The Worst Episodes of Cities of the Underworld

Istanbul is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic and exotic cities in the world. Once the capital city of three of the world's most powerful empires--The Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman--its strategic location made it the perfect spot for empires to rise, fall...and rise again. Residents of Istanbul walk on top of remnants of these fallen civilizations...literally. Taxis drive over parts of Constantine's Lost Great Palace; children play on cobblestone streets concealing a massive Byzantine dungeon; a high school sits on a 3rd century wall leading to the bowels of a 100,000 seat ancient Roman Hippodrome; and basement's of old Ottoman homes lead to subterranean tunnels and secret cisterns. Join host Eric Geller as he leaves the buzz of the city streets behind and follows the pull of the past. Teamed with leading archeologists and experts, Eric peels back the layers of the past--to reveal a hidden history that hasn't seen the light of day for ages.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Constrained for space by a stone defensive wall and steep terrain, the people of Edinburgh build both high rises and subterranean dwellings to provide living space. Out of sight, the underworld attracts all manor of seedy activities.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

This program reviews Adolf Hilter's and Albert Speer's plans for a building boom that would turn Berlin into the capital city of the world. The plan included substantial below ground ...

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Much of modern Rome is built upon the foundations of the first century Roman city and was above Goraud at that time. Eric visits some of these ruins and his guides explain the activities that occurred there two thousand years ago.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Eric finds some knowledgeable guides to take him on a clandestine tour of the catacombs of Paris. Originally a limestone quarry, the vacant space produced its own utility and a rich history in war and in peace to hide things better kept unseen. But the catacombs also represent cracks in the foundation that threaten the stability of the city above the surface.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Budapest is built upon on network of natural limestone caves that have been in use since humans first moved into the area. While exploring the caves Eric shares their color history which includes several violent periods in Budapest's past.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

New York City's underground harbors secrets and surprises befitting the most important city on earth. Eric shares these secrets in tours under Grand Central Terminal, the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center and New York's original aqueduct.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

For thousands of years London has been among the most powerful cities in the world, below the busy streets and marketplaces another city hides--a city of Roman baths, secret crypts, lost rivers, indestructible bunkers that could hold up to 8,000 people, Winston Churchill's hidden war-rooms; host Eric Geller.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

The bombardment of Naples during World War Two revealed a forgotten underground world of ancient buildings, caverns and tunnels. This was fortunate because the underground provided shelter from the bombing as well as a window into Naples past all the back to the Greek Empire.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Discover the fascinating and unknown history that lies below major cities around the world today. Explore these layers, which are often hundreds of feet deep. Discover everything form dank dungeons to underground shipwrecks that have been lost for centuries.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Visit the city of Bucharest, Romania and learn about its most famous citizen, Vlad the Impaler, more commonly known as Dracula. Travel underground as secret prisons, caves and dungeons are revealed. Only through the bleak subterranean stretches can one come face-to-face with the truth about this infamous Romanian ruler.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

4000 years ago, a mysterious pagan society called the Hittites dug deep into the soft volcanic rock to carve out an intricate underworld. But after almost 800 years of rule, the Hittite Empire vanished without a trace. Where did their people go and what clues have they left behind in their complex subterranean world?

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

100 years ago Portland, Oregon was a city full of vice, considered the most dangerous port in the world. It was a place where you could get drugs or booze or wake up trapped in a cell beneath the earth.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

What was the secret to the success of ancient Rome? Aqueducts, underground neighborhoods and one of the oldest sewer systems reveal many secrets. The largest and most influential empire in history leaves clues to her greatness under nearly every street.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

For billions of people across the globe, Jerusalem is considered ground zero for Armageddon. And while most of the world's population considers it a holy land, it's also one of the bloodiest cities the world has ever known. From a hidden occult city built by the Knights Templar to the hiding place for the Dead Sea Scrolls, the evidence of the apocalypse is buried all over the holy city. Host Don Wildman has special access to a sacred stone said to keep the world from ultimate chaos, and finds evidence of John the Baptist's apocalyptic sermons... he's heading into a vast underground that ignited the violent visions of the end of the world.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Be careful where you walk--history's afoot! See a Vietnam that you've never seen before. During the Vietnam War the media flooded the world with images of soldiers and jungles. What wasn't seen were the tunnels, caves and passageways. Join host Don Wildman as he discovers the massive CuChi tunnel system that gave soldiers the upper hand to the super-bunkers and secret caves used as shelters.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Tokyo, Japan is a city straight out of the future, above ground... and below. We'll go beneath the busy streets to see the latest technology that will save the city from the many natural disasters ready to strike. From there, we head back in time to World War II to see how Hiroshima's underground offered protection from the most powerful bombs... and get an inside look at the secret life of the Ninja. Don Wildman hosts.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Dublin, Ireland is much more than a city full of pubs and pints. Pagan burial tombs, subterranean defense tunnels, and mysterious burial crypts line the underground below the rolling hills. Even an underground river runs through the heart of the city where you'd least expect to find it.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Be careful where you walk--history's afoot! Prague is a city cloaked in mystery, with an underground to match. Medieval castles line the streets and hide dark dungeons deep below them. From quarries where Hitler may have stored his most powerful secret weapon to mines that doubled as Communist slave camps, Prague has surprising stories to tell. Join host Don Wildman as he reveals the technological marvels that allowed the construction of one city upon another-- literally.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Before the mysterious disappearance of the ancient Maya, Belize was the nerve center of this advanced civilization. Hundreds of ruins dot the landscape and reveal clues to bloody Mayan rituals, advanced architecture and a belief in an unforgiving underworld of Mayan gods. Don ducks beneath the jungles of Belize to uncover burial tombs, sacrificial altars, ritualistic caves and the literal entrances to the Mayan underworld.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Chicago was once a playground for mobsters and corrupt politicians. It wouldn't be the third largest city in the U.S. today if it weren't for the shady dealings that went on just beneath its streets. From vice dens and top-secret railroad lines to sunken shipwrecks and the spark that created the A-Bomb, host Don Wildman unearths the true history of the Windy City.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

The ancient world was shaped by people who believed they foresaw the will of God. Jerusalem is at the heart of all their fiery prophecies. From the outcome of bloody wars to the birth of saviors, Jerusalem has been at the center of prophetic revelations. Join host Don Wildman as he peels back the layers of this sacred subterranean landscape to uncover an ancient escape route, a secret bullet factory, and the birthplace of Jesus. He sets out to find the truth behind Jerusalem's most mysterious and enduring prophecies, the people who foretold them and what was left behind... underground.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Today, New York is the biggest city in the country... but it's got some dark secrets in its past. It was founded by covert groups, overrun with gangs and mob bosses, and ruled by secret societies. This is the true foundation of the city that never sleeps, and host Don Wildman is headed deep beneath the skyscrapers, taxicabs and street vendors into a New York that few have ever seen before. From a hidden Freemason tunnel and secret world of the Sandhogs, to mobster hideaways and gang escape routes, we're uncovering the secret societies that built New York--from the underground up.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Washington D.C. is headquarters for one of the most powerful governments in the world, as well as some of the nation's deepest secrets. The decisions made here echo around the world, so while the seat of power rests above these streets, our nation's security depends on what happens underneath them. From top secret, high tech superbunkers to the underbelly of Capitol Mall, we'll delve into DC's subterranean defenses. Don will discover how the US prepares for the worst...from the ravages of disease to nuclear catastrophe.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Moscow is a city known for its ruthless leaders and abundant secrets. Today it's a modern metropolis, but far below its crowded streets lie the reminders of its war-torn past, and pieces of Stalin's terrifying legacy. This subterranean web is so vast, modern day Moscow is actually in danger of caving in. From tunnels used to hide from Stalin's blood-thirsty henchmen, to secret metro systems and hidden bunkers, Don digs deep into Moscow's past.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A