Horrible Histories – Specials

Savage Songs

A compilation of the songs from the second series, featuring Spartan High School Musical, the Viking Rock Band, punky Queen Boudica, Incan emperor Pachacuti, the posh rapping of Charles II, Blackbeard the Pirate, George IV going solo, the Victorian Inventions song, and the World War 2 Girls.

Horrible Christmas

Christmas is a time for charity, hope and goodwill to all men - but for Horrible Histories it's a time of farting jesters, finding bacon in your Christmas card, and having your dinner confiscated by Oliver Cromwell. This episode showcases bizarre Yuletide absurdities from over the centuries with a unique blend of sketches, pastiche and song - a foul and festive treat. Revel in the smelliest, silliest and goriest stories about everyone's favourite time of year.

Horrible Histories Big Prom Party

As part of the 2011 BBC Proms, the cast of Horrible Histories join up with the Aurora Orchestra, the Choir from the Music Centre, the Kids Company Choir and a group of dancers for a special event. The show features a selection of songs from the first three series, some excerpts from classical pieces and original sketches.

Sport Relief Bob Report

Sport Special

Special sport episode of the historical sketch show, based on the successful series of books. All the top sporting action from the past, including Emperor Nero and Jesse Owens singing the history of the Olympics. We're at the finish line to see Pheidippides run the first ever marathon, then we count down the top Marathon Cheats of all time and take a look back at some of our favourite Horrible Histories sporting events.

Scary Special

Death from 'Stupid Deaths' presents a show full of spooky highlights in this Halloween special.

Ridiculous Romance

We find out what happens when Henry VIII takes part in TV show Dating In Darkness and meets latest love Anne of Cleves, discover the problems encountered by Queen Elizabeth I’s portrait artist, and are treated to romantic musical interludes from The Love Rats Club, plus Queen Victoria as she duets with Prince Albert. We also say hello to Rattus Rattus’s brand-new girlfriend Ratalie, who Rattus Rattus is hoping will be impressed by a romantic dinner of ‘cockroach in jus de rubbish bag’...

Frightful First World War

Bob Hale and Rattus Rattus guide us through the horrible history of 1914-18. Featuring the soldiers, pilots, civilians, girl guides, suffragettes and even kings who were all caught up in the fighting.

Sensational Shakespeare

April 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of Britain's greatest playwright, William Shakespeare (or is it William Shagspeare or Willm Shakspere - even the great Bard himself didn't know!). In this episode, we look at the life and times of the playwright - from his largely unknown and humble beginnings in Stratford, through his times as a jobbing actor in London, to his success as the country's most respected and financially savvy writer.

Staggering Storytellers

Who wrote the first detective novel? When were books invented? Why do we like stories so much? In its own distinctive and irreverently accurate style, the episode takes a look at some of literature's greatest works and history's wackiest writers. Along the way we see the development of storytelling technology. We learn how a party at Lord Byron's house led to the writing of the Gothic masterpiece Frankenstein, and how Charles Dickens was the Harry Styles of his day. Spanning 3,000 years of recorded history we take a look at the funny and ridiculous ways some of our finest writers cured their writing block - did you know Tennyson used to pretend to go the loo as a party trick? Also, of course, our trusty host Rattus guides the way.

The Grisly Great Fire of London

For the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London, Horrible Histories returns for a one-off special looking at the disaster and the events that surrounded it. On the night of 2 September, a spark from a baker’s oven in Pudding Lane ignited a fire which roared through the tightly packed streets of London, tearing up the timber-framed houses and destroying up to a third of the city. In true Horrible Histories fashion, this special episode explores London and Britain before the fire, full of plague and party in the raucous Restoration atmosphere personified by King Charles II. We see how London’s Mayor preferred to stay in bed during the fire because been partying the night before, and how Samuel Pepys rushed to bury his parmesan cheese for safety.

Savage Songs Special (2013)

Some of history's greatest characters serenade us with tales of their lives. Featuring the all-conquering Alexander the Great, the cash-loving Crassus, the feisty Joan of Arc, the brilliant but miserable Charles Dickens and the very determined Rosa Parks.

Savage Songs Special (2012)

In a special musical episode of the award-winning Horrible Histories, host Rattus Rattus chooses his favourite songs from the fourth series to entertain his young nephew.

Top 5: 1. Football with Alex Scott

England footie star Alex Scott delves into the Horrible history of Soccer. From the Middle Ages, when whole villages would play against each other, with dire injuries as a consequence - to the famous Christmas truce in World War 1, when British and German troops put down their guns and spoke the universal language of football.

Top 5: 2. Back to School with Emily Atack

Back to School??! Ugh! It could be worse, though – in honour of everyone going back to school, Emily Atack takes you through the Horrible History of what school days were like in the past…

Black History Month with Oti Mabuse

In celebration of Black History Month, Oti Mabuse brings you a selection of Horrible Histories sketches and songs featuring Rosa Parks, Civil War spy Mary Bowser, pioneering boxer Bill Richmond, plus Mary Seacole and Martin Luther King Jr.

Brexit

Nish Kumar brings us a selection of sketches about European Historical figures, featuring the dance stylings of the Normans, Italian fashion, Leonardo da Vinci, Louis XIV’s bottom problems & the vocal stylings of the Four Georges…

Savage Songs Special (2011)

Chronological compilation of the standout music videos from the third series, as chosen by the producers. An encore is omitted this year to make room for the slightly longer "Monarchs' Song".

Song - The 4 Georges. Born 2 Rule

Song - The Wives of Henry VIII. Divorced Beheaded & Died

Song - Making a Mummy

Song - Terrible Tudors

Song - A Gorgeous Georgian Lady

Song - I'm a Knight

Song - Caveman Love

Song - It's Not True!

Song - The Plague Song

Song - British Things

Song - We are Greek

Song - Burke & Hare

Song - Literally (The Viking Song)

Song - Charles II. King of Bling

Song - Spartan High School Musical

Song - We're the WWII Girls

Song - George IV. Couldn't Stand My Wife

Song - Blackbeard's Song

Song - Victorian Inventions

Song - Learn Your Hieroglyphics

Song - Real Live Cowboys

Song - Boudicca

Song - Funky Monks

Song - Do the Pachacuti

Song - Dick Turpin, Highwayman

Song - All The Monarchs!

Song - William Wallace, Scottish Rebel

Song - Work, Terrible Work!

Song - Ra Ra Cleopatra

Song - The Truth About Richard III

Song - The Evil Emperors' Song

Song - The Suffragettes' Song

Song - Discaztec (Ain't Staying Alive)

Song - The English Civil War Song

Song - The Ages of Stone

Song - Celtic Boast Battle

Song - The Few (RAF Pilots)

Song - Charles Darwin. Natural Selection

Song - The Thinkers

Song - It's a New World (Pilgrim Fathers)

Song - Mary Seacole

Song - Victoria & Albert. A Love Ballad

Song - We've got The Blue-Blooded Blues

Song - The Luddites!

Song - The Borgia Family

Song - Mary the First

Song - William Shakespeare & the Quills

Song - (We're the) Georgian Navy

Song - Rosa Parks. I Sat on a Bus

Song - Vikings and Garfunkel

Song - Charles Dickens

Song - Crassus. Minted

Song - Joan of Arc

Song - Alexander the Great

Song - Owain Glyndŵr. First Prince of Wales

Song - Transportation

Song - Henry VII. The Original Tu-Tu-Tudor

Song - Matilda(s) and Stephen ... and Henry

Song - Australia

Song - We're History (The Finale)

Science with Dara Ó Briain

In honour of Science Week, Dara Ó Briain brings you some of his favourite science-themed sketches, including the music of Charles Darwin, the serious goings-on at The Royal Society, Historical Paramedics, Victorian Inventions and Vaccinations…

The Bits We Left Out (S02)

Second season extended episodes and sketches.

The Bits That Went Wrong (S02)

Outtakes and gag reel from the second season

Season 2 Quizzes

All quizzes from the second season

Stuff We Couldn't Fit In (S03)

More cut or extended scenes and sketches from the third season

More Bits That Went Wrong (S03)

More hilarious outtakes and gag reel from the third season.

Season 3 Quizzes

Quizzes from the third season.

More Stuff We Couldn't Fit In (S04)

Extended scenes and cut sketches from the fourth season.

Stuff That Didn't Make It

Finished work that had content that didn't match the themes.

Season 4 Quizzes

Quizzes from the fourth season.

Season 5 Quizzes

Quizzes from the fifth season.

Even More Stuff We Couldn't Fit In (S5)

Even More Bits That Went Wrong (S5)

Animated Specials: 1. Gruesome Guide to Growing Up

Life wasn’t always fun for children in the past. Horrible Histories delves into the not-so-easy lives of children throughout history, from the strict parenting of ancient civilisations, to the terrible fights the young King Louis XIV had with his little brother - even weeing on each other's beds! And find out just why Henry VIII was so keen for his son Edward VI to stay inside.

'Orrible Opera

Henry VIII, Queen Victoria and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are our hosts for a special live concert as part of the BBC Proms season at London’s Royal Albert Hall, introducing us to the world of opera. Mozart is sure that the Horrible Histories audience will love opera, with all its grisly and gruesome stories. But Queen Victoria is not so sure, thinking opera is totally unsuitable for children. In fact, she thinks the audience need to leave at once! Can Mozart change her mind?