Battlefield Britain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battlefield Britain |
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| Genre | Documentary |
| Presented by | Peter & Dan Snow |
| Country of origin | UK |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Jane Aldous |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC 2 |
| Original release | 6 August 2004 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | 20th Century Battlefields |
Battlefield Britain is an exciting television documentary series from 2004. It explores famous battles that shaped British history. This 8-part series takes you on a journey from ancient times to World War II.
The show covers battles like Boudicca's rebellion against the Romans in 60 AD. It also looks at the Battle of Britain in 1940. The series explains how these battles changed the future of the British Isles.
The show is presented by a father and son team, Peter and Dan Snow. Peter explains the battle plans and how the land looked. He also talks about what the generals did. Dan visits the actual battle sites. He shares what it was like for the soldiers on the ground.
Each episode also includes exciting re-enactments of important parts of the battles. You'll see computer-generated views from above. These views show the land and how troops moved.
Contents
Behind the Scenes: Making the Show
Dan Snow shared that he and his dad never planned to work together. The idea came up after someone at the BBC saw Dan's video diary. This diary was about the Oxford and Cambridge boat race in 2000.
Peter Snow was then asked to make a history series with his son. At first, Peter said no to the idea. But Dan convinced him, and they filmed a test episode. Dan has said that the work wasn't easy for him at first.
I was very wooden and I had to go on a steep learning curve. In the process I developed a huge respect for Dad's ability to explain really complex things in simple language, without ever dumbing anything down.
More About Battlefield Britain
A radio show called Battlefield Ramblings was also broadcast. It aired weekly on BBC Radio 4 alongside the TV series. Each week, a guest joined presenter Muriel Gray. They would walk in areas connected to the TV show's events.
The first radio episode was from Boudicca's Way in Norfolk. Dan and Peter Snow were the guests. They often had lively discussions during the program.
The series was also shown in Australia. All eight episodes aired on SBS TV. This was part of their As It Happened history slot. It ran every Saturday at 7:30 pm from January to March 2005.
Online Game Fun
A popular online game was made for the series. It was called Battlefield Academy. The game was created by Solaris Media (now Playniac).
The game features four historical challenges. These challenges are based on episodes from the TV series. Dan Snow, Matthew Bennett from Sandhurst, and the BBC History team helped create the game.
DVD Release
You can find the full series on DVD. It's called Battlefield Britain: The Complete Series. This is a 3-disc box-set. It was released by BBC Worldwide on October 23, 2006.
Episode Guide
The series has eight exciting episodes, each focusing on a different battle:
| No. | Title | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) |
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| 1 | "Boudicca's Revolt" | 6 August 2004 | 2.55 | |
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Learn about Queen Boudicca's uprising against Roman rule in Britain in 60 AD.
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| 2 | "Hastings" | 13 August 2004 | N/A | |
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Discover the famous Battle of Hastings in 1066.
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| 3 | "The Battle for Wales" | 20 August 2004 | 1.98 | |
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Explore the Battle for Wales in 1403.
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| 4 | "The Battle Against the Spanish Armada" | 27 August 2004 | 2.28 | |
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See how the Spanish Armada was defeated in 1588.
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| 5 | "The Battle of Naseby" | 3 September 2004 | 1.92 | |
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Understand the Battle of Naseby in 1645.
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| 6 | "The Battle of the Boyne" | 10 September 2004 | 2.39 | |
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Learn about the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
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| 7 | "Culloden" | 17 September 2004 | 2.26 | |
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Discover the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
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| 8 | "The Battle of Britain" | 24 September 2004 | 3.00 | |
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The final episode covers the Battle of Britain in 1940.
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See Also
- 20th Century Battlefields
