The Best TV Shows on Sky History

Every Sky History Show Ranked From Best To Worst

From 2002 through to 2026, Sky History has accumulated a diverse collection of over 20 television shows. Premiering in 2002 and 2003, Fifth Gear and Mayday are among Sky History’s most celebrated shows. As of June 2026, we’ve curated over 20 of Sky History’s premier shows for your viewing pleasure.

  • Forged in Fire: Beat the Judges
    Forged in Fire: Beat the Judges (2020)8.4

    In each episode, the best bladesmiths from all over the country come to the forge for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to square off against our renowned Forged in Fire Masters in the highest stakes forging competition yet! If the challenger can find a way to prevail against our judge in an intense bladesmithing showdown, they'll walk away with $10K and eternal bragging rights.

  • Mayday
    Mayday (2003)8.2

    Major real-life air disasters are depicted in this series. Each episode features a detailed dramatized reconstruction of the incident based on cockpit voice recorders and air traffic control transcripts, as well as eyewitnesses recounts and interviews with aviation experts.

  • James Nesbitt: Disasters That Changed Britain
    James Nesbitt: Disasters That Changed Britain (2018)8.0

    This six-part series unpicks the events that led to the most devastating disasters of the past 60 years, shining a spotlight on the human cost of the tragedies while seeking to explain the wider political, cultural and institutional context that contributed to them – and looks at the changes made in the wake of each disaster.

  • Damian Lewis: Spy Wars
    Damian Lewis: Spy Wars (2019)8.0

    Docudrama factual series that reveals the remarkable true stories behind some of the most gripping and important international spy operations of the last forty years.

  • Craig Charles: UFO Conspiracies
    Craig Charles: UFO Conspiracies (2022)8.0

    Craig Charles, the BBC 6 Music Radio DJ, star of Red Dwarf and Coronation Street, hosts the show alongside world renowned space journalist astrophysicist, and award-winning author Sarah Cruddas. Craig Charles: UFO Conspiracies follows sci-fi favourite and long-time UFO enthusiast Craig and astrophysicist Sarah as they scrutinise compelling evidence relating to some of the most perplexing UFO encounters of recent years, revealing never before heard testimony to separate fact from fiction and ask: are the unexplained aerial phenomena prowling our skies extra-terrestrial?

  • Royal Kill List
    Royal Kill List (2024)8.0

    After the unprecedented public execution of King Charles I in 1649, his son and heir set out on a relentless campaign to restore the monarchy and pursue all those connected to his father's death. The epic story of bloody revenge during a pivotal period of English history. This is a story about espionage, revenge, power, loyalty, and the moment that changed the landscape of British politics and society forever.

  • World War II with Tom Hanks
    World War II with Tom Hanks (2026)7.7

    Explores WWII from Germany's invasion of Poland through the atomic age, examining pivotal battles, wartime leaders like Churchill and Roosevelt, and the human cost of total war.

  • The Lost Women Spies
    The Lost Women Spies (2025)7.5

    Vera Atkins' files were kept sealed until after she died, but the story of the female spies and the spy-mistress who led them, which has remained secret for over 50 years, can now be revealed.

  • Top Secret UFO Projects Declassified
    Top Secret UFO Projects Declassified (2021)7.3

    Though claims of extraterrestrial encounters have long been dismissed, many believe the existence of UFOs is not just likely, but a certainty.

  • Ross Kemp: Mafia & Britain
    Ross Kemp: Mafia & Britain (2024)7.3

    Ross Kemp investigates Britain's historical connection with the mafia, understanding the background behind the relationship and revealing the truth.

  • Hitler's Circle of Evil
    Hitler's Circle of Evil (2018)7.2

    Surviving power struggles, betrayals and plots, Hitler's inner circle of Nazi leaders seizes control of Germany and designs its disastrous future.

  • Evidence of the Unexplained 
    Evidence of the Unexplained  (2023)7.0

    Authorities all over the world say UFOs are real, but what are they, and are they a threat? This series examines the best and latest evidence caught on camera.

  • Sex: A Bonkers History
    Sex: A Bonkers History (2023)7.0

    Sex: A Naughty History, an original series from HISTORY, follows actress, singer and presenter Amanda Holden and bestselling author and historian Dan Jones as they explore how, through the ages, sexual behavior has influenced civilizations. The series uses archival footage and drama reconstructions-which Amanda Holden and Dan Jones participate in-to highlight the best sex stories in history. Amanda and Dan also meet experts in the history ofsex, including sex historian Dr. Kate Lister, author of "ACurious History of Sex," international lecturer in Dominance Studies Anne O Nomis, author of "The History Arts of theDominatrix," and the late Jacqueline Gold CBE, general manager of Ann Summers, in her very last television interview.

  • Cracking the Code
    Cracking the Code (2022)6.9

    From bizarre ancient markings to random numbers and letters, codes and ciphers have been used for millennia to send secret messages, hide identities and operate outside the law. Unravelling these codes can unlock military secrets, unmask deadly enemies and even decode lost civilizations. Now, Cracking the Code uncovers some of the world’s most famous – and infamous – encryptions. Revealing how they were decoded, the brilliant minds who cracked them and the mysterious secrets they were hiding…

  • U-Boat Wargamers
    U-Boat Wargamers (2023)6.8

    January 1943: Admiral Karl Dönitz, head of the Nazis’ U-boat fleet, has brought Britain to the brink of starvation by ruthlessly destroying close to a thousand of their merchant ships. If the transatlantic shipping route is cut off, the Allies will lose their last foothold in Western Europe. The Royal Navy turns to retired war gamer Gilbert Roberts. Roberts is to use war gaming to try to decipher and combat Dönitz’s tactics. To do this, he needs a team, but the Navy can’t spare any men. Instead, he risks the ridicule of high command by turning to the Women’s Royal Navy Service (WRNS) to war game the U-boats’ tactics. In partnership with Jean Laidlaw, one of Britain’s first female chartered accountants, and a small team of resourceful female mathematicians, Roberts acts out naval battles and games the U-boats’ moves on a linoleum floor, using chalk and wooden model ships.

  • Strangest Things
    Strangest Things (2021)6.7

    From a piece of meteorite found in Tutankhamun's tomb to the Crown of Thorns, explore some of the most perplexing and unusual objects lying hidden away in museums, laboratories and storage rooms

  • Fifth Gear
    Fifth Gear (2002)5.7

    Getting viewers up to speed on all the latest automotive information, with new car reviews, second hand bargains and industry tidbits being the focus of this magazine show.

  • Hitler's Secret Sex Life
    Hitler's Secret Sex Life (2021)4.0

    Hitler’s Secret Sex Life exposes the myriad of rumours, theories and disputed historical accounts of Adolf Hitler's sexual psychology. There is no shortage of experts on Hitler's sex life who consider his predictions to be a barometer of the dictator's twisted psyche. Each episode will address a specific time period of Hitler's alleged and proven sex life and explores the role it played in shaping his behaviour.

  • Mysteries from Above
    Mysteries from Above (2022)N/A

    Mysteries from Above takes to the skies to offer audiences a chance to see the world from fresh and exhilarating perspectives. The series explores remote, hard-to-reach locations as drones explore strange geological occurrences, unique man-made structures, curious creatures and lost civilizations, revealing fascinating insights and never-before-seen footage to the viewers. Each episode follows four unique storylines from developed and isolated aerial vantage points, with in-depth analysis and narration from world leading experts including Dr. Karen Bellinger, Anthropologist and Historical Archaeologist; Dr. Cylita Guy, Ecologist and Data Scientist; Dr. Dan Riskin, Evolutionary Biologist; Anthony Morgan, Science Communicator; Dr. Jean Li, Archaeologist; George Kourounis, Explorer-in-Residence for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society; and many more.

  • Evil Genius with Russell Kane
    Evil Genius with Russell Kane (2023)N/A

    Russell, alongside celebrity guests, expert witnesses, and historians, will interrogate the reputation of a famous face from history in order to determine whether they’re sinned against or a sinner. By the end of each episode, Russell will call upon his panel of celebrities to cast a vote and settle, once and for all, the burning question: Evil or Genius?