Channel 5 Orders Colosseum Series

Channel 5 has commissioned a brand-new two-part series on the Colosseum, hosted by presenter and historian Dan Snow.

The Colosseum with Dan Snow (w.t.), set to be produced by streaming service History Hit, will follow as Snow embarks on a journey to investigate the real story of the Colosseum and explore what it reveals about life in ancient Rome.

Dan Snow, presenter and creative director for History Hit, commented: “The Colosseum is one of the world’s most iconic buildings. Once seen, never forgotten. It is a miracle of engineering. A symbol of Rome’s skill, determination and cruelty. This is the real story of the building and the gladiators, punishments and games that it hosted. It was quite a journey separating fact from fiction!”

Bill Locke, executive producer for History Hit, added: “We love making films that get to the truth behind well-known places, and there’s nowhere more famous than the Colosseum. It’s been fascinating busting a few myths, ancient and modern, and discovering the real story of this great building and the people who came here as spectators and fighters, with Dan as the perfect guide to bring it back to life in all its gory glory.”

Lucy Willis, commissioning editor for factual at Channel 5, commented: “Gladiator II promises to be one of the biggest movies of the year, and this series will tell the remarkable story of the Colosseum, the arena which housed these giants of ancient Rome, over 2,000 years ago. What’s amazing is that the Colosseum is still attracting the crowds as much as it did back then.”