Thomas Dennis

A series of British television films featuring William Shakespeare's History Plays.

Magic Grandad was an educational programme which originally aired on BBC Two under the title 'Switch On, Switch Off' during Schools section of 1993. The show saw 'Magic' Grandad take his young grandchildren back in time, many of the adventures are about comparing the past and the present and seeing how evidence of what happened in the olden days still survives. The show was said to make learning about history "fun for youngsters" and was aimed at children aged 5-7 years. The series was introduced to support the History National Curriculum at Key Stage 1. New seasons have been made periodically to support new areas of the infant history curriculum such as seaside holidays and toys. The early season have a companion booklet of teacher's notes with descriptions of the episodes, various suggestions for follow-up work and photocopiable worksheets.

Easter Sunday, 14 April 1471. Barnet, just north of London. England. The kingdom is in the grips of a civil war. King Edward IV, driven from his realm the previous year, has returned to reclaim his crown. His youngest brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, at 18 years of age prepares for his first taste of battle. Through the mist, he knows the mighty Earl of Warwick awaits them. Forced to decide between his brother and his mentor, Richard has made his choice. He has chosen loyalty… but at what cost? Exploring King Richard III as a young man, shaped by loyalty, conflict, and the price of power. Rather than viewing him as the famous villainous king, we meet Richard as he takes his first leap into the brutal world of medieval politics!