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Shakespeare's life and work are sometimes romanticized as a product of the golden age of Elizabeth I. But the bard produced some of his finest plays after the Virgin Queen's death. In this illuminating BBC series, American scholar James Shapiro examines the plays Shakespeare wrote during the turbulent reign of Elizabeth's successor, King James I. One of the new king's first official acts was to name Shakespeare a "king's man." Overnight, the dramatist attained security, prestige, and an up-close view of the Jacobean court. Shapiro convincingly argues that the dark, complex plays of Shakespeare's last decade--King Lear, Macbeth, and The Tempest, among others--mirrored both royal life and the era's profound social changes. Visiting sites that Shakespeare would have known, scouring archives, and consulting leading historians, literary experts, and directors, Shapiro reveals a Shakespeare we've never seen. "As accomplished a storyteller as he is a scholar" (Radio Times, U.K.), James Shapiro has been a professor of English at Columbia University since 1985. He is the author of the acclaimed books 1599 and Contested Will.

Celebrating the ever-changing nature of man's relationship with the earth's amazing water systems, Rivers and Life reveals how the cultures and lives of millions of ordinary people are shaped by the magnificent waters they live along.

Sifting through writings, relics and ruins, historians piece together the time before, during and after the Roman invasion of Britain.

Actress Margaret John talks about her long acting career, and how comedy has given her a big breaks now she is in her 80s.

A non-religious Christmas celebration of comedy, science and music recorded live at London's Hammersmith Apollo in December 2009. Stand-up comedian and humanist Robin Ince is joined by a host of leading lights from the world of science, including Richard Dawkins, Brian Cox, Simon Singh and Ben Goldacre, as well as musicians and top comedians from Mark Steel to Shappi Khorsandi.

World-renowned American scholar, Professor James Shapiro re-examines the work of the world's greatest playwright during the exciting but troubled reign of King James.

In a new three-part series, presenter and adventurer Lowri Morgan looks at important world festivals, which celebrate birth, marriage and death. Lowri's journey starts in Beijing, China in the programme Gwyl y Geni: Tsieina. Lowri has recently given birth to a son, Gwil, and become a mother for the first time. And appropriately enough, the first programme in the series features a festival of birth. This is a colourful festival celebrating New Year and spring and includes a number of ancient Chinese traditions and superstitions. During her stay in China, Lowri cradles the first baby to be born in the New Year. "The programme scheduling is spot on!" says Lowri with a smile. "It was great to see so many traditions associated the New Year, and to learn that the old Chinese traditions still exist. The celebrations are integral to the life of the Chinese people. But there are challenges too, as more and more Western influences creep into the festival." Lowri visited two families in Beijing to join in their celebrations - from shopping and cooking to eating and playing games. But she came across some rather unusual traditions too such as the wearing of red underwear during the celebrations. Although some longstanding traditions like these continue, others have changed in the modern and wealthy contemporary China which is developing so rapidly. "Some people are holding on to their superstitions and traditions while others are being influenced by Western society. It's interesting to see different traditions evolving. The Chinese believe the family unit is important and that children should take responsibility for looking after their parents. But this idealistic view is starting to change," says Lowri, who now lives in Cardiff. As part of the series, Lowri traveled to Mexico and Morocco to see how people in these countries mark important landmarks in their lives. In Morocco she witnessed a huge marriage festival among the Berber people, while in Mexico she was shocked by the attitude to death displayed in their annual Day of the Dead festival. "Around Halloween, some people put flowers on a loved one's grave and then go out to celebrate. They believe the souls of the dead come back for the festival, to join in the celebrations. It doesn't mean they don't mourn. It still hurts them; it's just a different way of looking at the world. That's what makes the series so interesting; we see how people's attitudes towards life-changing events differ, depending on where they are in the world."

Among the most utilized waterways in the world, the Yangtze River is also one of the most volatile. This program sheds light on humanity's battle to tame and profit from the river - specifically, a project initiated by Chiang Kai-shek in the 1930s. The program also studies corresponding ecological problems. Viewers are introduced to the Three Gorges Dam, a concrete mega-structure visible from space, which has created huge economic benefits but also displaced thousands from their homes and irrevocably altered silt flow, geological formations, and fish stock levels. Citizens who have relocated and adapted offer commentary, along with scientists and engineers familiar with China's New Great Wall.

Stretching over 4,000 miles across South America, the Amazon River has long defied human efforts to tame it. Not a single bridge crosses it, and not one dam halts its flow. This program visits urban centers on the banks of the Amazon and examines new attempts to harness-or exploit-the river's energy and natural abundance. The journey begins at Iquitos - a Peruvian city blighted by poverty and inaccessible by road. Next is Manaus, a hub of tourism and industry in Brazil-and an effective springboard to discussions of controversial dam proposals. At the mouth of the Amazon, viewers find Belem, where the river is both agriculturally productive and highly vulnerable to development.

Its name conjures images of America's mythical past, encoded in the stories and novels of Mark Twain. But today's Mississippi River is rife with challenges no 19th-century storyteller could have imagined. From issues of basic survival to triumphs of creativity and profit, this program follows the day-to-day lives of those who dwell on the Mississippi. Starting in the town of Cairo, Illinois - where America's north and south intermingle - the program moves on to Memphis, home of the once-glorious Stax Records and a mecca of blues, soul, and rock 'n' roll music. Moving through the Delta, viewers meet struggling shrimp fishermen, a Cajun community, survivors of the 1927 floods, and survivors of Katrina.

Rich in history, the Rhine feeds Europe's collective identity - as well as its divisions. Flowing from Switzerland through Austria, Germany, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, the river intersects a multitude of towns and cities in the process. This program follows the Rhine on its multifaceted journey and examines economic, political, environmental, and historical issues surrounding it. Viewers travel from Rotterdam, where vessels laden with goods leave Europe, to Hinterrhein, a Swiss town beneath the Rhinewaldhorn glacier. Along the way, the program examines invasive species, the threat of chemical spills, the horror of Kristallnacht, and the immigrant experience in Europe.

Were it not for the elemental forces of the Nile River, the great architecture of ancient Egypt and Ethiopia might never have been built. But in today's water-starved world, the river could lead both countries down a destructive path. This program examines lives and livelihoods that depend on the Nile, from the humble to the hugely ambitious. In Egypt, viewers encounter a struggling Cairo fishing family, a father-and-son farming team, and the nation's irrigation minister, who discusses diverting part of the river into a new valley. Moving to the source of the Nile, the program depicts Ethiopia's efforts to exploit the river - a series of hydroelectric projects that have created tension with Egypt.