Horrible Histories: Series 1
Season 1 of the BBC’s Horrible Histories presents thirteen episodes that reinterpret history through a deliberately messy and comedic lens. Drawing on the bestselling children’s books, the series delivers “the history they don’t teach you in school” by foregrounding the gruesome, absurd and often overlooked aspects of the past. Each episode is anchored by a talking rat who links a succession of sketches, songs, carto
Season overview
Season 1 of the BBC’s Horrible Histories presents thirteen episodes that reinterpret history through a deliberately messy and comedic lens. Drawing on the bestselling children’s books, the series delivers “the history they don’t teach you in school” by foregrounding the gruesome, absurd and often overlooked aspects of the past. Each episode is anchored by a talking rat who links a succession of sketches, songs, cartoons and quizzes that highlight foul facts, rotten rulers, beastly battles and evil inventions. The programme moves chronologically, beginning with the Savage Stone Age and progressing through the Awful Egyptians, Rotten Romans, Vicious Vikings, Measly Middle Ages, Terrible Tudors, Gorgeous Georgians and Vile Victorians, before concluding with the Woeful Second World War. The content is deliberately splattered with guts, blood and poo, emphasizing an anarchic, surprising and unconventional approach to historical storytelling. By combining humor with factual detail, the series aims to entertain while exposing viewers—especially younger audiences—to the darker, messier side of human history.
Episodes
Episode 1
Apr 16, 2009 · 30 min
A pirate captain worries about an early bedtime and the four King Georges form a boyband.
Episode 2
Apr 23, 2009 · 30 min
A Stone Age doctor tries to help a modern patient and a Pharaoh invents the pyramid.
Episode 3
Apr 30, 2009 · 30 min
A Roman emperor finds a nasty alternative to candles, and an Egyptian tries to save money.
Episode 4
May 7, 2009 · 30 min
The Tudors sing their family history, Bob explains the complete history of Rome in two minutes, and a mad Victorian gentleman eats King Louis XIV's mummified heart.
Episode 5
May 14, 2009 · 30 min
A priest makes a piano from live pigs, Emperor Caligula declares war on the sea, and there are some disgusting beauty tips from Ancient Egypt.
Episode 6
May 21, 2009 · 30 min
An evil Greek god appears on a daytime chat show, a rich Georgian swaps his wife with a peasant, and we meet some weird medieval monsters.
Episode 7
May 28, 2009 · 30 min
There is a terrible smell in the Houses of Parliament, Cinderella struggles with the Blitz, and Helen of Troy reveals her complicated love life.
Episode 8
Jun 4, 2009 · 30 min
The Saxons exchange disgusting Christmas presents, a caveman goes on a TV cookery show, and we discover the bizarre causes of the First World War.
Episode 9
Jun 11, 2009 · 30 min
A Victorian inspector checks that school is suitably cruel, HHTV News reports live from the Great Plague, and Thumbelina drowns unpleasantly.
Episode 10
Jun 18, 2009 · 30 min
HHTV News reports live from the Battle of Thermopylae, Celt housewives find decorative uses for severed heads, and we learn the revolting truth about Roman toilets.
Episode 11
Jun 25, 2009 · 30 min
Queen Victoria learns that her British comforts are not very British, a Viking warrior won't stop talking in rhyme, and on 'Axe Factor', the contestants try to become executioners.
Episode 12
Jul 2, 2009 · 30 min
A Victorian teacher is confused by her pupils' bizarre names, the Romans run out of animals to execute, and Queen Victoria advertises her exercise DVD.
Episode 13
Jul 9, 2009 · 30 min
A lazy aristocrat invents the sandwich, the Romans host their own revolting cookery show and William Shakespeare is haunted by the ghost of King Richard III.