Shakespeare Uncovered
Celebrity hosts guide viewers through William Shakespeare's plays in performance. Each episode serves as a primer for newcomers to Shakespeare while serving up enough historical and theatrical insights to enchant lifelong fans.
Seasons
E1Joely Richardson on Shakespeare's Women
Jun 19, 2012
Shakespeare Uncovered: In Twelfth Night and As You Like It, Joely Richardson investigates (with a contribution from her mother Vanessa Redgrave) the great comic heroines created by Shakespeare in those hugely popular plays.
E2Ethan Hawke on Macbeth
Jun 26, 2012
Ethan Hawke sets out to prepare himself for the possibility of playing the role of Macbeth by uncovering the true story behind the play, seeing some of the greatest productions and discovering the extraordinary insights into the criminal mind that Shakespeare reveals.
E3Derek Jacobi on Richard II
Jun 30, 2012
Derek Jacobi looks at Richard II, a role he played 30 years ago. He reveals why the might have cost Shakespeare his life, and shares some of the extraordinary political parallels within the play that still resonate today.
E4Trevor Nunn on The Tempest
Jul 3, 2012
Trevor Nunn looks at the magical and mysterious world created in Shakespeare's last complete play, The Tempest. Trevor finds out where Shakespeare got his material from and the strange personal insights hidden within it. It is a truly experimental work but sadly perhaps also Shakespeare's farewell to the theatre. The Tempest is peculiarly suitable to film - ambitious, experimental and full of magic. Not surprisingly, one of the very first silent film adaptations of a Shakespeare play was The Tempest in 1911.
E5Jeremy Irons on the Henrys
Jul 7, 2012
Jeremy Irons uncovers the extraordinary appeal of Shakespeare's History Plays. He unravels the differences between the real history and the drama that Shakespeare creates.
E6David Tennant on Hamlet
Jul 17, 2012
David Tennant, whose own RSC performance as Hamlet was a huge hit, meets other actors who have played the role and tries to unravel the meaning of the play.
E1A Midsummer Night's Dream With Hugh Bonneville
Jan 30, 2015
Actor Hugh Bonneville talks with Ralph Fiennes about the appeal of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
E2King Lear With Christopher Plummer
Jan 30, 2015
Christopher Plummer explores how "King Lear" may have been staged during Shakespeare's time; actors Ian McKellen and Simon Russell Beale discuss playing the role of King Lear.
E3The Taming of the Shrew With Morgan Freeman
Feb 6, 2015
Morgan Freeman is determined to understand why Shakespeare wrote "The Taming of the Shrew"; interviews include Tracey Ullman, Sinead Cusack and Julia Stiles.
E4Othello With David Harewood
Feb 6, 2015
David Harewood unravels the issues of prejudice and jealousy embedded in "Othello"; Adrian Lester portrays Othello at the National Theatre in London; interviews include Simon Russell Beale, Ian McKellen, Julia Stiles and Patrick Stewart.
E5Antony & Cleopatra With Kim Cattrall
Feb 13, 2015
Kim Cattrall searches for the truth behind Shakespeare's middle-aged love story and examines inspirations for the play in Rome; with Janet Suzman, Harriet Walter and Vanessa Redgrave.
E6Romeo & Juliet With Joseph Fiennes
Feb 13, 2015
Joe Fiennes considers why "Romeo and Juliet" remains the most adapted and performed of all of Shakespeare's works; interviews include Orlando Bloom, Condola Rashad and Stephen Sondheim.
The final season investigates Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice, Measure for Measure, Julius Caesar, The Winter’s Tale and Richard III.
E1Much Ado About Nothing with Helen Hunt
Oct 12, 2018
Helen Hunt explores how “Much Ado About Nothing” became one of Shakespeare’s most beloved romantic comedies.
E2The Merchant of Venice with F. Murray Abraham
Oct 12, 2018
F. Murray Abraham untangles the controversies surrounding “The Merchant of Venice,” addressing the ubiquitous anti-Semitism that characterized Europe in Shakespeare’s time.
E3Measure for Measure With Romola Garai
Oct 19, 2018
Romola Garai explores “Measure for Measure,” one of Shakespeare's most provocative plays. It presents a surprisingly timely drama of sexual morality, hypocrisy and harassment.
E4Julius Caesar with Brian Cox
Oct 19, 2018
Brian Cox looks at Shakespeare's most revered political play, “Julius Caesar,” to analyze what can be learned about freedom and tyranny today.
E5The Winter's Tale with Simon Russell Beale
Oct 26, 2018
Simon Russell Beale uncovers the romance and betrayals of "The Winter's Tale" and shows that in this play Shakespeare offers something for which everyone longs: the ability to make amends for an irreversible mistake.
E6Richard III with Antony Sher
Oct 26, 2018
Antony Sher unveils the life of Shakespeare's "Richard III," comparing the historical king's reputation with the play's enduring portrait of ruthless ambition and vengeance.
Storyline
Celebrity hosts guide viewers through William Shakespeare's plays in performance. Each episode serves as a primer for newcomers to Shakespeare while serving up enough historical and theatrical insights to enchant lifelong fans.
