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Britain's fascinating history is all around us. Up and down the country there are amazing places to visit and incredible ways to uncover the stories of our shared past. Now historian Dan Snow and ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ presenter Sian Williams are to bring this history to life – live to the nation's living rooms.

Broadcast from Britain's most striking historical locations, National Treasures Live will give viewers unique access to events happening across the country. The 5x30-minute peak time series will throw open the doors to some of the UK's most exciting venues, including restorations, digs and heritage sites.

Dan and Sian will joined by a team of regular reporters. These include ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ presenter Joe Crowley; forensic historian Xanthe Mallett; social historian Ruth Goodman; and Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces. In a lively mix of film reports, these history enthusiasts will reveal some of the country's most mysterious, surprising and compelling stories.

Martin Davidson, Commissioning Editor, History and Business, says: "National Treasures Live is a fresh and exciting approach to telling the story of Britain's shared past, bringing popular history to the heart of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One. I'm thrilled that Dan and Sian, together with our other experts and enthusiasts, will help bring history to life for our audiences, showcasing all the exciting events, people and stories from across the UK."

Some of the nation's favourites will also be on hand to share their passion for history and the way we used to live. Sheila Hancock, Gregg Wallace, Ruby Wax and Lenny Henry are just a few of the names confirmed for the series.

Dan will also team up with Michael Douglas from The One Show for a history road trip – setting out to answer some of history's big questions. Over the course of the five weeks, Dan wants to show Michael that even though he didn't have any interest in the subject at school, he can still enjoy the stories that exist all around us.

National Treasures Live is part of Hands On History, a ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Learning campaign offering audiences inspiring opportunities to take the next step from watching programmes to discovering history around them. Working in partnership with more than 20 heritage and history organisations, Hands On History will offer a range of events and activities as part of the series including walks and hands-on family activities to do at home or out and about this summer. Details are available on the .

The 5x30-minute series has been commissioned by Martin Davidson, Commissioning Editor, History and Business. The Executive Producer is Eamon Hardy and the Series Producer is Alan Holland. The series is funded by ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Learning and made by ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Vision productions.

Notes to Editors

National Treasures Live will be broadcast weekly across the summer.

History on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Television: The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ is committed to providing a broad range of compelling history content across all channels and platforms. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ history programmes are known for their thought-provoking themes, meticulous research and expert contributors. Recent successes like Egypt's Lost Cities, Operation Crossbow and Filthy Cities demonstrate the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's continued investment in developing the genre. Audiences can continue their journey with ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ history by visiting bbc.co.uk/history.

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Learning plays a central part in meeting the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's purpose of promoting education and learning. Utilising the power of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's big brands and key talent, the department puts learning right at the heart of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ and provides a variety of resources and learning opportunities for children, teachers, parents and adult learners. Working with partners and in local communities, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Learning aims to stimulate interests and encourage engagement through a variety of campaigns across all ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ genres and platforms.

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