All Seasons

Season 1

  • S01E01 Episode 1

    • April 16, 2009
    • CBBC

    A pirate captain worries about an early bedtime, a soldier from World War I struggles to cook with fake food and the four King Georges form a boy band.

  • S01E02 Episode 2

    • April 23, 2009
    • BBC One

    A Stone Age doctor tries to help a modern patient, a whining pharaoh invents the pyramid and Henry VIII meets his dead friends.

  • S01E03 Episode 3

    • April 30, 2009
    • BBC One

    A Roman emperor finds a nasty alternative to candles, an Egyptian tries to save money on mummification, and the Roundheads and Cavaliers take part in Historical Wife Swap.

  • S01E04 Episode 4

    • May 7, 2009
    • BBC One

    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.

  • S01E05 Episode 5

    • May 14, 2009
    • BBC One

    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.

  • S01E06 Episode 6

    • May 21, 2009
    • BBC One

    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.

  • S01E07 Episode 7

    • May 28, 2009
    • BBC One

    There is a terrible smell in the Houses of Parliament, Cinderella struggles with the Blitz, and Helen of Troy reveals her complicated love life.

  • S01E08 Episode 8

    • June 4, 2009
    • BBC One

    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.

  • S01E09 Episode 9

    • June 11, 2009
    • BBC One

    A Victorian inspector checks that school is suitably cruel, HHTV News reports live from the Great Plague, and Thumbelina drowns unpleasantly.

  • S01E10 Episode 10

    • June 18, 2009
    • BBC One

    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.

  • S01E11 Episode 11

    • June 25, 2009
    • BBC One

    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.

  • S01E12 Episode 12

    • July 2, 2009
    • BBC One

    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.

  • S01E13 Episode 13

    • July 9, 2009
    • BBC One

    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.

Season 2

  • S02E01 Episode 1

    • May 31, 2010
    • BBC One

    A prank-loving emperor hosts a dinner party on Roman Come Dine with Me, the Durham Home Guard injure themselves while learning first aid, and the Viking rock band paint the town red... literally.

  • S02E02 Episode 2

    • June 1, 2010
    • BBC One

    A pirate captain regrets stealing a herd of seasick cows, a Georgian sportsman invents a whole new way of boxing, King Charles II raps about his party lifestyle, and the Georgian army goes to war against a bunch of naughty schoolboys.

  • S02E03 Episode 3

    • June 2, 2010
    • BBC One

    In Ancient Greece, it's time for Spartan High School Musical, a jester breaks bad news to Henry VIII using armpit raspberries, learn how to stay fit with the Caveman Workout, and Roman emperor Nero stars in a (not very) romantic movie.

  • S02E04 Episode 4

    • June 3, 2010
    • BBC One

    Britain's greatest sailor, Admiral Nelson, turns out to be horribly seasick, two doctors from the Middle Ages argue over how to treat a patient, discover the many uses for an Incan llama, and the World War 2 Girls sing about Girl Power on the Home Front.

  • S02E05 Episode 5

    • June 4, 2010
    • BBC One

    An Incan kid has the worst birthday ever, a Roman farmer meets a door-to-door poo salesman, and King George IV embarks on a solo musical career.

  • S02E06 Episode 6

    • June 8, 2010
    • BBC One

    The Ug and Ugio families go head to head on Stone Age Family Fortunes, mad King George III's doctors are even madder than he is, and Emperor Elagabalus launches his pranktastic Roman lottery.

  • S02E07 Episode 7

    • June 15, 2010
    • BBC One

    Joan of Arc gets a visit from a confused angel, a pirate captain tries to make his crew dress like ladies, and Mrs Celt enjoys being a Roman on Historical Wife Swap.

  • S02E08 Episode 8

    • June 22, 2010
    • BBC One

    Some Vikings attack a monastery but can't remember why, a peasant gets a posh makeover on Georgian Fashion Fix, Crimewatch BC tries to solve the murder of Julius Caesar, and prepare to be confused by the Egyptian Hieroglyphics song.

  • S02E09 Episode 9

    • June 29, 2010
    • BBC One

    The Stuarts are confused by the newly-discovered drink of tea, a Viking funeral ends in a massive fight, a child evacuated in the Blitz thinks farm animals are monsters, and some cowboys sing about life in the Wild West.

  • S02E10 Episode 10

    • July 6, 2010
    • BBC One

    King Charles I sends someone else to get married for him, a new recruit regrets joining the Georgian army, and Queen Cleopatra reveals her weird beauty secrets.

  • S02E11 Episode 11

    • July 13, 2010
    • BBC One

    Barmy Roman emperor Caligula fails to invade Britain so collects seashells instead, King Henry VIII plays tennis while Anne Boleyn is executed, and some naughty Saxon monks throw a funky party.

  • S02E12 Episode 12

    • July 20, 2010
    • BBC One

    Ug and Grunt demonstrate how to paint like a caveman, some silly World War Two codebreakers forget their own code, and Henry VIII challenges the King of France to a wrestlemania-style smackdown!

  • S02E13 Episode 13

    • July 25, 2011
    • BBC One

    A compilation of the songs from the season, featuring Spartan High School Musical, the Viking Rock Band, punky Queen Boudica, Incan emperor Pachacuti, the posh rapping of Charles II, Blackbeard the Pirate, George IV going solo, the Victorian Inventions song, and the World War 2 Girls.

Season 3

  • S03E01 Episode 1

    • May 30, 2011
    • BBC One

    Meet an annoying French prankster from the Middle Ages, witness bizarre Aztec food on Historical Masterchef, see what happens when Queen Elizabeth I needs the toilet, and learn how not to impress a woman in Victorian times -a painful lesson in manners. The truth about Dick Turpin in song; certainly no New Romantic.

  • S03E02 Episode 2

    • May 31, 2011
    • BBC One

    Some medieval knights discover the most disgusting way to attack a castle, the Saxons demonstrate the stupidest way to lose a battle, a Georgian goes shopping in a modern pet shop, and the kings and queens of England demonstrate how to remember them all, through the power of song.

  • S03E03 Episode 3

    • June 1, 2011
    • BBC One

    A confused World War I soldier spends his first day in the trenches, William Wallace launches his music career as a rock rebel, Lady Jane Grey wins a frankly terrible competition, and the Welsh women of Fishguard defeat a French invasion without even trying.

  • S03E04 Episode 4

    • June 2, 2011
    • BBC One

    An unusual Stuart highwayman doesn't always steal cash, a modern detective struggles to solve a series of murders in Emperor Caligula's house, HHTV goes undercover to prove allegations of cheating in Middle Ages jousting tournaments, and King George IV meets his dead relatives.

  • S03E05 Episode 5

    • June 3, 2011
    • BBC One

    A Welsh prince from the Middle Ages has a very stupid death, King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette go on Historical Wife Swap with some starving French peasants, a Tudor peasant gets a super-hot makeover from Historical Fashion Fix, and Queen Cleopatra sings about her femme fatale reputation.

  • S03E06 Episode 6

    • June 7, 2011
    • BBC One

    Henry VIII promotes his all meat, no vegetables diet plan, Bob Hale struggles desperately to explain the Middle Ages War of the Roses, a Stone Age man invents farming, and Admiral Nelson confuses everyone with his last words.

  • S03E07 Episode 7

    • June 14, 2011
    • BBC One

    Robert Walpole struggles to talk to England's German king, a Scottish sportsman attacks dead cows in the Highland Games, American inventor Paul Revere demonstrates his gunpowder toothpaste, and the Roman Emperors channel the King of Pop in their musical argument over who's baddest of all.

  • S03E08 Episode 8

    • June 21, 2011
    • BBC One

    HHTV reporter Mike Peabody gets caught up in the French Revolution, Henry VIII enjoys a highly dangerous sport for children, Saxon King Ethelred the Unready suffers online bullying from the Vikings, and the Suffragettes set the record straight in song.

  • S03E09 Episode 9

    • June 28, 2011
    • BBC One

    The Vikings launch their advert for 'We Sell Any Monk', Queen Elizabeth I surprises her court with some very odd laws, the sacrifice obsessed Aztec priests sing their gruesome disco song, and we discover the Roman equivalent of text messaging.

  • S03E10 Episode 10

    • July 5, 2011
    • BBC One

    We rejoice in the odd marriage of Mary I and Philip II of Spain, whilst a pirate chef disgusts the judges on Historical Masterchef and a Stone Age man appears on Dragons' Den with his innovative inventions. Plus, the Victorian paramedics offer their bizarre medical advice to a modern patient.

  • S03E11 Episode 11

    • July 12, 2011
    • BBC One

    Some WWI soldiers try some very unusual ways to cure frostbite in the winter. Plus, the not at all romantic movie starring William the Conqueror, the story of Aztec Emperor Motecuhzoma, and a strange Stuart doctor takes a snooze during the middle of a battle.

  • S03E12 Episode 12

    • July 19, 2011
    • BBC One

    The people of Strasbourg literally can't stand still with 'Dance Fever', HHTV presenter Fearne Polyester reports from a bizarre Greek festival, two Celtic warriors hold a rap battle to see who is best at boasting, and King Charles II meets the man who tried to steal the Crown Jewels.

  • S03E13 Episode 13

    • July 26, 2011
    • BBC One

    Savage Songs compilation. Featuring the hip hop battle of the boasting Celts, pop superstar Cleopatra, rock rebel William Wallace, the soulful Suffragettes, the funky Aztec priests, the crooning caveman, bad boy heartthrob Dick Turpin, pouting Richard III, the children of the Victorian workhouses, and the many, many, merry monarchs!

Season 4

  • SPECIAL 0x3 Horrible Histories Big Prom Party

    • July 30, 2011
    • BBC One

    As part of the 2011 BBC Proms, the cast of Horrible Histories join up with the Aurora Orchestra, the Choir from the Music Centre, the Kids Company Choir and a group of dancers for a special event. The show features a selection of songs from the first three series, some excerpts from classical pieces and original sketches.

  • S04E01 Episode 1

    • April 9, 2012
    • BBC One

    Dick Whittington pitches a movie about his life, Stone Age technology geeks queue for hours at the unveiling of the Bronze Age, and some German bomber pilots find an unfortunate use for a tourist guidebook to Britain.

  • S04E02 Episode 2

    • April 10, 2012
    • BBC One

    Henry VIII appears on a TV show hoping to raise money from his antique abbeys. Also, Charles Darwin sings about his theory of Natural Selection, and a pirate captain aims to be Lord Sugar's next Historical Apprentice.

  • S04E03 Episode 3

    • April 11, 2012
    • BBC One

    Queen Elizabeth I goes online dating, Greek philosopher Socrates foils his own rescue from prison, and Emicho of the Rhineland goes crusading with some very unusual Sat Navs to lead the way.

  • S04E04 Episode 4

    • April 12, 2012
    • BBC One

    HHTV's War Reporter Mike Peabody regrets his decision to cover the Norman Siege of Palermo, the Pilgrim Fathers rap about Jamestown in America, and a German submarine captain has the worst toilet accident in history.

  • S04E05 Episode 5

    • April 13, 2012
    • BBC One

    Some Bronze Agers argue about building the world's first city, Bob Hale explains the entire history of the Renaissance, Mary Seacole sings about her Crimean hotel, and William Shakespeare gets into a rap battle.

  • S04E06 Episode 6

    • April 20, 2012
    • BBC One

    A confused Christopher Columbus declares he has found India and a Georgian woman reveals her very Stupid Death. Also, Victoria and Albert attend the Great Exhibition and Tsar Peter III brings a very weird case to the Court of Historical Law.

  • S04E07 Episode 7

    • April 27, 2012
    • BBC One

    Emperor Napoleon plays in a very unusual chess match, a Victorian inventor builds an anti-seasickness ship with one small design flaw, a snowball fight breaks out at a public execution and the British army hires a dead tramp to defeat the Germans in World War II.

  • S04E08 Episode 8

    • May 4, 2012
    • BBC One

    Emperor Nero visits the victims of the Great Fire of Rome, some Crusaders attend a training course on how to fight weird monsters, and we meet the man with the best (and worst) job in Tudor England.

  • S04E09 Episode 9

    • May 11, 2012
    • BBC One

    King Edward III gets married in a building site, Julius Caesar reveals his secret tips on hiding baldness, we learn the tricks of the criminal trade on the Real Victorian Hustle and we meet Renaissance Italy's most corrupt family: the Borgias.

  • S04E10 Episode 10

    • May 18, 2012
    • BBC One

    William the Conqueror has some trouble conquering the town of Ely, Greek philosopher Diogenes reveals his disgusting tactic for getting rid of people he doesn't like, a Saxon joins a modern dating agency and there is a surprise in store for the people on Victorian Wife Swap.

  • S04E11 Episode 11

    • May 25, 2012
    • BBC One

    Dr Culpeper invites us all to his highly unhealthy health spa, a Crusader knight competes on Historical Masterchef, King John worries about all the internet haters and crooner William Shakespeare serenades us with his big band.

  • S04E12 Episode 12

    • June 1, 2012
    • BBC One

    A Victorian woman books a ticket on a very odd railway, a modern patient is (mis)treated by a Roman dentist, Alfred the Great pitches a movie about his life, and a Greek geek competes on Historical Mastermind.

  • S04E13 Episode 13

    • June 4, 2012
    • BBC One

    A compilation of the songs from the season, featuring We're the Thinkers, Mary I, William Shakespeare & the Quills, It's a New World (Pilgrim Fathers), Luddites!, Victoria & Albert: A Love Ballad, Mary Seacole, Natural Selection, and The Few.

Season 5

  • S05E01 Episode 1

    • May 27, 2013
    • BBC One

    The Saxon gods form an unlikely team of superheroes; famous astronaut Neil Armstrong reveals his new weight loss programme; we meet Georgian London's crime-fighting genius, and Rosa Parks sings about her struggle for equality.

  • S05E02 Episode 2

    • May 28, 2013
    • BBC One

    Featuring a surprisingly charming Stuart highwayman; the Captain of the Titanic holds the world's worst safety briefing; famous writer Mary Shelley pitches the movie of her life; and those violent Vikings show their softer side in a song.

  • S05E03 Episode 3

    • May 29, 2013
    • BBC One

    The boys test their horsepower to the max on Stone Age Top Gear; Charles Dickens sings about his life and books; the Greek philosophers host weird dinner parties on Historical Come Dine With Me; and Vlad the Impaler reveals his horrible new plan for keeping out the neighbours.

  • S05E04 Episode 4

    • May 30, 2013
    • BBC One

    Featuring the rather eccentric Georgian philosopher Jeremy Bentham; super-rich Roman politician Crassus raps about his blinging lifestyle; some unusual soldiers are recruited into WW2; and Johannes Gutenberg goes head-to-head with some monks on The Historical Apprentice.

  • S05E05 Episode 5

    • May 31, 2013
    • BBC One

    Famous monk St Augustine struggles to introduce Christianity to Saxon England; Stuart diarist Samuel Pepys annoys the smartest men in Britain; we witness a daring escape from the Tower of London; and Joan of Arc's story is quite an unusual one for a teenage girl.

  • S05E06 Episode 6

    • June 4, 2013
    • BBC One

    Queen Victoria's coronation doesn't go quite as planned, George IV pulls out all the stops to impress his guests on Historical Come Dine With Me, ancient Greek bighead Alexander the Great refuses to stop conquering things, and the HH Sport team report live from the horrible pirate races.

  • S05E07 Episode 7

    • June 11, 2013
    • BBC One

    Roman emperor Caesar Augustus reveals the lazy secret of his success, TV's most excitable reporter, Bob Hale, explains the very, very complex history of WW2, we meet Georgian England's most forgetful vicar, and Welsh hero Owain Glyndwr takes on the English in battle.

  • S05E08 Episode 8

    • June 18, 2013
    • BBC One

    The surprising identity of Britain's top-scoring footballer is revealed, things get ridiculous on Germany's version of Historical Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, a Celtic farmer isn't terribly keen on plans for Hadrian's Wall, and the brainy pioneers of transportation sing about their inventions.

  • S05E09 Episode 9

    • June 25, 2013
    • BBC One

    There is public confusion when King Charles II bans coffee shops, a seasick chicken ruins a Roman sea battle, mighty Egyptian Pharaoh, Ramesses II, meets some smelly peasants on Historical Wife Swap, and a cave-dwelling Stone Age couple try to buy their first house.

  • S05E10 Episode 10

    • July 2, 2013
    • BBC One

    A Victorian businessman goes undercover in his own factory, there's a right royal squabble over who should rule medieval England, we meet eccentric Georgian politician Mad Jack Mytton and the Real Tudor Hustle reveals the cleverest con tricks by naughty historical criminals.

  • S05E11 Episode 11

    • July 9, 2013
    • BBC One

    DI Bones investigates an unusual Victorian traffic accident, Roman scientist Pliny the Elder suffers a Stupid Death in ancient Pompeii, Prime Ministers Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill argue online over what to do about Adolf Hitler, and we discover the horrible history of early Australia.

  • S05E12 Episode 12

    • July 16, 2013
    • BBC One

    Featuring a female dinosaur expert who sells seashells down on the seashore, Brian the handsome scientist reveals the weird wonders of the Greek Universe, TV's fastest-talking pensioner, Bob Hale, tries to explain the Space Race between the USA and the USSR, and there's a fitting musical finale to the end of the series.

  • S05E13 Episode 13

    • July 22, 2013
    • BBC One

    Some of history's greatest characters serenade us with tales of their lives. Featuring the all-conquering Alexander the Great, the cash-loving Crassus, the feisty Joan of Arc, the brilliant but miserable Charles Dickens, and the very determined Rosa Parks.

Season 6

  • S06E01 Magna Carta Special: Crooked King John and Magna Carta

    • February 13, 2015
    • BBC One

    Horrible Histories returns for a special about King John and Magna Carta, starring Ben Miller. John annoys the Barons and agrees Magna Carta at Runnymede, after a banging rap battle. Meanwhile across the world we meet the formidable Genghis Khan in Mongolia, and catch up with the crafty Saladin during the Crusades. With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!

  • S06E02 Awesome Alfred the Great Special

    • May 25, 2015
    • BBC One

    A special episode about King Alfred the Great, starring Tom Rosenthal. Watch Alfred argue with his older brothers then defeat the Vikings using his cunning hit-and-run tactics, summoning the spirit of Ed Sheeran. Meanwhile, across the world, Ant and Dec host a very special Chinese edition of I'm A Celebrity, and the Egyptians tell us how healthcare should really be done. With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!

  • S06E03 Wicked William the Conqueror Special

    • June 1, 2015
    • BBC One

    A special episode about William the Conqueror, starring Kevin Eldon. We meet young William, Duke of Normandy, as he quarrels with Harold Godwinson about who should be King of England, before bashing the English and taking the crown at the famous Battle of Hastings in 1066! Meanwhile, across the world we discover Chinese technology light years ahead of the dunderheaded Normans and Saxons in England, and meet one of the world's first scientists in Egypt. With, of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!

  • S06E04 Mardy Mary Queen of Scots Special

    • June 8, 2015
    • BBC One

    A special episode about Mary Queen of Scots, starring Jessica Ransom. This episode follows the young Mary as she stumbles from young girl in Scotland to queen in France, back to queen in Scotland and finally to Elizabeth I's public enemy no 1 - with a bit of Queenian Rhapsody thrown in for good measure! Meanwhile, across the world we meet silver-nosed Danish scientist Tycho Brahe, and Mr H gives us his unique take on the epic Battle of Lepanto in another History's Craziest Fools. With, of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!

  • S06E05 Naughty Napoleon Special

    • June 15, 2015
    • BBC One

    A special episode about the great French leader Napoleon Bonaparte, starring Jim Howick. We follow Napoleon as he rises from humble beginnings to be the Emperor of France, bashing most of Europe along the way, and ultimately meeting his Waterloo at, well, Waterloo! Meanwhile, across the world we meet the Indian traveller who brought shampoo to the world. With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!

  • S06E06 Horrid Henry VIII Special

    • June 22, 2015
    • BBC One

    A special episode about King Henry VIII, starring Rowan Atkinson. We meet the young Henry as he struggles with his boring dad Henry VII, before becoming king himself and going through wives like most people go through toothbrushes! Meanwhile, across the world we meet the great Ottoman leader Suleiman the Magnificent in Turkey, and the mad, bad, and very dangerous to know Emperor Zhengde in China. With, of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!

  • S06E07 Crafty Cleopatra Special

    • June 29, 2015
    • BBC One

    A special episode of the historical sketch show about the great Egyptian queen Cleopatra, starring Kathryn Drysdale. We meet Cleo as she clashes with her brother, seizes power and hooks up with great Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Meanwhile, across the world, we catch up with the thoughts of famous Chinese philosopher Confucius and encounter the less glamorous side of life in Rome. With, of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!

  • S06E08 Gorgeous George III Special

    • July 6, 2015
    • BBC One

    A special episode of the historical sketch show about King George III, starring Simon Farnaby. We follow George from a young unpopular king to a much loved figure some 60 years later, and check out a bit of his court life along the way. Meanwhile across the world we hear about some of the words we have got from India, and the Battles of the Day team give us their unique insight into the American Revolution. With, of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!

  • S06E09 Bolshy Boudica Special

    • July 13, 2015
    • BBC One

    A special episode of the historical sketch show, focusing on the great British Queen Boudica, starring Lorna Watson from Watson & Oliver. We follow Boudica as she turns against her Roman masters and unleashes her wrecking ball on Colchester, St Albans and London. It is cut-throat Celts versus rotten Romans - it's going to be very gory! Meanwhile, across the world, we meet famous emperors Caligula and Nero, dishing out their own unique brand of Imperial nastiness. With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!

  • S06E10 Wily Winston Churchill Special

    • July 20, 2015
    • BBC One

    A special episode of the historical sketch show about Winston Churchill, starring Jim Howick. We follow Churchill from a young soldier in India during the time of Queen Victoria, through the First World War, to victory in World War II, and finally to his retirement in the Swinging Sixties - what a journey! Meanwhile across the world we meet the American soldier literally spreading propaganda around the battlefields, and learn about Gandhi's more eccentric side. With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!

  • S06E11 Tricky Queen Vicky Special

    • July 27, 2015
    • BBC One

    A special episode of the historical sketch show about Queen Victoria, starring Sarah Hadland. We meet young Vicky as she becomes queen aged only 18, marries her true love Albert, and has to put up with the open sewers at the not-so-luxurious Buckingham Palace. Meanwhile, across the world, we catch up with Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, and discover plans for the Great Hedge of India. Yes, hedge! With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!

  • S06E12 'Orrible Oliver Cromwell Special

    • August 3, 2015
    • BBC One

    A special episode of the historical sketch show about Oliver Cromwell. We follow Oliver as he rises from obscurity, challenges King Charles I in the English Civil War, and ultimately orders the King's execution - as he says, a it was a 'cruel necessity'. In other parts of Britain we meet a bunch of oddly named Puritan soldiers, and the great writers Shakespeare and Milton square up for a word battle. With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!

  • S06E13 Rotten Rulers Special

    • August 10, 2015
    • BBC One

    A special episode of the historical sketch show featuring all your favourite rotten rulers from the series. Including naughty Napoleon annoying his Josephine and horrid Henry VIII getting married again! There's also a song from wily Winston Churchill and of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!

  • S06E14 It's a Wicked World Special

    • August 17, 2015
    • BBC One

    A special episode of the historical sketch show, featuring ghastly Genghis Khan, the wise Confucius and a dance-off during a naval battle! There's also a Bollywood number from Queen Victoria. With Rattus to guide the way.

  • S06E15 Savage Songs Special

    • August 24, 2015
    • BBC One

    A special episode of the historical sketch show, featuring all your favourite songs from the series! Sing along with King Alfred about his burnt cakes, or with Henry VIII about his love of reformation - or get down Norman-style with William the Conqueror. With of course, our host Rattus to guide the way!

Season 7

  • S07E01 Monstrous Musicians

    • June 15, 2017
    • BBC One

    Horrible Histories reveals history's most monstrous musicians. From the earliest screeches of the Neanderthal, right through to Jimi Hendrix burning his guitar, Rattus Rattus guides us through the story of music making, even bumping into Simon Cowell at Beethoven's 'H Factor' audition.

  • S07E02 Exceptional Explorers

    • July 24, 2017
    • BBC One

    Horrible Histories goes pear-shaped in an explorers special, meeting Christopher Columbus as he tries to teach a class that the world is indeed shaped like a pear. On the strict instructions of Emperor Nero, some hapless Roman centurions are quite literally stuck in the mud, searching for the source of the Nile. And intrepid Arctic explorer Peter Freuchen has to dig his way out of the snow with a frozen poo. From the Vikings' first small steps on American soil to humankind's first giant leaps on the moon, join Horrible Histories on this epic adventure.

  • S07E03 Ridiculous Romantics

    • July 31, 2017
    • BBC One

    Horrible Histories charts the path towards true love. Henry VIII enlists the help of maitre d' Fred Sirieix as he tries to find the right wife on Historic First Dates. Elsewhere, we sample some medieval Munich love magic, see how Renaissance men tried to impress the ladies, listen to some of history's greatest love letters, and watch as King Alfonso of Spain's wedding takes a turn he's not expecting...

  • S07E04 Atrocious Artists

    • August 7, 2017
    • BBC One

    A look at some of history's greatest artists, from the first images painted onto the walls of caves through to Chris Ofili's work with elephant poo. We'll discover the most stolen painting in history, how Picasso and Dali found innovative ways of paying for things without using money, the horror of painting people smiling, and see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Renaissance Artists help a lady in distress. Sort of.

  • S07E05 Heroic Heroes & Villainous Villains

    • August 14, 2017
    • BBC One

    Horrible Histories takes a look at the world's greatest heroes and villains. On the heroic side, we have everything from Douglas Bader's frequent escapes to the first men on the moon and Martin Luther King Jr, whereas our more villainous side contains Al Capone and Rameses the Great, and Steve Biceps brings us History's Deadly 60.

  • S07E06 Ingenious Inventors

    • August 21, 2017
    • BBC One

    Mankind's most ingenious inventors are given the Horrible Histories treatment, as we take in everything from the invention of the wheel to the crisp. Featuring the Gutenberg press, the man who invented both the dictionary (very successfully) and manned flight (less successfully). Also the Greeks and the Chinese battle as to which of them are history's best inventors.

  • S07E07 Preposterous US Presidents

    • August 28, 2017
    • BBC One

    Horrible Histories takes a look at America and its various presidents, from George Washington to the present day, including President Jackson's rude parrot, the establishment of the Secret Service, German cowboys, and spy Mary Elizabeth Bowser.

  • S07E08 Ruthless Rulers

    • September 4, 2017
    • BBC One

    A look at the most ruthless rulers of all time. Henry VIII is so demanding he has a brick wall built at his bedroom door every night, those vicious Vikings find that sorry seems to be the hardest word, hold your nose in Versailles, because Louis XIV hasn't got any loos, and rock out with the Warlords from Hell.

  • S07E09 Revolting Russian Revolutions

    • September 11, 2017
    • BBC One

    On its 100th anniversary, Horrible Histories takes a look at the Russian Revolution. Tsar Nicholas II gives tips for survival in Russia's extreme climate, and we reveal that Lenin's European Communism lecture tour took in a trip to London Zoo. Lenin also provides beauty advice on how to look good even after death! Meanwhile, Dave TDS finds out just how hard it is to invade Russia, and we listen to Uncle Joe Stalin's Nursery Rhymes and find out that, at one point, he also decided that the key to world domination might, in fact, lie in poo.

  • S07E10 Horrid Health

    • September 18, 2017
    • BBC One

    A look at the hideous history of health, from the invention of toilet paper to the healthy origins of the cornflake. Along the way we discover that the Mayans believe that drinking wee could cure all ills, that the Tudors had to teach themselves how to swim again (everyone had forgotten), Victorians had a taste in beauty products that was literally shocking, and we take an in-depth look at Louis XIV's bottom problems.

  • S07E11 Formidable Florence Nightingale

    • March 8, 2018
    • BBC One

    There is much more to Florence Nightingale than being 'The Lady with the Lamp'. We follow Florence as she embarks on her journey to help the soldiers in the Crimean War, and in doing so changes the world of nursing forever. Not to mention her obsession with unusually named cats.

  • S07E12 Deadly Dynasties

    • May 7, 2018
    • BBC One

    Horrible Histories takes a look at some of the most famous families that have shaped the world, including the Romanovs of Russia, the Tudors of England, and Ramesses and his children in Ancient Egypt ... all 162 of them! The First Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang takes the mic, and Rattus invites his nephew, Scrappus, to help explore the Great Rattus dynasty, but as we discover families are never straight forward.

  • S07E13 Savage Songs Special

    • May 7, 2018
    • BBC One

    An episode featuring some of history's finest songs (from the series, admittedly), as Rattus attempts to put together his own festival (the delightfully-named "Glastonsmelly"). From singing poos to tuneful Warlords, there's something for all musical tastes! Rattus has somehow also roped Brad from The Vamps in to help him out, although rather than playing live on the main stage, Brad's role seems to be more about unblocking the toilets just behind it...

  • S07E14 Amazing Ancient Civilisations Special

    • May 7, 2018
    • BBC One

    Horrible Histories presents our guide to Ancient Civilisations, featuring new sketches about Alexander the Great's first kiss, Emperor Nero's greatest hits, and how double parking in ancient times could result in being impaled, rather than fined. Also, Swill Gumbitz takes a look at Greek statues, the musical instrument that could make you poo yourself, and the evolution of bottom-wiping.

  • S07E15 Terrible Tudor Special

    • May 7, 2018
    • BBC One

    Chop, chop, it's Horrible Histories' Terrible Tudor Special, with everything you need to know about history's most famous family, from Henry VII through to Elizabeth I - and, along the way, also find out about Mary I in her vlog. Featuring a never-before-seen sketch with the murderous Medicis, hilarious outtakes, and a special one-off written by a CBBC competition winner - it's your one-stop Tudor shop.

Season 8

  • S08E01 Queen Vic's Home Vids

    • June 3, 2019
    • BBC One

    Featuring Victorian fake news, paparazzi, and camera men strapped to the front of moving trains, Queen Victoria shows you how her subjects invented and became obsessed with films!

  • S08E02 Fashion Faux Pas

    • June 3, 2019
    • BBC One

    The Horrible History of (sometimes literally) dressing to kill. Henry VIII has beef over whose armour is best and Louis XV dresses as a hedge.

  • S08E03 Chaotic Collabs

    • June 10, 2019
    • BBC One

    History tells of great minds coming together to achieve great things. It also tells of idiots combining to make an unholy mess. HH looks at some of the best and worst collaborations!

  • S08E04 Mind Your Manners

    • June 17, 2019
    • BBC One

    Fred Sirieix guides Rattus through the Horrible History of Manners, including the benefits of not holding farts in and Puritan dating,. And Jane Austen visits Historical Love Island.

  • S08E05 Fearsome Families

    • June 24, 2019
    • BBC One

    Queen Victoria lovingly forces several of her children to go on historical first dates, Leopold Mozart retires his 18-year-old daughter aged 18, and the Brontes sing about sisterhood.

  • S08E06 Bizarre Beasts

    • July 1, 2019
    • BBC One

    The history of our relationship with animals - Charles Darwin presents Yummy Planet, Elizabeth I’s menagerie has some 'lion trouble', and farting fish almost start a nuclear war.

  • S08E07 Moon Mayhem

    • July 8, 2019
    • BBC One

    Dara O Briain joins Rattus for a show marking the 1969 moon landings. The first use of rocket power, the Space Race, and poo floating in the Apollo 10 cockpit - it’s all here!

  • S08E08 Putrid Politics

    • July 22, 2019
    • BBC One

    Dani Dyer becomes Rattus’ political advisor as we look at everything from the birth of democracy to Margaret Thatcher having to change her voice so she would be taken more seriously.

  • S08E09 Heroic Home Front

    • September 9, 2019
    • BBC One

    A look at how World War II played out on the home front, featuring Churchill's secret loo, the heroic 'ATA Girls' and German spies being caught out by their delicious sausages.

  • S08E10 Fierce Females

    • March 8, 2020
    • BBC One

    A celebration of some of history’s greatest females, including Spartan Queen Gorgo terrorising Historical Love Island, supergroup The Tudor Queens and the original Wonder Women.

  • S08E11 Outrageous Olympics

    • July 17, 2020
    • CBBC

    Alex Scott joins Rattus for a sport-themed special. Mary Queen of Scots goes grief-golfing, the H2 Freestylers take on a whole village, and sports-mad Henry VIII sings Get Sweaty.

  • S08E12 Mayflower Malarkey

    • September 14, 2020
    • CBBC

    Washington, Jefferson, Queen Elizabeth I, social media sensation Zack Septic-Tank and a host of plucky Puritans star in a show marking 400 years since the Mayflower’s famous voyage

  • S08E13 Holly H Song Special

    • July 20, 2020
    • CBBC

    Social media star Holly H is Rattus’ guest as he launches his own radio station, BBC Radio Number Two, and plays a selection of musical greatest hits from the series.

  • S08E14 Fantastic Firsts Special

    • July 27, 2020
    • CBBC

    A special show featuring some of history's greatest firsts, including the first ever library, Olympic Games, people on the moon and rat roller-skating on TV!

  • S08E15 Beastly Bodily Functions Special

    • August 3, 2020
    • CBBC

    Doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken join Rattus for a selection of old and new sketches relating to bodies.

Season 9

  • S09E01 Black British History

    • April 30, 2021

    Horrible Histories charts the contribution of Black people to British life throughout history. How did African soldiers come to be guarding Hadrian’s Wall? Why was a West African diver asked to help salvage Henry VIII's ship, the Mary Rose? And the actor Ira Aldridge tells us how he came to leave New York to find fame in 19th-century England.

  • S09E02 Gruesome Guide to Growing Up

    • July 7, 2021
    • CBBC

    Life wasn’t always fun for children in the past. Horrible Histories delves into the not-so-easy lives of children throughout history, from the strict parenting of ancient civilisations, to the terrible fights the young King Louis XIV had with his little brother - even weeing on each other's beds! And find out just why Henry VIII was so keen for his son Edward VI to stay inside.

  • S09E03 Protesting with Pankhurst

    • August 19, 2021

    Protests about inequality or environmental damage are common today, but how have people protested in the past? Emmeline Pankhurst is our guide through this history of protest.

  • S09E04 Precious Planet

    • November 1, 2021
    • CBBC

    Charles Darwin hosts a timely look at how we’ve treated the throughout history. With Henry VIII, the inventor of the plastic bag and Judge Rinder!

  • S09E05 Dastardly Dance

    • November 26, 2021
    • CBBC

    Strictly’s Shirley Ballas joins Rattus for a waltz through the history of dance, with Bruno Tonioli as Nero, who had his dance teacher killed, and Queen Vic’s Highland reel!

  • S09E06 Cracking Christmas

    • December 10, 2021
    • CBBC

    Horrible Histories brings you a cracking Christmas special, delving into the origins of the festive season.

  • S09E07 Foul Feasting

    • January 7, 2022
    • CBBC

    Horrible Histories serves up the history of foul feasting, from Stone Age lentils to Queen Victoria’s anti-fart bread.

  • S09E08 Infectious Influencers

    • January 14, 2022
    • CBBC

    From Cleopatra's hairdo to Elizabeth I's flushing loo, meet history's biggest influencers.

  • S09E09 Banging Bling

    • January 21, 2022
    • CBBC

    From Henry VIII's wine fountain, to Empress Dowager's marble boat, Horrible Histories talks money, jewellery and untold treasures.

  • S09E10 Diabolical Daily Life

    • January 28, 2022
    • CBBC

    Daily routines throughout history, from waking in Ancient Egypt to Medieval Loo Man.

  • S09E11 Monstrous Myths

    • February 4, 2022
    • CBBC

    Count Rattula looks at history's greatest myths and monsters.

  • S09E12 Henry And Liz's Family Face-Off

    • February 11, 2022
    • CBBC

    Tudors King Henry VIII and daughter Queen Elizabeth I bicker about who was the best ruler.

  • S09E13 Cursed Careers

    • February 18, 2022
    • CBBC

    Rattus considers a career change, and luckily he has the whole of history to look through for ideas. Could he be an inventor like Babbage, or is the pirate life for him?

  • S09E14 Smash Hit Songs

    • February 25, 2022
    • CBBC

    Rattus has an idea that might make him millions – he is going to launch a streaming service. However, to make Ratify a success, he is going to need some great songs from history.

  • S09E15 Big BBC Birthday Bonanza

    • October 15, 2022
    • CBBC

    Horrible Histories celebrates 100 years of the BBC with this special episode. What was the secret of looking great on a 1930s TV show? How did the BBC try to defeat the Nazis using regional accents? And just what was a kangaroo doing at the launch of BBC Two? Our end song takes us through the history of children’s TV.

Season 10

  • S10E01 Daft Dads

    • June 16, 2023

    In honour of Father’s Day, Horrible Histories takes a look at some of history’s daftest dads, featuring Henry VIII, Charles Dickens, William the Conqueror and Joseph Stalin!

  • S10E02 NHS 75th Birthday Special

    • July 5, 2023
    • CBBC

    How did the NHS come into being? When was the first kidney transplant? Is half a chicken actually a cure for anything? Find out as comedian and former psychiatric nurse Jo Brand joins Rattus to host a special episode in honour of the NHS's 75th birthday.

  • S10E03 Foul Football

    • July 19, 2023
    • CBBC

    Legendary Lioness Jill Scott joins Rattus to look at the history of the beautiful game, including Shakespearean mentions, women’s football being banned and coffins on the pitch!

  • S10E04 Gruesome Gunpowder Plot

    • November 3, 2023
    • CBBC

    Horrible Histories presents the sometimes-ludicrous story of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot.

  • S10E05 Hideous Homes

    • February 2, 2024
    • CBBC

    From how Henry VIII had the most comfortable poo possible, to finding out which bit of his house Charles Dickens called The Demon - take a tour of horrible homes through history.

  • S10E06 Ruinous Rivals

    • February 9, 2024
    • CBBC

    From warring brothers to farting mothers, Horrible Histories presents some of the biggest, best and worst rivalries throughout time. Guest starring Rosie Jones, Fred Sirieix and Rob Rinder.

  • S10E07 Radical Renaissance

    • February 16, 2024
    • CBBC

    Legendary artists Da Vinci and Michelangelo are the guides for a journey through one of history’s most creative, and sometimes weirdest, periods.

  • S10E08 Gory Greek Myths

    • February 23, 2024
    • CBBC

    From trojan horses to sirens, Horrible Histories presents mythical mayhem - Greek style!

  • S10E09 The Chaotic Civil War

    • March 1, 2024
    • CBBC

    Take a journey through one of the weirdest, wildest periods in English history, featuring the only time that a king has been tried and executed for treason!

  • S10E10 Bewitching Books

    • March 7, 2024
    • CBBC

    Comedian and children’s author Rosie Jones is here to help Rattus choose his World Book Day outfit, and discover the gory details behind some favourite children's books!

  • S10E11 Terrifying Tower Of London

    • April 19, 2024
    • CBBC

  • SPECIAL 0x528 'Orrible Opera

    • September 8, 2023

    Henry VIII, Queen Victoria and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are our hosts for a special live concert as part of the BBC Proms season at London’s Royal Albert Hall, introducing us to the world of opera. Mozart is sure that the Horrible Histories audience will love opera, with all its grisly and gruesome stories. But Queen Victoria is not so sure, thinking opera is totally unsuitable for children. In fact, she thinks the audience need to leave at once! Can Mozart change her mind?

Additional Specials