Horrible Histories (2009 TV series)
A sketch comedy series based on Terry Deary's history books.
Horrible Histories is a British live-action sketch comedy series that blends history with music and satire. It is based on the bestselling book series by Terry Deary. The show was made for CBBC by Lion Television and Citrus Television, running from 2009 to 2014 across five series, each consisting of thirteen half-hour episodes, plus several seasonal and Olympic specials. Like the books, the series uses a graphic style and focuses on the dark, gruesome, or scatological side of British and Western history, covering periods from the Stone Age to after World War II, while staying factually accurate.
The show’s structure mixes live-action sketches—often parodying other UK media or celebrities—with music videos, animations, and quizzes. Sketches from different historical eras appear within a single episode. The main cast includes Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, Ben Willbond, and Sarah Hadland, with a larger supporting group that features Katy Wix, Giles Terera, Lawry Lewin, Alice Lowe, and Dominique Moore. A black rat puppet named Rattus Rattus appears in short segments to explain the factual basis for each sketch and help children understand the information.
The creative team came mostly from the adult UK comedy scene. They drew inspiration from classic British historical comedies like *Blackadder* and the Monty Python films. The series was a hit with critics and audiences, eventually attracting viewers of all ages thanks to its non-condescending and inclusive tone. It won many domestic and international awards and is considered one of the greatest British children’s television series ever made.
In 2011, a spin-off game show called *Horrible Histories: Gory Games* launched on CBBC. That same year, the original show was repackaged for BBC One as *Horrible Histories with Stephen Fry*, with Fry replacing Rattus Rattus as presenter. A new series of special episodes began airing in 2015, featuring a different format and cast. The show continues to be repeated daily on CBBC.
**Background**
The series is based on Terry Deary’s children’s historical-comedy books, first published by Scholastic UK in 1993 and later expanded into a multimedia franchise.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Musical / Comedy / Sketch comedy / Parody / Educational / Black comedy
- Based On
- Horrible Histories · Terry Deary / Peter Hepplewhite / Neil Tonge
- Developer
- Dominic Brigstocke / Caroline Norris
- Director
- Steve Connelly / Dominic Brigstocke (series 2–4) / Chloe Thomas (series 1 and 4)
- Starring
- Mathew Baynton / Simon Farnaby / Sarah Hadland / Martha Howe-Douglas / Jim Howick / Laurence Rickard / Ben Willbond
- Voices
- John Eccleston (Rattus Rattus) / Jon Culshaw / Jess Robinson / Dave Lamb
- Theme Music Composer
- Richie Webb / Matt Katz
- Composer
- Richie Webb
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Num Series
- 5 + specials
- Num Episodes
- 65 regular episodes, 6 full-length specials, 3 shorts
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The show was driven by LionTV executive producer Richard Bradley, whose son was a fan of the books. Terry Deary was initially skeptical due to a negative experience with a 2001 animated series, but agreed on condition that the adaptation be 'horrible, funny and true.' Early concepts included a ghostly train or a wizard storyteller, but producers Dominic Brigstocke and Richard Bradley concluded the material could stand alone, developing a live-action sketch-comedy showcase in consultation with CBBC executives. The creative team, largely recruited from the adult UK comedy scene, took inspiration from Blackadder and Monty Python films.
Reader's Guide
Horrible Histories was a critical and ratings success, eventually gaining a wide all-ages audience through its non-condescending and inclusive approach. It won numerous domestic and international awards and has been named among the greatest British children's television series of all time. The show's format combined live-action sketches—often parodying UK media or celebrities—with animations, quizzes, and a puppet host, Rattus Rattus, who explained the factual basis for each sketch. In 2011, a spin-off game show, Horrible Histories: Gory Games, launched on CBBC, and the original show was repackaged for BBC One as Horrible Histories with Stephen Fry, with Fry replacing Rattus Rattus as presenter. A new series of special episodes began airing in 2015 with a new format and cast, and the show continues to be frequently repeated on CBBC daily.
Did You Know?
- The show's puppet host, Rattus Rattus, was a black rat performed by John Eccleston.
- The creative team was largely recruited from the mainstream adult UK comedy scene.
- Terry Deary agreed to the adaptation on condition that it be 'horrible, funny and true.'
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