A History of Britain is a fifteen-episode series that tells the history of the British Isles. Each episode is about an hour long and goes into a different period of British history. The entire narrative thread of the documentary asks the question of what is next for the country, by examining the country’s past.

Historian Simon Schama, who is the primary historian and presenter for this project, walks viewers through British history by visiting many important sites, and telling the story that connects modern Britain to its deep past. Historical re-enactments are used throughout the show to help illustrate the historical subjects of the documentary.

The documentary also employs a sound track that seeks to illustrate some of the music that was characteristic of many of the historical periods. John Harle composed and arranged the music whose selections were augmented by vocalists like Emma Kirkby and Lucie Skeaping.