Season 1 2002

Art Malik narrates the story of British imperial rule, beginning with the possession of India. Rare colour footage illustrates the splendour of the Delhi Durbar : but unrest was not far away. Gandhi and Nehru both pushed for Indian independence and, despite a period of co-operation during World War Two, the ensuing new world order saw Britain finally forced out

Rare archive footage reveals how the communist insurgency in Malaya, the turbulent situation in Palestine and the Suez crisis all helped to undermine Britain's standing. Things were also changing in colonial Africa, where the peaceful rise of Kwamr Nkrumah in Ghana and the violent Mau Mau uprising in Kenya contributed to the political dismantling of the Empire

Art Malik chronicles the final death throes of the British Empire, encompassing the years immediately following Elizabeth II's accession to the throne up until the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, illustrated by original archive footage. In Britain, rationing remained in place for several years following World War Two, prompting many to seek a more prosperous life abroad, while huge numbers of West Indian immigrants began arriving on UK shores, seeking opportunities not available in their homelands. Last in series