Reel History

Gangs of New York (2002) | The Five Points (1863)

‘Mulberry Street… and Worth… Cross and Orange… and Little Water. Each of the Five Points is a finger. When I close my hand it becomes a fist. And, if I wish, I can turn it against you.’ – Bill ‘The Butcher’ Cutting Jeeez…chill Bill, we were only asking for directions. We’re all friends here, so…

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The Greatest Knight | William Marshal 2/2

William Marshal returns from crusade older, wiser, and with silk burial cloths from Jerusalem tucked under his arm. But death is still a long way off. In part two of our special, we trace Marshal’s rise to power across three reigns — Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, and finally King John — watching him navigate…

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The Angevin Empire | William Marshal 1/2

Before he was called “the greatest knight,” William Marshal was nearly used as a human catapult projectile. In the first of our two-part special, we follow the astonishing early life of William Marshal – a man who rose from near-execution as a child hostage during the Anarchy to become a knight of international renown and…

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Reel History Season 5 Announcement

Hey Reelists! You might be wondering what’s going on with Season 5 of Reel History. Well, wonder no more – we’re here to fill you in! For our first four seasons, we spent a year recording ten episodes, then released them on a bi-weekly schedule in one big history blitz. It built hype and gave…

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The Battle of Clontarf | Brian Boru 2/2

In part two of our special on Brian Boru, we chart the extraordinary reign of the most ambitious king in Irish history — from regional warlord to the first ruler with real, island-wide power. (Listen to part one at showswhatyouknow.com or scroll back in the podcast feed!) Brian’s ascent didn’t end with Munster. Through ruthless…

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Gladiator II (2024) | Geta, Caracalla, Macrinus (200)

Surprise! A rogue Reel History appears like a fistful of sand to the eyes! We covered Gladiator in our second episode, almost exactly 5 years ago. Ridley Scott took 24 years to return with Gladiator II and while the Reel History HQ usually operates at a similar glacial pace, we have – thanks to our…

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The Rise of the Dál gCais | Brian Boru 1/2

Today, we dive into the rise of one of Ireland’s most iconic and celebrated leaders—Brian Boru, the High King. In the popular psyche, Brian Boru is known as the King who would unite the Irish clans and stand against the Viking invaders. But was this really true? What is the Real History of Ireland’s most…

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Reel History Season 4 Finale

Welcome to the finale of Season 4 of Reel History! In this episode we look back at our past season, answer listener questions and hand out the Mel Gibson Awards to the least historically accurate films. With the assistance of some colourful buzzers, Mark and Jakob face off in a film/history quiz that proves once…

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Napoleon III | FALL (1806-1815)

‘What a pity the man wasn’t lazy ’ remarked the wily French diplomat Talleyrand as he later lamented on how Napoleon’s restless energy had led him to dominate Europe and the age against all odds. But of course, you know all this dear listener as you’ve already accompanied us on the first two episodes of…

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Napoleon II | REIGN (1799-1805)

“The revolution is over… I AM the revolution!” proclaimed Mark dramatically as we recently sat down to record this second sortie into our trilogy on the man behind the myth – Napoleon! No, but seriously, these were the confidently spoken words of a 30-year-old 1st Consul Bonaparte in 1800 as he presented himself as saviour…

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