They called her the Virgin Queen England's first Queen Elizabeth, a revered ruler in her own lifetime. Yet behind her fame lie many dark secrets, and an unsolved mystery Why didn't the queen marry and provide an heir to the throne? For centuries, rumors have swirled of claims of illegitimacy, adultery and even that the queen may not have been a woman. Now NGC reveals the startling stories and secrets behind England's Virgin Queen.

Violent, secretive, spiritual and packed full of knowledge, an obscure and mysterious manuscript called the Fight Book realistically depicts the bloody side of Europe in the Middle Ages. Through historical re-creations, CGI and leading historians, we reveal the surprising detail that proves medieval society was far more refined and peculiar than we realize.

The history of our planet is epic from its birth out of cosmic rubble to the unique complex of land, sea, atmosphere and life we know now. See how water was transported to Earth's surface inside millions of meteors. Through CGI re-creations, meet the inhabitants of Earth over the ages, from slimy mats of algae to the great dinosaurs and the ancestors of mammals and humans. Read more: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/earth-making-of-a-planet-4920/Overview#ixzz1LCzoF7C0

NGC investigates one of the most intricate prison escapes in history three tireless inmates break from the fortresslike Alcatraz Island Federal Penitentiary and brave the frigid waters in a handmade raft. For nearly 50 years, it was assumed that these men drowned, but what if they didn't? NGC goes inside the U.S. marshals' investigation following the complex and tantalizing leads they've tracked to close this case.

Was Abraham Lincoln dying of cancer when he was killed? NGC is on the front lines as scientists attempt to solve a genetic mystery -- using a piece of fabric stained with the president's blood to run DNA analysis. The final year of Lincoln's life seemed to age him a decade, and he had lost an alarming amount of weight. Even today, his strange body shape, unusual height and long limbs have led to speculation that he harbored some hidden medical problem.

During World War II, Allied operatives went on secret missions to kill Adolph Hitler and his top officers, including Erwin Rommel. Allied Special Forces launched daring wartime missions to capture or kill Nazi generals where they were stationed on the front lines of war. National Geographic Channel captures the real-time drama felt as the Special Forces commanded these dangerous and complicated missions to exotic locations.

Could the fabled lost city of Atlantis have been located? Using satellite photography, ground-penetrating radar and underwater technology, experts are now surveying marshlands in Spain to look for proof of the ancient city. If the team can match geological formations to Plato's descriptions and date artifacts back to the time of Atlantis, we may be closer to solving one of the world's greatest mysteries.

We've all heard the warning: it's only a matter of time before a devastating earthquake hits a major American city and wipes it off the map. Scientists now believe that day could be sooner than we thought. And it's not Los Angeles or San Francisco that's in danger. But Seattle, Washington, the crown jewel of a region called Cascadia in Americas Pacific Northwest. Scientists fear Cascadia could suffer a catastrophe of global proportions: a megathrust earthquake. It is the largest earthquake the planet can create. A megathrust near Indonesia in 2004 triggered a tsunami that killed more than a quarter million people. What is Cascadia doing to prepare? And what will happen when the mega-thrust strikes? AKA: Doomsday Earth: Mega Quake

Are aliens really out there? You've heard tales of little green men from other planets, but these are normally consigned to urban legends and sci-fi fables. However, a dossier of files released by the Ministry of Defence last year proves just how seriously some of these close encounters are taken by the government.

Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island nuclear plant seems peaceful now, but 32 years ago, it brought America close to catastrophe. Tens of thousands of people fled their homes -- and the health and safety of hundreds of thousands hung in the balance.

Author and explorer Piers Gibbon headed deep into the Amazon jungle to locate tribes that practiced headshrinking. In his newest adventure, Gibbon looks at one of mankinds ultimate taboos: cannibalism. He'll trek into the rain forest of Papua New Guinea to find tribe members who ate human flesh. Gibbon meets with members of the once-feared Biami tribe and witnesses their ritual techniques.

Could Jack the Ripper have been the world's first trans-Atlantic serial killer? Can 21st century techniques and CGI 3-D autopsies crack this 19th century crime spree, while reversing decades of investigative assumptions? Retired U.K. murder squad detective Trevor Marriott is determined to finally unmask the Ripper and possibly link him to other murders in Europe and the U.S.

Across the Himalayas are stories of the yeti, or abominable snowman. Half man, half ape, the yeti is said to roam only the most remote peaks, where people rarely venture. Now, veteran explorer and climber Gerry Moffatt sets out to find proof in a hunt that will test his stamina. As conventional scientific theories challenge ancient beliefs and credible witnesses, he works to separate fact from fiction and find hard evidence that the legend is real.

The Templars were considered the pope's private army, protecting Jerusalem for more than 50 years. But their legacy came to a sudden end casting them from the heights of wealth and power to the dark corners of history. Now, on the ruins of a 12th century castle near the border between what are now Israel and Syria, a team of archaeologists peel away centuries of sediment, uncovering signs of a six-day siege that could have led to the Templars' demise.

It rivaled ancient Egypt but was lost to history. Now a team of archeologists have made a major discovery in the Syrian desert: artifacts from a burial chamber deep within an ancient palace that paint a never-before-seen picture of a powerful metropolis known as Qatna. What became of its vast riches? And what brought about the final fate of this ancient superpower?

In spring 2010, the nearly unpronounceable volcano Eyjafjallajkull spewed ash clouds across Europe, bringing international air traffic to a standstill. Now, for the first time ever, a team of explorers descend into the nearby Thrinukagigur volcano crater - the only place on earth where it is possible to enter an old magma chamber. Inside the crater, the team finds crucial evidence revealing the inner workings of Icelandic volcanoes.

For the first time ever, an international investigation team joins forces to unravel the mysteries of the Malleus Maleficarum, or Hammer of Witches. Written in 1486, this infamous medieval manual changed the way the Western world saw evil. With detailed instructions on how to find, prosecute and punish witches, the Malleus inspired centuries of accusation and bloodshed on both sides of the Atlantic. Read more: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/witch-hunter-s-bible-4924/Overview#ixzz1SarhuOem

Underwater explorers in the Baltic Sea set out to bring a recently discovered ghost ship - one of the most intact ancient wooden wrecks ever found - back to life. By pushing the frontiers of maritime archaeology and using the latest technology, the team hopes to recover artifacts from the ship, take measurements and create a 3-D model of the ship with pinpoint accuracy - unlocking a treasure trove of information.

Journey into the mouth of Mount Nyiragongo, Africa's most active volcano, and stand on the shore of the world's largest lava lake. Join an international team of scientists as they climb to the volcano's peak and then rappel directly into its mouth. Their goal: to collect a fresh sample from the deadly yet mesmerizing lava lake at the volcano's heart. Standing in their way is a 1300 foot sheer vertical drop, crumbling rock walls, and a roiling lava lake prone to sudden overflow.

The Tasman Sea is one of the world’s deadliest and most treacherous oceans, spanning 2,200 kilometres between Australia and New Zealand. No one had ever successfully navigated the Tasman by kayak although many had tried – one with a tragic outcome. This is the story of two young Australians, James Castrission and Justin Jones, who took on the Tasman and conquered it. In their tiny kayak they battled ten meter towering waves, massive storms, sharks and currents that conspired against them. After 62 days, 3318 kilometres and 1.7 million paddle strokes they finally reached the sands of New Zealand - and gained a place in history.

A lost piece of American history may have been uncovered deep in the sea a shipwreck thought to have belonged to a fleet of American privateers. In the late 18th century, the Irish Sea was a cauldron of kidnapping, thievery and unrepentant skullduggery. Governments, including the nascent U.S., hired sea raiders, or privateers, to pillage and steal from merchant vessels. Is it possible that this ship was on a mission from Benjamin Franklin?

A sea monster cemetery lies at the top of the world. It's an incredible grave site that contains countless, fossilized remains of huge marine predators from the Jurassic Era. Join an expedition to this remote burial ground via helicopter and boat. Paleontologists will contend with powerful polar bears and erratic Arctic weather to uncover an incredible treasure trove that contains all new species of predatory sea monsters. This time, one is a complete ichthyosaur skeleton -- the first of its kind to be discovered.

A seemingly impossible dream: to create a new population of wild tigers outside their natural habitat. One man, John Varty, did just that. Starting with two young, zoo-born tigers, Varty now has more than 15 tigers at his Tiger Canyons reserve, and has used ever-present cameras to document two years of their lives. Whether mating, birthing or hunting, Varty shows these magnificent tigers with remarkable, up close and personal detail.

Sex, Drugs and Plants' gives an insight into the fascinating world of plants. By feeling, "hearing," smelling and tasting, these plants continue their journey through the undergrowth, in a bid for survival. Scientists and experts reveal the skills and tricks that plants use to survive, with predatory plants using every trick in the book to entice a meal, including sniffing out their prey. Exploring the defences plants employ to save themselves from harm, featuring the amazing acacia, which commands an ant army to fend off unwanted visitors. Experts also investigate how human intervention affects the plants, including a fascinating look at how technological advances could change the future of farming.

More than one million of history's ultimate fighters died in the arenas of the Roman Empire, yet not a single complete gladiator skeleton has ever been found. Now, archaeologists in England have unearthed what is believed to be an ancient gladiator graveyard. It contains the skeletons of 75 adult males, all of whom died in the prime of life, with savage bone wounds suggesting lives of violence.

Mary Surratt was the only woman convicted in Lincoln's assassination, the first female to be executed by the U.S. government and now the basis for Robert Redford's The Conspirator. Just days before the feature film hits theaters, NGC presents a complementary documentary on her role in the 16th president's death. The Plot to Kill Lincoln: The Conspirator weaves together excerpts from the movie with historical records and expert interviews to tell the dramatic story.

Colombian drug traffickers are using a new secret weapon to smuggle cocaine north – drug submarines. Up to 30 meters long and nearly impossible to detect, they are capable of distributing several tons of coke in just one shipment. Dozens of subs are thought to be in operation between the coasts of Colombia and Mexico, and law enforcement estimates that another 70 will be built in the next year alone. NGC follows U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency agents and the Colombian military looking for drug subs under construction in some of the most remote jungles on the planet.

Are we alone in the universe? Mars still dominates our quest to find extra-terrestrial life, but could the barren, icy or fiery worlds beyond harbour life?

She is believed to be one of the best-preserved mummies in history Rosalia, a lifelike 2-year old girl encased in a glass-topped casket for over 90 years. Amazingly, her skin and delicate curls of hair remain intact. But Rosalia and the other mummies deep in the catacombs of Palermo, Italy, have started to show signs of decay. Now, a team of scientists are fighting to preserve her remains. To save Rosalia, they'll need to decipher the technique of her conservation.

National Geographic takes an intimate look at life behind the Vatican walls. For more than a year, filmmakers were allowed extraordinary access to the center of the Catholic Church and members of the popes inner circle. We'll meet a bodyguard, an official photographer, the archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica who is privy to Vatican secrets and an altar boy living in the pre-seminary. Then, cameras enter the vaults under the Vatican museum.

In January and February 2011, millions of Egyptians took to the streets to overthrow the oppressive government of President Hosni Mubarak. The catalyst to this revolution, which enables large numbers of protesters to organize themselves, was social networking sites on the internet such as Facebook. While many observers described the revolution as a secular movement of disaffected middle class youth, Inside the Muslim Brotherhood exposes the role of Egypts largest opposition group and reveals what the future may hold as the country finally emerges from Mubaraks regime.

Marine ecologist Enric Sala compares the Mediterranean of today to the one that was filmed by Jacques Cousteau.

Is every warrior's face different? How were 8,000 made in eleven years, when every one should have taken a month? Why does every warrior have a name hidden on their body? Could they originally have been brightly coloured? And how big must their firing kilns have been? There are still plenty of unanswered questions about Shihuangdi's Terracotta Army. Using face recognition technology, painstaking archaeological research and interviews with craftsmen who build life-size replicas today, experts unravel the mysteries of the two-metre tall, 300kg pottery figurines found 37 years ago in the tomb of China's first Qin Dynasty ruler, revealing why they were one of the most fascinating, and mysterious, finds of the last century.

While Bernie Madoff sits in jail for his multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme, the U.S. Marshals Service auctions off thousands of items from his New York homes. Up on the auction block: a $350,000 diamond ring, rare Persian rugs, a 1917 Steinway piano and thousands of other items seized by the U.S. government. The money made at auction then goes into the Asset Forfeiture Program, which aids victims of white-collar crimes.

Enter the secret world of one of the most perfect societies on Earth to see how millions of simple creatures form a collective brain, make decisions, move as a single being and attack as one.

Wicked Pirate City tells the story of the rise and fall of Port Royal, Jamaica — home of the original Pirates of the Caribbean — which catastrophically sank in an earthquake in 1692. An expedition team of archaeologists and scientists dive to the underwater site for the first time in 20 years, to create an accurate 3-D computer model of the ruined city. To bring Port Royal to life, historical experts dig deep into the world's archives to piece together the fascinating story of Port Royal's most swashbuckling character, Sir Henry Morgan, whose life is inextricably linked to the fortunes of the town. Alongside the unfolding diving expedition, Morgan's story is retold in high-quality action drama, seen through the eyes of a fictional privateer, Thomas Blakeway.

As the Second World War began to draw to a close, the scientists and designers of Hitler's Germany were employed in a frantic race to create new ideas that would turn the tide of the conflict. They developed some of the most sophisticated and advanced weaponry of the age - the so-called Wunderwaffen or Wonder Weapons. From missiles and enormous tanks, to the biggest gun ever built and the prototype of a plane capable of launching a suicide bombing raid on the skyscrapers of New York. Hitler's Secret Weapon shows how they helped the technology of war advance generations in little more than a decade. Using archive footage, reconstructions and interviews with experts, this fascinating show explores some of the many plans for outlandish and fantastic designs the Nazis hoped would win the war. Could these weapons really have helped Hitler to triumph?

In the heart of the American southwest, the 320 cops of the Navajo Police patrol some of the most rugged territory in the United States. These modern day warriors are on a mission to protect the largest Indian reservation in North America, and to preserve an ancient way of life. They must deal with big city crime like gangs, drugs, murders, and human trafficking while also protecting wildlife, cultural landmarks, and endangered archaeological sites. On a landscape straight out of the Wild West, they even square off against the supernatural, as they investigate attacks by beings with supernatural powers known as Skinwalkers.

She has been referred to as the King Tut of China. Fu Hao, the legendary warrior queen of China's first dynasty, was buried with treasures of bronze, jade and ivory, more than a hundred weapons and the remains of sacrificed humans. For years archeologists could only speculate about the people of the Shang dynasty, who were known for their excessive drinking and passion for human sacrifice - until now.

Think you know everything about the planet you call home? Think again and prepare to be astounded in the premiere of X-Ray Earth. In this two-hour film, see the planet as it's never been seen before as we challenge all of your preconceived notions about the world in which we live. Planet Earth is home, a sanctuary and the cradle of civilization that suspends in the inky blackness of space. It has shaped evolution, history and everything that makes us human. Making use of cutting-edge scientific tools, this programme travels over, across and deep into the Earth's crust to learn just what makes your world tick. The result is a comprehensive portrait of a planet that defies your idea of terra firma.

Daytona Beach rolls out the red carpet for the half million bikers who arrive annually to ride, party, be seen -- and spend like there's no tomorrow.

When the twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity touched down on Mars in January 2004, they were expected to drive a few hundred yards and last ninety days. Seven-plus years later, the hardy robots have proven to be two of the greatest explorers of the Space Age, trekking miles across hostile deserts, climbing mountains, scrambling in and out of craters, and cheating death many times. Now comes the sad news that while Opportunity continues to roll, Spirit has reached the end of the road. Death of a Mars Rover tells the epic story of Spirit and Opportunity, and the desperate effort to save Spirit after she drove into a quicksand trap and then fell silent over a year ago.

Selling guns to snipers is all in a day's work for one small-town Tennessee family. Ronnie, the designer and businessman at the helm of Barrett firearms manufacturing, and his two children are responsible for creating the M107 sniper rifle. The world's first semi-automatic .50 caliber rifle, the M107s power and precision allow snipers to destroy multiple targets from more than 20 football fields away. NGC goes inside this family of firearm "rock stars."

Unique in their beliefs, motivations and strategies, explore the lives of four families preparing for the end of the world as we know it. From bunkers to fortified off-the-grid locations, these doomsday preppers will go to whatever lengths they can to make sure they are prepared for any of life’s uncertainties. And with our expert’s assessment, they will find out their chances of survival if their worst fears became a reality.

Five Amish teenagers leave their sheltered community for the first time to spend four weeks abroad in the United Kingdom. It's a trip full of firsts — first time on an airplane, first visit to the ocean and first nightclub. We'll see how they react to the seedy streets of London, street performers and the hedonistic lifestyle of an indie rock band they befriend. We'll also see how their simple life clashes with that of the British upper classes.

For the first time, three prisons across Russia unlock their doors to an international film crew. From a Siberian prison camp where temperatures plummet to 50 below to the highest security prison, where cannibals, terrorists and serial killers will live out the rest of their days, caged like animals. And, a pass inside infamous Vladimir Central — at over 200 years old, it’s held an estimated one million inmates. Inside Black Dolphin, a cannibal talks openly about his crime, divulging how he boiled, fried and ate his murder victim. In Vladimir Central, a convict opens up about killing his brother-in-law for disturbing his daughter’s peaceful night’s sleep. And inside a Siberian prison camp, we meet two friends about to go their separate ways when one gets paroled.

Follow DEA agents on their quest to track down and bust narco-submarines in one of the most violent regions of Colombia- the coastal town of Tumaco. NGC joins the investigation, taking to the streets and swamps with armed marine patrols. We'll meet a drug sub informant who ventures out to mark a sub site for capture- and subsequently goes missing. And meet one of the very first drug sub inventors, now "in hiding" as he shows original "test" footage of his creation. We'll also examine several seized semisubs for clues to their makers. And our cameras are there for a first-time look inside the biggest prey of all- a fully submersible cocaine sub!

This is the story of the meteor that changed the world forever. In 312 AD the Roman Emperor Constantine claimed he saw a mysterious light in the sky which convinced him to convert to Christianity, forever altering the course of history. Now scientists believe they may have tracked down the source of this mysterious light. A team of geologists have identified a crater in Italy which they believe was produced by the impact of a previously unrecorded meteorite. The finding could explain not only the story of Constantine, but might also provide an explanation for a local legend which recounts how members of a pagan cult were overwhelmed by a light in the sky as bright as a second sun. The cult too immediately converted to Christianity. A team of international experts set out to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Mummy-experts try to rescue world’s greatest accumulation of mummies, endangered by humidity and showing signs of caducity, including the best preserved corpse worldwide: The little girl Rosalia Lomardo. Experts move to rescue the world’s greatest accumulation of mummies, endangered by humidity and showing signs of decay, including the world’s best preserved corpse: a two-year old girl from 1920.

In Salem Witch Trial Conspiracy, join author Katherine Howe as she embarks on a historical journey to bring you the truth behind the world's most famous witch-hunt. Of the over one hundred people charged with witchcraft, five died in jail, 19 died on the gallows and one was crushed to death. Each of these deaths was the result of an overwhelming religious hysteria, and even to this date historians are uncovering more about what really occurred.

When this robot is powered up, 200 pounds of machinery turns into a tool to give soldiers super-human abilities.

It was the ultimate display of mankind's destructive power - an earth-shattering explosion 2,500 times more powerful than the deadly bomb that annihilated Hiroshima and helped bring an end to the Second World War. Discover how one of the world's superpowers created and denoted an earth shattering explosion that shook this planet in the World's Biggest Bomb. World's Biggest Bomb combines first-hand testimony with in-depth forensic analysis and once classified rare footage of the 1954 USA Bikini Atoll explosion, to reveal how Cold War rivalry inspired an unprecedented acceleration in ammunitions technology, as US and Soviet bomb makers competed with each other to build the ultimate weapon. As both superpowers took ever-greater risks to get ahead, scientific know-how was stretched to its limits, leaving no one in control of the shocking devastation about to rock the planet. When the Soviets blasted their way into history in 1961, scientists worldwide were stunned. What caused this dramatic surge in explosive power? And why were weapons' experts unable to predict the dreadful outcome of their work? With the shockwaves from this extraordinary chapter in modern history still being felt across the globe, World's Biggest Bomb analyses the immediate and long-term impact of the world's biggest bomb - and its enduring political relevance in our increasingly volatile world.

After battling in late 1939 with British cruisers off the coast of Uruguay, Hitler’s prized “pocket battleship” and high-tech wonder, the Admiral Graf Spee was blown up by its own captain, Hans Langsdorff. Denounced by the Nazi regime, Langsdorff commits suicide shortly thereafter. National Geographic Channel reconstructs the first naval battle of World War II and retraces the events that led to the Graf Spee’s ultimate destruction. AKA: Hitler's Lost Battleship(UK)

Science partners with Hollywood special effects to build the world's largest model volcano. The plan: Create a four-story-tall, 150-foot-wide volcano that can erupt and spew simulated magma and ash. Scientists test cutting-edge scientific theories on the model to learn more about one of the most volatile natural forces on the planet.

Some of the world’s best cave divers have traveled to the Bahamas Islands to plunge into the unique abyss found in blue holes –underwater caves that can go hundreds or even thousands of feet down and feature a maze of passages and tunnels, which act as liquid time capsules. Led by National Geographic emerging explorer and anthropologist Kenny Broad, a team of divers and archaeologists investigate these caves to unlock the mysteries of an ancient Bahamas teeming with life that quickly vanished, leaving the islands now mostly barren. What caused these animals to disappear, and could 800-year-old human skulls provide the answer?

Still only a pre-schooler, Kanon Tipton takes the pulpit at his family’s church and like a seasoned evangelist fervently preaches the gospel, mopping his forehead, shouting, waving his arms, the congregation hanging on his every word. But he’s just 4-years-old. NGC’s Pint-Sized Preachers goes inside the controversial world of child evangelists to follow two rising-stars and one established child minister as they spread God’s word and bring congregations to their feet.

The real-life international drama plays out like the plot of a deadly spy thriller. In the summer of 2006, as many as 18 conspirators planned to simultaneously blow up almost 10 airplanes by bringing hydrogen peroxide-injected soda-bottles-turned-bombs onto flights bound from London to the U.S. and Canada. Now, NGC — with unprecedented access to undercover agents and top officials from British Counter-Terror Command, the CIA and Homeland Security — goes inside the true story.

Life After Dinosaurs recreates the evolutionary history of mammals from the dinosaur age up to the appearance of the first humans to explore how the present ecosystem on this planet was formed and how remarkable the fact is that we exist now.

In an exclusive in-depth interview, former President George W Bush discusses the horrific 9/11 attacks, his reaction to the tragedy and the gruelling pressure he faced.

With exclusive access and 25 hours of interviews, this two-hour special gives unique insight into the man who, perhaps more than any other indvidual, shaped the post-war foreign policy of the United States and in so doing remains one of the most controversial figures in American politics.

In the final months of World War II, American troops discovered a top-secret facility in Germany with an advanced batwing-shaped jet fighter. If Nazi engineers had had more time, would this jet have ultimately changed the outcome of the war? In this National Geographic documentary they rebuild a jet discovered in a top-secret German facility during the final months of World War II - the Horten 229

Their bravery has inspired countless films but, until now, the real story of some of Britain’s greatest war heroes has remained in the shadows. Hunting Hitler’s Henchmen is a film about some of Britain’s bravest military. With ex-special forces soldiers as guides, venture beyond the movies to meet the snatch squads: commandos sent behind enemy lines to take out Hitler’s most-feared generals. They slipped into Nazi-led Libya to kill the infamous Desert Fox, General Erwin Rommel, and succeeded in snatching General Heinrich Kreipe from under the noses of 15,000 soldiers. Risking their lives to disrupt the Nazi war machine, these are the heroes who inspired Hollywood: incredible men sent to eliminate Hitler’s top brass.

This program tells the story of Australia's remarkable 'summer of rain' as captured and reported by young people using phones and the internet.

His action-packed life may have blazed a searing trail of death and destruction through history but, in death, Genghis Khan is proving to be a puzzlingly elusive figure. In the Lost Tomb Of Genghis Khan saddle up with a team of experts as they unearth Mongolia's best-kept secret and the only remaining tie to its spiritual and political forefather. With no burial site ever uncovered, the 800-year-old mystery of the marauding Mongolian's final resting place has baffled archaeologists for centuries. Led by self-confessed Genghis-obsessive Albert Yu-Min Lin, the explorers hope that untested technologies and a sophisticated network of civilian scientists will give them the edge on previous missions. But as they approach what they believe could be the legendary Burkhan Khaldun - a sacred mountain often linked to the long-dead ruler - gold-grabbing gravediggers and freakish weather systems all stand in their way. The final pieces of this ancient mystery have never seemed closer, but will they stay out of reach forever?

Ernest Shackleton is one of the iconic figures of the 'Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration'. His expeditions and personality have left an indelible mark on the icy plains of Antarctica and in our conscience. Recently archaeologists unearthed an unusual legacy - his secret stash of whisky! His booze was found under the hut he built over 100 years ago, during his greatest expedition, Nimrod. Shackleton's Whisky is the story of the discovery, analysis and replication of Shackleton's precious liquor and his forgotten expedition, Nimrod.

Legends of lost continents and civilizations have captivated people throughout time. Philosophers and astronomers like Aristotle and Ptolemy believed that an unknown continent existed in the Southern hemisphere. In the Age of Discovery, renowned explorers like Magellan and Cook searched the Pacific Ocean in vain for a mysterious land they called "Terra Incognita." To this day, ancestral legends throughout Polynesia speak of a lost homeland and a great civilization that disappeared into the sea. Modern science disputes the existence of unknown continents and often dismisses creation myths. But on Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, elders fiercely believe they originate from a continent that sank following a catastrophic upheaval. They call this lost land "Hiva". Now, new scientific evidence points to a remote island chain in Polynesia as the center of an ancient, thriving civilization. For over 400 years these islands have been known to the world as the Marquesas Archipelago, but to the native Polynesians they were once called "The Isles of Hiva". Could the legend of the lost continent of Hiva be true? Using new archaeological, geological and genetic evidence and by unveiling voyaging techniques passed down over centuries, "Lost Continent Of The Pacific" reveals a mesmerizing world of sweeping beauty and human sacrifice, of vast stone cities covered by jungle, water and exploration, cannibals and masterful seafaring navigators who had colonized the largest ocean on Earth centuries before Columbus reached America.

Berlin, 1961: suddenly there is the Iron Curtain, and the wall separates friends, families and loved ones of each other. The Berlin Wall, this terrible "wonder of the world", was 28 years standing. Fifty years later, this documentary reveals astonishing details and disturbing stories about the 43.1 km long structure.

The uncovering of the 3 shots fired that resulted in the assassination of Jon F. Kennedy

50 years ago, two men attempted to reach the deepest part of the ocean, 35,000 feet down in the South Pacific. This is the tale of the Trieste vessel and their feat that has never been equalled.

The water in the Great Lakes, the world's largest freshwater lake system, obscures many secrets of the North American continent's human history and its geologic past; computer-generated imagery shows what they would look like if it went away.

Any Londoner can tell you that the Tube is overcrowded. But how many know the real reasons why? In the premiere of London Underground Revealed journey below London's pavements to look back over 125 years of crushed commuters and rush-hour rage and discover remarkable engineering history behind the biggest metro system in the Western world. With each day bringing over 4 million passengers into a vast network of tunnels under the city, the iconic transport system is creakingly close to capacity. Can an ambitious plot involving £16-billion to build 30 new stations drag it back from the brink? Taking in the origins of the Underground, this one-off special also reveals how 19th century New York subway designs are inspiring the next generation of Tube trains, and explores the importance of early Parisian Metro makers to modern engineering methods. You'll also look at the continued technological advances stemming from the tragic 1987 Kings Cross fire, which will make the new Underground among the safest transport systems on the planet. Interviewees including Transport for London Network Services Director Nigel Holness and engineering expert Professor John Burland explain what the future holds for the capital's commuters as this historic subway system reinvents itself for a new era of 21st century travel.

Bob Arno wows audiences with his pickpocketing show in Las Vegas. The self-proclaimed Pickpocket King, he says has never met a thief who can match his skills. Until now. Now, Bob takes us to Naples, Italy, which he calls "the pickpocketing capital of the world," to uncover some of the worlds best pickpockets. With his access well get an inside glance into how an international crew of pickpockets operates and well see if Bob really is the Pickpocket King!

It took humans thousands of years to explore our own planet and centuries to comprehend our neighboring planets, but nowadays new worlds are being discovered every week. To date, astronomers have identified more than 370 “exoplanets,” worlds orbiting stars other than the sun.

Ian Brady's crimes are some of the worst Britain has ever seen. Along with his lover Myra Hindley, Brady murdered five Manchester children. Four decades later, the sadistic killer is on hunger strike and wants to die himself. Bringing together a team of psychologists, and featuring interviews with police officers who took part in the original investigation, this drama-documentary looks again at Brady's life, investigates his shocking crimes and asks whether this unrepentant killer should be allowed to starve himself to death. Can people in a civilised society let a man guilty of repulsive crimes decide when he wants to die?

The jaguar, the third largest feline in the world, is one of South America's most beautiful and iconic animals. But it is rarely seen, let alone filmed. This program is the very first in-depth portrayal of wild jaguars - an unprecedented look at their hunting, mating and family life amidst the exquisite, reflective landscape of the flooded grasslands of the Brazilian Pantanal. But it is also the story of wildlife filmmaker Christian Baumeister in his desperate search of the charismatic cat and his efforts to record their secret world.

You all know the story about the Great Fire of London. That the fire was started by accident in a bakery on Pudding Lane, and the inferno rapidly engulfed the City of London in September 1666, burnt for four days, destroying everything in its path. But how many of you are aware that at the time many Londoners believed that the fire was started deliberately? And as suspicions grew, London lynch mobs attacked immigrant groups, prompted by a widely-held belief that it was an act of arson committed by a foreign power?

When a mass of skeletons are found in a shallow grave, cutting-edge forensics and ancient texts tell a story of greed, betrayal and retribution.