1. England Goes GlobalAssessing the impact of Sir Francis Drake's Circumnavigation Medal.15 mins16 Apr 2012
2. Communion and ConscienceNeil MacGregor uses the Stratford Chalice to explore the world in Shakespeare's time.15 mins17 Apr 2012
3. Snacking Through ShakespeareA fork found on the site of the Rose Theatre reveals what people ate in the Bard's time.15 mins18 Apr 2012
4. Life without ElizabethThe story behind a portrait justifying Elizabeth I's position in the Tudor succession.15 mins19 Apr 2012
5. Swordplay and SwaggerNeil MacGregor explores the essential accoutrements of any self-respecting gentleman.15 mins20 Apr 2012
6. Europe: Triumphs of the PastWhat Henry V's armoury tells us about the depiction of history on the Elizabeth stage.15 mins23 Apr 2012
7. Ireland: Failures in the PresentA rare woodcut offers an insight into the troubles and tragedies of Elizabethan Ireland.15 mins24 Apr 2012
8. City Life, Urban StrifeNeil MacGregor explores life in Shakespeare's London through an apprentice's woollen cap.15 mins25 Apr 2012
9. New Science, Old MagicA disc of black obsidian from Mexico reflects the Elizabethan fascination with astrology.15 mins26 Apr 2012
10. Toil and TroubleA model ship hung in a church reveals the differences between Scottish and English witches15 mins27 Apr 2012
11. Treason and PlotsTabloid history of Shakespeare's England via contemporary accounts of royal murder plots.15 mins30 Apr 2012
12. Sex and the CityNeil MacGregor on how a delicate glass goblet reveals the twin seductions of Venice.15 mins01 May 2012
13. From London to MarrakechSunken gold from West Africa sheds light on England's complex relationship with the Moors.15 mins02 May 2012
14. Disguise and DeceptionA pedlar's trunk reveals deception and religion, cross-dressing and travelling salesmen.15 mins03 May 2012
15. The Flag That FailedThe problems in creating a Great Britain are encapsulated in designs for a common flag.15 mins04 May 2012
16. A Time of Change, a Change of TimeA striking clock reveals the changing relationship Shakespeare's audiences had to time.15 mins07 May 2012
17. Plague and the PlayhouseEarly 17th-century proclamations reveal the impact of the 1603 plague outbreak.15 mins08 May 2012
18. London Becomes RomeNeil MacGregor surveys the triumphal arches created for James I's entry into London.15 mins09 May 2012
19. The Theatres of CrueltyA human eyeball in a silver setting gives a striking insight into the theatre of cruelty.15 mins10 May 2012
20. Shakespeare Goes GlobalHow a folio of collected plays in 1623 began the creation of a global phenomenon.15 mins11 May 2012