Consumers and Conscience

Consumers and Conscience traces the story of Britain in the 18th century, which saw an explosion of creativity and a country with enough money, from trade and conquest, to pay for it. But the money had a dark side: sculptor Thomas J Price visits Harewood House to see the elaborate Robert Adam-designed interiors, Joshua Reynolds portraits and Thomas Chippendale furniture that the slave trade paid for.
This was also the great age of mockery and artist Lubaina Himid reflects on William Hogarth's scabrous exposure of upper-class hypocrisies, while comedian Stewart Lee analyses the cutting humour of A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift's bitter satire about the treatment of the Irish poor, with passages performed by actor Jason Isaacs.
An age of exploitation was stirring up a growing social conscience. Emma Bridgewater examines how potter Josiah Wedgwood fought a campaign against slavery with teapots and porcelain abolition medallions while Martin Rowson analyses his hero James Gillray's invention of the biting political cartoon, poking fun of all sides. The Georgian era was also a great age of writing, from Olaudah Equiano's searing account of enslavement to Jane Austen's genius in novels. Sculptor Douglas Gordon explores what Robert Burns, his distinctive dialect and poems of ordinary life still means to Scots today.
Trailer
Recently Updated Shows

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered
Real-life mysteries. Investigative reporting. Justice. Dateline is the long-running, award winning newsmagazine bringing viewers stories ranging from compelling mysteries to powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Hosted by NBC News' Craig Melvin, each episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered incorporates the classic elements of drama and great storytelling: good guys, bad guys, conflict with the highest stakes, suspense and resolution. Hear the chilling tales directly from those most affected and involved, including investigators tasked with cracking the case and the families confronting tragedy. In every story we tell, we help the real people who lived the events share their journeys with you.

For All Mankind
Imagine a world where the global space race never ended. This thrilling "what if" take on history from Ronald D. Moore (Outlander, Battlestar Galactica) spotlights the high-stakes lives of NASA astronauts and their families.

Murder in a Small Town
Karl Alberg moves to a quiet coastal town to soothe a psyche that has been battered by big-city police work. But this gentle paradise has more than its share of secrets, and Karl will need to call upon all the skills that made him a world-class detective in solving the murders that, even in this seemingly idyllic setting, continue to wash up on his shore.

