Great British Ships

Synopsis

Visiting the ships as they stand today, Rob Bell will reveal how and why these monumental vessels were originally built. He’ll uncover a murder on board on the Cutty Sark, reveal the mystery of why the Mary Rose sank and discover how HMS Belfast helped turn the tide on D-Day. From Nelson on board HMS Victory to Sir Francis Drake on the Golden Hind, Rob will reveal how daring, genius and dazzling invention led to Britain becoming the world’s greatest sea power.

First Air Date: 2018-09-20

Last Air Date: 2020-02-17

Number of Seasons: 2

Number of Episodes: 12

Networks: 5

View Technical Specifications on IMDb

Top Cast

Rob Bell as Narrator
Eric Grove as Self-Professor
Paul Pattison as Self-Historian
John Harrison as Self-Veteran
Andrew Baines as Self
Helen Doe as Self-Maritime Historian
Dave Cheer as Self-Ropemaker
Andy Curran as Self-Conservation Manager
Joanna Thomas as Self-Curator
Simon Potter as Self-Historian

Seasons

Season 1 (2018)

No overview available for this season.

Episodes:

Ep. 1: HMS Victory: Nelson's Great Warship (2018-09-20)

HMS Victory was already 40 years old before it secured its place in history at Trafalgar. Rob discovers the extraordinary feats of engineering behind its construction, and the celebrity of its famous captain, Nelson.
Ep. 2: The Mary Rose: Secrets From the Deep (2018-09-27)

Henry VIII's great warship went down nearly 500 years ago.
Ep. 3: HMS Belfast: WW2's Great Survivor (2018-12-05)

Rob Bell delves into the fascinating history of HMS Belfast, the cruiser that played a critical role in some of the most dramatic battles of World War 2, and whose daring deeds helped defeat the Nazis.
Ep. 4: Secrets of SS Great Britain (2018-12-12)

In the final part of his documentary series, Rob Bell uncovers the extraordinary story behind what was once the longest passenger ship in the world. Designed by Victorian engineering genius Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the SS Great Britain rewrote the shipbuilding rulebook, pioneering innovations still found on almost all modern ships. Rob learns how the origins of the vast vessel lay in an off-the-cuff boast of Brunel's. Though the ship's early years were plagued by disaster, it finally met with success thanks to the Australian gold rush - and today 250,000 Australians can trace their direct ancestors to its passengers.
Ep. 5: Cutty Sark: 150 Years of War & Speed (2019-01-05)

Rob Bell explores the extraordinary tea clipper Cutty Sark, a ship that endured drunken captains and murderous crews, inspired a whiskey and survived the coming of the steam age. Rob clambers aboard to experience first-hand the beauty and superior design of the ship. He delves into her tragic past - the vagabond years of `tramping', mistreatment by her captains and desertion by her crews
Ep. 6: Golden Hinde: Drake's Royal Voyager (2019-01-19)

Rob Bell explores the extraordinary story of the Golden Hinde, the flagship of Elizabethan mariner, privateer and explorer Sir Francis Drake. Sent on a secret mission to plunder Spanish ships in the Pacific, the Golden Hinde's voyage was packed with adventure, from witchcraft and attempted mutiny to the supreme triumph of her most famous achievement, becoming the first English ship to sail around the world.