The behind-the-scenes secrets of history

This series uncovers and rediscover footage that bears witness to a century of history.

Some images are well-known, while others have never been seen before.

Each episode is a formal inquiry with a final revelation of all the behind-the-scenes secrets.

The secrets of the fourth monotheist faith

The Holy Land, stage of the greatest episodes of the Bible, is a territory of legendary and fascinating stories.

Situated between Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, it is home to enigmatic places and breathtaking natural landscapes.

In the hidden caves of Qumran, an archaeological site in the West Bank, ancient manuscripts reveal their secrets.

At the crossroads of Men’s beliefs

Crowds gather from around the world to contemplate and implore the Holy City. Today, Jerusalem is the place of the greatest hopes and the stage of the worst atrocities.

The city is surrounded by many holy sites, such as the Mount of Olives and the Dome of the Rock, home to the "Foundation Rock" for Muslims and once the site of Solomon's temple.

Between myth, reality, and legend, in this interweaving of places and beliefs, Jerusalem is at the heart of many mysteries of humanity.

The hidden secrets of the Serenissima

Venice is undoubtedly the most exotic city in Europe. A labyrinth of 118 islets, a museum-city proud of its long and tumultuous history, a place suspended between land and sea, the Serenissima is also and above all the mysterious city par excellence.

What unfortunate fate has met Marino Faliero, the damned Doge? How did Giacomo Casanova escape from Venice's most terrifying prison? Why is Poveglia, an abandoned Venetian island, nicknamed “the cursed island”?

These places and characters tell a different story of Venice, one that is sometimes confusing, but always fascinating.

Nudists vs libertines

The nudist village of Cap d'Agde has a sulfurous reputation. Infamous for being the world's largest clothing-optional beach resort, it is often depicted as the place of all excesses, the international rendez-vous for swingers.

Beyond the nudist/libertine divide, this is the fascinating story of a unique spot that has been at the vanguard of the evolution of mores since the late sixties.

Despite all the contradictions and controversies, there is however one thing everyone agrees upon in Cap d'Agde: freedom is paramount.

The cathedral before and after the fire

April 15, 2019, 6:30 pm.
Paris is in shock. Flames are wreaking havoc on the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Almost instantly, cameras capture the burning landmark and the alarming situation. Indeed, some of the building treasures have disappeared forever, like the 19th-century clock or the spire.

Through an original visit to the nave and the roofs of the wounded structure associated with sequences shot a few weeks before the tragedy, we see Notre Dame as we will never see again.

Ulysses's journey

Who was Homer, and what is the meaning of The Odyssey?

Ulysses, also known by his Greek name Odysseus, was a hero as relevant today as he was nearly three thousand years ago. We follow in his footsteps on a journey across some of the Mediterranean region's most fascinating landscapes and seascapes.

This series seeks to resolve the questions surrounding one of humanity's greatest literary works and its enigmatic author.

A highly creative designer

During Paris Fashion Week, the Balmain show is the one not to be missed under any circumstances.

For the past 6 years, it has been orchestrated and designed by the young prodigy Olivier Rousteing. This highly talented and sensitive designer has succeeded in rejuvenating the old French fashion house.

For the first time, Olivier Rousteing allowed cameras to film his life at its most dramatic moment.

The genesis of stories

Beyond the realm of reality, the human imagination has been confronted from time immemorial with the mysteries of the world and the universe. It had no choice but to dream hidden meanings, to lend to the strange facts of this unknown world, faces, and adventures capable of crystallizing its fears to overcome them better.

This is how stories beginning with "Once upon a time…" were born.

Their real selves

From Nobel Prize Shinya Yamanaka, best selling writer Marie Kondo or Michelin star's Ramen chef Yuki Onishi, we take a close look at the daily lives and activities of these “passionate people”.

The next royal generations

Who are the royals in the 21st century?

In Spain, Felipe and Letizia are already in charge. In Great Britain, William and Kate are a power couple waiting in the wings, like Victoria and Daniel in Sweden.

Operation Dragoon

End of 1943, early 1944, the Allies decided to carry out a double invasion in the North and South of France. Their strategy was to ensnare the Germans.

That led to Operation Overlord in Normandy on June 6, 1944, while Operation Dragoon took place in Provence on August 15, 1944, and is now known as "the Other D-Day".

A 19th century globe-trotter

Petrus Putiphar is the author of travel guides.

This professional fictional traveler identifies sights to visit, museums, gardens, or places to check; he walks around cities and blackens the pages of his notebook while sharing his discoveries and observations.

We follow him to Paris, London, Vienna, Constantinople, Amsterdam, or Saint Petersburg. Flagship capitals of the 19th century... because Putiphar travels at that time.

The post-mortem adventures of the greatest Pharaoh

3,200 years ago, Egypt was living the final hours of its golden age under the reign of Ramesses II. After ruling the country for 67 years, the great pharaoh died at the ripe old age of 92.

His mummy is buried in the heart of the Valley of the Kings. This is the beginning of his great journey towards the afterlife and eternity but only under one condition: that his tomb remains off limits forever.

However, in the 19th century, several European adventurers find and explore the tomb of the illustrious king searching for the burial chamber where his body rests alongside an invaluable treasure. Then begins a riveting archeological investigation through time and space, which reveals the spellbinding story of Ramesses II after-life.

The many skills of the legionnaires

All throughout the Gallic Wars, Caesar’s army drew on the power of its military genius to defeat the Gauls.

Once the territories were conquered, the technical skill of the Roman legionnaires was used to build monumental infrastructures like the impressive stone forts that served to protect the borders of the empire.

As an instrument of land conquest and territorial planning, the legion was Rome’s most precious asset.

Surviving changing times

At the start of the 20th century, there were more than fifty royal families across the globe; now, that number has more than halved.

This series brings to life the story of the rise, fall, and survival of royal families across the globe. It shows how royals have changed with the times to survive. After World War One, Germany’s and Russia’s monarchies lost their thrones. Then, in desperation, some royal leaders embrace fascism to preserve their privileges. After World War Two, monarchies tried to hide their treacherous wartime pasts.

Significant social changes in the 1960s and 70s forced royal families to change their identity or risk losing their thrones. In the 1980s, they faced a new threat: the rise of an intrusive tabloid press. Then, a new generation of royals had to present themselves as “normal people” to hang onto their crowns.

One of the best basketball players in the world

At 30, Rudy Gobert achieved his dream of becoming one of the best basketball players in the world. Yet, he remains unknown to the general public.

This film sheds light on the history and personality of the man behind the player.

Part fortresses, part palaces

After 5 years of restoration, Japan proudly celebrates the reopening of the Himeji Castle, a recently added World Heritage UNESCO site.

Too often mistaken for temples, Japanese castles are an integral part of the history of the country. Their slender architecture impressed the first Europeans who landed here in the 16th century. One can easily imagine samurai meandering down the footpaths, checking the defenses, or visiting the dungeons.

From North to South and appropriately during the blossoming of the Sakura – the cherry tree whose flower was the symbol of the samurai – this film unveils monuments still largely unknown outside of Japan.

The past reveal by underwater archaeology

Underwater archaeology is a unique access to the past.

This series is an epic journey to the most fascinating and extraordinary sites, revealing hidden worlds and their histories.

Amid danger and uncertainty, we take a deep dive to explore these mysterious worlds, coming up for air only to hear field specialists or testimonies.

Between light and shadow

For 150 years, the Middle Ages saw the construction of immense Gothic cathedrals, the fruit of an architectural revolution in which builders pushed back the limits of stone and light.

However, these exceptional works had a dark side, marked by power struggles, manipulation, and trafficking of all kinds.

Between visionary genius and all-consuming ambition, this series explores a fascinating and troubled world where every building conceals many mysteries.

The greatest mysteries of history unveiled

Why did Cleopatra kill herself?
Did Judas betrayed Jesus?
Was Napoleon poisoned?

SECRETS OF HISTORY sheds light on some of the unsolved mysteries of the past through interviews of historians, archives and re-enactments.

Exceptional destinies

These high-budget biographies have been primetime ratings winners on French TV for many years.

This collection unveils the great mysteries of the past by evoking outstanding destinies.

Filmed in exceptional locations from Versailles to the Vatican and skillfully contextualized by a star presenter, each episode retraces the life of an emblematic historical character and highlights remarkable heritage sites.

The L'Oreal saga

This film recounts the saga of L’Oreal since its establishment in 1904.

The incredible economic adventure and international success of a small business that became the embodiment of beauty and glamour is told through the story of the people who shaped its rise to fame.

Between the exceptional achievements and the scandals, at the crossroads of economy, history, politics, sociology and culture, this epic chronicle overlaps with the history of the 20th century.

The diary of a Maori Battalion during WW2

During WW2, Major Walter Downs Piiti Wordley kept a diary and took photos of the many heroic and tragic stories befalling the Maori Battalion he was part of.

This film is their story.

The turning point of World War II

The battle for Stalingrad was the bloodiest decisive combat in the war of annihilation unleashed by Hitler. It cost the lives of at least one million German and Red Army soldiers and Soviet civilians.

Stalingrad marked a psychological turning point in the Second World War since the defeat of the 6th Army shocked many Germans into realizing that, despite all the propaganda, the war would be lost.

This series portrays how the catastrophe came about and what the horrific consequences of this battle were for the soldiers and inhabitants of the city.

A superstructure that revolutionized its time

Erected over a century ago on a small island in the Bay of New York, the Statue of Liberty attracts over 4 million visitors every year.

The “lady who lights up the world” is a formidable concentrate of innovation. A colossus of such height, never built before, required a treasure trove of engineering.

A true technological feat, this humongous project was perfectly in tune with its time, an era defined by a race for progress.

The economics of WWII

Looking at World War II from the perspective of economics, it is quite clear that the Third Reich was a giant with feet of clay.

A series of unprecedented revelations explains how Germany has been able to finance its huge war expenses.

The war might have ended in 1943, had Switzerland not recycled the gold looted by the Nazis throughout Europe and France.

The younger brother of Reichmarschall Hermann Goering

His story is hard to believe and yet it is real.

He was arrested 3 times by the Gestapo and released 3 times. On May 10, 1945, he was imprisoned by the American Army and interrogated. He then wrote a list of 34 names: people he had saved from deportation and death. His name was Albert Goering. He was the younger brother of Reichmarschall Hermann Goering, Adolf Hitler’s right-hand man.

From re-enactments based on Albert Goering’s interrogation by an American officer, the testimony of families saved by his actions and with unreleased archive images, this is the portrait of an enigmatic man in the heart of Third Reich.

In 1898, Swedish immigrant Olof Ohman claimed to have found a runestone in Minnesota, left by Viking explorers more than two centuries before Columbus arrived in North America.

Actor Peter Stormare (‘The Big Lebowski’; ‘Prison Break’, ‘Minority Report’) was born in the same region of Sweden as Olof Ohman. He, meets scholars, sceptics and sensationalists on a deeply personal and often humorous journey that leaves no stone unturned.

A tragic attack

July 1, 1916, 7:30am. In the Somme, 500,000 French and British soldiers, on a front stretching 40 km, launch the most senseless attack of an absurd war. Carrying 35 kg on their backs and with orders not to run or drop on the ground, they walk towards death as if on a parade. That morning, 60,000 men fall.

This absurd obstinate pursuit of an error would last 5 months.

With more than a million casualties on both sides, the Battle of the Somme would cost more lives than Verdun in twice as less time. For negligible results.

Pushing back the limits

The bridges of Paris follow one another along the Seine River, all different since they were built over centuries and reflect the most advanced techniques of each era. First in wood, then in stone, metal, and today in high-performance alloys, they have pushed back the limits of know-how each time.

How have these superstructures withstood the test of time? What challenges were met to gain in lightness and sturdiness, to improve span and strength?

Thanks to 3D images and the participation of the best experts, this film takes us back in time to discover the incredible story of the bridges of Paris.

Also available as a 70'

Heritage doesn’t go down easily

The Canal du Midi dates back to the 17th century and is still a fascinating monument today.

Tourists, locals, and passionate guardians coexist along its banks.

An emblem of the power of a bygone empire

All roads lead to Rome, or more precisely, to its most iconic landmark: the Colosseum.

Built under Emperor Vespasian in the 1st century CE, this magnificent monument, spanning two thousand years of history, is an emblem of the power of a bygone empire.

With over seven million visitors a year, its massive structure and awesome architecture testify to the genius of ancient Roman building techniques, earning it a place not only among UNESCO’s world heritage sites, but as one of the new seven wonders of the world.

A tunnel to freedom

In 1944, Anglo-American officers detained in Poland managed to escape by digging a tunnel. Their feat inspired the famous film "The Great Escape".

This daring method had already been used by French prisoners in September 1943. About 132 men absconded this way.

Former officer detainees tell of their incredible and dearly paid adventures.

A century old tragedy

Following the February 1917 Russian revolution, the Tsar Nicolas II abdicates. This film is an exceptional account of the tragic fate of the whole imperial family until its demise in July 1918. It is the story of a drama unfolding while History is on march, from the February and October revolutions to the end of WWI and the bloody Russian civil war.

Why was such a powerful mornarch abandoned by everyone, including his dearest cousin, King George of England? Did Lenin played a personal role in this outcome? Was murder the only solution?

One century later, the final weeks of the Romanovs are testament to the vanishing great European monarchies.

Unsung battles and heroes

Master spies, secret agents, assassins for the government. Intelligence agencies evoke superlatives, stereotypes and paradoxes. But who controls them and what is their role in politics?

French intelligence agencies are not only clandestine places but can also be violent when personal interests, national security, treason, targeted assassinations, and struggles for power become entangled.

Art geniuses

They have been piercing observers of their times, leaving their works for posterity.

Often misunderstood and even harassed by critics, they were trailblazers of new artistic movements that transformed art forever and still fascinate scholars today.

This series is a thrilling journey into the world of the most significant painting geniuses.

Home sweet home

We tour the most fabulous and luxurious homes in history.

What unites the rich of the world is a love of a grand home.

The difficult conquest of the summits

The conquest of the Mont Blanc is an extraordinary story in which love of the mountains meets the passion of engineers, workers and technicians to make the mountain range accessible to all.

It was also a true obstacle course for these explorers and builders of the extreme, who had to brave all odds to allow the greatest number of people to get as close as possible to Europe’s summit.

The "almost" queen

For more than twenty years, Diane de Poitiers has been King Henri II’s favorite. Despite her strong personality and her legendary beauty, she is still just another courtesan, and her position remains fragile.

As Henri’s upcoming marriage to Catherine de Medici may jeopardize her dream of power, Diane will do anything to maintain her influence.

But can her relationship with Henri, twenty years her senior, last forever?

The moving story of French-resistance women fighters deported to Auschwitz

They were mothers, daughters, members of the Resistance, communists for the most part, whose only "crime" was to have risen against the Nazis.

These 230 anonymous heroines, forgotten by history, were deported one morning in January 1943 in a convoy known as the "31000" in reference to the number tattooed on their arms. They made up the only non-Jewish French train sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. From this journey to hell, only 49 returned.

Without women, the Internal Resistance could never have existed, yet they were quickly forgotten, history having only remembered the men's fight.

Versailles' rival

An insolent palace overlooking Paris from a hill bordering the Seine was the imperial castle of Saint-Cloud, a splendor burnt down, a victim of the French-Prussian war of 1870.

Built in a 500-hectare park and decorated with fountains, basins, water jets, and waterfalls, the Château de Saint-Cloud rivaled Louis XIV’s Versailles.

Of this wonder, nothing is left except the park surrounding it, but for the past ten years, passionate historians have set out to revive it. Based on exceptional photos, archives, and CGI, they have made breathtaking renditions of the castle.

The 30 years showdown between General de Gaulle and the USA

The hostility of the United States towards General de Gaulle is not a secret anymore. Successive American administrations tried everything to subdue him without ever succeeding, using media manipulations or clandestine financing of his opponents, to name a few strategies.

The showdown between the General and the USA would last 30 years.

This film explains the reasons behind this antagonism thanks to declassified archives and new testimonies. For the first time, it is now possible to recount this secret war that pitted de Gaulle against America from 1940 to 1969.

Nicholas Winton, a very discreet hero

He never considered himself a hero, yet he saved 669 children on the eve of World War II.

As a young banker in the City of London, Nicholas Winton is about to go on a skiing vacation on Christmas 1938 when a friend calls him from Prague asking for help. In the Czechoslovakian capital, young Nicholas Winton sets up an extraordinary rescue operation for Jewish children threatened by the Nazis.

From his hotel room, he organizes the departure of trains to England and becomes a forger when he lacks authorizations and visas. 669 children board 8 trains on their way to London, where host families meet them.

The secrets of a pillar of faith

Rocamadour is a breathtaking medieval citadel built on the edge of a cliff in the center of France. Seemingly defying the laws of gravity, it stands at 364 meters, 40 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower.

This medieval city owes its fame to the fabulous treasure it conceals.

Nine centuries after its foundation, this film reveals the secrets of a pillar of faith, renown for extraordinary technical feats and legends.

The city of the funereal divinity of Memphis

On the left bank of the Nile rests the country's most ancient and vast necropolis, Saqqara.

The city of the funereal divinity of Memphis and one of the capitals of Ancient Egypt is also the home to one of the first women who guided the country.

An expedition that explores the secrets of the forbidden Saqqara.

The mothers of Négritude

The Nardal sisters, Alice, Andrée, Lucy, Cécile, Émilie, and above all Paulette and Jeanne, were seven women of letters, artists and intellectuals from Martinique.

These central figures of the black intelligentsia in Paris in the 1920s theorized about “black consciousness” and its awakening.

Despite their important contribution to the black issue and to the feminine cause, they have been forgotten by history.

A divided brotherhood

You're not always responsible for your family members. Especially when you're the brother of one of the greatest war criminals, Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering.

It's hard to present oneself as a champion of individual freedoms when, in 1945, the death camps are being discovered, that the war has claimed millions of lives and every average German declares himself to be anti-Nazi.

And yet, Hermann's brother, Albert Goering, calls himself a protector of the weak and oppressed. We find out that the devil had an archangel brother.

The real battle of the rails

During WWII, the French national railway service was guided by a government that promoted collaboration with the Nazis.

Soon, however, railway workers objected and became critical elements of the Resistance. By organizing sabotage, they greatly hindered the Germans. With the D-Day landing in Normandy, they played a crucial role by slowing down German reinforcement on their way to the frontline. Also, thanks to their strike on August 10, 1944, they triggered the popular insurrection that led to the liberation of Paris.

However, they paid a heavy price for their actions, with several hundred victims in their ranks. This is their story.

The 500 year old castle celebration

Chambord is the largest of the Loire Valley castles, a monumental architecture masterpiece built in the 16th century. Inside there are more than 400 rooms served by 77 staircases, including the one with double revolution attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. The estate, covering 5,440 hectares, is the largest enclosed park in Europe.

Maintaining and enhancing the site is a daily challenge. To celebrate its 500th anniversary, Chambord has come up with new decors, new vineyards and new products.

The most incredible escape from hell story ever

"Papillon", starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, was a major box office success when it came out in 1973 and is still viewed today as the best ever "escape from hell" scenario.

It was actually based on the true story of 2 hoodlums locked away in a gruesome French penal colony lost in the middle of the South American jungle.

This docu-fiction relates the extraordinary adventures of these men from their incredible escape to their spectacular recognition in Hollywood.

More dramatic than Hollywood

Winter 1944. In Nazi Germany, 76 pilots - British, Canadians, Norwegians and French – who were held in a Luftwaffe prison camp, escaped. The tunnel used for their flight was built in the greatest secrecy, right under the nose of their German guards.

This historical saga, immortalized in 1963 by John Sturges in his movie "The Great Escape" with Steve McQueen, went around the world. But the real story of these men overtakes by far the fiction imagined by Hollywood.

Among the witnesses in this film is Jack Lyon, one of the last survivors of this incredible adventure.

Standing the test of time

France has been the world's leading tourist destination for a very long time, but how have its landmark buildings, tourist sites, or bridges stood the test of time?

What technical, economic, or societal challenges did each project face when it was built?

This film takes us on a journey spanning several centuries of some famous superstructures and places through interviews with engineers, historians, and curators who reveal the origins of these sometimes miraculous wonders.

Some years are more memorable than others

Some years are more memorable due to shocking events, incredible human achievements, or life-changing moments.

This series relives stunning global moments with stories from politics, crime, natural disasters, celebrity news, and scientific breakthroughs. From the celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall to the horror of the Indian Ocean tsunami, the shocking death of Princess Diana, and the revolutionary invention of Google, each episode takes us around the planet and into the past.

What led up to the events of these incredible years, and how did they change the course of history to create the world as we know it today?

The Sisters who stood up for human rights

In America, the Maryknoll Sisters are truly iconic. Far from the clichés of Catholic nuns removed from the turmoil of the world, they have been witnesses and sometimes active players in some of the major historical events of the last century such as the Chinese revolution, the civic rights movement in the USA, the independence of African countries and the bloody civil wars of the 70’s in Central America.

Everywhere they’ve been on the side of the poorest and the persecuted, often paying the price for it with their blood and freedom.

The heritage of the Mayas, Toltecs, Incas and Aztecs

From pre-Columbian times until the Spanish conquest in 1521, Mexico was the cradle of civilizations ahead of their time.

Architecture combined with extraordinary artistic diversity characterizes the legacy of the Mayas, Toltecs, Incas, or Aztecs, as evidenced by the imposing ruins of palaces and temples scattered throughout the jungle.

These civilizations are also known to have developed impressive scientific knowledge.

The story one of the only 57 survivors among 750,000 Jews

This film is adapted from Chil Rajchman's story "I Am the Last Jew".

October 1942. Chil Rajchman is 28 years old when he is deported to Treblinka. He escaped the gas chamber by becoming a clothes sorter, a hairdresser, a corpse carrier and a "dentist". On August 2, 1943, he participated in the camp uprising and escaped. After several weeks of wandering, the young man hid with a friend near Warsaw where, in a notebook, and before the victory over the Nazis, he recounted his 10 months in hell.

At the Liberation, he was one of the only 57 survivors among the 750,000 Jews sent to Treblinka. No camp had gone so far in the rationalization of mass extermination.

The darker side of humanity

This series delves deep into the dark corners of the Asian continent, exposing chilling tales of crime, mystery, and the human psyche.

With gripping narratives, expert interviews, and a commitment to uncovering the truth, this anthology is a must-watch for true crime enthusiasts and anyone seeking to understand the darker side of humanity in Asia.

History's cold cases

This series brings together the world of forensic anthropology, true crime, and history, enabling us to travel back in time to iconic epochs and re-tell infamous stories through a fresh lens.

Revisiting murder cases from ancient times through to the early 20th century allows us to take a deep dive into history through some of its best-known unsolved crimes.

Planes crashed. Ship sank. Tanks got stuck.

Between September 1939 and May 1945, thousands of fighter planes, bombers, boats, and tanks were lost during operations. Some crashed in deserts and fields, others at sea or into marshes. Ships sank with their cargo and sailors. Tanks got stuck in bogs or were buried to fill in shell holes.

They all remained wherever they went down until now and they have stories to tell.

This series visits all these hidden wrecks, brings them back to the surface, and tells what happened during that tragic day. With a mix of archives, re-enactments, VFX, and experts’ interviews, the epic stories of these battle machines offer a unique perspective on WWII.

From birth to the last battle

The warriors are the darkest and most heroic part of many ancient civilizations.

Each episode reveals their ethos, beliefs, values, and religion.

Their training and obedience to their masters are what define these warriors from birth till their last battle.

A hegemony with lasting impact

On June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo was fought. It was the victory of the Europe of monarchs over the French Europe desired by Napoleon.

The consequences of Napoleon's quest for hegemony, which only lasted for 15 years, can still be felt in Europe today.

From underdog to favorite

From the Ministry of; Finance to his candidacy in the presidential elections, Emmanuel Macron quickly imposed himself in the French political landscape with subtlety and cleverness.

In this film, Emmanuel Macron tries to define his political line and his strategy that turned out to be fatal for the Socialist Party.

From underdog to favorite, we discover the French president from his beginning as a candidate.

A necessary adaptation to a world in flux

The Nazi regime ended up being a paradox for German women: formerly confined to a traditional matriarchal role, they experienced temporary social emancipation after being entrusted with some very untraditional responsibilities.

Some of them were honorable (standing in for the men who had left for the Front), some horrific (participating in the Third Reich’s crimes).

This two-parts film shows how their place in society changed from the late 1920s to the Nazis’ rise to power, then confining them to the status of "child-bearers" from 1933 to 1939.

The rise and fall of the world's most legendary brothel

Yab Yum, Amsterdam's most legendary brothel, was forced to close its doors more than 10 years ago after the exclusive and vibrant club turned into a dodgy criminal hub.

Director Anna Maria van't Hek found those who once worked there; they share with her their turbulent past. They tell their extravagant and painful stories about Yab Yum's glory days and how it all went tragically wrong.

There were no limits for the citizens of the Empire

The mainly Roman archaeological remains of Leptis Magna in Libya are exceptional in size and preservation.

In the 3rd century, the Roman emperor Septimius Severus, called "the African" because he was born in this ancient Carthaginian trading post, made it the showcase of a triumphant and dominating Rome.

Leptis Magna is a testimony to the Roman dream that posits that there were no limits for citizens of the Empire; they could even become Emperor in Rome as Septimius Severus.

The oceans workhorses of WWII

In 1999, an old cargo ship, the Zhan Dou 43, ended its protracted career somewhere in China. This seemingly mundane event marked the end of the most incredible maritime and industrial saga.

The Zhan Dou 43 was launched in Baltimore in 1943 and was the last Liberty Ship still plying for trade. Between September 1941 and August 1945, the American built 2,710 absolutely identical cargo vessels.

Two were launched every day. The object of the exercise was simple: build more ships than the German and Japanese submarines could sink. The cargo ships were intended to provide fresh supplies of men and equipment to all theatres of operation in the Second World War. The D-day landings, on 6 June 1944, would never have been possible without them.

The wonders of archeology

This second season of LIVING STONES is devoted to the archeological heritage of the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

It unveils the greatest landmarks and the history that presided over their construction, development and ultimate decline. Through findings shared by prestigious archeologists and with the help of CGI, we can finally see and tour these monuments as they were built and revisit the great civilizations of Mesopotamia, Pharaonic Egypt, Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.

The series also takes us through the cornerstones of History such as the development of mythical cities, the invention of the alphabet or the belligerent crusades.

On the trail of History

This series is about the Mediterranean and Middle East's most significant archeological landmarks and the history that presided over their construction, development, and ultimate decline.

Through findings shared by prestigious archeologists and with the help of CGI, we finally see these monuments as they were built and revisit the great civilizations of Mesopotamia, Pharaonic Egypt, Ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire.

We relive the cornerstones of History, such as the development of mythical cities, the invention of the alphabet, and the belligerent crusades.