Russell Barnes

An alternative history of the British Isles, told through art. Looking at 1,500 years and eight dramatic turning points, acclaimed artists and thinkers encounter key historic art works from across the UK that have shaped the history of the British Isles and inspired their own work.

Of all the species that have ever existed, 99.9% are now extinct. This documentary brings to life the compelling stories of these lost creatures and solves the mystery of their demise.

The Genius of Charles Darwin is a three-part television documentary, written and presented by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. It was first shown in August 2008 on Channel 4. It won Best TV Documentary Series 2008 at the British Broadcast Awards in January 2009.

How did Britain come to rule the world? asks Niall Ferguson in Empire. What would today's world be like now if it hadn't? Could such an organisation – run by, according to Winston Churchill, 'the greedy trader, the inopportune missionary, the ambitious soldier and the lying spectator' – ever have been a force for good?

This is an interesting documentary about Stalin, his rise to power, and the invasion of the USSR by Germany in WWII. It's split into two parts, the first a general overview of the early history. The second part is the details of WWII and after. David Reynolds does an excellent job of explaining what happened with snippets from diaries, letters and other contemporaneous accounts. Well-assembled historical work.

A documentary series from Channel 4, hosted by professor Richard Dawkins, well-known darwinist. The series mixes segments on the life and discoveries of Charles Darwin, the theory of natural selection and evolution, and Dawkins' attempts at convincing a group of school children that evolution explains the world around us better than any religion.

Africa on its own terms and in full voice - across Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. Uncovering the energy and ambition of creatives reinventing African music, fashion and film.

In this two-part Channel 4 series, Professor Richard Dawkins challenges what he describes as 'a process of non-thinking called faith'. He describes his astonishment that, at the start of the 21st century, religious faith is gaining ground in the face of rational, scientific truth. Science, based on scepticism, investigation and evidence, must continuously test its own concepts and claims. Faith, by definition, defies evidence: it is untested and unshakeable, and is therefore in direct contradiction with science. In addition, though religions preach morality, peace and hope, in fact, says Dawkins, they bring intolerance, violence and destruction. The growth of extreme fundamentalism in so many religions across the world not only endangers humanity but, he argues, is in conflict with the trend over thousands of years of history for humanity to progress to become more enlightened and more tolerant.

This magazine-style documentary outlines biological evolution through a variety of dramatizations and data delivered by expert testimony.

David Reynolds traces the legacy of the Great War across 100 years and 10 different countries, examining how the war haunted a generation and shaped the peace that followed.

Hackers in Wonderland is a 2000 documentary film, produced and directed by Russell Barnes, about hackers in the United Kingdom.

Homicide cop Ray Maldonado has found a third dead hooker in as many days. The realization that he's got a serial killer on his hands hits him. Wanting to stop the string of murders, Maldonado turns to the obvious suspect: Street preacher Jimmy Christmas. Searching for redemption from his past life of crime, Christmas wants the hookers he protects off the streets. But his prayers aren't enough. To hide the darkness of his past. Protect his girls. Fend off the anger of mysterious pimp Anthony and Anthony's lawyer Phillip. Jimmy knows. There will be Hell to pay if he cannot stop the disappearances of Anthony's money-making machines. It could mean his life. Caught in an impossible love with Jimmy, Violet, Anthony's favorite girl, refuses to stop walking the streets unless its on her terms. That means stealing for herself the money Jimmy collects from the other girls. But... Someone has his eyes on Violet. That someone wants Violet dead to satisfy the voices in his head.

Documentary written and presented by scientist Richard Dawkins, in which he seeks to expose "those areas of belief that exist without scientific proof, yet manage to hold the nation under their spell", including mediumship, psychokinesis, acupuncture, and other forms of alternative medicine.

With unique insights in epic locations and interpretations of ancient inscriptions and artefacts, Mary Beard uncovers the hidden world of the emperors of Rome.

Professor David Reynolds applies fresh thinking to the now-familiar story of the 1918 armistice that effectively brought World War I to an end.

A fresh look at the controversial career and presidency of Richard Nixon. Reynolds argues that Nixon was genuinely successful as an international statesman. Yet behind the scenes, Nixon's diplomacy was a story of intrigue and rivalry.

David Reynolds examines Chamberlain's hubristic misreading of Hitler at Munich in 1938.

The British fought the Second World War to defeat Hitler. This film asks why, then, did they spend so much of the conflict battling through North Africa and Italy? Historian David Reynolds reassesses Winston Churchill's conviction that the Mediterranean was the 'soft underbelly' of Hitler's Europe. Travelling to Egypt and Italian battlefields like Cassino, scene of some of the worst carnage in western Europe, he shows how, in reality, the 'soft underbelly' became a dark and dangerous obsession for Churchill. Reynolds reveals a prime minister very different from the jaw-jutting bulldog of Britain's 'finest hour' in 1940 - a leader who was politically vulnerable at home, desperate to shore up a crumbling British empire abroad, losing faith in his army and even ready to deceive his American allies if it might delay fighting head to head against the Germans in northern France. The film marks the seventieth anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein in 1942.

David Reynolds re-examines the war leadership of American president Franklin Roosevelt, who inspired millions with stirring visions of a new and better postwar world.