E01 · Lights in the Darkness 58m
4/7/2022
Episode one immerses us in the turbulent era that followed the Roman occupation of Britain. After the Romans leave, waves of invasion reshape the Isles and their cultures: from glittering jewellery to carved stones to intricate manuscripts. Battles over identity and faith play out in art and culminate in the rise of a new vernacular language.
E02 · Revolution of the Dead 59m
4/14/2022
Episode two traces an alternative history of the Black Death of the Middle Ages. From the chaos of the Black Death comes creative renewal; survivors finding their voice through satire and a revived literature in English, including breakthrough works by women, and through new craft in cathedral building and stained glass.
E03 · Queens, Feuds and Faith 59m
4/21/2022
Episode three looks at the story of the 16th century religious revolution, as England and other parts of the British Isles turned to Protestantism.
E04 · To Kill a King 58m
4/28/2022
A splintering of politics and religion in the British Isles under the Stuart kings leads to more questioning art, new science and architecture.
E05 · Consumers and Conscience 58m
5/5/2022
In the 18th century, trade and conquest funds an explosion of creativity, and art stirs a growing social conscience.
E06 · Rise of the Cities 58m
5/12/2022
With the industrial revolution transforming the British Isles, cities and country are divided and artists respond to the upheaval to lives and the landscape.
E07 · Wars and Peace 59m
5/19/2022
The world wars force artists to grapple with destruction and savagery, challenging conventions and the old imperial order, while those fleeing war bring new ideas to Britain.
E08 · Brilliant Isles 59m
5/26/2022
In the final episode of the series, an explosion of new voices from across the British Isles reinvents the arts, creating a richer, more diverse culture.
