligh, sets out on a quest to establish the truth of the matter and clear his ancestor’s name.

The most famous mutiny in history occurred in the middle of the Pacific Ocean over 200 years ago. In 1789, after the Bounty’s mission to Tahiti, Fletcher Christian led 18 men in a bloodless mutiny against commanding officer Lieutenant William Bligh. The ship was taken without force, and Bligh and the men loyal to him were put to sea in a small launch. Bligh then embarked on an epic 47-day voyage to find inhabited land, whilst the mutineers went on to settle the tiny island of Pitcairn.

In countless books, films and poems Bligh has been painted as the villain of the tale. But is the truth as clear-cut as the stories would have us believe? Mark Arundel, the great, great, great, great, great grandson of Bligh, is determined to find out whether the evil reputation of his ancestor is justified. Taking Charles Laughton’s performance as a monstrous Bligh in the1935 film as his starting point, Mark trawls the archives and canvasses expert opinion in a bid to shatter the myth of the despotic captain.

the plot to kill jfk – the cuban connection: revealed

The historical documentary strand revisits one of the most shocking events of the 20th century with a fresh examination of the assassination of John F Kennedy. A three-year investigation in four different countries by award-winning German filmmaker Wilfrid Husman has revealed what may be the missing link between Lee Harvey Oswald and the Cuban secret service.

Key evidence in this new account includes an intriguing CIA wire tap recording of a conversation in the Cuban embassy in Mexico, where Cuban staff rejoice the news of Kennedy’s death. Furthermore, the film uncovers a top-secret memo which reports that a high-ranking member of the Cuban secret service flew out of Dallas airport hours after JFK’s death. The film tracks down this man 40 years on to hear his story and those of other Cuban agents for the very first time.

The documentary also explores the volatile relationship between the US and Cuba in the wake of Fidel Castro’s seizure of power in 1959 – from the failed Bay of Pigs invasion to the CIA’s covert attempts to remove the Cuban leader. With the help of reconstructions and eyewitness testimony, The Plot to Kill JFK illustrates how the hostilities between Cuba and its neighbour are irrevocably linked to the tragic events of November 22, 1963.

the captain bligh conspiracy: revealed

The historical documentary series continues with a look at Captain Bligh, who has been immortalised in countless depictions of the mutiny on the Bounty –one of the most infamous episodes in maritime history. Hollywood and more than 2,000 books have made sure that the popular understanding of this brief event, which took place on the deck of a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean over 200 years ago, is quite cut and dried: Captain Bligh was an evil tyrant; Fletcher Christian a romantic hero.

Bligh’s great, great, great, great, great, grandson Mark Arundel has arrived in London on a mission. For as long as he can remember, he has been told that the Bligh family name was dragged through the mud –and he wants to find out whether his ancestor’s evil reputation is deserved.

Taking Charles Laughton’s monstrous Bligh of the1935 film as his journey’s starting point, Arundel embarks on a quest to unravel the truth about his ancestor. He will trawl the archives and meet historians in a bid to dispel the myths of time. Along the way, Arundel’s investigation will take in rare documents, artefacts and even plants as he attempts to turn a popular myth on its head.

auschwitz –the great escape: revealed(4/8)
20.00–21.00

Continuing on Five this week is the historical documentary strand that delves into past mysteries and controversies from ancient times through to the 20th century. Tonight’s programme uncovers the true story of an audacious escape from Auschwitz by two young Slovak Jews in 1944 – an event which alerted the world to the horror of the Nazi concentration camps.

Auschwitz Birkenau was the largest of six secret death camps built by the Nazis to exterminate the Jews, with up to 12,000 prisoners dying there every day during the latter part of the Second World War. Throughout the five years of the camp’s existence there were many escape attempts, but only five men succeeded and survived the war to tell their stories. Rudolf Vrba and his friend Alfred Wetzler were the first escapees to get information about the real purpose of the camp to the free world.

Life in Auschwitz was little short of a living hell. After travelling in appalling conditions in packed trains, the new arrivals were split into two groups: the stronger prisoners were put to slave labour; the weaker ones were sent directly to the gas chamber. In a world of brutality, squalor and disease, survival was almost impossible – yet 19year-old Rudolf Vrba was determined to escape and alert the world to the horror of Auschwitz.

auschwitz –the great escape: revealed

This absorbing documentary uncovers the true story of an audacious escape from Auschwitz by two young Slovak Jews in 1944 – an event which alerted the world to the horror of the Nazi concentration camps.

The truth about Auschwitz was the most guarded secret of the Nazi’s Final Solution. The plan to exterminate the Jews relied upon the camp’s diabolical purpose being kept secret from the outside world. Auschwitz was deliberately constructed so that it was impossible for any prisoners to escape and reveal the truth.

Throughout the five years of the camp’s existence, there were hundreds of attempts at escape. However, only five men succeeded and survived the war to tell their stories. Rudolf Vrba and his friend Alfred Wetzler were the first escapees to get information about the real purpose of the camp out to the free world. This film uncovers the true story of Vrba and Wetzler’s daring escape, and examines how their written account of their experiences –the Auschwitz Protocols –affected the world.