Katty Kay in Washington and Christian Fraser in London return to report on the events that are shaping the world.

Michael Portillo journeys from the heart of France to the Mediterranean coast. In Marseilles, he joins a pilot boat leading a supertanker to its berth. Show more

The story of the dynasty that ruled Russia for more than three centuries. Lucy examines the reign of Catherine the Great and the conflict with Napoleonic France. Show more

Documentary which maintains that the real pioneers of space exploration were the Soviet cosmonauts, telling the story of how the Russians led us into the space age. Show more

Comedy series about two metal-detecting friends, with a BAFTA-winning performance by Toby Jones. The dark cloud of a solar farm threatens the tranquillity. Show more

Black comedy series set in a remote town. Outsider Benjamin arrives. Ben's friend Martin visits the Local Shop and the unfailingly strange Tubbs and Edward. Show more

Series in which Andrew Marr explores the books we read. He investigates detective fiction, a genre whose most famous heroes are now embedded in our collective psyche. Show more

AN Wilson reveals that the years after her beloved Prince Albert's death were actually a process of liberation and the most productive and exciting times for Queen Victoria. Show more

Ifor ap Glyn sets out to understand the appeal of islands as holy retreats in a journey that takes him to the Lake District, Lindisfarne and the Western Isles in Scotland. Show more

Andrew Graham-Dixon tells the story of artist Walter Sickert, who understood that the theatre of war was not confined to the trenches. Show more

Documentary which maintains that the real pioneers of space exploration were the Soviet cosmonauts, telling the story of how the Russians led us into the space age. Show more