MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

TV series
Poster for Empire with David Olusoga

Empire with David Olusoga

2025 · 1 season

A sober, sweeping history lesson that connects distant imperial trade and conquest to the present with quiet moral force.

Created by
David Olusoga
Genres
Documentary
Starring
David Olusoga
Overview
How did a small island once rule over a quarter of the world's population? This shared history still shapes us today - and billions of people are part of its story.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Free in the UK
  • BBC iPlayer
More options Data from JustWatch
Created by
David Olusoga
Genres
Documentary
Starring
David Olusoga
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
    Pacing
    measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
    Attention
    engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
    Themes
    • colonialism
    • power
    • class
    • race
    • greed
    Places
    None
    Era
    period
    Audience
    adult
    Form
    • documentary
    • true story
    Content intensity
    • Gore none
    • Language none
    • Violence mild
    • Sex none
    All scales, 0 to 10
    Scales, 0 to 10
    ScaleValue0 to 10
    Action1
    Horror1
    Humour1
    Realism10
    Romance0
    Tension3
    Darkness6
    Complexity7
    Emotional weight7

    More like this

    Titles like Empire with David Olusoga

    TV series

    A sober, research-driven history lesson that unearths uncomfortable truths with calm authority and quiet moral weight.

    Same director: Francis Welch · About power and class · documentary

    Also
    Same director: Francis Welch
    Via
    • power
    • class
    • documentary
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Seasons
    1
    Details
    Finding Britain’s Slave Traders with David OlusogaHidden from your suggestions.
    TV series

    Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World

    2003

    A brisk, argumentative lecture with maps and archive footage, asking you to weigh moral questions while it briskly surveys centuries of global history.

    About colonialism and power · documentary

    Via
    • colonialism
    • power
    • documentary
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    demanding
    Seasons
    1
    Details
    Empire: How Britain Made the Modern WorldHidden from your suggestions.
    TV series

    End of Empire

    1985

    A sober, talk-driven history lesson built from candid testimony, rewarding patient viewers with a clear-eyed look at how empires come apart.

    About colonialism and power · documentary

    Via
    • colonialism
    • power
    • documentary
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Seasons
    1
    Details
    End of EmpireHidden from your suggestions.
    TV series

    Conquistadors: The Rise and Fall

    2023

    A sober, history-minded documentary that lays out the brutal mechanics of conquest with clarity and a heavy sense of consequence.

    About colonialism and power · documentary

    Via
    • colonialism
    • power
    • documentary
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Seasons
    1
    Details
    Conquistadors: The Rise and FallHidden from your suggestions.
    TV series

    Terra X History

    2000

    A sober, archival journey through twentieth-century history that asks you to pay attention and sit with uncomfortable truths.

    About power · documentary

    Via
    • power
    • documentary
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Seasons
    27
    Details
    Terra X HistoryHidden from your suggestions.
    TV series

    Queen Victoria's Empire

    2001

    A stately, informative history lesson that moves briskly through grand transformations, rewarding viewers who want context more than drama.

    About colonialism and power · documentary

    Via
    • colonialism
    • power
    • documentary
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Seasons
    1
    Details
    Queen Victoria's EmpireHidden from your suggestions.
    TV series

    Portillo's Empire Journey

    2020

    A calm, thoughtful presenter walks you through grand old buildings while quietly unpacking a difficult history.

    About colonialism and power · documentary

    Via
    • colonialism
    • power
    • documentary
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Seasons
    1
    Details
    Portillo's Empire JourneyHidden from your suggestions.
    TV series

    The Race for Ancient Egypt in Colour

    2026

    A sober, illuminating history lesson that makes colonial plunder feel urgent and alive through vivid colour and sharp storytelling.

    About colonialism and power · documentary

    Via
    • colonialism
    • power
    • documentary
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Seasons
    1
    Details
    The Race for Ancient Egypt in ColourHidden from your suggestions.
    TV series

    Rich Lives, Poor Lives

    2025

    A calm, immersive history lesson that contrasts comfort and hardship, making the past feel tangible and personal.

    About power and class · documentary

    Via
    • power
    • class
    • documentary
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Seasons
    2
    Details
    Rich Lives, Poor LivesHidden from your suggestions.
    TV series

    Guerras do Brasil.doc

    2019

    A sober, history-minded sit that walks through centuries of conflict with a calm voice and a heavy sense of consequence.

    About colonialism and power · documentary

    Via
    • colonialism
    • power
    • documentary
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Seasons
    1
    Details
    Guerras do Brasil.docHidden from your suggestions.
    TV series

    Decolonisation

    2020

    A sober, essayistic history lesson that moves across continents and centuries, asking patience and rewarding it with moral clarity.

    About colonialism and power · documentary

    Via
    • colonialism
    • power
    • documentary
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    demanding
    Seasons
    1
    Details
    DecolonisationHidden from your suggestions.
    TV series

    Empire

    2012

    A brisk, authoritative history lecture with striking archive imagery, making grand imperial sweep feel accessible and quietly sobering.

    About colonialism and power · documentary

    Via
    • colonialism
    • power
    • documentary
    Pacing
    measured
    Attention
    engaged
    Seasons
    1
    Details
    EmpireHidden from your suggestions.

    Where to watch in the UK

    Free
    • BBC iPlayer
    Buy
    • Apple TV Store
    • Amazon Video

    Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

    Details

    Genres
    documentary
    Created by
    David Olusoga
    Starring
    David Olusoga
    Length
    1 seasons, 3 episodes, 59 min each
    Network
    BBC Two
    Country
    United Kingdom
    Languages
    English

    TMDBIMDb