What I Learned About History by Working in TV
Is history art, or science? People, or events? What can we ever really know about history, and what should we care about?
Blog
Welcome to the blog. Here we explore how history is brought to life on screen — from the textures of daily life to the choices that shape story, tone, and world-building. Drawing on our work across film, TV, and commercials, we look at the moments where past and production meet — and what it really takes to make history cinematic.
RECENT POSTS
History in a nutshell: the Bronze Age Collapse
Did you know that around 1180 BCE, civilization completely vanished? And that nobody knows why? Here’s the Bronze Age Collapse in a nutshell.
Historically Accurate. Dramatically Useless.
Accuracy: The Good Kind The desire for historical accuracy is real and well-intentioned. Directors want to get it right. Writers
WARNING! The danger of reading historic art
Tonsured monks in Henry VIII’s bedroom? Historic art is a great resource for productions, but interpretation is key.
The myth of the monochrome Tudors
Do we understand the role of black men and women in our history and on our TV screens? We have a lot to learn about the black Tudors.
Can we lie about history?
Are the makers of period drama allowed to fib about history? To what extent? And under what circumstances?
The Golden Rule of Historical Authenticity
Is there a Golden Rule of historical authenticity in filmmaking? Well, this is mine. While working on Becoming Elizabeth, I
History in a nutshell: Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey: How much do you really know about the queen we never had? Peter Wagstaff gives you Jane in a nutshell: a two-minute crash course in one the most curious stories in English history.