1. Lights in the Darkness

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

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.

4. To Kill a King

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

In the 18th century, trade and conquest funds an explosion of creativity, and art stirs a growing social conscience.

6. Rise of the Cities

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

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

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.