PBS unmasks the real-life drama and intrigue hidden within the walls of this notable British landmark in this one-hour special from Pioneer Productions.
“We peel back the layers and look to see what’s been swept under the rugs of British history with three new SECRETS OF specials,” said Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager of General Audience Programming for PBS. “Viewers love exploring the real stories of sites made familiar by so many of our fictional series.”
Secrets of the Tower of London | Sun, July 31 at 4pm
Standing guard over its city for nearly 1,000 years, the Tower of London has been a royal castle, a prison, a place of execution and torture, an armory and the Royal Mint. In SECRETS OF THE TOWER OF LONDON, PBS goes behind the tower’s ancient walls, exposing its stories, unlocking doors to rooms never before seen on television, talking to the people who do stealth jobs in the edifice and revealing little-known facts about this English icon.
Tune in Sun, July 31 at 4pm on the WSIU stations: WSIU 8.1, WUSI 16.1, WSEC 14.1, WQEC 27.1 and WMEC 22.2 or access the WSIU local broadcast livestream online at pbs.org or via the PBS Video app. Watch on demand with WSIU Passport.
About the Program
The Tower of London is England’s most formidable royal fortress, standing guard on the banks of the great River Thames. It is home to a thousand years of bloody history and is one of Britain's most iconic landmarks. At almost every chapter in London's history, the Tower has had a starring role. Built by William the Conqueror as part of the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, it was designed to dominate London's skyline.
Locked within its 15-foot thick, solid stone walls are vestiges of its past, often hidden from public view. Medieval murals, evidence of wild and exotic creatures, skeletal remains locked in secret chambers, secret messages left by prisoners, and an exhibit which has been running for the last five hundred years – which now has the status of the longest running exhibition in the world. The Tower is a huge tourist destination, with two millions visitors flooding through the gates every year.
