Channel 4 Commissions History Series Fortress Britain

Channel 4 has ordered the new history series Fortress Britain from Banijay UK’s IWC Media, in association with producers Dom Bowles and Theo Williams.

Professor Alice Roberts, Dr. Onyeka Nubia and professor Dan George will look at key moments in British history in which the country was under threat of foreign invasion. They will identify the physical reminders that remain today, including Tudor forts, WWII tank traps, Norman castles and more.

Roberts will be based at the Fortress Britain hub in Walmer Castle, where she will be joined by leading experts who will set the scene for each period. Nubia and George will be traveling the U.K. to visit the buildings, battlefields and ruins in each of the stories.

Fortress Britain is a co-production between IWC, Brainchild Productions and Brightside Media. Bowles is serving as series producer and director, with Williams as associate producer. IWC’s Mark Downie is executive producer.

“As an island nation with an inconvenient habit of falling out with our neighbors, Britain has a unique history which has resulted in an almost constant obsession with threat of invasion from the continent,” Bowles said. “What’s truly amazing is that so many physical reminders of those threats, both perceived and real, remain to this day.”

“We’re delighted to be making another new series with professor Alice Roberts,” Downie, creator director of IWC, added. “No one is better at making British history accessible and relevant for contemporary audiences. Combined with Dr. Onyeka Nubia and professor Dan George, we’ve assembled an exceptional team.”

Emily Shields, commissioner at Channel 4, commented, “We’re delighted to be working with professor Alice Roberts and the team on this brand-new series that sheds new light on the history that’s all around us. Visiting some glorious locations all around the country and packed with fascinating detail about four key moments in British history, this series is a real treat.”