Britain at the Bookies

Lucy Worsley delves into the history of romance to uncover the forces shaping our very British happily ever after and how our feelings have been affected by social, political and cultural ideas.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is the largest and most advanced warship ever constructed in Britain. As she embarks on gruelling sea trials we see ship and crew pushed to breaking point.

"It's queer, it's kinky" - the average man on the street might find lesbianism strange, but for the women interviewed in this surprisingly nuanced TV documentary, it's just an ordinary part of their lives. The women - butch, femme and everything in between - articulately discuss their lives, experiences and struggles with everyday discrimination, busting the myths that homosexuality is a disease and that gay women are doomed to loneliness. Among the interviewees are Esme Langley (speaking outside in woolly hat and coat), founder of the Minorities Research Group, Charlotte Wolff, a psychotherapist and sexologist whose 1971 book Love Between Women offered some of the first serious research into lesbianism, and Doreen Cordell, a social worker with the Albany Trust, a charity providing counselling and support to the LGBT community.

A mission to help families change the way they shop - without changing their lifestyle. A host of money-saving tips and tricks to put hard-earned cash back in people's pockets.

Tony Robinson goes for a walk through some of Britain's beautiful and historic landscapes.

Fred Dibnah reveals the genius, the vision and the sheer bloody graft that went into creating some of Britain's greatest national monuments. All six episodes look at Britain's architectural heritage. In 'Mighty Cathedrals' Fred examines the innovations in building techniques which allowed the Normans to build some of the nation's most remarkable cathedrals. 'The Art of Castle Building' has Fred take a look at the castles of the North Wales coastline. 'The Age of the Carpenter' sees Fred learn all about the way that carpenters have used their skills to transform medieval castles into homes. In 'Scottish Style' Fred visits Glamis Castle and learns about the Scottish Baronial Style. 'Building the Canals' has Fred visit Bolton and learn about the construction of the first canals. Finally, 'Victorian Splendour' sees Fred looking at the achievements of architects in the 19th century and discovering the story behind the building of the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben.

Comedian Lenny Henry sets out on a journey to discover what makes us laugh and what role humour plays in our lives

Stories of influential families with international struggles for power, fraud, betrayal, arrests, revenge and murder. They look like elements from a cinema classic, but they have been linked to everyday life in Rio de Janeiro for years. This is the underworld of Jogo do Bicho, a practice prohibited by law, but which is organized as a business worth millions, divided by territories, headed by representatives of powerful family groups.

Documentary series revealing the inner workings of Britain's railways, introducing the track-workers, train guards, drivers, police officers and management teams determined to keep the country moving.

Hustlers Gamblers Crooks features true stories of high-flying hustlers, gamblers and con artists, told by those who lived them. Structured like a Hollywood thriller, it is full of poignant moments. Cheer on these underdogs who risk everything to change their future.

From the 1930s to today, this series examines Vegas' evolution into an entertainment mecca, and its everlasting ability to reflect and refract American identity. Featuring interviews with entertainers, former showgirls, and other experts.

The enormous popularity of recent British dramas such as Downton Abbey, Mr. Selfridge, and Sherlock, has led to vast interest in the real-life stories and history of the icons of Great Britain. Each episode of this series visits a famous British building or institution to explore its past and present, meeting a wide range of experts and historians along the way.

Britain’s rich horticultural history is being lost. More and more front and back gardens are paved over - for development, for parking spaces, or because families don’t have the time or inclination to manage these spaces. The trend for easy-to-maintain lawns, patios and paving has also led to a decline in traditional gardens full of flowers, plants and trees to the extent that some of our most iconic flora and fauna have all but disappeared. Step forward the BBC’s most-loved gardening experts, who are determined to turn us back into a green-fingered nation once again.

In a unique experiment, five teachers from China take over the education of fifty teenagers in a Hampshire school to see whether the high-ranking Chinese education system can teach us a lesson.

Britain's Big Wildlife Revival brings together some of the BBC's most respected wildlife experts to highlight the plight of Britain's most at-risk animals.

Exploring the hidden corners of the UK in search of the best the countryside has to offer.

Andrew Marr discovers why the Scotland he grew up in has changed so much politically, and whether, after the Brexit vote, we will see Scottish independence and the break-up of the UK.

Evan Davis looks at the British economy and asks what our country is good at and how it can pay its way in the world,

David Dimbleby takes to his wooden sailing boat to explore Britain's rich maritime heritage.

Clare Balding embarks on a pedal-powered odyssey across Britain to rediscover the magical world of 1950s cycling