Secret Knowledge
In a series of authored films, some of our most engaging experts reveal their favourite hidden objects, forgotten places and artistic passions.
21 Episodes
E01 The Kimbolton Cabinet
Granted privileged access to the Victoria and Albert Museum after hours, John Bly seeks out the Kimbolton Cabinet, an exquisite piece of 18th-century English furniture that promises to reveal much about not only our nation's craft heritage but also his very own childhood.
March 5, 2013
E02 The Art of the Vikings
Through interpretations of some of the archaeological treasures of the Swedish National Museum, now on display in Edinburgh, Dr Janina Ramirez of Oxford University explores the fascinating wealth of Viking culture and its long-lasting influence on the British Isles.
March 5, 2013
E03 Bolsover Castle
Lucy Worsley tells the story of Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire. Built in the early 17th century, it became the pleasure palace of playboy Cavalier and ambitious courtier William Cavendish. Guiding us on a tour of the castle and its remarkable collection of artworks, Lucy brings to life the spectacular masque held by Cavendish to win the favour of King Charles I. And from within the walls of this eccentric architectural gem emerges a colourful tale, capturing the tensions of early 17th-century England that would eventually lead the nation to civil war.
March 27, 2013
E04 Walter Scott’s Castle
Stuart Kelly gets behind-the-scenes access as over 13,000 treasures are moved back into Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford House.
June 1, 2013
E05 Stradivarius and Me
Clemency Burton-Hill indulges in her lifelong passion for the violin as she explores the mysterious life and lasting influence of legendary violin maker Antonio Stradivari.
July 15, 2013
E07 The Art of Witchcraft
Artist Lachlan Goudie presents a personal documentary, inspired by his father, in which he investigates why witches have cast such a powerful spell over generations of artists.
August 29, 2013
E08 The Hidden Jewels of the Cheapside Hoard
Jewellery designer Shaun Leane uncovers some of the secrets of the hoard of nearly 500 Elizabethan and Jacobean jewels discovered by workmen in London's Cheapside district in 1912.
October 15, 2013
E09 Tracey Emin on Louise Bourgeois - Women Without Secrets
Tracey Emin offers an insight into the life and work of the French-American artist Louise Bourgeois, famed for her sculptures and installations embodying her personal emotions.
November 25, 2013
E10 Castiglione - Rogue Genius of the Baroque
Helen Rosslyn makes the case for troubled, turbulent 17th century printmaker and draftsman Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione to be seen as one of the great artists of the Baroque.
November 26, 2013
E11 Hogarth - One Man and His Pug
Lars Tharp appeals to the nation to help him recover a rare piece of long-lost William Hogarth memorabilia - a precious terracotta sculpture of the artist's beloved pet pug.
March 26, 2014
E12 The Russian Revolutionary: Zaha Hadid on Kazimir Malevich
Architect Zaha Hadid considers the influence of Russian abstract artist Kazimir Malevich's avant-garde art on her own avant-garde architecture.
September 9, 2014
E13 The Living Mountain: A Cairngorms Journey
Travel-writer Robert MacFarlane presents a documentary telling the story of Scottish poet and novelist Nan Shepherd and her book, The Living Mountain.
December 2, 2014
E14 In Search of Rory McEwen
Jools Holland tells the story of his father-in-law Rory McEwen - aristocrat, artist, folk singer and pioneering TV presenter, and the man who brought the blues to Britain.
February 13, 2015
E15 Wondrous Obsessions: The Cabinet of Curiosities
Professor Nandini Das reveals the story behind the Cabinet of Curiosities - the original collecting craze that began in Renaissance Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.
February 25, 2015
E16 The Private Life of a Dolls’ House
Lauren Child explores the history of dolls’ houses, speaks to craftspeople who create perfect miniatures and meets collectors willing to pay big money for tiny objects of desire.
March 3, 2015
E17 The Body Beautiful - Ancient Greeks, Good Looks and Glamour
Natalie Haynes takes a journey into ancient beauty and modern glamour, examining how our obsession with the body beautiful goes back to an era of stunning artistic achievement.
April 8, 2015
E18 Nina Simone and Me with Laura Mvula
In a personal tribute, British soul singer Laura Mvula travels to New York to celebrate the Nina Simone songs that mean most to her and explore their musical roots.
May 29, 2015
E19 Thomas Chatterton: The Myth of the Doomed Poet
Michael Symmons Roberts explores the mythic afterlife of the 18th-century poet Thomas Chatterton, whose early death was immortalised by poets, painters and photographers.
June 15, 2015
E20 The Art of the Impossible: MC Escher and Me
Sir Roger Penrose takes a personal journey through artist MC Escher's work, marvelling at his intuitive brilliance and the light it still sheds on complex mathematical concepts.
September 20, 2015
E21 Jacobi on Garrick: Godfather of the British Stage
Derek Jacobi goes in search of David Garrick, 18th-century superstar and the man who reinvented acting for the modern era.
November 1, 2015
E23 A Very British Pornographer: The Jack Kahane Story
Neil Pearson looks at the life of Jack Kahane, who combined a career selling low-grade smut with publishing some of the most significant works of avant-garde literature.
October 31, 2016