The Hidden History of Egypt

Egyptians were famed for their extravagant building techniques and extraordinary gods, but what about the ordinary citizens? How did they lead their day to day lives? What did they do for entertainment? Did they believe in their gods? Discover astonishing facts that throw new light on our understanding of the Ancient Egyptians.

The Great Pyramids

Who built the Pyramids? Were they designed only as royal tombs? How were they built to such precise measurements? The Great Pyramids of Giza remain the world's most perplexing enigma. For over 4,000 years they have withstood the sands of time, casting a spell that even science cannot break. Through stunning film, interviews with experts and vivid reenactments, you'll witness the actual step-by-step process Egyptian embalmers used in the preparation of mummies to ensure immortality. You'll discover the journey of the Pharaohs into the afterlife and probe the obsessions that led the greatest kings of this powerful ancient civilization to build monuments designed to last for eternity.

The Way South

Johan van der Keuken went against the grain in 1980: from Amsterdam (on April 30 with the coronation riots and squatting actions) via Paris, southern France and Italy to Egypt. He made his personal travelogue in three parts for VPRO television. Later, he fused the three parts into one long movie.

The Scorpion King

The Scorpion King: The King before Pharaohs. Learn more about the king who likely united ancient Egypt, organized the world’s earliest phonetic writing system, and inspired the creation of the pyramids. Mace heads, a stone mounted on a wooden shaft, were an early weapon of war. They were used like a club to strike enemies on the head. The scorpion mace head was too large to have been used as a weapon, and was clearly reserved for ceremonial purposes. Archaeologists believe they have found the tomb of the Scorpion King at the ancient burial site of Abydos. He was buried with 700 wine jars, several of which had come from as far away as ancient Palestine. The Scorpion King may have presided over the birth of phonetic writing earlier than any other civilization in the world—200 years before the first pharaohs.

Sex in the Ancient World

In the beginning was sex. To the ancient cultures, sexuality, love and sex were inextricably connected with the creation of the earth, the heavens and the underworld. To the citizens of the ancient civilizations that gave birth to ours, sensuality and sexuality were an integral part of society. This series exploration of Egyptian and Roman sexual practice allows viewers the opportunity to see how attitudes and beliefs about sexuality functioned in the early civilizations, and how those attitudes reveal the unspoken rules that defined public and private behavior. Episodes cover human sex and sexuality from a historical perspective, and examines in detail different texts and images which provide us with evidence about sexual practices, beliefs and ideologies in the ancient world – from erotica on pots to legal texts, phallic votive objects, fertility ceremonies, prostitution, female and hermaphroditic creator deities, from religious rituals to sex manuals.

Egypt's Great Pyramid: The New Evidence

Egypt's Great Pyramid may be humanity's greatest achievement: a skyscraper of stone built without computers or complex machinery. This super-sized tomb has fascinated historians and archaeologists for centuries, but exactly how the ancient Egyptians finished the monument and fitted its two and a half million blocks in a quarter of a century has long remained an enigma. Today the secrets of the pyramid are finally being revealed thanks to a series of new findings. At the foot of the monument, archaeologists are uncovering the last surviving relic of the pharaoh Khufu, whose tomb it is: a huge ceremonial boat buried in flat-pack form for more than 4500 years. It's a clue that points to the important role that ships and water could have played in the pyramids' construction. This documentary follows investigations that reveal how strong the link between pyramids and boats is. It's a story of more than how Egypt built a pyramid: it's about how the pyramid helped build the modern world.

Koran by Heart

In this 80-minute documentary, three 10-year-old children leave their native countries to participate in one of the Islamic world’s most famous competitions, a test of memory and recitation known as The International Holy Koran Competition. Up against much older students, these youngsters have committed the 600 pages of the Koran to memory, and will put their skills to the test before the elite of the world’s Muslim community in Cairo, Egypt. In the midst of this intense international competition, the three young competitors –two boys from Senegal and Tajikistan, and one girl from the Maldives – face uncertain futures at home, as they are caught between fundamentalist and moderate visions of Islam. The children discuss their recitation techniques – with accompanying, completely improvised melodies – and talk about their nerves and excitement as they finally compete before a panel of judges.

Egypt: Quest for Eternity

Documentary about ancient Egypt, its temples, paintings and art, and how these old treasures are being endangered by modern civilization. Also shown are the Nile river, the Luxor and Karnak temples, the Sphynx, the Great Pyramids of Giza, the river path to the Land of the Dead, the pharaohs and queens' tombs, as well as egyptologysts' interpretation of Ancient Egypt mysteries.

King Tut: A Century of Secrets

The world's leading Egyptologists are on a quest to uncover the secrets of Howard Carter's history-making discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb on the 100th anniversary of its discovery. Now, as the treasures of Tut are being moved from the Cairo Museum to the brand new Grand Egyptian Museum at the foot of the pyramids, Zahi and others can examine them up close with the latest technology like never before. The result rewrites what we thought we knew about the Boy King.

Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs

The grail is not the gold, nor the books of ancient wisdom, but the 3,000 year old DNA of the mummies, which may lead to a cure for malaria.

Nefertiti: Resurrected

Has the famed Egyptian beauty, Queen Nefertiti, been found in a secret chamber deep in the Valley of the Kings? A Discovery Channel Quest expedition led by Dr. Joann Fletcher and a team of internationally renowned scientists from the University of York Mummy Research Team hopes to find out. If they find her, it will be one of the greatest archaeological discoveries since Nefertiti's stepson, King Tutankhamen, was discovered in 1922. The "Great Royal Wife" of the renegade Akhenaten, Nefertiti was a mother of six who helped lead a religious revolution that changed Egypt and the world forever. Yet after her death, her enemies destroyed all evidence of her life. Now, drawing on 13 years of research, Fletcher and her team bring Nefertiti's turbulent reign to life like never before with cutting-edge computer animations to recreate ancient Egypt's great temples, x-rays to reveal the telltale signs of foul play on her mummy, and forensic graphics to recreate the mummy's face.

Il était une fois... « La Conspiration du Caire »

Stars of the Pharaohs

Travel to ancient Egypt to see how science was used to tell time, make a workable calendar, and align huge buildings. You'll learn about the connection the ancient Egyptians felt with the stars and various astronomical phenomena, and experience some of the most spectacular temples and tombs of the ancient world recreated in all of their original splendor. Telly Award winner. Narrated by John Rhys-Davies, of the Indiana Jones films and The Lord of the Rings films.

Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus

A debate rages over the credibility of the Bible. Most archaeologists today have concluded that there's no evidence that the Exodus of Israelite slaves from Egypt ever happened. Filmmaker Timothy Mahoney faces a crisis of faith: "Is this foundation event of the Bible really just a myth?" He embarks on a 12-year journey around the world to search for answers. The Exodus unlocks the mystery of this ancient saga, combining a scientific investigation with a retelling of the Exodus story to reveal an amazing pattern of evidence matching the biblical account that may challenge our understanding of history.

Black Pharaohs: Empire of Gold

It's a land of pyramids, gold, and ancient treasure, but it's not Egypt. It's present-day Sudan, once home to the glorious kingdom of Kush. Now, archaeologists are using every means possible - from robots to rock climbers - in their search for clues about this long-neglected culture. Once the Kushites filled the pharaohs' coffers with gold and, for a time, they even ruled over all of Egypt, but only now is their real story beginning to emerge.

The Exodus Revealed

During the Exodus, one of the most famous miracles of the Old Testament took place. More than 3000 years have passed since Moses led two million Israelites across the Red Sea and out of the bondage of Egypt. Christians, Jews, and Muslims throughout the world still embrace the accounts of this remarkable event. It is an epic that so fascinated Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille that he made THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, twice. Now THE EXODUS REVEALED follows the footsteps of the children of Israel in an unforgettable journey of discovery. A journey that reveals physical evidence for the Exodus including: the remains of 3800 year old Hebrew settlements in Egypt's Nile Delta; Egyptian records of the Israelites bondage under Pharaoh; the precise route they may have followed to freedom; their crossing site on the shore of the Red Sea; and the location of Mt. Sinai. THE EXODUS REVEALED brings to light the first significant archaeological "find" of the 21st century.

Seven Wonders of Ancient Egypt

At the dawn of history, the ancient Egyptians showed the world how to build the impossible... In an age before machines, when copper was the strongest metal yet discovered, great pharaohs like Khufu and Ramses II demonstrated how boundless ambition and vast quantities of human labour could transform rock and stone into some of the most incredible monuments ever created from carving out spectacular tombs in the Valley Of The Kings to the building of the iconic Great Pyramid. In this fascinating documentary special we uncover the secrets of Ancient Egypt Pharaoh, engineers and architects and bring to life great buildings and the ancient Egyptians saw them - towering over their great civilisation in the history of Africa, and perhaps the World....

David Macaulay: Pyramid

How did ancient Egyptians build the Great Pyramid at Giza, joining two million blocks of heavy stone with amazing precision? Who were the leaders who built these enormous structures, and what did these tombs signify? Host David Macaulay explores the history, mythology, and religions of Egypt's people, combining live footage and animation. Take a rare look at the mummy of Ramses II and buried treasure in the sacred Valley of the Kings.

Tutankhamun In Colour

The BBC version of "King Tut In Color" documentary. A century after the world’s most exciting archaeological find - the tomb of Tutankhamun - we can witness the dramatic scenes of its discovery and marvel at its extraordinary treasures exactly as they were then, in colour.

Egypt's New Tomb Revealed

American archeologists have found a new tomb in the desert valley. This is the first find of this magnitude since King Tutankhamun's tomb was uncovered in 1922, according to Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. Called KV 63 - it is the 63rd discovered since the valley was first mapped - the new, intact tomb was found just 16 feet away from King Tut's resting place. A team of archeologists led by Otto Schaden discovered the tomb by accident while conducting "routine digs" on the nearby tomb of King Amenmesses, a 19th Dynasty pharaoh. Explore the wonders of the magnificent lost era.

Unknown: The Lost Pyramid

Egyptian archaeologists dig into history, discovering tombs and artifacts over 4,000 years old as they search for a buried pyramid in this documentary.

Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb

This documentary follows a team of local archaeologists excavating never before explored passageways, shafts, and tombs, piecing together the secrets of Egypt’s most significant find in almost 50 years in Saqqara.

The Mummy

Dashing legionnaire Rick O'Connell stumbles upon the hidden ruins of Hamunaptra while in the midst of a battle to claim the area in 1920s Egypt. It has been over three thousand years since former High Priest Imhotep suffered a fate worse than death as a punishment for a forbidden love—along with a curse that guarantees eternal doom upon the world if he is ever awoken.

A Plastic Ocean

A documentary focused on plastic pollution in the world's oceans.

Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20

An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.

Black Adam: Saviour or Destroyer?

Ahead of the release of upcoming fantasy film ‘Black Adam’, sit down with Dwayne Johnson as he discusses his starring role as the eponymous superhero.

Aquaman: Heroines of Atlantis

Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman discuss their characters Mera and Atlanna.

The Summers of It - Chapter Two: It Ends

This documentary focuses on the actors and their journey over two summers to create the remake to the original IT, by Stephen King. The documentary originally released as bonus material, bundled with IT: Chapter Two.

The Class of ‘92

A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.

News from Home

Impersonal and beautiful images of Akerman's life in New York are combined with letters from her loving but manipulative mother, read by Akerman herself.

Above Majestic

A look at the origins, history and conspiracies behind the "Majestic 12", a clandestine group of military and corporate figureheads charged with reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.

Room 237

A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation and dramatic reenactments.

Love, Marilyn

Using the book 'Fragments', which collects Marilyn Monroe's poems, notes and letters, and with participation from the Arthur Miller and Truman Capote estates who have contributed more material, each of the actresses will embody the legend at various stages in her life.

Fastest

What does it take to be the fastest? From award-winning filmmaker Mark Neale, comes Fastest, a spectacular maximum-speed, full-length documentary delving deep into the world of MotoGP™. This thrilling documentary, narrated by Ewan McGregor, highlights the thrills, spills and incredible commitment and courage the sport demands of it stars. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access and never before seen angles, interviews and insight, this truly cinematic experience charts the exhilarating highs, crushing lows, career-threatening crashes and spectacular comebacks, including Rossi’s 41 days turn around to race following a leg shattering crash.

McQueen

Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.

50 Greatest Harry Potter Moments

To mark the release two weeks ago of the eighth and final movie in the series, Robbie Coltrane narrates a countdown of the movie franchise's best moments. From Harry's first meeting with Ron and Hermione aboard the Hogwarts Express through to magical mysteries.

God Grew Tired of Us

Filmmaker Christopher Quinn observes the ordeal of three Sudanese refugees -- Jon Bul Dau, Daniel Abul Pach and Panther Bior -- as they try to come to terms with the horrors they experienced in their homeland, while adjusting to their new lives in the United States.

We Live in Public

In 1999, Internet entrepreneur Josh Harris recruits dozens of young men and women who agree to live in underground apartments for weeks at a time while their every movement is broadcast online. Soon, Harris and his girlfriend embark on their own subterranean adventure, with cameras streaming live footage of their meals, arguments, bedroom activities, and bathroom habits. This documentary explores the role of technology in our lives, as it charts the fragile nature of dot-com economy.

Making The Witcher

Journey into the extraordinary world of "The Witcher" — from casting the roles to Jaskier's catchy song — in this behind-the-scenes look at the series.

Samsara

Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.