About this season
An alternative history of the British Isles, told through art. Looking at 1,500 years and eight dramatic turning points, acclaimed artists and thinkers encounter key historic art works from across the UK that have shaped the history of the British Isles and inspired their own work.
Episodes (8)
1. Lights in the Darkness
Aired 7 April 2022 • 58 min
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.
2. Revolution of the Dead
Aired 14 April 2022 • 59 min
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.
3. Queens, Feuds and Faith
Aired 21 April 2022 • 59 min
Episode three looks at the story of the 16th century religious revolution, as England and other parts of the British Isles turned to Protestantism.
4. To Kill a King
Aired 28 April 2022 • 58 min
A splintering of politics and religion in the British Isles under the Stuart kings leads to more questioning art, new science and architecture.
5. Consumers and Conscience
Aired 5 May 2022 • 58 min
In the 18th century, trade and conquest funds an explosion of creativity, and art stirs a growing social conscience.
6. Rise of the Cities
Aired 12 May 2022 • 58 min
With the industrial revolution transforming the British Isles, cities and country are divided and artists respond to the upheaval to lives and the landscape.
7. Wars and Peace
Aired 19 May 2022 • 59 min
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.
8. Brilliant Isles
Aired 26 May 2022 • 59 min
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.