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"Aztec Massacre" redirects here. For the 2017 School shooting, see 2017 Aztec High School shooting.


Secrets of the Dead
GenreHistorical documentary
Narrated byRoy Scheider
Liev Schreiber
Jay O. Sanders
Theme music composerMichael Montes & Jeff Heffernan
Country of originUnited States
United Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons21 (US)
No. of episodes107 6 specials (US)
Production
Executive producerJared Lipworth
ProducersThirteen/WNET
Quickfire Media
David Johnson
Lucy Palmer
Five (UK)
Channel 4 International(UK)
Camera setupmultiple
Running time56 minutes
Original release
NetworkPBS
NJN
ReleaseMay 15, 2000 (2000-05-15) –
present

Secrets of the Dead, produced by WNET 13 New York, is an ongoing PBS television series which began in 2000. The show generally follows an investigator or team of investigators exploring what modern science can tell us about some of the great mysteries of history. Most programs incorporate primary source material, first-hand accounts, dramatic reenactments, and computer-generated imagery (CGI) to tell the story. The series originated in a series of the same name in the United Kingdom first shown by Channel 4 in 1999. The first two seasons for each country were broadly similar, but thereafter diverged. The US series includes some programs shown in other Channel 4 series (e.g. Secret History). In the case of original British episodes, PBS re-edited, re-branded and finally re-narrated them with various American voice artists.[1] PBS description: "Scientists seek to uncover celebrated mysteries of the past in this occasional British series."

Episode topics (Which are listed in different order on PBS) have included the Titanic, D-Day, the Shroud of Turin, the Salem Witch Trials, Blackbeard's lost ship, and the first English translations of the Bible.

The PBS series premiered on May 15, 2000, airing four programs in three days (the first episode, concerning the Extreme weather events of 535–536, was a two-parter).[2] Despite an irregular schedule, new episodes continue to air.[3]

Episodes — UK series

[edit]

Season 1 (1999)

[edit]
  • Ep. 1: "Blood Red Roses" (1999-06-29 — US S4#1)
  • Ep. 2: "What Happened to the Hindenburg?" (1999-07-06 — US S1#4)
  • Ep. 3: "The Lost Vikings" (1999-07-13 — US S1#3)
  • Ep. 4: "Cannibals of the Canyon" (1999-07-20 — US S1#5 "Cannibalism in the Canyon")
  • Ep. 5: "Catastrophe – The Day the Sun Went Out" (1999-07-27 — US S1#1)
  • Ep. 6: "Catastrophe – How the World Changed" (1999-08-03 — US S1#2)

Season 2 (2000)

[edit]
  • Ep. 1: "Murder at Stonehenge" (2000-07-17 — US S2#2)
  • Ep. 2: "The Syphilis Enigma" (2000-07-24 — US S2#6)
  • Ep. 3: "Murder in Jamestown" (2000-07-31 — US S2#3 "Death at Jamestown")
  • Ep. 4: "Bewitched" (2000-08-07 — US S2#1 "Witches Curse")
  • Ep. 5: "Blood on the Altar" (2000-08-14)
  • Ep. 6: "What Sank the Mary Rose?" (2000-08-21)

Season 3 (2001)

[edit]
  • Ep. 1: "The Riddle of Pompeii" (2001-02-01)
  • Ep. 2: "The Hidden Scrolls of Herculaneum" (2001-02-08)
  • Ep. 3: "Gladiator Girl" (2001-05-14)
  • Ep. 4: "Sounds from the Stone Age" (2001-11-12)
  • Ep. 5: "The First Human?" (2001-11-19 — US S3#1 "Search for the First Human")
  • Ep. 6: "Mystery of Zulu Dawn" (2001-12-03 — US S2#4 "Day of the Zulu")
  • Ep. 7: "Who Burnt Rome?" (2001-12-10 — US S3#4 "The Great Fire of Rome")
  • Ep. 8: "King Midas's Feast" (2001-12-30)

Season 4 (2002)

[edit]
  • Ep. 1: "Riddle of the Plague Survivors" (2002-02-24)
  • Ep. 2: "The Birth of the Smart Bomber" (2002-03-03)
  • Ep. 3: "Quest for Noah's Flood" (2002-03-16)

Season 5 (2003–04)

[edit]
  • Ep. 1: "Titanic's Ghost" (2003-03-13 — US S3#3)
  • Ep. 2: "The Coldest March" (2003-03-20 — US S3#5 "Tragedy at the Pole")
  • Ep. 3: "Plague on the Western Front" (2003-03-27)
  • Ep. 4: "Shroud of Christ?" (2004-03-29 — US S4#4)

Episodes — US series

[edit]

Specials (2014-17)

[edit]
  • Ep. 1: "Dick Cavett's Watergate" (2014-08-08)
  • Ep. 2: "Secrets of Spanish Florida" (2017-12-26)
  • Ep. 3: "America’s Untold Story - Struggle to Survive" (2017-12-26)
  • Ep. 4: "America’s Untold Story - Men of God, Men of Greed" (2018-01-02)
  • Ep. 5: "America’s Untold Story - The British Are Coming" (2018-01-09)
  • Ep. 6: "America’s Untold Story - The 14th and 15th Colonies" (2018-01-18)

Season 1 (2000)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
1"Catastrophe! – The Day the Sun Went Out” Part 1 of 2"May 15, 2000 (2000-05-15)
UK S1#5 narrated by Roy Scheider
2"Catastrophe! – How the World Changed” Part 2 of 2"May 16, 2000 (2000-05-16)
UK S1#6 narrated by Roy Scheider
3"The Lost Vikings"May 16, 2000 (2000-05-16)
UK S1#3
4"What Happened to the Hindenburg?"May 17, 2000 (2000-05-17)
UK S1#2
5"Cannibalism in the Canyon"May 17, 2000 (2000-05-17)
UK S1#4 "Cannibals of the Canyon"

Season 2 (2001)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
1"Witches Curse"June 26, 2001 (2001-06-26)
UK S2#4 "Bewitched"
2"Murder at Stonehenge"July 3, 2001 (2001-07-03)
UK S2#1
3"Death at Jamestown"July 10, 2001 (2001-07-10)
UK S2#3 "Murder in Jamestown"
4"Day of the Zulu"July 17, 2001 (2001-07-17)
UK S3#6 "Mystery of Zulu Dawn"
5"Tomb of Christ"July 24, 2001 (2001-07-24)
6"The Syphilis Enigma"July 31, 2001 (2001-07-31)
UK S2#2

Season 3 (2002–03)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
1"Search for the First Human"May 8, 2002 (2002-05-08)
UK S3#5 "The First Human?"
2"Mystery of the Black Death"October 30, 2002 (2002-10-30)
3"Titanic's Ghosts"November 20, 2002 (2002-11-20)
UK S5#1
4"The Great Fire of Rome"November 27, 2002 (2002-11-27)
UK S3#7 "Who Burnt Rome?"
5"Tragedy at the Pole"January 15, 2003 (2003-01-15)
UK S5#2
6"Bombing Nazi Dams"February 12, 2003 (2003-02-12)

Season 4 (2003–04)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
1"Bridge on the River Kwai"November 12, 2003 (2003-11-12)
2"Killer Flu"March 3, 2004 (2004-03-03)
UK Secret History S6#5
3"Shroud of Christ?"April 7, 2004 (2004-04-07)
UK S5#4
4"D-Day"May 19, 2004 (2004-05-19)
5"Amazon Warrior Women"August 4, 2004 (2004-08-04)

Season 5 (2005–06)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
1"The Hunt for Nazi Scientists"October 19, 2005 (2005-10-19)
2"Gangland Graveyard"November 16, 2005 (2005-11-16)
3"Voyage of the Courtesans"November 23, 2005 (2005-11-23)
4"The Sinking of the Andrea Doria"July 26, 2006 (2006-07-26)
5"Umbrella Assassin"October 4, 2006 (2006-10-04)

Season 6 (2006–07)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Dogfight Over Guadalcanal"November 8, 2006 (2006-11-08)601
2"Battle for the Bible"April 25, 2007 (2007-04-25)602
3"Herculaneum Uncovered"May 2, 2007 (2007-05-02)603
4"Headless Romans"May 9, 2007 (2007-05-09)604
5"Irish Escape"May 16, 2007 (2007-05-16)605

Season 7 (2008)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Aztec Massacre"April 23, 2008 (2008-04-23)701
2"Escape from Auschwitz"April 30, 2008 (2008-04-30)702

Season 8 (2008–09)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Doping for Gold"May 7, 2008 (2008-05-07)801
2"Sinking Atlantis"May 14, 2008 (2008-05-14)802
3"Executed in Error"October 1, 2008 (2008-10-01)803
4"Blackbeard's Lost Ship"April 22, 2009 (2009-04-22)804

Season 9 (2009–10)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Michelangelo Revealed"May 13, 2009 (2009-05-13)901
2"The Airmen and the Headhunters"November 11, 2009 (2009-11-11)902
3"Mumbai Massacre"November 25, 2009 (2009-11-25)903
4"Japanese SuperSub"May 5, 2010 (2010-05-05)TBA

Season 10 (2010)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Churchill's Deadly Decision"May 12, 2010 (2010-05-12)1001
2"Deadliest Battle"May 19, 2010 (2010-05-19)1002
3"The Silver Pharaoh"November 3, 2010 (2010-11-03)1003
4"Slave Ship Mutiny"November 10, 2010 (2010-11-10)1004

Season 11 (2010–11)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Lost Ships of Rome"November 17, 2010 (2010-11-17)1101
2"Lost in the Amazon"April 20, 2011 (2011-04-20)1102
3"China's Terracotta Warriors"May 4, 2011 (2011-05-04)1103
4"World's Biggest Bomb"May 17, 2011 (2011-05-17)1104

Season 12 (2012–13)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"The Man Who Saved the World"October 24, 2012 (2012-10-24)1201
Soviet Navy officer Vasily Arkhipov's actions during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
2"Bugging Hitler's Soldiers"May 1, 2013 (2013-05-01)1202
3"Death on the Railroad"May 8, 2013 (2013-05-08)1203
4"Caveman Cold Case"May 15, 2013 (2013-05-15)1204
Narrated by Jay O. Sanders
5"Ultimate Tut"July 10, 2013 (2013-07-10)1205
2-hour episode narrated by Jay O. Sanders
6"Bones of the Buddha"July 23, 2013 (2013-07-23)1206
Host explorer Charles Allen, narrated by Jay O. Sanders (Charles Dance in the UK version

Season 13 (2013–14)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"JFK: One PM Central Standard Time"November 13, 2013 (2013-11-13)1301
Narrated by George Clooney
2"The Lost Diary of Dr. Livingstone"March 26, 2014 (2014-03-26)1302
3"Carthage's Lost Warriors"April 2, 2014 (2014-04-02)1303
4"The Lost Gardens of Babylon"May 6, 2014 (2014-05-06)1304
5"The Mona Lisa Mystery"July 9, 2014 (2014-07-09)1305
Written and directed by Klaus T. Steindl
Experts examine the controversy over whether the Isleworth Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci
6"Resurrecting Richard III"September 24, 2014 (2014-09-24)1306

Season 14 (2015)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Ben Franklin's Bones"January 28, 2015 (2015-01-28)1401
2"JFK & LBJ: A Time for Greatness"August 4, 2015 (2015-08-04)TBA
Narrated by Morgan Freeman
3"The Real Trojan Horse"October 13, 2015 (2015-10-13)1402
4"Jamestown's Dark Winter"November 24, 2015 (2015-11-24)1403

Season 15 (2015–16)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Vampire Legend"October 27, 2015 (2015-10-27)1501
2"The Alcatraz Escape"March 29, 2016 (2016-03-29)1503
3"Cleopatra's Lost Tomb"May 17, 2016 (2016-05-17)1502
4"Teotihuacán's Lost Kings"May 24, 2016 (2016-05-24)1504
5"Graveyard of the Giant Beasts"November 2, 2016 (2016-11-02)1505

Season 16 (2016–19)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"After Stonehenge"October 26, 2016 (2016-10-26)1601
2"Van Gogh's Ear"December 14, 2016 (2016-12-14)1602
3"Nero's Sunken City"March 29, 2017 (2017-03-29)1603
Archaeologists map the underwater ruins of Baiae, ancient Rome's version of Las Vegas
4"Leonardo, the Man Who Saved Science"April 5, 2017 (2017-04-05)1604
*Special"Secrets of Spanish Florida"December 26, 2017 (2017-12-26)1604
AMFC — 2 hours
5"The Woman in the Iron Coffin"October 3, 2018 (2018-10-03)1605
Forensic experts investigate the preserved remains of a young 19th century New York African American woman and reveal details of early America's free black communities.
6"The Nero Files"February 20, 2019 (2019-02-20)1606
The life and legend of Nero are examined by a forensic profiler.

Season 17 (2018–20)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Scanning the Pyramids"January 24, 2018 (2018-01-24)1701
2"Hannibal in the Alps"April 10, 2018 (2018-04-10)1702
A team of experts determines which of 4 possible routes was used by Hannibal
3"King Arthur's Lost Kingdom"March 27, 2019 (2019-03-27)1703
New archaeological evidence that rewrites our understanding of 5th and 6th century Britain might also explain the legend of King Arthur.
4"Egypt's Darkest Hour"April 3, 2019 (2019-04-03)1704
The discovery of a rare mass grave with the bones of nearly 60 people outside Luxor sends archaeologists on a quest to find out who the remains belong to, why they were buried the way they were and what was happening in ancient Egypt that would have led to a mass burial.
5"World War Speed"June 25, 2019 (2019-06-25)1705
Historian James Holland, on his quest to understand how the use of amphetamines affected the course of World War II and unleashed “the world's first pharmacological arms race.”[4] Shown in the UK on BBC Four as a standalone, Aug 29, 2019.[5]
6"Abandoning the Titanic"November 4, 2020 (2020-11-04)1706
Weighs the evidence concerning the "mystery" ship seen from the deck of the sinking Titanic[6]

Season 18 (2019–22)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Galileo's Moon"July 2, 2019 (2019-07-02)1801
When it was published in 1610, Galileo's Sidereus Nuncius (Starry Messenger set in motion a scientific revolution.[7]
2"Bombing Auschwitz"January 21, 2020 (2020-01-21)1802
On December 3, 1944, The Washington Post published an editorial on the atrocities in Auschwitz with the headline “Genocide,” marking the first time the word appeared in a national newspaper.[8]
3"Building Notre Dame"April 28, 2020 (2020-04-28)1803
An in-depth investigation is made into the centuries-long construction of Notre Dame de Paris.
4"Viking Warrior Queen"July 7, 2020 (2020-07-07)1804
An examination of Birka's grave Bj 581 reveals that the remains of the warrior buried inside are female.
5"Gangster's Gold"November 18, 2020 (2020-11-18)1805
In New York City, treasure hunters look for the trunk of money and diamonds buried by gangster Dutch Schultz in 1935.
6"The End of the Romans"October 26, 2022 (2022-10-26)1806

Season 19 (2021)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Magellan's Crossing"October 20, 2021 (2021-10-20)1901
2"Lady Sapiens"October 27, 2021 (2021-10-27)1902
3"The First Circle of Stonehenge"November 3, 2021 (2021-11-03)1903
4"Hindenburg's Fatal Flaws"November 10, 2021 (2021-11-10)1904
5"A Samurai in the Vatican"November 17, 2021 (2021-11-17)1905
6"The Caravaggio Heist"November 24, 2021 (2021-11-24)1906

Season 20 (2022–23)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Archaeology at Althorp"October 9, 2022 (2022-10-09)2001
2"Last Days of Pompeii"October 19, 2022 (2022-10-19)2002
3"Decoding Hieroglyphics"November 2, 2022 (2022-11-02)2003
4"Hidden in the Amazon"November 9, 2022 (2022-11-09)2004
5"The Sunken Basilica"October 11, 2023 (2023-10-11)2005
6"Jurassic Fortunes"October 18, 2023 (2023-10-18)2006

Season 21 (2023)

[edit]
No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Eiffel's Race to the Top"October 25, 2023 (2023-10-25)2007
2"Death in Britannia"November 1, 2023 (2023-11-01)2008
3"Princes in the Tower"November 22, 2023 (2023-11-22)2009
4"Returning to Babylon"October 2, 2024 (2024-10-02)TBA
5"Mozart's Sister"October 9, 2024 (2024-10-09)TBA
6"The Herculaneum Scrolls"October 16, 2024 (2024-10-16)TBA

[9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Secrets of the Dead (TV series)". ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on August 4, 2011.
  2. ^ Wertheimer, Ron (2000-05-15). "Television Review; A Seance in 4 Parts, With Narration". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2008-05-07. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
  3. ^ Lee, Felicia R. (2008-04-23). "Going for the Grisly Gives a Show Staying Power". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2009-04-25. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
  4. ^ "World War Speed | World War Speed: About the Film". Secrets of the Dead. PBS. 2019-05-08. Archived from the original on 2019-09-03. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  5. ^ "BBC Programme Index". 29 August 2019. Archived from the original on 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  6. ^ "Abandoning the Titanic". Secrets of the Dead. PBS. 6 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  7. ^ "Galileo's Moon | Galileo's Moon: About the Film". Secrets of the Dead. PBS. 2019-05-08. Archived from the original on 2021-07-17. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  8. ^ "Bombing Auschwitz | Bombing Auschwitz: About the Film". Secrets of the Dead. PBS. 2019-11-18. Archived from the original on 2020-01-21. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  9. ^ "Episodes". Secrets of the Dead. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
[edit]
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