HISTORY Highlights April 2020

APRIL HIGHLIGHTS ON HISTORY

ALONE: THE BEAST

Wednesdays at 21:25 from 29 April

From the creators of HISTORY’s hit show Alone comes a new survival series where three strangers attempt to endure 30 days in a remote wilderness location with no tools or modern amenities, just the clothes on their backs and an untouched fallen animal. Faced with punishing weather, relentless predators, and their differing survival styles, it’ll take all their ingenuity and stamina to work together as a team and survive in Alone: The Beast. (6x60”)

LOST RELICS OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR

Thursdays at 20:30 from 16 April

Nazi loot. Roman coins. Viking artifacts. Celtic gold. And millions of pounds worth of classic cars and motor bikes. This is just some of the priceless treasure that regularly passes through the hands of the world’s most prolific (yet completely unknown) treasure hunters Hamilton White and Carl Cookson. But now they have their rarest and most priceless treasure yet - a hoard of Knights Templar treasure. With key Templar relics in their possession a black obsidian chalice, a Templar sword, an alabaster libation vessel, and an iron reliquary box the duo travel all over Europe and the Middle East, to trace the origins of the relics. Alongside Hamilton and Carl’s journey, the story of the Templars will be told by historians, including presenter and best-selling author of ‘The Templars The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God’s Holy Warriors’, Dan Jones.

HOLY MYSTERIES

Mondays at 21:25 from 13 April

This Easter, HISTORY is showing a collection of one-off documentaries with a focus on mysteries that have a link to religion, starting with Proving God (13/04 at 21:25). For centuries, science and faith have been polarised on some of the most fundamental questions in the universe. But as mankind seeks to answer the ultimate question - whether God exists - religion and science have joined in an unlikely alliance. Can new scientific discoveries and digital age technology reveal tangible proof of God? We continue with Banned from the Bible (20/04 and 27/04) and ask: was Solomon, the legendary king, actually a sorcerer? Why did the ancient rabbis edit out stories of an early, Atlantis-like paradise or delete apocalyptic prophecies said to be penned by the descendants of Abraham? We’ll explore the kabbalistic stories of angels and demons disavowed by orthodox leaders. Also included in the HOLY MYSTERIES

programme lineup are Holy Grail in America (04/05) and The God Code (11/05).

FORGED IN FIRE

Fridays at 20:30 from 3 April

Swords may not be the weapon of choice for many people nowadays, with more advanced weaponry readily available, but that doesn’t stop some from continuing to work as bladesmiths. Forged in Fire tests some of the best in the field as they attempt to recreate some of history’s most iconic edged weapons. Former Army Ranger Wil Willis hosts the competition series that sees four master bladesmiths challenged in each episode to forge the swords, which are then tested by a panel of judges consisting of J Neilson, who has been making knives for more than 20 years; hand-tohand

combat specialist Doug Marcaida; and David Baker, an authority on replicating period-accurate weaponry. The contestant who survives the elimination rounds and wins the episode’s contest earns $10,000 and the title of Forged in Fire Champion.