National Geographic has announced How the Tudors Lost Their Heads, a six-part documentary series produced by History Hit and Little Dot Studios, in partnership with NG and presented by historians Dan Snow and Professor Suzannah Lipscomb.
The series will premiere on National Geographic in the UK on September 6 at 8pm and stream on Disney+ the same day, with a US launch to follow at a later date.
Alongside the television series, History Hit and Little Dot Studios are planning to extend the Tudor content across their digital and podcast platforms, reflecting the increasingly multi-platform approach being taken to history programming. The associated digital ecosystem will include Dan Snow’s History Hit, Lipscomb’s Not Just The Tudors podcast and the Absolute History YouTube channel.
Bill Locke, head of programming at History Hit, said: “By combining National Geographic’s unrivalled reputation for bringing history to life through intelligent storytelling, with History Hit’s ability to reach and engage global audiences with expert-led content, we’re delighted to be partnering once again, this time on a series that re-examines one of Britain’s most fascinating dynasties.”
The six-part series re-examines the lives and deaths of prominent Tudor figures, using forensic evidence, historical research and rarely seen artefacts to investigate the circumstances surrounding some of the period’s most notorious executions.
Each episode begins moments before an execution, before Snow and Lipscomb step back through the events leading to the death. The pair travel across Europe, drawing on letters, paintings, official records, archaeological discoveries, historic buildings and archives, alongside newly examined forensic evidence.
The figures examined include Anne Boleyn, Mary, Queen of Scots and aristocratic pretender Perkin Warbeck, with the series exploring the ambition, betrayal, propaganda and political intrigue behind their downfalls.
Snow said: “The Tudors have always fascinated us, not just because of their power and pageantry, but because life at court could be as dangerous as it was glamorous. In this series, Suzannah and I return to the evidence with fresh eyes to ask whether these extraordinary executions were inevitable tragedies, political necessities or something far more calculated. It’s history at its most human, dramatic and brutal.”
Lipscomb added: “I have studied the Tudors for years, but this series offered me a chance to dig deep into the reasons behind these famous executions – the very human mistakes, vendettas, unwavering faith and dark politics – and has made me change my mind about some of the most remarkable characters of the period. Discovering new twists and forgotten evidence has been fascinating and has thrown the era into sharp, bloody focus.”
Matt Taylor, VP content, creative and marketing for National Geographic EMEA, said: “We are excited to bring this series to audiences on National Geographic and Disney+, offering a compelling re-examination of the ambition, power struggles and personal tragedies that defined the Tudor age.”
