Secrets of the Lost Ark

Art movements were rife with hocus pocus during the early part of the twentieth century. Commissioning Editor Waldemar Januszczak as part of a major arts series looking at the history of Modernism.

Myths die hard, and the history of the 20th century is no exception to this rule. Even today, we hold popular beliefs that we take for Evangelical truths. Thus, we believe that Hiroshima caused Japan to surrender, that the Marshall Plan saved Europe, that Adolf Hitler was a military genius, or that Mao Zedong was a necessary evil for China’s modernization. Of course, these judgements contain some truth; but, too broad-stroked to be accurate, they contradict the historical reality by denying its complexity. What if the truth was slightly different? Through an exploration of great national or international myths, this full archive documentary collection revisits the key moments of the 20th century with a new perspective in order to provide a new, smarter and more subtle interpretation, bringing elements to light that have been forgotten or sometimes overshadowed.

One of the most important historical investigations carried out by Rai, signed by the great Sergio Zavoli with the collaboration of Luciano Onder and Edek Osser and the scientific consultancy of Alberto Aquarone, Gaetano Arfé, Renzo De Felice, Gabriele De Rosa, Gastone Manacorda and Salvatore Valitutti. The six-part series, broadcast for the first time in the autumn of 1972, represented, half a century after the "March on Rome", a significant assessment of the years of the advent of the Mussolini regime, recalled with the rigor of the best television journalism (Saint-Vincent Award 1973) and through the direct testimonies of over fifty protagonists of the time, both fascists and anti-fascists.

This gripping documentary miniseries investigates the mystery of two 1300-year-old burial ships from the Viking Age. With dramatic reconstructions and unearthed evidence, follow key archaeologists as they investigate the remains, and reveal how they fundamentally alter our understanding of Viking Europe.

Tutankhamun, Ramses the Great, Cleopatra, Khufu…these legendary pharaohs built the wonders of Karnak, Luxor and the pyramids of Giza before their civilization faded into obscurity. But in 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte’s expedition to Egypt reopened the doors to a forgotten world and ignited a fascination with Ancient Egypt that continues to this day. Bold explorers, such as Jean-François Champollion and Giovanni Battista Belzoni, risked everything to unearth these wonders. Archaeology became a conquest, and Egypt’s heritage was plundered by tomb raiders - until Auguste Mariette laid the foundations of modern Egyptology. This immersive series reveals the splendor of the pharaohs and the feats of the explorers.

What does Christmas mean to some of our best-loved personalities? Anita Rani meets three famous faces to hear how their festive memories reflect their lives, careers and faith.

A thrilling expedition across Bolivia in search of the most venomous snakes in this remote country. The main goal is to discover a new species unknown to science: a large pitviper that has not been classified yet. It will be tracked down and filmed alive for the first time. Spanish herpetologists Juan Timms and Jairo Cuevas embark on a perilous expedition across remote Bolivia, determined to capture the country's most venomous snakes. Their ultimate prize? Discovering a new, unclassified species of massive pitviper, known only from a single photograph.

This programme aims to tell the stories behind the most impactful projects and components of the Thai entertainment industry.

Secrets emerge and entire cases unravel inside a police interview room in Paris, where suspects and investigators face off in an intricate dance.

Nearly 40 years after his summertime reign of terror on the streets of Los Angeles, the myth of the "Night Stalker" still looms large. Now, a series of prison recordings of Richard Ramirez unearths new truths