Season 1 2002

Adam Hart-Davis examines innovations from the Stuart period that had a lasting impact on British society. The great fire of 1666 devastated the capital, giving Christopher Wren the opportunity to try out exciting new construction techniques. Coffee houses were opening up as venues for business and leisure. And Charles II introduced one of the most enduring items of menswear in the 1660s - the three-piece suit. (What the Stuarts Did for Us Episode 1)

Adam Hart-Davis examines interesting innovations from the Stuart period that shaped the world we live in today. He describes how Britain became one of the world's leading scientific nations, thanks to the celebrated polymath Francis Bacon's introduction of the experiment. (What the Stuarts Did for Us Episode 2)

Adam Hart-Davis examines innovations from the Stuart period that had a lasting impact on British society. This programme looks at how, under the Stuarts, life became much more organised. There was the first public transport, street lighting, fire brigade and high street banks. But the biggest re-organisation was in politics, as England and Scotland came under the rule of one king. (What the Stuarts Did for Us Episode 3)

Adam Hart-Davis examines innovations from the Stuart period that had a lasting impact on British society. In this programme, he journeys to the new worlds that Stuart scientists were able to explore for the first time. The microscope revealed a world of tiny, wriggling monsters, and the telescope opened up the study of the stars and planets. (What the Stuarts Did for Us Episode 4)