Horrible Histories (Seasons 1–11)

Horrible Histories (2009) is a BBC sketch comedy series you can watch online on iFILM, based on Terry Deary's bestselling children's history books. The tagline said it plainly: "The history they don't teach you in school."

Ben Willbond, Matthew Baynton, Laurence Rickard and Jim Howick play Julius Caesar, Viking raiders, Tudor courtiers and First World War soldiers — sometimes in the same episode. The format is relentless: a parody music video about the Stuarts, a game-show segment set in ancient Egypt, a deadpan news report from the trenches. The facts are accurate throughout. The delivery is anything but textbook. The show collected multiple BAFTA awards across its run, including recognition as Best Children's Programme.

What makes it work past the target age is that the cast commits completely. No winking at the camera, no coasting on the concept. It's one of those rare programmes that's genuinely funny and genuinely informative without those two things being in conflict. Stream all series of Horrible Histories online on iFILM.