During World War II, Allied POWs were forced by Japanese Soldiers to work on the construction of the Thailand to Burma railway which included the Bridge on the River Kwai. The prisoners worked under savage conditions and only with basic tools. Based on witness testimonies and photographic evidence, the documentary tries to answer the questions as to how this feat of engineering was built. The documentary special also tells of the developement of America's first precision guided muniton, the' Azon' bomb, and how it was used to destroy the bridge.

Would you leave friends and family to voluntarily work in a war zone? Is six hundred dollars a day worth risking your life? Apparently it is for 25,000 international security contractors employed in Iraq today. Each and every day these tattooed and muscle bound civilians run a gauntlet of hidden dangers as they carry out critical missions to safeguard the Iraqi reconstruction effort and protect V.I.P.s. But the insurgents don't distinguish between civilian contractors and coalition forces. EXPLORER examines the grim reality of private security contractor in Iraq, where every mission could be their last.

A weapon so technologically perfect in structure, so formidable in strength and so beautiful in creation. This high definition one hour special is the inside track on the World's most influential weapon. For over a thousand years this weapon dominated the battlefields of Japan, instilled fear and terror into every enemy it faced, and created a new spiritual way of life that lasts through to the present day. The Samurai sword – a weapon so technologically perfect in structure, so formidable in strength and so beautiful in creation. For the first time unique access has been granted and we travel into the core of the ancient foundries, sword-smiths and fighting schools to reveal what makes the so-called perfect sword. This is a no holds barred look at one of the most iconic man-made objects ever forged. Join us as we take the inside track on the making of the legend that is the Samurai Sword.

It is one of Egypt's enduring mysteries. What happened to Nefertiti and her husband, Akhenaten - the radical king, and likely father of King Tut? In a dark and mysterious tomb located in the Valley of the Kings, there is a small chamber with two mummies without sarcophagi or wrappings. At times, both have been identified as Queen Nefertiti by scholars, filmmakers and historians. But the evidence has been circumstantial at best.

Eye of the Leopard tracks one cat for a remarkable three years in Botswana. She's called Legadema, or "Light from the Sky," and we follow her from the first vulnerable days as a cub all the way to developing into one of the most feared predators.

Secrets of Jerusalem's Holiest Sites takes us on a journey into one of the most sacred places on Earth dating back to biblical times. It is the most hotly contested piece of real estate on the planet and its name alone is enough to spark riots across the Middle East. Known as the Temple Mount to Jews and Christians and as the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims, it is so sacred to all three religions that followers willingly die for it.

On Southern Africa's desolate West Coast, a new born African Penguin, Lucy, struggles for her life. She has just a ten percent chance of making it to adulthood and predators constantly lie in wait. Her parents have their hands full for the next four months, feeding and protecting her and her older brother. As they return from their daily fishing expeditions rogue seals ambush their fishing parties, stealing their hard won day's catch and endangering the lives of their dependent chicks.

Long a symbol of love, affection and faithfulness, the diamond is now increasingly linked with war, blood and brutality. In the diamond-rich West African nation of Sierra Leone, rebels used the precious gems to bankroll a violent ten-year insurrection, leaving a terrorized population and a ravaged landscape in its wake. National Geographic correspondents follow the trail of illicit diamonds from their origin in the muddy pits of impoverished Sierra Leone, to the pristine cobblestone streets of Antwerp, Belgium, to their final stop in the glittering display cases of New York's finest jewelry stores.

Artificial reefs mean big business for the tourist industry, but how are they created? Canada is a world leader in the technology needed to create these diving meccas. National Geographic Channel follows the reef-building process as an old naval ship is meticulously cleaned of pollutants, carefully wired with explosives, and sunk to an underwater resting place. These submerged ships also provide habitats and breeding sites for innumerable marine species.

Dispelling rumours about Freemasons, the two-hour programme helps to distinguish facts from fiction behind this enigmatic group with millions of members worldwide. For the first time, Masonic temples around the world open their doors and provide exclusive coverage for "Freemasons on Trial".

In the spring, the western diamondback rattlesnake emerges from its winter hiding place after not eating for more than 6 months, it has only one thing on its mind: food. To obtain its first meal, the snake must face a series of challenges that build to the rattlesnake’s strike. In Striker, the National Geographic Channel reveals the science behind the rattlesnake’s strike: how this remarkable predator finds the best ambush sites; how it detects its rodent prey, even in the dark; how it moves at lightning speed with amazing precision; and how its highly toxic venom acts on the nerves, muscles and tissues of its victims.

It is one of the most notorious assassinations in modern history: the murder of the Romanovs, Russia's ruling family. Once the subject of a high-stakes murder investigation, the trail went cold of Soviet rule. Now, the mysterious deaths are fueling a heated battle between forensic scientists, religious leaders, and Russia's political elite. Are the bones buried in St. Petersburg really those of the Romanovs? And what became of two of their children, whose bodies were never recovered? Can members of the family have survived a night of unspeakable brutality, or did one of the world's most powerful dynasties really come to an end, changing the course of world history to this day?

You might pride yourself on being clean and tidy around the home but the truth is you’re living with alien-like creatures. Every room, every cupboard, every nook and cranny is infested with little creatures of mass destruction. Dust mites, grain weevils, cockroaches and maggots, until now they’ve preyed on the fact that you can’t see them, but all that is about to change…Welcome to 24 hours in the Bug Brother house.

In a remote outpost in south-central Afghanistan, a group of Americans stand in the breach between the rule of law and the rule of terror. They are Green Berets, part of an elite division of the U.S. Army Special Forces, charged with protecting local civilians from the wrath of the Taliban. For this film, the Pentagon waived their 48-hour limitation on embedded media and allowed NGC cameras to chronicle the lives of these war-hardened Americans for 10 days. AKA: Green Berets Under Fire

Six years ago, U.S.-led forces drove the Taliban from power in Afghanistan for providing sanctuary to al Qaeda terrorists. Now, these Islamist militants are back.

New evidence on the fate of the Incas helps to reimagine their tale in this National Geographic presentation. Great Inca Rebellion presents stunning new evidence that is changing what we know about the final days of the Inca Empire. According to traditional accounts, the mighty Inca were swiftly wiped out by a small band of Spanish conquistadors. But new evidence had been unearthed that supports a different version of the story. Uncovered remains of those who died in battle along with recently discovered documents suggest that even after forming military alliances with thousands of Indian mercenaries, it took the Spanish many years to defeat the Inca Empire. Brought to life through CGI reconstruction and re-enactments, the untold epic saga of guerilla warfare and rebellion are revealed as National Geographic reveals the truth behind the Incas last stand.

There are two strands to this intriguing documentary about the famous bust of the Egyptian queen, which was discovered in 1912 by German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt. The first is about Borchardt and how he pulled a bit of a swiftie on the Egyptians to get the thing back to Berlin, while the second is about what Nefertiti has been up to lately - being X-rayed and so on in a bid to dispel doubts about her authenticity. The man who connects the strands is Adolf Hitler, who fell in love with the spectacular limestone bust, left, and wanted it to be the centrepiece of a new Egyptian museum in Berlin. The Egyptian government, having realised what it had lost, had been clamouring for the piece's return but Hitler refused, eventually having it hidden away in a salt mine for protection from Allied bombing raids. Rumours have persisted, however, that the bust was swapped for a fake en route to the mine - hence the high-tech examinations. Under the X-ray everything looks OK, but curiously the face beneath the colourful make-up looks older and more wrinkled than the glamorous beauty the world has come to know. Looks like somebody got a makeover.

National Geographic Scientist Uncovers Treasure Trove of Human Fossils That Could Challenge Rules of Human Evolution Tiny Humans Living as Recently as 1,500 Years Ago Could Rewrite the Timeline for Human Evolution On the final day of his vacation in Palau, National Geographic research grantee and world-renowned paleoanthropologist Lee Berger accompanies a local guide to a hidden cave where he discovers a cache of fossilized human remains. Berger returns to the cave six weeks later with a team of elite scientists and finds not just one human skeleton, but several, unlike any he has ever seen. Measurements show that these people were some of the smallest humans to walk the earth, but they had enormous teeth. Has Berger discovered a lost human species or a tribe of mutants?

Hippos are regarded one of the most dangerous animals as they kill more people in Africa than any other beast.We reveal what triggers them to attack.

From our first cry to our last breath, our bodies undergo a continuous second-by-second transformation. Every move we make and every outside stimulus triggers a reaction through the skin, bones, organs, muscles and cells. We breathe, on average, 700 million breaths in a lifetime; an adult skeleton is replaced every seven to 10 years; we shed as many as 30,000 dead skin cells every minute; and the food we eat travels 30 feet (9 meters) on its journey through our bodies. This documentary takes you beneath the skin to reveal how our bodies evolve from birth to old age, and the amazing biological systems we need to thrive.

Today, 65 percent of adult Americans are overweight, but few are morbidly obese. What are the physical stresses of weighing more than 500 pounds and what steps can reverse it? NGC explores the genetics of weight gain and medical advances to treat it.

Journey to the top of the world to witness firsthand how the planet's changing climate is affecting the creatures that inhabit the icy Arctic. See how the loss of Arctic ice affects the survival skills of ringed seals, polar bears, and narwhals. For some, the ice is a way to hunt — and for others, a way to keep from being hunted. These Arctic creatures have become masters at negotiating the perils of this frozen world...but their dependence on the ice is also their greatest vulnerability. National Geographic's Crittercam technology provides a never-before-seen perspective on this changing world. See how the resourceful creatures of the Arctic are learning to adapt - from their own point of view.

Brings to life some of the most bizarre, ferocious and fascinating creatures to ever inhabit the ocean. Combines animation with recreations in a prehistoric adventure. A journey to the bottom of the ancient oceans dramatizes awe-inspiring creatures.

The sabretooth cat was one of the most terrifying animals ever known to exist. For close on two million years, this relative of the modern lion terrorised the Americas, using its knifelike fangs to kill its prey, but 10,000 years ago, it vanished from the face of the earth. What caused it to go extinct?

Incredible Human Machine takes viewers on a two-hour journey through an ordinary, and extraordinary, day-in-the-life of the human machine. With stunning high-definition footage, radical scientific advances and powerful firsthand accounts, Incredible Human Machine plunges deep into the routine marvels of the human body. Through 10,000 blinks of an eye, 20,000 breaths of air and 100,000 beats of the heart, see the amazing and surprising, even phenomenal inner workings of our bodies on a typical day. And explore striking feats of medical advancement, from glimpses of an open-brain surgery to real-time measurement of rocker Steven Tyler's vocal chords.

The world renowned National Palace Museum in Taiwan is home to one of the world's greatest Chinese art collection, including more than 600,000 pieces of the priceless imperial Chinese treasure. The Emperor's Treasure takes viewers, for the first time, on an amazing journey into the secret imperial treasure trove at the National Palace Museum in Taiwan. It features the story of a Chinese emperor's ambitious art collection, the courage of the people who protected it from destruction during the two wars and the technology used to preserve the masterpieces for future generations. AKA: Secrets of the First Emperor

In 1995, the first gray wolves were transported from Alberta, Canada to Yellowstone National Park, to repopulate the sprawling landscape with the species, absent for more than 70 years. The following year, a second wave of wolves was brought to the park from British Columbia, Canada; five of them were released together, and they were named the Druid Peak pack. Since the arrival of those first immigrants, wolves have thrived in Yellowstone — and none more dramatically than the Druids.

Was Adolf Hitler influenced and motivated by the occult? Through the years, historians have debated the mysterious connection between the occult, Hitler and the Nazi party, including some who maintain that Hitler killed others to keep his occult beliefs a secret. NGC examines how Hitler's involvement with the German Worker's Party brought him face-to-face with occultists who may have influenced his beliefs

The USS Ronald Reagan: the world's most advanced aircraft carrier. A floating piece of American territory. And a powerful weapon, swarming with planes, explosives, and thousands of the Navy's best crew. This formidable marine monster is also a mobile combat airport, perfectly designed for one task: to launch and retrieve legions of strike fighter jets anywhere in the world, on extremely short notice. And the 5000 men and women on board have to perform this task to perfection. Surrounded by roaring jet engines and dangerous weapons one mistake could mean disaster. From the Flight Deck to the cockpit to the Captain's chair, we're taking a behind-the-scenes look at the American military's ultimate weapon the Supercarrier: USS Ronald Reagan.

They soar to record heights, towering over normal people. From a benign tumor on the pituitary gland to excess growth hormones, find out how giants are made.

Deep in the heart of the Amazon, an uncharted lake emerges every dry season when the floodwaters recede. It's rumoured that this secret lair lures reptiles little changed since the time of the dinosaurs. And not just a few; hundreds gather - even giant creatures allegedly journey to this far off, inaccessible place. Outsiders come here at their peril; fishermen claim to have lost limbs to fearsome monsters. Are these exaggerated local legends? Or is the veil of mystery about to be lifted on one of the earth's largest yet least studied carnivores - the black caiman?

Deep in the heart of Zambia lies one of Africa’s best kept secrets. This is the home of one of the biggest hippo communities in the world. But this summer will be the toughest ever on record as water is scarce and a rare, natural outbreak of anthrax hits the community. Two brothers face a deadly battle over territory while a young mother and her calf, desperate to survive, journey to the river in search of water. As bloated and putrefying corpses start to appear, it appears the river is spreading the disease. The young mother succumbs after drinking the water, leaving her calf to fend for itself. For the brothers, each lick of an infected carcass transfers lethal amounts of anthrax. Will they survive to fight the living breathing opponent vying for their patch of ground before the rains come to sweep the deadly curse of anthrax away? This is a hippo story like no other, following the lives of those tough enough to survive hippo hell.

The Heilongjiang Acrobatic troupe, based in the city of Harbin, is one of China's most respected acrobatic groups. For over 50 years its performers have thrilled audiences throughout China with contemporary interpretations of this traditional art form. Two years ago, artistic director Mr. Guan Xin Min decided on a new and innovative direction for Heilongjiang--they would become the only acrobatics truope in China to perform on ice! Combining ice-skating and traditional acrobatics may be a great marketing tool, but it will take a team of ultra- talented and dedicated performers to turn this idea into reality. After training practices and performances, the Heilongjiang Acrobatic troupe is ready to take its unique style of ice acrobatics beyond mainland China. This is a tense and exciting time for all the young performers--but will circumstances beyond their control conspire to end this momentous endeavour before it even begins?

Four bodies, a scattering of clues, a mystery whose solution could rewrite history. National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Spencer Wells, opens an ancient case of missing persons, using the latest advances in DNA technology to determine the origins of a group of enigmatic mummies found in western China. What he learns may change what we know about the world. The four individuals were part of a vanished world that existed in western China between 2600 and 4000 years ago - long before Marco Polo or the Silk Road. Yet these long-buried corpses look European and were found with tools that didn't exist yet in that part of the world. Who were they? Where did they come from? And how might they have affected the spread of culture and technology in prehistoric times?

Despite the worldwide interest in his life, little is known about Jesus between the ages of 12 and 30. How did he spend his missing years? While his birth, childhood, later years and death are all well documented in the gospels of the New Testament, a question mark continues to hang over how Jesus spent his time between the ages of 12 and 30. This baffling gap spans the period that stretches from his preaching in a temple as a young boy, right up to the point at which, as a grown man, he first met John the Baptist. Jesus: The Missing Years explores the 18-year gap that incredibly, nobody knows anything about. The debate continues to rage over where the young Christ was during these 'missing years'. Some wild theories have claimed that he traveled far and wide, with India and Tibet being possible destinations. Others claim it is far more likely that he remained in Nazareth, leading a humble life working as a carpenter. Now, scholars and theologians are using clues from ancient texts to piece together the events of Jesus' young adulthood in an attempt to shed new light on the unknown parts of his life.

On Botswana's Linyanti Plains, a band of brothers reigns amongst the top predators. Three cheetahs: partners since birth, and one of the most efficient hunting forces on the plains. They hunt as a team, with Achilles in front, and Odin and Shiva flanking him on either side. The powerful trio have held their territory for over five years, until one day tragedy strikes. Achilles is killed by a cobra bite, leaving Odin and Shiva to fend for themselves for the first time in their lives. With the power of three broken they must adapt fast: learning to hunt as a twosome and defend their kills without the help of Achilles. Confounding their efforts is a host of scavenging predators: an injured leopard, a cunning hyena and a devious black backed jackal. Making matters worse, a lone male cheetah begins to trespass on their land. As the cheetah brothers regain their strength and efficiency, the lone male becomes a major concern. When they eventually corner him, a vicious fight breaks out. But then a remarkable transformation occurs – instead of killing the cheetah, they tolerate him. Day by day, the strangers gradually begin to accept each other, until one day – against all odds – the power of three is returned to the Linyanti Plains as a new coalition of cheetahs hunt together at last…