The BEST episodes directed by Andrew Grieve
#1 - Rebellion
Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire - Season 1 - Episode 4
In the spring of 66 AD, target-failure by the tax collectors in the province of Iudea makes the Roman garrison turn on them and even the Temple in Jerusalem- a bloody revolt then ousts the governor, installing an independent regime headed by Hanan Ben-Hanan. After a 30,000 strong army was defeated and the whole 12th legion wiped out, emperor Nero, who fears the unprecedentedly serious rebellion may spread throughout the empire, sends upon the retired veteran general Vespasian, who was banished from court for falling asleep during his endless poetry, to take command, assisted by his son Titus Flavius, also a professional officer, from Greece. He fears the Jerusalem defenses and decides to terrorize the rest of the country instead. Ben Hanan tells Josephus ben Matatia, whom he puts in charge of defending Galilea, there is no hope of winning a long war, the goal is to get concessions after a good resistance. A quarter of the Roman troops is approaching, both from Antioch and Alexandria, soon slaughtering tens of thousands of Jews, enslaving even more, so refugees flock to fortifies sites as Josephus' stronghold Jotapata, which he hopes to defend about 50 days. After 47 frustrating days of classical siege Vespasian, shot in the foot, orders Titus to show initiative- a gate is overran by surprise, the fort penetrated, most defenders slain; Josephus' hard core hides in the water well; when negotiations are offered, the others refuse, so Josephus proposes every third man to stab his neighbor, and survives with one friend, Yaakov, so they alone emerge. Josephus predicts Vespasian will soon be emperor as Rome needs a stronger man, and Titus remembers his amazing predictions. The Zealot troops are gradually driven to Jerusalem, where the fanatic Yohanon takes charge and challenges ben Hanan who still hopes a deputation can get a peace from Rome, but is slain in the Sanhedrin, starting two years of Jewish factional strife. Meanwhile Nero is toppled, and Vespasian emerges from
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#2 - Revolution
Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire - Season 1 - Episode 3
Since the young Tiberius Gracchus assisted his famous father and namesakes funeral pile, he is destined for even greater fame. The final victory in Rome's 120 year long Punic wars against Carthage, its greatest ever Mediterranean rival, brings him immense glory and the rich unseen wealth, but almost nothing trickles down to the destitute, who keep flocking to the city's squalid quarters; the rich patricians yest removing the military threat of Carthage also removes the best control on them. He learns many veteran families lose everything, even their land, which is taken by the rich. Now he joins the army against a Spanish tribe, the Numantines, which manages to encircle the 20,000 legionnaires and refuses to negotiate with consul Mancinus, but takes the word of Gracchus, for the sake of his father who concluded an honorable peace with them; the troops return, their families rejoice but the senate blames the commanders for a disgraceful surrender and sends Mancinus back stark-naked in chains to denounce it. Tiberius uses his popularity to stand for the office of popular tribune, hoping to counter Nasicas extremist line in the senate. After a political alliance trough marriage with senator Pulcher's daughter Claudia he is elected one of the ten tribunes, and proposes in the legally legislative popular assembly a land reform, without the traditional seeking of senatorial consent, to return the land of destitute citizens. His former friend and colleague Octavius vetoes it, so no vote can be taken; now Tiberius systematically vetoes all court and other public proceedings- Octavius is deposed, the land reform is carried, making him an apparent competitor for absolute leadership. His senatorial enemies now pretend he craves a royal crown and keeps the lands meant for restitution to break his popularity and demand his execution after his tribunician term- Rome risks a civil war, he counts on the people to re-elect him (illegally); in stead a murdering mob kills him and his
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#3 - Episode 2
Kingdom - Season 2 - Episode 2
Peter finds hiding his brother difficult. Peter is asked by a woman to investigate the nurse looking after her ill father as she is worried she is more interested in his money than his health. Lyle finds himself involved in a dispute between a naturist community and a group of unhappy local residents.
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#4 - The Even Chance (aka The Duel)
Hornblower - Season 1 - Episode 1
The Hornblower series is based on C.S. Forester's classic maritime adventures - the story of one young man's struggle to become a leader of men. Set against the back drop of the 18th century Anglo-French wars, the bloodiest time in British naval history. Spithead, Portsmouth, 1794. Under thundery skies and in lashing rain, a 17 year old midshipman takes the first tentative steps of his naval career.
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#5 - The ABC Murders
Agatha Christie's Poirot - Season 4 - Episode 1
Three bodies are found. Beside each lies a copy of the ABC Railway Guide. The police are baffled. But the killer has made one mistake. He has challenged Hercule Poirot to unmask him.
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#6 - The Duchess and the Devil
Hornblower - Season 1 - Episode 3
Horatio Homblower, now promoted to Acting Lieutenant, captures the French ship Le Reve off the Spanish coast. The Captain of the French ship is furious that such a youngster has pulled off such a coup. But far more daunting is Hornblower's first taste of the high life, when he is invited to dine with the Governor of Gibraltar and his wife. The prospect of this is frightening enough, but an unexpected guest, the glamorous Duchess of Wharfedale, adds another spin to his evening.
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#7 - Hickory Dickory Dock
Agatha Christie's Poirot - Season 6 - Episode 2
A spate of thefts is followed by a series of brutal murders at a student hostel in London.
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#8 - Murder on the Links
Agatha Christie's Poirot - Season 6 - Episode 3
Poirot investigates the death of a man found murdered with a love letter in his pocket.
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#9 - Mutiny
Hornblower - Season 2 - Episode 1
Hornblower comes to realize that his new captain, though quite respected, is quite mad, and that the only option he and his fellows have is mutiny.
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#10 - The Examination for Lieutenant (aka The Fire Ship)
Hornblower - Season 1 - Episode 2
In the dark days of the Napoleonic War, Horatio Hornblower and the crew of the Indefatigable are put on half rations. But Hornblower is distracted from his hunger by the prospect of a commission, for Captain Pellew has nominated the young sailor for the lieutenants exams.
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#11 - Still She Cries
Wire in the Blood - Season 2 - Episode 1
Dr Tony Hill finds his work with the police compromised when a student from his university is abducted. But that's not his only worry - Carol stops trusting him when he allows one of his own pupils to help with the investigation. Dr Tony Hill finally persuades the police to reopen the case of Maggie Thomas, his long-standing child killer patient, in order to try and recover the bodies for the victims' families. Carol is less than impressed to discover that Tony has enlisted the help of one of his students, the bright and extremely attractive Laura Webster. But Laura's abilities at criminal psychology become challenged when her best friend Hattie is abducted. Tony finds that the price for bending the rules with Laura to help her understand crime on the Maggie Thomas case gives her too much access to the work to find her friend. Loyalties fray as Tony finds himself in the middle of the unpredictable triangle of himself, Carol and Laura - and in so doing leaves Maggie alone and vulnerable, haunted by the ghosts of the children she murdered. Meanwhile Hattie's abductor has struck again, and while police attention focuses on that, Maggie decides that she's had enough of not being taken seriously and Carol finds herself with another victim on her hands.
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#12 - The Million Dollar Bond Robbery
Agatha Christie's Poirot - Season 3 - Episode 3
Poirot tries to overcome seasickness to accompany a shipment of Liberty Bonds to New York.
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#13 - The Theft of the Royal Ruby
Agatha Christie's Poirot - Season 3 - Episode 9
When the nation's security is threatened, Poirot is called in to help find a stolen ruby.
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#14 - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Agatha Christie's Poirot - Season 7 - Episode 1
Recently retired Hercule Poirot investigates a neighbor's murder and the disappearance of the deceased's adopted son.
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#15 - The Mermaids Singing (2)
Wire in the Blood - Season 1 - Episode 2
The police focus on the gay scene while Tony thinks the killer is sending a message on the body of his victim. Carol builds a strong relationship with Tony and uses all her police skill to produce as much evidence as possible, and then Tony analyses every detail putting himself in the killer's shoes until he can almost sense the killings themselves. As Tony nears the solution, having discovered the ultimate profile of the killer they're pursuing, he becomes the unsuspecting target of the killer himself. Now the close relationship he's built up with Carol over this case won't just be about catching the killer - Tony now depends on her for his very life. This case is a battle of wits and wills in which Tony and Carol have to use every ounce of their professional skill and personal nerve to survive.
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#16 - Nothing But The Night
Wire in the Blood - Season 3 - Episode 3
The brutal murder of a woman, beaten to death with a steam iron, brings Tony back from a publicity tour for his latest book to join in on Carol's investigation. More bizarre but completely different deaths follow, and Tony is bewildered, unable to create a profile for a seemingly schizophrenic killer. As he is stalked by a Canadian woman he met on the book tour, Tony realises they must focus on the relationships at work behind the crimes. Tony is not behaving well during a publicity tour for his latest book and Carol is causing ructions during a case review in York with her unsympathetic new boss Eden, when a bizarre murder intervenes to bring them home. Further deaths follow but the MOs are all so strange and so significantly varied that profiling suggests each one must be committed by a completely different person. And to make things more complicated the killer appears to be schizophrenic - both violent and childlike at the same time. Tony is baffled. Eden is piling on the pressure. And there's pressure of another sort when Tony attracts the unwanted attentions of Patricia, a Canadian woman he met during his book tour. Caught in a triangle between a potentially violent suitor and unwitting obstacle Carol, Tony discovers that the killings also reflect a triangle forged in repression and juvenile abuse. Tony and Carol must separate the method from the madness to understand the relationships at work behind the crimes. And Tony is forced to question just how equal his relationship with Carol really is. With Eden threatening action that Tony knows will lead to carnage, can he and Carol act in time to stop the killer from turning on his most longstanding victim, the person he ought to love?
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#17 - The Kidnapped Prime Minister
Agatha Christie's Poirot - Season 2 - Episode 8
When the Prime Minister is kidnapped in France, Poirot has only 32 hours to find him.
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#19 - The Incredible Theft
Agatha Christie's Poirot - Season 1 - Episode 8
Poirot suspects more than espionage when the plans for a new fighter plane are stolen.
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#20 - Retribution
Hornblower - Season 2 - Episode 2
Hornblower and the other officers of the Renown must return to Jamaica to face a court-martial and possible execution for their actions in relieving their unstable captain.
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#21 - Loyalty
Hornblower - Season 3 - Episode 1
Finally promoted to Captain and given command of HMS Hotspur, Hornblower is sent to France to determine the status of Napoleon's pledge of peace, but instead he discovers Napoleon's troops waiting to invade. He also begins a romantic relationship with the young Maria Mason.
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#22 - Duty
Hornblower - Season 3 - Episode 2
Soon after getting married, Hornblower is sent on a search and rescue mission for a British ship (under the command of an old friend) last reported off the French coast. In the midst of the search, the HMS Hotspur picks up some unwanted passengers and attempts to discover the objective of a small French invasion force.
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#23 - The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim
Agatha Christie's Poirot - Season 2 - Episode 5
Poirot accepts Inspector Japp's wager to solve the strange disappearance of a city banker.
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#24 - The Frogs and the Lobsters (aka The Wrong War)
Hornblower - Season 1 - Episode 4
Hornblower is assigned to escort a company of British redcoats (the Lobsters) and a group of French royalists (the Frogs) to France in an attempt to restore the king to power, but he is unprepared for the brutality and cowardice displayed by the French commander.
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#25 - The Mystery of the Spanish Chest
Agatha Christie's Poirot - Season 3 - Episode 8
Poirot is asked to help a woman who lives in fear of her husband.
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#26 - The Mermaids Singing (1)
Wire in the Blood - Season 1 - Episode 1
Gruesome murders with an apparent sexual bent strike fear into a community. Instruments of torture are being used - and the victims are getting closer to home. Two men have been found mutilated and tortured. Fear grips a city, no man feels safe. Detective Inspector Carol Jordan seeks out Dr Tony Hill to help police track down the brutal killer in the Northern town of Bradfield. Carol hopes his skill as a profiler will crack the case, but Tony's off-beat methods cause others to dismiss him. Until now, the only serial killers Tony has encountered are safely behind bars. He's a clinical psychologist, who has devoted his career to helping jailed killers find peace, and in so doing, find the final facts that can help the victim's families find closure. But this case is different - this killer's on the loose. Carol Jordan is desperate for his help to persuade her colleagues that the killings part of a serial pattern, not three isolated killings. The rest of Bradfield police force are less convinced by Tony because as far as they're concerned, he can't tell them anything they don't already know. But when there's another murder things change - this time the victim is a cop, who has suffered the most unspeakable torture at somebody's hands...
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#27 - The Darkness of Light
Wire in the Blood - Season 2 - Episode 2
When the bodies of recent murder victims are dug up with ancient remains in the grounds of a ruined Abbey, Tony and Carol uncover more local legend than fact. But will that lead them to the killer? When bodies are discovered at Norton Hotel during the digging of new foundations, Carol is sent in to oversee whether they were in any way suspicious, or a legacy of the hotel's previous incarnation as part of the local Abbey. But the discovery of the bodies coincides with the hotel being burned to the ground, and Carol realises that she's got a very current case on her hands. She calls Tony in when it becomes apparent that someone is killing people in a way that Norton hasn't seen since it burned witches back in the middle ages. Needless to say, Brandon isn't too chuffed to have nothing to brief the press with apart from Tony's theory that the same killer could somehow be reaching a long arm over five centuries of murder. Tony and Carol are forced to challenge all that they thought they knew, as it is a case rich in the inexplicable. This killer forces them to test not only their science and experience, but also their very beliefs.
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#28 - Right to Silence
Wire in the Blood - Season 2 - Episode 3
Tony and Carol trace two murders to one suspect but then find that he is in prison. Carol is upset by Tony's wedding plans. An arrest goes awry. Tony asks Carol to perjure herself.
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