Ray’s History Radio & TV Picks. No.2016/22. 11 June 2016.

D-Day: The Last Heroes
BBC Four: Sat 11 June 2016, 20.00 – 21.00. 2 / 2.
The concluding part of historian Dan Snow’s documentary series tells the powerful and heroic stories of those who risked their lives on the beaches of Normandy. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b02xdncc

The Musketeers
BBC One: 14 June 2016, 20.30 – 21.25. 2 /10
The musketeers’ riotous adventures through 17th-century France continue. Things are bad in Paris, a city on the verge of starvation. Cue a dastardly attempt to frame refugees for grain theft. D’Artagnan’s temper lands him in trouble and a spirited young woman, Sylvie, attracts Athos’s attention. Postponed from last week. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07g8sms

Private Lives of the Tudors
Yesterday: Tues 14 June 2016, 19.00 – 20.00. 1 / 3
Tracy Borman turns her attention to Henry VIII and his life at court. Among other nuggets, we learn that 1536 was not only noteworthy for Henry violently dispensing with Anne Boleyn and marrying Jane Seymour. It was also the year when the monarch had a bad accident while jousting, an event that arguably had a lasting impact on him. http://yesterday.uktv.co.uk/shows/private-lives-of-the-tudors/

Revolution and Romance: Musical Masters of the 19th Century
BBC Four: Tues 14 June 2016, 21.00 – 22.00. 3 / 3.
Suzy Klein’s musical history series concludes at the cusp of the 20th century. This was an era when the likes of Claude Debussy were looking to the east for inspiration and rebelling against Romanticism. Klein also looks at how technology changed the musical landscape of the late 20th century. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07g9q4w

Vikings
History Channel: Tues 14 May 2016, 22.00 – 23.00. 4 / 10: Scarred
The victorious Wessex/Viking forces return to Wessex but there is rancour in the Viking camp – Floki is angry over the alliance with Ecbert and is resentful the influence that he feels Athelstan has over Ragnar. Princess Kwenthrith makes some calculating political moves following the battle at the Hill of the Ash in Mercia. http://www.history.co.uk/shows/vikings/episode-guide/vikings-series-3

Vikings: an interview with the show’s creator and writer Michael Hirst: http://www.historyextra.com/article/premium/vikings-tv-series-interview-show%E2%80%99s-creator-and-writer-michael-hirst?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=HistoryEXTRA-merge%2010.06.16_44449_BBC%20History_Newsletters

Versailles
BBC Two: Wed 15 June 2016, 21.30 – 22.25. Rpted Sat 18 June 22.55 New series. 3 / 10.
The opulent drama about life in the court of Louis XIV finds those forced to travel to Versailles unhappy about the dangerous route to the palace. Elsewhere, a rich African prince receives a chilly reception. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07gxd3g

Inside Versailles
BBC Two: Wed 15 June 2016, 22.25 – 22.30. 3 /10
Historical discussion show inspired by drama series Versailles. Professor Kate Williams and Greg Jenner focus on tensions between Louis and his nobles. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07grm6m

Tommies
BBC Radio 4: Thu 16 June 2016, 14.15 – 15.00. 3 / 5:
Meticulously based on war diaries and eye-witness accounts, each episode of TOMMIES traces one real day at war exactly 100 years ago. When Mickey Bliss is summoned to advise on signals at the Bureau Centrale Interallie in Paris he comes across both an impressive young woman and a disturbing figure from his past.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07fl5bw

In Our Time: The Bronze Age Collapse
BBC Radio 4: Thu 16 June 2016, 9.00 – 9.45
Melvyn Bragg and expert guests discuss what’s been dubbed the ‘Bronze Age Collapse’. Beginning around 1200 BC, it saw the dominant civilisations around the Aegean, eastern Mediterranean and Anatolia suddenly destroyed. What exactly happened and how did events play out? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07fl5bh

Genius of the Modern World: Marx
BBC Four: Thu 16 June 2016, 21.00 – 22.00. 1 / 3.
In the start of a series about thinkers who shaped the 20th century, Bettany Hughes profiles the author of Das Kapital, Karl Marx. It’s a portrait of a revolutionary who rebelled against his affluent Prussian roots and lived much of his life on the run. His big ideas didn’t gain traction until after his death – just 11 people attended his funeral. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07gpdbx

Sources: Radio Times / History Extra