Lucy Worsley Investigates, Season 2
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Tuesdays at 9 PM beginning Jan. 7
Wednesdays at 2 AM beginning Jan. 8
Popular British historian Lucy Worsley is back on the case! Examining four new cases in forensic detail, Lucy follows the evidence to explore how some of the most dramatic and brutal chapters in British history unlock issues that speak to modern audiences, from the media treatment and scandalization of female victims to the vulnerabilities of the poorest in society, and the political radicalization of young people.
In each episode, Lucy’s journey brings a contemporary perspective to the investigation, exploring how our changing attitudes to these dramatic moments in history can challenge our understanding of the past and provide us with new revelations.
EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS
“Jack the Ripper” (January 7, 2025)
Many think of true crime as a modern obsession, but Lucy investigates the phenomenon through the world’s most infamous serial killer, Jack the Ripper. She uncovers a story that goes beyond a single murderer and his five victims — Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary-Jane — to a burgeoning newspaper industry desperate for readers and a Victorian society unequipped to support the most vulnerable. With access to rare original evidence, archival newspapers and expert contributors, Lucy explores how this still-unsolved case fuelled sensationalist journalism and became a template for all true crime stories to follow.
“William the Conqueror” (January 14, 2025)
On October 14, 1066, the vast armies of King Harold of England and William, Duke of Normandy, fought for the English crown on the battlefield near Hastings in southern England. Harold was killed in battle, and William emerged victorious, forever more to be known as William the Conqueror. Lucy investigates how William the Conqueror won not just the Battle of Hastings but the battle for England, examining extraordinary firsthand evidence and meeting historians and curators who illuminate this tumultuous period in English history.
“The Gunpowder Plot” (January 21, 2025)
On the 5th of November 1605, in a cellar deep below London’s Parliament, Guy Fawkes prepared to light the fuse on a deadly attack. Orchestrated by a small network of men, the plot aimed to destroy the King and his government. Unstopped, this one explosion, one moment of violence, could have changed the history of Britain forever. Lucy investigates what drove these men to attempt such an audacious act. She revisits key moments and locations in the plotter's lives: the city of York, home to Fawkes and other plotters, and Ashby Manor, Northamptonshire, home of mastermind Robert Catesby. She then consults experts who help contribute to the uncovering of this extraordinary moment in history.
“Bloody Mary” (March 23, 2025)
Mary Tudor, King Henry VIII’s daughter, became infamous as one of the bloodiest queens who ever lived, executing her subjects at will for their religious beliefs. Lucy investigates whether England’s first ruling female monarch was as bloody as history suggests. Or did her reputation emerge from being a strong woman in a predominantly male world? With access to unique firsthand evidence and expert contributors, Lucy reveals how Mary’s reputation was shaped and asks whether our understanding of her life and legacy should be reconsidered.
