Tony Robinson's Fact Or Fiction - Season 1

First aired: 12/22/2001 5 episodes

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Episodes

1. Braveheart

Aired: 12/22/2001

Tony Robinson goes on the trail of William Wallace, the Scottish warrior whose story was told in the film Braveheart. But tracking down the man behind the myth proves difficult, as Tony is led into a complex story of murder, treason and war atrocities very different from the swashbuckling tale known to Mel Gibson fans. He particularly looks at the differences between the historical reality and the popular image, with occasional references to the portrayal of the character and historical events in the film.

2. Boudica

Aired: 6/4/2002

Tony Robinson continues his quest to uncover the real lives and histories behind some of our greatest legendary heroes. Famous for her long red hair, her chariot with blades on its wheels and her fight for justice and independence over the brutal Romans, Tony goes in search of the first iron lady of Britain - Boudica.

3. King Harold

Aired: 12/27/2002

Tony Robinson reveals the real story behind the last great Anglo Saxon king. Far from being just the loser at the Battle of Hastings, Harold was a charismatic leader who, but for a cruel twist of fate would be regarded today as a national hero. It was after all Harold that led the English into battle at Stamford Bridge and brought an end to the Viking invasions.

4. Robin Hood

Aired: 10/18/2003

There are few legends more famous than that of Robin Hood, the dispossessed nobleman hiding out in Sherwood Forest at the time of Richard the Lionheart. Tony Robinson has a particular interest in the character. He wrote and starred in the children's television series Maid Marian and Her Merry Men, after all. Tony embarks on a personal quest to uncover the fact behind the fiction. Did Robin actually exist? What was he really like? Did he steal from the rich to give to the poor? Who were the merry men?

5. Richard III

Aired: 1/3/2004

In this instalment, Tony Robinson goes in search of the truth about one of Britain's most maligned monarchs, Richard III. Robinson investigates whether Richard really did murder his two nephews, the Princes in the Tower, aged nine and 12, before usurping the throne. And if he did, what were his real motives? Robinson finds that much of what has been understood about Richard as historical fact turns out to be at best mistaken, at worst completely fabricated by subsequent generations. But just as his investigation is drawing to a close, an astonishing fact emerges that leads Robinson to question far more than just the received notions about Richard III. It calls into question the whole legitimacy of the last 500 years of British royalty.