Secret History Season 17

Why, when the Titanic received several warnings of icebergs ahead, did the captain steam full speed towards them without changing course? Two hours after the collision, the Titanic was safely afloat before she inexplicably gave way and took hundreds of passengers to their deaths. What happened to make her sink so rapidly? For the first time, investigative journalist and Titanic expert Senan Molony can reveal the real story. In a television exclusive, Titanic: The New Evidence draws on new evidence to reveal that a fire was raging in Titanic's boiler rooms before she left port, that it was kept secret and, it's now believed it led to the tragedy.

The soldiers were rescued from the beaches and taken safely back to Britain. But behind the Miracle of Dunkirk there's another, hidden story. Soldiers and mariners, angry that they'd apparently been left undefended against the Luftwaffe, blamed the RAF. Historians have long viewed Dunkirk as the RAF's poorest hour. But now, recently released MoD files reveal that, far from being absent, the RAF were suffering massive losses supporting the evacuation.

The world's largest palace, the Forbidden City, stands at the heart of Chinese history, as the home to the emperors for 600 years. And it's full of secrets. This documentary goes behind closed doors to explore this extraordinary palace-city and to discover the clues to its creation. Unique access to the latest conservation works uncovers evidence hidden in locked halls and high in the mighty roofs, revealing a ruler who governed by fear but also created an exquisite and enormous work of art and technology.