On a secret mission to France, Benjamin Franklin plays a sophisticated game of intrigue and seduction—with the fate of American independence hanging in the balance.

A swashbuckling adventure series set in the 18th century. When she's framed for murder, Nell Jackson is forced into a life of highway robbery, along with her two orphaned sisters Roxanne and George. Aided by a plucky little spirit called Billy Blind, Nell realises that fate has put her on the wrong side of the law for a reason, a reason much bigger than she could've ever imagined, a reason that goes right up to Queen Anne and beyond, to the struggle for power raging across the battlefields of Europe.

In this irreverent retelling set in the 18th century, Turpin is the most famous but least likely of highway robbers, whose success is defined mostly by his charm, showmanship and great hair. Together with his gang of lovable rogues, Turpin rides the highs and lows of his new endeavors, including a brush with celebrity, all whilst trying to escape the clutches of the thief-taker.

1826, St. Petersburg. After the suppression of speeches on the Senate Square, the investigative commission begins searching for participants in the Decembrist uprising. Some of them are caught by the authorities because of informers. Suddenly, a series of brutal murders takes place in St. Petersburg: the victims are those who denounced the Decembrists. A piece of paper with lines from a poem by the young poet Alexander Pushkin invariably remains near the bodies of the murdered. A Moscow detective and a nobleman Alexander Boshnyak, released from arrest, are taking over the investigation of the case.

Brothers Paolo and Ignazio Florio leave Calabria for Palermo, where they open an apothecary. Paolo's son, Vincenzo, driven by ambition, transforms it into a business empire. As he works to establish the Florio family's name, his love for Giulia causes him to sacrifice his aspirations of nobility.

The Gallows Pole - This Valley Will Rise fictionalises the remarkable true story of the rise and fall of David Hartley and the Cragg Vale Coiners. Set against the backdrop of the coming industrial revolution in 18th century Yorkshire, the compelling drama follows the enigmatic David Hartley, as he assembles a gang of weavers and land-workers to embark upon a revolutionary criminal enterprise that will capsize the economy and become the biggest fraud in British history.

Betrothed to the mysterious King of England against her will, Charlotte arrives in London only to realise she was not exactly what the royals were expecting. As she learns to navigate the palace, the 'ton, and her unpredictable husband, she grows into one of Europe's most unforgettable monarchs.

Set against the opulence of Georgian London, The Confessions of Frannie Langton, narrates Frannie's journey from a Jamaican plantation to the grand Mayfair mansion of celebrated scientist George Benham and his exquisitely beautiful wife, Madame Marguerite Benham.In a misguided and monstrous gesture Frannie is gifted to Benham by the man who owns her, John Langton, and she is employed as a maid in the household much to her chagrin. Events take a fateful turn as the Benhams are found murdered in their beds, with Frannie lying next to Marguerite. Frannie is accused of murder; a murder she has no recollection of, other than she couldn't possibly have killed her mistress because she was devoted to her. Dragged away to prison, Frannie attempts to piece together the events of that night.  She is deep into a laudanum addiction and unable to recall what happened.Will Frannie recall the haunting events of that night?  All she knows is she loved Marguerite passionately and cannot believe she would have hurt her. But if not Frannie, who did commit the double murder? Others have motive, but only Frannie is accused and she will hang if found guilty. What hope does she have of clearing her name?

Dangerous Liaisons follows the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, two narcissistic rivals and ex-lovers who use seduction to control and exploit others. It explores the world of the French aristocracy shortly before the French revolution. The series will tell the origin story of the early years of both characters when they meet as passionate young lovers in the slums of 18th century Paris.

The show will tell the story of the famed queen Marie Antoinette, who was the last queen of France before the French Revolution.

Our Flag Means Death is loosely based on the true adventures of Stede Bonnet, a pampered aristocrat who abandoned his life of privilege to become a pirate.

Fena: Pirate Princess tells the tale of a young orphan girl, Fena Houtman. Fena has been raised on an Island where there is no hope of becoming anything more than chattel, to be used and discarded by soldiers of the British Empire. But Fena is more than just another powerless orphan. When her mysterious past comes knocking, Fena will break the chains of her oppressors. Her goal: forge a new identity, free of bondage, and search for a place where she can truly belong and find out the true mysteries behind a keyword "Eden." It is the story of a lifetime adventure she and her crew of misfits and unlikely allies will have, in pursuit of her goals!

The Underground Railroad is an adaptation of the acclaimed Colson Whitehead novel of the same title. It chronicles young Cora's journey as she makes a desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South. After escaping her Georgia plantation for the rumored Underground Railroad, Cora discovers no mere metaphor, but an actual railroad full of engineers and conductors, and a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil.
 

Dark forces conspire against orphan mapmaker Alina Starkov when she unleashes an extraordinary power that could change the fate of her war-torn world.

Spain, 1720. Clara Belmonte is a young woman from a well-off family who, after the death of her father, one of the most prestigious doctors of Madrid, will see herself sunk into absolute poverty. Fallen from grace despite her exquisite education, thanks to her prodigious cooking she manages to get a job at the duchy of Castamar, disrupting, with her arrival, the apathetic world of don Diego, the duke. However, the agoraphobia she is suffering since the death of her father will not be the only obstacle that Clara will face when she arrives to the property of the duke. He, since he lost his wife in an accident, lives isolated in his great mansion, surrounded by the servants. And although at the beginning Clara is not well received by the staff of the house, she will soon stand out thanks to her exquisite education and her cooking abilities, which will even surprise the duke himself.

Based on Julia Quinn's best-selling series of novels, Bridgerton is set in the sexy, lavish and competitive world of Regency London high society. From the glittering ballrooms of Mayfair to the aristocratic palaces of Park Lane and beyond, the series unveils a seductive, sumptuous world replete with intricate rules and dramatic power struggles, where no one is truly ever on steady ground. At the heart of the show is the powerful Bridgerton family. Comprised of eight close-knit siblings, this funny, witty, daring and clever group must navigate the upper ten thousand's marriage mart in search of romance, adventure and love.

1787, France. While investigating a series of mysterious murders, Joseph Guillotin - the future inventor of the world famous 'Guillotine' - uncovers an unknown virus: the Blue Blood. The disease, quickly spreads amongst the French aristocracy, driving them to murder ordinary people and soon leads to a rebellion... What if the French Revolution didn't happen the way we were told?

The Great is a satirical, comedic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest reigning female ruler in Russia's history. A fictionalized, fun and anachronistic story of an idealistic, romantic young girl, who arrives in Russia for an arranged marriage to the mercurial Emperor Peter. Hoping for love and sunshine, she finds instead a dangerous, depraved, backward world that she resolves to change. All she has to do is kill her husband, beat the church, baffle the military and get the court onside. A very modern story about the past which encompasses the many roles she played over her lifetime as lover, teacher, ruler, friend, and fighter.

Belgravia is set in the 19th Century, around seventy years before Downton, when the upper echelons of society began to rub shoulders the emerging industrial nouveau riche. But the story begins on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, when the Duchess of Richmond throws a party in Brussels for the Duke of Wellington. Among the guests are James and Anne Trenchard, who are living on the profits of newfound trading success. Their young daughter Sophia has caught the eye of Edmund Bellasis, the son and heir of one of the richest and most prominent families in England. Twenty-five years later, when the two families are settled into the newly developed area of Belgravia, the events of the ball, and the secrets, still resonate.

Washington will chip away at the bronzed and marbled image of America's first President and bring to life the man whose name is known to all, but whose epic story is understood by few.

Catherine the Great delves into the politically tumultuous and sexually charged court of the most powerful female monarch in history. Catherine wielded supreme power throughout Russia for nearly half of the 18th century – strong-minded, independent, brilliantly intelligent and sexually liberated, she was the definition of the modern woman.The miniseries will follow Catherine towards the end of her reign and her passionate affair with Grigory Potemkin. Amid scandal, intrigue and immense conflict, this is a story of obsessive love. Unable to publicly marry and famously promiscuous, they develop a unique and devoted relationship, overcoming their adversaries and together shaping Russia as we know it today.

Written only months before Jane Austen's death in 1817, Sanditon tells the story of the impulsive, spirited and unconventional Charlotte Heywood, played by Williams, and her spiky relationship with the charming Sidney Parker, played by James. When a chance accident transports her from her rural hometown of Willingden to a would-be coastal resort, it exposes Charlotte to the intrigues and dalliances of a seaside town on the make. The drama takes viewers from the West Indies to the rotting alleys of London and exposes the hidden agendas of each character and sees Charlotte discover herself and ultimately find love.

The story begins as handsome and soulful former soldier, John Beecham, has acquired the house to start a new life for his family and a business as a trader. Wealthy and distinguished, John has witnessed profiteering and exploitation during his time with the controlling East India Company and appears haunted by his past. Determined to escape that life, he sets his sights on becoming an honorable member of the region's trading community.But in the glorious setting of Beecham House, John's life remains shrouded in mystery. His arrival provokes speculation and gossip amongst the servants and despite filling his residence with relatives and friends, Beecham's house still has dark corners that crackle with conspiracy, disharmony and sinister intent. The story also unfolds at a time when the 1,000-year-old Mughal rule is over and the British vie with the Maharajas to claim India as their own.

Gentleman Jack is a remarkable and unlikely love story set in the complex, changing world of 1832 Halifax - the cradle of the industrial revolution - just as it's all kicking off. The drama will explore Anne Lister's relationships at home with her family, her servants, her tenants and her industrial rivals, who will use any dirty tricks they can to bring her down. At its heart is her relationship with her would-be wife, the wealthy heiress Ann Walker. It has all the warmth, wit, humour and complexity that audiences have come to associate with Sally Wainwright's writing.

Based on Victor Hugo's XIX century classic, Les Misérables will go back to the original novel and delve deep into the many layers of Hugo's story, revelling in Jean Valjean and Javert's cat-and-mouse relationship, against the epic backdrop of France at a time of civil unrest. With a striking intensity and relevance to us today, the novel is testimony to the struggles of France's underclass and how far they must go to survive. The six part television adaptation of the renowned book will vividly and faithfully bring to life the vibrant and engaging characters, the spectacular and authentic imagery and, above all, the incredible yet accessible story that was Hugo's lifework.

Set during the final days of slavery in 19th century Jamaica, the story follows the strong-willed, young slave July on a plantation owned by her odious mistress Caroline Mortimer. When a charming new arrival to the island, Robert Goodwin, becomes the new overseer, July and Caroline are both intrigued by his seemingly revolutionary determination to improve the plantation for the slaves and mistress alike.

Gwyneth Hughes' adaptation of Thackeray's literary classic is set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, and follows Becky Sharp as she attempts to claw her way out of poverty and scale the heights of English Society. Her story of "villainy, crime, merriment, lovemaking, jilting, laughing, cheating, fighting and dancing", takes her all the way to the court of King George IV, via the Battle of Waterloo, breaking hearts and losing fortunes as she goes.

Featuring an award-winning creative team and all-star cast, Harlots is a powerful drama set against the vibrant, cosmopolitan backdrop of 18th century Georgian London, offering a bold new take on the city's most valuable commercial activity - sex.

Making History follows three friends from two different centuries as they try to balance the thrill of time travel with the mundane concerns of their present-day lives. Two shows in one, it's both a rollicking historical adventure, and a contemporary comedy about love, friendship and trying to fit in to an increasingly complex and impersonal world.Dan Chambers, a computer science professor at a small Massachusetts college, recently discovered time travel and has been transporting himself back to the 1700s to spend time with the colonial woman he's fallen for. In the present, Dan is an unpopular nerd. But by claiming song lyrics, lines from movies and stand-up bits as his own in the 18th century, he's absolutely hilarious - he gets the girl and makes friends. But Dan's actions in the past are messing up the present. That woman he's dating is not just any woman. She's Paul Revere's daughter, Deborah, and Dan's meddling in the past causes her father to delay his famous ride, which may have altered the outcome of the entire American Revolution. To set matters right, Dan enlists the help of his colleague, Chris Parish, a brilliant, polished and popular history professor, who's now given the incredible opportunity to actually live the history he teaches. Can Dan, Chris and Deborah save America as we know it? Can a woman from 1775 adapt to life in 2016? Can the three intrepid time travelers improve the past, help the helpless, fight for justice and get rich?

1814: James Keziah Delaney returns to London from Africa and is encircled by conspiracy, murder and betrayal.

Set against the stunning, raw backdrop of 1700s Canada, Frontier is revolving around warring factions vying for control of the fur trade in a ruthless game of wealth and power. Irish stowaway Michael Smyth has barely stepped foot into the New World when he becomes embroiled in a dangerous battle between the fearless and violent Declan Harp and the formidable Lord Benton of the Hudson's Bay Company. A dramatic story of revenge and riches, betrayal and brutality, and survival of the fittest in the James Bay fur trade, everyone is gunning to be the last man standing – from the combustible Scottish Brown Brothers, to crafty ale house owner Grace Emberly, to treacherous Captain Chesterfield, to millionaire Samuel Grant. All are willing to do whatever it takes to hold the keys to the New World.

Roots is a historical portrait of American slavery recounting the journey of one family and their will to survive and ultimately carry on their legacy despite hardship.

In a new adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's timeless novel, three young people experience life, love and loss against the epic backdrop of Russia's wars with Napoleon.

The story of the Great Russian empress in her early years (15-33). Prepare to become a witness of the first 20 years (1744–1762) of her life in Russia. 20 years of court intrigues, conspiracies, power struggles and unconditional love to Russia.

During a high-speed motorboat chase with a criminal, Cheung Chau police constable Wong Tai-mui gets herself trapped in a waterspout, accidentally opening a time portal. She travels back 200 years to early 19th century Hong Kong, a time when the island was under Qing rule. She encounters a family of Canton pirates, led by Cheng Yat, his wife Shek Giu, and their adopted son Cheung Po Tsai. Using her knowledge of the future, which she keeps in a E-book, she saves the pirates from a deadly naval battle against the Qing naval fleet led by Prince Man-ho, the eleventh son of the Jiaqing Emperor. Puzzled by her mysterious origins, Cheng Yat and Shek Giu remain wary of Tai-mui and are hesitant in trusting her.At Beijing's Imperial Palace, Imperial Consort Yim and Imperial Consort Shun manipulate Man-ho to get themselves into a position of higher power. Jaded from politics and family feud, Man-ho decides to let go of his ambition for the crown and flees the palace.On the day the tiangou covers the sun, another waterspout appears over the Canton sea. Cheung Po Tsai helps Tai-mui open the time portal so she can return to 21st century Hong Kong, but in doing so he also falls into the portal, travelling to the future with her

Historian Andrew Roberts journeys through the history and geography of Europe to bring the story of Napoleon vividly to life as he retraces the footsteps of the legendary leader himself.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is set during the Napoleonic Wars in an England where magic once existed and is about to return. So begins a dangerous battle between two great men.1806. England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation's past. However, scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains — the reclusive and skillful Mr. Norrell. His displays of magic soon thrill the nation. In London, he raises the beautiful Lady Pole from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French.Soon the cautious and fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange. While trying to secure his beloved Arabella's hand in marriage, he meets a vagabond, the magician of Threadneedle Street, Vinculus, who tells him he is destined to be a great magician. Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very antithesis of Norrell. A dangerous battle ensues between the two great men. Their obsessions and secret dabblings with the dark arts will cause more trouble than they can imagine.

Bill O'Reilly presents this adaptation of the book series, Legends & Lies. The documentaries explores the stories behind events and the notable historical figures involved. Historical re-enactments and analysis from historians and other experts are used to bring viewers details about the topic discussed in each episode.

Britain is in the grip of a chilling recession... falling wages, rising prices, civil unrest - only the bankers are smiling. It's 1783 and Ross Poldark returns from the American War of Independence to his beloved Cornwall to find his world in ruins: his father dead, the family mine long since closed, his house wrecked and his sweetheart pledged to marry his cousin. But Ross finds that hope and love can be found when you are least expecting it in the wild but beautiful Cornish landscape.

At its heart, Banished is a story of survival. Though it is set in the stark historical reality of the founding of the penal colony in Australia in 1788 after the arrival of the First Fleet, it is not the story of Australia and how it came to be. Rather, it is a tale of love, faith, justice and morality played out on an epic scale in a confined community where the stakes are literally life and death.

The three-night, six-hour event follows a defiant and radical group of young men - Sam Adams, John Adams, Paul Revere, John Hancock and Dr. Joseph Warren - as they band together in secrecy to change the course of history and make America a nation. The Sons of Liberty sparked a revolution, the cast depicting them includes: Ben Barnes as Sam Adams, a natural born leader with charisma and a penchant for mischief; Ryan Eggold as Dr. Joseph Warren, a doctor and man of conscience and integrity; Michael Raymond-James as Paul Revere, a veteran who wholeheartedly joins forces with Sam Adams; Rafe Spall as John Hancock, the wealthiest man in Boston at the time; and Henry Thomas as John Adams, a lawyer and the conservative, smart cousin of Sam Adams. Additionally, Marton Csokas plays the ferocious General Thomas Gage who is sent to handle the colonial unrest in Boston; Emily Berrington as Margaret Gage; Jason O'Mara as General George Washington and Dean Norris as the brilliant yet mischievous diplomat Benjamin Franklin.

Abducted from her village in West Africa, eleven-year-old Aminata Diallo is forced into a slave coffle and must endure a horrific ocean crossing. She is brought to a South Carolina plantation where she makes herself useful by using midwifery skills learned at her mother's side, all the while keeping the attentions of her jealous slave master, Robinson Appleby, at bay. Soon after Aminata reencounters Chekura, a fellow slave from West Africa, they are married in a clandestine ceremony. When their first baby is brutally abducted and sold by Appleby she vows to return one day to her homeland.

This compelling new series chronicles the rise of the rebellion, failures and setbacks of the colonial mission, and the ultimate comeback that resulted in the birth of a nation. Through expert interviews, re-enactments and cutting-edge animations, the series brings more than a dozen indispensable players to the front lines, like John Glover, who helped row Washington's forces across the Delaware to secure victory at Trenton. Also featured is Salem Poor, who was born into slavery but served heroically under Washington at the Battle of White Plains and Bunker Hill. Many women also answered the call, like Nancy Hart, a patriot spy who disguised herself as a man and wandered through British encampments to gather intelligence.

In 1745 in Saint Petersburg, Empress Elizabeth is childless, and she appoints her nephew Peter Fedorovich as the heir to Russian throne. But what it means to leave the country in his hands? As he was born in Prussia and could hardly speak Russian.

Outlander follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire's heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.The Outlander series, adapted from Diana Gabaldon's international best-selling books, spans the genres of romance, science fiction, history and adventure into one epic tale.

It's 1715 on the Bahamian island of Santa Campana, the first functioning democracy in the Americas, where the diabolical pirate Edward Teach, a.k.a. Blackbeard, reigns over a rogue nation of thieves, outlaws and miscreant sailors. Part shantytown, part marauder's paradise, this is a place like no other on earth - and a mounting threat to international commerce. To gain control of this fearsome society, Tom Lowe, a highly skilled undercover assassin, is sent to the buccaneers' haven to take down the brilliant and charismatic Blackbeard. But the closer Lowe gets, the more he finds that his quest is not so simple. Lowe can't help but admire the political ideals of Blackbeard, whose thirst for knowledge knows no bounds - and no law. But Lowe is not the only danger to Blackbeard's rule. He is a man with many villainous rivals and one great weakness - a passionately driven woman whom he cannot deny.

The First Georgians: The German Kings Who Made Britain will present the revealing and surprising story of Britain in the reigns of George I and George II (1714-60) – the age of the ‘German Georges'. In 1714, Britain imported a new German royal family from Hanover, headed by Georg Ludwig (aka George I) - an uncharismatic, middle-aged man with a limited grasp of English. Lucy Worsley will reveal how this unlikely new dynasty secured the throne – and how they kept it. An intimate and close-up portrait of these German kings of Britain, the series will follow George I, his son George II, and their feuding family as they slowly established themselves in their adopted kingdom - despite ongoing threats from invading Jacobites and a lukewarm initial response from the British public.

Set in 1820 against the forbidding backdrop of windswept Cornish moors, the story follows the journey of young and spirited Mary (Brown Findlay) who is forced to live with her Aunt Patience (Whalley) after the death of her mother. Mary arrives at the isolated Jamaica Inn to discover her Aunt is a shell of the carefree woman she remembers from her childhood, and instead finds a drudge who is firmly under the spell of her domineering husband Joss (Harris). The Inn has no guests - the rooms are locked and kept for storage - but it soon becomes clear that it's a cover, as Joss is the leader of a smuggling ring, and Jamaica Inn the hub of his ‘free' trade.

Turn: Washington's Spies takes viewers into the stirring and treacherous world of the Revolutionary War and introduces Abraham Woodhull who, after aligning with a group of childhood friends, forms the Culper Ring--America's first spy ring.

1715. The Golden Age of Piracy. New Providence Island is a lawless territory, controlled by history's most notorious pirate captains. The most feared is Captain Flint.As the British Navy returns to redeem their land and exterminate Flint and his crew, another side of him emerges. Captain Flint aligns himself with Eleanor Guthrie, daughter of the local kingpin, to hunt the ultimate prize and ensure their survival.Many opponents stand in their way: rival captains, jealous of Flint's power; Eleanor's ambitious and intrusive father; and a young sailor recently recruited onto Flint's crew, John Silver, who constantly undermines his captain's agenda.

Adaptation of PD James's bestselling homage to Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth and Darcy, now six years married, are preparing for their annual ball when festivities are brought to an abrupt halt.

Sleepy Hollow is a thrilling mystery-adventure drama series spanning two and a half centuries, in which a resurrected Ichabod Crane pairs up with a present-day police lieutenant to save the enigmatic town of Sleepy Hollow--and the world--from unprecedented evil.

Powerful historical drama series, based on the lives of real people, telling the story of young 19th-century apprentices taking their lives into their own hands for the first time.

Helene is a shipwreck survivor washed ashore near a small English village. There, she is swept off her feet by widowed pastor Edmund and the two soon marry, with the puritanical Edmund believing his bride to be untouched by another man. But it seems that she has a history, and a dark one at that.

In 1790 Johan Gustav Dåådh joins the Stockholm police, in an attempt to change, or at least improve, the system from within. He is a modern thinker in an old hierarchy. Torn between alliances, he solves crimes among rich and poor.

In this three part series, historian Amanda Vickery explores how the great British obsession with our homes began 300 years ago.

Legal drama inspired by the life of pioneering 18th century barrister William Garrow.

Nothing delights Emma more than meddling in the love lives of others. But when she takes protege Harriet Smith under her wing, her plans can only end in disaster...

Paris, 1761. Brilliant young Parisian police commissioner Nicolas Le Floch works under Monsieur de Sartine, the Royal Lieutenant General of Police. Louis XV's kingdom is plagued by conspiracies and murders. With the help of his faithful subordinate Bourdeau, Nicolas solves mysterious disappearances and sorts out awkward scandals. From seedy taverns to the muffled hallways of Versailles, from brothels to the Châtelet prisons, he tracks and stakes out suspects, questions witnesses, gathers evidence, foils traps, and unveils plotters. Nicolas Le Floch plunges viewers into the mysteries of 18th Century Paris, a world teeming with crime, debauchery and theft.

Fourteen-part adaptation of Dickens' powerful story of love, honour, debt and hope in 1820s London, written by Andrew Davies.

Lost in Austen is a four-part 2008 British television series for the ITV network, written by Guy Andrews as a fantasy adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Loosely following the novel plot, modern Amanda enters through a portal in her bathroom, to join the Bennet family and affect events disastrously.

This seven-part epic miniseries event explores American history through one of its greatest founding fathers, a fiercely independent spirit whose unwavering vision steered America through a tumultuous period.

Vivid, gritty and stylish drama set in vice-ridden Georgian London. A stellar cast headed by Ian McDiarmid and Iain Glen brings to life the story behind the birth of the modern police force.

A life story of Atsuhime who was born in Kagoshima Prefecture, then called Satsuma, and became the wife of Tokugawa Iesada, the 13th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. She accedes to the highest rank in Ooku, the inner palace of the Edo castle where women related to the reigning shogun resided. Iesada dies soon after their marriage and Atsuhime assumes the name Tenshoin at the age of 23. She exerts herself for the Tokugawa clan and for the nation during the upheaval in the Meiji Restoration, headed by those from Satsuma. In 1835, Shimazu Tadatake, head of the Imaizumi-Shimazu family of Satsuma clan, and Oyuki are blessed with a long-awaited daughter, Okatsu, who later becomes Atsuhime. She grows up as a tomboy, full of wonders, yet warm-hearted. Meanwhile, as Satsuma clan is under going financial reform, headed by chief retainer Zusho, Tadatake is punished for being lenient with farmers. Okatsu, unable to absorb why her father is punished, charges over to Zusho.

Widow Dashwood and her three unmarried daughters, Elinor, Marianne and Margaret, inherit only a tiny allowance. So they move out of their grand Sussex home to a more modest cottage in Devonshire. There, the prevailing ambition is to find suitable husbands for the girls. With help from wealthy neighbor Sir John Middleton, suitors for Elinor and Marianne are soon found, but not landed. They include dashing Willoughby, future vicar Edward Ferrars and retired colonial gentleman Colonel Brandon.

Twenty years later June 1797. Twenty years have passed and many things have changed at Rivombrosa and in Europe. Napoleon's Army has swept into Italy and Piedmont, with its promise of freedom, equality and brotherhood. But, as often happens, military occupation also delivers poverty, insecurity and oppression. At Rivombrosa and the surrounding villages, a legend is born, a group of masked outlaws wages guerrilla warfare against the French, hurting the occupiers in manpower and treasure. Nobles and farmers alike whisper the name of the their leader in fear. Though summer casts its golden hues on Rivombrosa, the prevailing mood couldn't be darker. And into this chiaroscuro our story begins...

Andrew Davies's two-part adaptation of John Cleland's infamous, classic 18th-century novel.

The story of five aristocratic families in Russia during the the Napoleonic Era. War and Peace is a 2007 Russian-French-Italian-German miniseries directed by Robert Dornhelm. It was broadcast in Belgium (RTBF) and in France (France 2) in four parts during October and November 2007. It was inspired by Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace, which also is divided into four parts. The actors are of different nationalities.

The American Revolution (1775-83) is also known as the American Revolutionary War and the U.S. War of Independence. The conflict arose from growing tensions between residents of Great Britain's 13 North American colonies and the colonial government, which represented the British crown. Skirmishes between British troops and colonial militiamen in Lexington and Concord in April 1775 kicked off the armed conflict, and by the following summer, the rebels were waging a full-scale war for their independence. France entered the American Revolution on the side of the colonists in 1778, turning what had essentially been a civil war into an international conflict. After French assistance helped the Continental Army force the British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, the Americans had effectively won their independence, though fighting would not formally end until 1783.

A young woman is transported to the New South Wales penal colony in 1788.

In 1812, young British aristocrat Edmund Talbot travels by ship to Australia, and learns more about himself and about life than he had ever bargained for.

Early in his life, Casanova meets Henriette and falls for her, but when she is stolen by his rival, he is forced to flee to Venice. We follow the course of his life, through his many escapades and conquests to his death bed where he tries to get in touch with Henriette one last time.

Isaura was born in 1835, in the farm of Commender Almeida. She is the daughter of the slave Juliana and the tenant of the farm, Miguel. Juliana dies right after the birth, because she denied going to bed with the Commender. He whips her to death in revenge. So, Isaura is raised and educated by Gertrudes, wife of the Commender, who always wanted to have a daughter. In spite of her excellent education and the white skin, Isaura, as a daughter of a slave,will always be treated as a slave.

The dreamlike love, the one that challenges any obstacle, is the pivot on which the story of Elisa Scalzi rests. A girl born poor but with a great nobility, whose beauty warms Countess Fabrizio Ristori's heart. Elisa moves between the envy of slavery and the avarice of the noble family, as a modern heroine becomes the protagonist of a plot to damage the King.

Jonny Lee Miller, Vanessa Redgrave and Natasha Little star in Nick Dear's tale of the life and loves of the "mad, bad and dangerous to know", Lord Byron.

For the first time ever, Napoleon the man and legend is depicted on screen in all of his facets: as a man of human needs and desires, strengths and weaknesses; as a soldier, politician and visionary who raised himself above his fellow mortals and transformed himself into a myth. "Napoleon" sweeps away the pathos of previous portrayals and presents its subject in all of his complexity and contradictions. It provokes questions and challenges common assumptions. It paints a portrait of Napoleon that respects the facts and depicts him as a man whose life can still move and inspire all of us today. This 4 part mini-series won the 2003 EMMY AWARD for outstanding costumes, along with 6 further nominations.

Liberty's Kids was a truly "revolutionary" children's animated series by DIC. For as long as it ran on PBS, Liberty's Kids entertained seven to twelve-year-olds while introducing them to the exciting stories and people behind the birth of a nation. The program unfurled its historical vignettes through the eyes of two teenage apprentices, Sarah Phillips and James Hiller, who worked in Benjamin Franklin's print shop and discovered first-hand the great adventures of the American Revolution. Benjamin Franklin's wise words and strong principled actions gave guidance to our young heroes, whether he is with them in Philadelphia or writing from across the ocean in France.

In 1817, a young Spanish aristocrat, Tessa Alvarado, returns to Spanish California after the death of her father and finds her home in ruins, her father's manservant reduced to stealing. The town where she was born is run by a militaristic governor who abuses his power, resulting in the miscarriage of justice and the poor living conditions of his subjects. Upset about the state of her birthplace and the murder of her father, Tessa's path is revealed to her in a mysterious dream where her father comes to her and talks of his murder, his hidden gold, and of his "Avenging Angel". She will take up arms to protect the people from the town's governor and to avenge her father's death. Tessa will do this in disguise behind a mask, becoming that "Avenging Angel", The Queen of Swords.As the Queen of Swords, Tessa becomes a vision of hope for the people who live in her long oppressed town.

Within the long history of civilization are great eras of struggle, triumph, and loss. These periods are reflective of the best and worst of humanity: explosive creativity, ultimate depravity, the use and abuse of power, and war.

American spy Jack Stiles is sent by Thomas Jefferson to the tiny East Indies island of Palau Palau, where he teams up with British agent and inventor Emilia Rothschild to thwart the efforts of Napoleon and France in that region of the world. While acting as Emilia's man servant, Jack dons the mask garb of the legendary Daring Dragoon and fights the local French governor as well as thwarting various other schemes against America.

Let Them Eat Cake is a BBC comedy set mostly in and around the Palace of Versailles in the year 1782. The series follows the intrigues of Colombine, Comtesse de Vache. Regarded as one of the most dangerous women in the court of King Louis XVI she is assisted by her faithful servant, Lisette, in uncovering all the dark secrets of the aristocracy. Meanwhile, her couturier, Bouffant struggles to keep the Comtesse and her Rubenesque figure at the forefront of 18th century French fashion.

Based on a true story, Aristocrats draws back the curtain on an 18th century English family near the summit of society, revealing a tapestry of romance, prejudice, infidelity, and revolution.

During the turmoil of the French Revolution, English aristocrat Percy Blakeney, often aided by his League of friends, secretly undertakes various daring missions as The Scarlet Pimpernel.

"I am poor and put upon", concedes Becky Sharp during the first episode of Vanity Fair, but it rapidly becomes clear that she intends to change this situation, scrambling up the social ladder by exploiting her guile, good looks and the gullibility of doting males. In the light of her selfish, single-minded resolve to achieve success, Sharp may be viewed as an optimistic dreamer, pragmatic schemer, proto-feminist or a coquettish combination of all three.

The epic saga of legendary seafaring hero Horatio Hornblower comes to swashbuckling life in these epic films based on C.S. Forester's classic novels. As the Napoleonic wars rage, Hornblower survives battle after battle, evades capture, and works his way up the ranks in the king's royal navy. With danger at every turn and unending adventures, Hornblower must use every ounce of his wit and courage to prevail.

The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson is a 1998 dramatic series that is based on the 1812 novel The Swiss Family Robinson, it follows the adventures of nine survivors of a shipwreck as they attempt to adapt to life on a deserted island.

A four-part drama, set against the background of the English slave trade.

Adaptation of the classic novel by Henry Fielding chronicling the life, loves and adventures of the charming Tom.

Three-part adaptation of Anne Bronte's novel about a young woman who moves to Yorkshire with her son in the 19th century.

Masterpiece Theatre brings its four-hour fling with a scandalous 18th century heroine, in a broadcast of Moll Flanders. A costume drama which follows the fortunes of Moll Flanders in 18th Century England. Her determination to reach a secure place in society results in incest, bigamy, adultery, wealth and poverty. Based on the novel by Daniel Defoe.

While Louis XV had just ceded New France to the English through the Treaty of Paris, the life of the intrepid Marguerite Volant, the youngest daughter of Lord Claude Volant, was turned upside down by a series of dramatic events. The English settled in the seigneury, his mother died, his brother-in-law was murdered and his father committed suicide. In a desperate gesture, Marguerite brandishes a pistol in the face of English captain James Elliot Chase, who is secretly in love with her. Immediately arrested for attempted murder of an officer of His Majesty, she has no other solution than to flee.

Gulliver's Travels is an adaptation of the famous novel by Jonathan Swift, English traveler Lemuel Gulliver travels to the lands of Lilliput and Brobdingnag and encountered the strange residents. When he returns and describes what he encountered, he is dismissed as insane and locked up.

Re-live the romance and drama of Andrew Davies' lavish adaptation, starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

The further adventures based on characters created by James Fennimore Cooper. Hawkeye the woodsman meets a brave English woman trying to free her husband from the French. Set during the French and Indian War in the area of the Hudson Valley.

Ewan McGregor stars in this BBC adaptation of Stendahl's classic novel.The handsome young Julien Sorel (Ewan McGregor) believes that he has a better chance of furthering his position in society if he chooses to enter the church (the black) rather than the army (the scarlet), and is found a position by his mentor Father Chélan as tutor to the children of the powerful Monsieur De Rénal. Julien finds favour with the children, rapidly becoming a beloved member of the household. However, when his relationship with Madame De Rénal (Alice Krige) goes beyond the professional, Julien's future is dramatically altered.

Sean Bean is Sharpe, a troubled outsider who, following an heroic act of bravery, finds himself promoted to the rank of officer. In this definitive collection of the acclaimed drama, follow his breathtaking adventures commanding the King's Rifles during the Napoleonic Wars.

Clarissa is the story of a virtuous heiress who runs away from her family when they insist she marry a loathsome man for his money, only to fall into the hands of a handsome rake who only wants to get her into bed.

Zorro was set in Spanish California, this often-refilmed story chronicles the adventures of Don Diego de la Vega, a young nobleman who lives a double live as El Zorro ('the Fox'), protector of the people of the Pueblo de Los Angeles during the early 1800s. Hiding behind the mannerisms of a bookish fop, Diego keeps his second identity hidden from everyone but his servant, Felipe. Zorro's greatest enemy is always the Alcalde, who personifies the distant Spanish government in Los Angeles. Cantina-owner (and independent woman far ahead of her time) Victoria Escalante provides the love interest.