Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Locke And Mr Rousseau | 20061010 | 20120501 (BBC7) 20131126 (BBC7) 20160628 (BBC7) 20160629 (BBC7) 20190108 (BBC7) 20190109 (BBC7) | The two 18th century philosophers, whose child-rearing ideas are influential to this day. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years | |
| 01 | The Grave And The Cradle | 20060925 | 20120416 (BBC7) 20131111 (BBC7) 20160613 (BBC7) 20160614 (BBC7) 20181224 (BBC7) 20181225 (BBC7) | How the arrival of Christianity and the Norman Conquest affected British children's lives. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 02 | The Skill Of The Goldsmith | 20060926 | 20120417 (BBC7) 20131112 (BBC7) 20160614 (BBC7) 20160615 (BBC7) 20181225 (BBC7) 20181226 (BBC7) | Michael Morpurgo wonders if medieval people recognised a phase of 'childhood'. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 03 | New Shoes With Red Thongs | 20060927 | 20120418 (BBC7) 20131113 (BBC7) 20160615 (BBC7) 20160616 (BBC7) 20181226 (BBC7) 20181227 (BBC7) | Michael Morpurgo unearths what medieval children got up to when left unattended. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 04 | Mischief And Misrule | 20060928 | 20120419 (BBC7) 20131114 (BBC7) 20160616 (BBC7) 20160617 (BBC7) 20181227 (BBC7) 20181228 (BBC7) | Were medieval children permitted to play? Early football and festivals of misrule. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 05 | A Thousand Histories And Fables | 20060929 | 20120420 (BBC7) 20131115 (BBC7) 20160617 (BBC7) 20160618 (BBC7) 20181228 (BBC7) 20181229 (BBC7) | The impact of printing and how it raised fears among adults that it corrupted children. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 06 | Learn To Die | 20061002 | 20120423 (BBC7) 20131118 (BBC7) 20160620 (BBC7) 20160621 (BBC7) 20181231 (BBC7) 20190101 (BBC7) | Michael Morpurgo examines Puritanism and the effects of the Reformation. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 07 | It Was A Precious Child | 20061003 | 20120424 (BBC7) 20131119 (BBC7) 20160621 (BBC7) 20160622 (BBC7) 20190101 (BBC7) 20190102 (BBC7) | Exploring how the Puritan ethos affected children and the way of family life. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 08 | The Vast Usefulness Of Reading | 20061004 | 20120425 (BBC7) 20131120 (BBC7) 20160622 (BBC7) 20160623 (BBC7) 20190102 (BBC7) 20190103 (BBC7) | Michael Morpurgo explores education's expansion for boys in the 17th century. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 09 | But Can She Spin? | 20061005 | 20120426 (BBC7) 20131121 (BBC7) 20190103 (BBC7) 20190104 (BBC7) | How girls' education regressed in the 16th century, with sinful Eve the female archetype. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 10 | Overburdened With Children | 20061006 | 20120427 (BBC7) 20131122 (BBC7) 20160625 (BBC7) 20190104 (BBC7) 20190105 (BBC7) | The Poor Law, a forerunner of the welfare state and a safety net for many poor children. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 11 | Like An Angelic Choir | 20061009 | 20120430 (BBC7) 20131125 (BBC7) 20160627 (BBC7) 20160628 (BBC7) 20190107 (BBC7) 20190108 (BBC7) | Despite the acclaim for Britain's first foundling hospital, some children were neglected. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 13 | 'dear Papa, Dear Mama' | 20061011 | 20120502 (BBC7) 20131127 (BBC7) 20160629 (BBC7) 20160630 (BBC7) 20190109 (BBC7) 20190110 (BBC7) | The more informal upbringings of middle and upper-class children in the late 18th century. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 14 | Babies, Dressed Or Undressed, Jointed, Wax Or Common | 20061012 | 20120503 (BBC7) 20131128 (BBC7) 20160630 (BBC7) 20160701 (BBC7) 20190110 (BBC7) 20190111 (BBC7) | The rise of the British toy shop in the 18th century and the beginnings of pester power. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 15 | The Child Is Father Of The Man | 20061013 | 20120504 (BBC7) 20131129 (BBC7) 20160701 (BBC7) 20160702 (BBC7) 20190111 (BBC7) 20190112 (BBC7) | Evangelicals to rationalists battle over Britain's children in the 18th century. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 16 | How I Wish I Were A Boy | 20061016 | 20120507 (BBC7) 20131202 (BBC7) 20160704 (BBC7) 20160705 (BBC7) 20190114 (BBC7) 20190115 (BBC7) | How boys went to 19th-century public schools as a shield from too much female influence. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 17 | Reinstated Divinity | 20061017 | 20120508 (BBC7) 20131203 (BBC7) 20160705 (BBC7) 20160706 (BBC7) 20190115 (BBC7) 20190116 (BBC7) | How the Victorian obsession with childhood was represented in art and literature. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 18 | Father, Is It Time? | 20061018 | 20120509 (BBC7) 20131204 (BBC7) 20160706 (BBC7) 20160707 (BBC7) 20190116 (BBC7) 20190117 (BBC7) | Michael Morpurgo reveals children's working lives during the Industrial Revolution. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 19 | I Ain't A Child | 20061019 | 20120510 (BBC7) 20131205 (BBC7) 20160707 (BBC7) 20160708 (BBC7) 20190117 (BBC7) 20190118 (BBC7) | Victorian street children and the organisations that grew up to rescue them. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 20 | The Habit Of Schooling | 20061020 | 20120511 (BBC7) 20131206 (BBC7) 20160708 (BBC7) 20160709 (BBC7) 20190118 (BBC7) 20190119 (BBC7) | How the 1870 Forster Education Act marked the start of compulsory education for all. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 21 | What Is The Meaning Of Empire Day? | 20061023 | 20120514 (BBC7) 20131209 (BBC7) 20160711 (BBC7) 20160712 (BBC7) 20190121 (BBC7) 20190122 (BBC7) | The experiences of children exiled from or who arrived in Britain under the British Empire Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 22 | The Nation's Most Important Asset | 20061024 | 20120515 (BBC7) 20131210 (BBC7) 20160712 (BBC7) 20160713 (BBC7) 20190122 (BBC7) 20190123 (BBC7) | Readings of the words of children about the effect of the wars of the 20th century. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 23 | Cutting The Slum Mind Off At The Root | 20061025 | 20120516 (BBC7) 20131211 (BBC7) 20160713 (BBC7) 20160714 (BBC7) 20190123 (BBC7) 20190124 (BBC7) | Michael Morpurgo traces the making of Britain's Welfare State amid concerns for children. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 24 | They'd Some Queer Ideas At The Clinic | 20061026 | 20120517 (BBC7) 20131212 (BBC7) 20160714 (BBC7) 20160715 (BBC7) 20190124 (BBC7) 20190125 (BBC7) | How behaviourists and Freudians battled over techniques for bringing up children. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 25 | Charlie Chaplin Went To France To Teach Ladies How To Dance | 20061027 | 20120518 (BBC7) 20131213 (BBC7) 20160715 (BBC7) 20160716 (BBC7) 20190125 (BBC7) 20190126 (BBC7) | New forms of entertainment available to children in the first half of the 20th century. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 26 | The Kiddy And The Pork Chop | 20061030 | 20120521 (BBC7) 20131216 (BBC7) 20160718 (BBC7) 20160719 (BBC7) 20190128 (BBC7) 20190129 (BBC7) | The impact on children of economic improvements in the second half of the 20th century. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 27 | A Prison Or A Garden | 20061031 | 20120522 (BBC7) 20131217 (BBC7) 20160719 (BBC7) 20160720 (BBC7) 20190129 (BBC7) 20190130 (BBC7) | The story of the fight for children's rights in the second half of the 20th century. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 28 | The Disappearance Of Childhood | 20061101 | 20120523 (BBC7) 20131218 (BBC7) 20160720 (BBC7) 20160721 (BBC7) 20190130 (BBC7) 20190131 (BBC7) | Examining how the media and marketing have encroached on the lives of children. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 29 | Calling A Hit A Smack | 20061102 | 20120524 (BBC7) 20131219 (BBC7) 20160721 (BBC7) 20160722 (BBC7) 20190131 (BBC7) 20190201 (BBC7) | How children have fallen between the family and the state, sometimes with tragic results. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |
| 30 | Reinventing Childhood | 20061103 | 20120525 (BBC7) 20131220 (BBC7) 20160722 (BBC7) 20160723 (BBC7) 20190201 (BBC7) 20190202 (BBC7) | Recalling the impact of adults on childhood down the centuries up to the present day. Michael Morpurgo explores British childhood over the last thousand years |