Al Murray: Why Do The Brits Win Every War?
Al Murray and Sky HISTORY join a host of famous faces to uncover the truth behind Britain’s military past. Together with his alter ego The Pub Landlord, Al is on a quest to unpick the Great British psyche and understand whether the Brits are helped or hindered by their experiences in war. Joined by comedians and personalities from the UK and its closest neighbouring countries, Al will uncover whether Britain’s wartime record is all it’s cracked up to be and how regular harking back to Britain’s glory days is viewed by neighbours and ‘allies’.
Episodes
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In this episode, he is joined by proud Frenchman Fred Sirieix to separate the fact from the fiction of the Napoleonic wars. Was the battle of Waterloo really a great British victory or did Napoleon score an own goal? Were Nelson's tactics in the battle of Trafalgar genius or reckless? Were the British troops the pick of Europe, or did the French actually dance rings around them?
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The presenter joins forces with German comedian Henning Wehn to delve deeper into the truth behind some Second World War myths. Taking to the skies, the pair explore whether the Spitfire really was the saviour of Britain that it was cracked up to be. They also dive under the waves to find the truth behind the famous enigma machine and get behind the controls of their own tanks to discover how the legend of German tank superiority might actually have come down to radios rather than armour plating.
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What did the Romans ever do for us? Well, they certainly put the Brits through their paces back in AD 43. Al is joined by ‘Caesar’ Bruno Tonioli to look at key battle tactics during the Roman Invasion. From wading through the waves in Roman armour, to seeing how hard it was to invade, to the power struggle the Celts went through to hold onto their identity and just how difficult it is to fire a catapult.
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In this episode Al faces up to one of the world’s superpowers and the richest nation on Earth to discover how the former British colony of America somehow slipped through its fingers. Joining him to fight for his nation’s honour is comedian Reginald D. Hunter. Together, they explore how the frontiersmen of America used guerrilla tactics to outwit the British redcoats, how the most effective spy for the American army was a slave and turn their hands to firing the rockets that set fire to the White House.
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It’s 865 AD and the Great Heathen Army, the Vikings, have invaded Britain. Al takes up his sword to discover the truth behind how the Vikings were so successful in Britain. John Thomson represents the northern Viking horde as they explore the truth behind what Vikings really looked like, before they get ready for a Viking wedding. The pair delve into how these invasions started the north/south divide and set sail to discover the truth behind the Vikings’ fearsome battle prowess, with help from British cultural historian Dr Janina Ramirez.
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In this episode Al meets ‘the Auld Enemy’, where bitter sibling rivalry is as strong today as it’s ever been. Joined by Sanjeev Kohli, Al visits Craufurdland Castle to explore the truth behind famous battles from the Wars of Scottish Independence. The pair don mighty (pedal-powered) steeds to recreate the legendary axe attack from the battle of Bannockburn, claim independence for a town that’s switched sides too many times to mention, and explore just how effective ‘cow camouflage’ is when invading a castle.
