3 x 60mins

James May will tell the stories of three of the world’s most famous and infamous explorers (Columbus, Raleigh and Cook) told not just through their expeditions (though we’re not sending James on a journey to recreate them) but through the stories... of scientific endeavour, political machinations, engineering innovation and culinary invention that allowed their ships to set sail in the first place, and the impact of these famous journeys.

He’ll also be reassessing the reputations of these three historic figures. James will give us a real sense of what the world looked like before these explorers set off on voyages of discovery, he’ll show us all the things that didn’t exist in Europe before the ships left and he’ll also reveal all the new foods, flora, animals, as well as the unintended consequences that then came back from across the waters as these explorers returned home. James will also reveal in his inimitable way the men behind these legends of history – for him even using the word ‘great’ to describe them might be a bit of a stretch

Read More

Starring: James May

Produced By: Plum Pictures

Director: Tom Whitter

Producer: Dan Clarke

Executive Producer: Will Daws

Broadcaster: Channel 5 | Year of Production: 2024