Could a set of hieroglyphs be about to change the face of Ancient Egypt for ever? Doctor Viv Davies claims that this recent discovery proves that in 800 BC, Egypt was under the rule of 'black Pharaohs' from neighbouring Nubia. As the British Museum prepares an international exhibition of additional finds that seem to corroborate his assertion, this programme accompanies Doctor Davies on his final digs to unearth more clues to the lives of these long-forgotten rulers. 4/6.
When a handful of British volunteers were pitted against the might of the German battleship Tirpitz in 1943, official records described the raid as the most daring attack of the Second World War. Four-man X-class midget submarines battled for 11 days across arctic seas to the impregnable Norwegian fjord where Germany's biggest ship awaited them. While crew members from two of the vessels survived, mystery has always surrounded the role of the X5's crew. Now a team of divers seeks out the truth in order to reveal the story of the unsung heroes. 2/6.
Could the British Secret Service be linked with a murder that, for nearly 90 years, has been attributed to self-confessed culprit Prince Felix Yusupov? Acting with a group of fellow conspirators, he is said to have poisoned, shot, and finally drowned the allegedly mad monk Grigori Rasputin in the Russian city of St Petersburg in 1916. Former Scotland Yard commander and murder detective Richard Cullen travels back to the scene of the crime to re-examine the evidence. NEW SERIES 1/6.
He's best known for having suffered bouts of mental illness and losing the American colonies, but what was King George III really like? With contributions from the Prince of Wales, Timewatch re-examines the life of Britain's longest-reigning king who, despite a painful metabolic condition, was a dutiful, plain-living monarch whose 60 years on the throne saw a flowering of the arts and sciences. 5/5.
On 30 December 1915 the Persia, a passenger ship loaded with gold bullion bound for Bombay, was torpedoed by the notorious U-boat ace Max Valentiner, killing over ## people and sending the liner to the bottom of the sea. For 88 years, the wreck's whereabouts has remained a mystery. However, salvage experts Moya and Alec Crawford believe they can locate the Persia - and her precious cargo. 2/5.
Examining the UFO phenomenon in Britain since the 1950s, when alleged sightings began and Clement Attlee formed the Flying Saucer Working Party. The documentary recalls how UFOs became a symbol of the communist threat during the Cold War and - with access to previously secret files - shows how paranoia over these mysterious vessels struck at the heart of the political, military, and royal establishments. NEW SERIES 1/5.