Thief At The British Museum [Shadow World]

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

The Man With The Cardboard Box

20240527

People have called Dr Ittai Gradel a kind of Sherlock Holmes, if Holmes were Danish and obsessed with gems. He's an antiquities dealer with an eye for stolen goods who will help unlock the mystery at the heart of this story.

When Katie meets him in London, he's got something to show her - two ancient gemstones he believes belong to the British Museum.

But this whodunnit begins more than a decade ago as a man with a cardboard box wanders into an antiques market. He has some valuable treasure to sell.

Mix and sound design : James Beard

Archive: Sky News Australia

People have called him Sherlock Holmes, if Holmes were Danish and obsessed with gems.

People have called Dr Ittai Gradel a kind of Sherlock Holmes, if Holmes were Danish and obsessed with gems. He's an antiquities dealer with an eye for stolen goods.

White Paper Dots

20240527

20240528 (R4)

A mysterious seller appears with a seemingly endless supply of ancient, precious gems at bargain prices. Collector and dealer Ittai Gradel snaps them up. But then a strange series of events starts to unfold.

From his home in rural Denmark, Ittai becomes suspicious about what is happening hundreds of miles away at the heart of the British Museum.

Mix and sound design: James Beard

Ittai Gradel discovers a seemingly endless supply of precious gemstones.

Ittai Gradel starts buying from a mysterious seller with a seemingly endless supply of ancient, precious gemstones at bargain prices. But soon his suspicions start to grow.

Lightbulb Moment

20240527

20240529 (R4)

For Ittai, the clues finally fall into place. Has he identified the thief?

Ittai Gradel long suspected someone was selling ancient gems that once belonged to the British Museum. But he had no idea when they were stolen or by whom.

Now a startling discovery leads him to believe the thefts are recent and that the thief is someone in a position of trust.

Mix and sound design : James Beard

Mix and sound design: James Beard

Seeds Of Doubt

20240527

20240530 (R4)

Ittai is convinced he's found his thief, but not everyone is so sure. “I mean, to me, it just sounds like a setup. It sounds like he's being framed ?, one former museum insider tells us.

Peter Higgs is a well respected curator, highly regarded for his expertise on the ancient world and known for helping to return stolen antiquities, not selling them on eBay.

When Ittai shares his evidence with the British Museum, laying out why he thinks Higgs is a thief, no one seems interested. Has he missed something?

Mix and sound design : James Beard

Archive: Galleries of the British Museum

Ittai is convinced he has found his thief, but not everyone is so sure.

Ittai is convinced he's found his thief but not everyone is so sure. “I mean, to me, it just sounds like a setup. It sounds likes he's being framed ?.

Mix and sound design: James Beard

Secret Missions

20240527

20240531 (R4)
20240705 (R4)

Ittai recruits an ally who used to work at the museum to go on a secret mission. He's convinced a senior staff member is stealing the very treasure they're supposed to protect. But no one will listen.

What Ittai doesn't know is that the museum is conducting its own secret investigation that will change everything.

Mix and sound design : James Beard

Ittai recruits an ally to go on a secret mission inside the museum.

Ittai recruits an ex-member of staff to go on a secret mission inside the museum. Meanwhile the museum conducts a secret investigation of its own.

Mix and sound design: James Beard

Lone Wolf Or Scapegoat?

20240527

20240603 (R4)

As news of the thefts breaks around the world, the boss of the British Museum turns on Ittai. Now he has to fight to clear his name.

And what of the thief? The museum shares details about how they think the thief covered their tracks. Peter Higgs is sacked and when Katie tries to learn more about him she discovers something unexpected.

Mix and sound design : James Beard

Archive: Sky News

Peter Higgs is sacked, but the British Museum's director turns on Ittai.

The museum shares details about how they think the thief covered their tracks. Peter Higgs is sacked, but the boss of the British Museum turns on Ittai.

Thief At The British Museum

20240527

20240531 (R4)
20240705 (R4)

The inside story of how ancient treasures were stolen from one of the world's most renowned institutions. And how one man believes he caught a thief. Omnibus edition part one of two.

Mix and sound design : James Beard

A story of history disregarded, beauty destroyed, and trust betrayed.

Treasure Hunt

20240527

20240604 (R4)

Ittai Gradel says he sold on some of the gems he thinks came from the British Museum.

A mission to hunt them down leads the team through the backstreets of Paris and to a small town in Germany.

Mix and sound design : James Beard

Katie and Ittai's hunt for gems leads them across Europe

Ittai's hunt for gems leads the team to the backstreets of Paris and a small town in Germany.

Katie and Ittai's hunt for gems leads them across Europe.

Stateside

20240527

20240605 (R4)

Katie receives a tip-off that sultan1966 has been selling gems in the US.

After speaking to a buyer in New Orleans, she learns about an even bigger collection of gems offered by the same seller that have ended up in the Washington DC area.

Mix and sound design : James Beard

Katie discovers the eBay seller has customers in the US - one with hundreds of gems.

Katie receives a tip-off that the eBay seller sultan1966 has been selling gems in the US.

An Ending, A Beginning

20240527

20240606 (R4)

Ittai hands over his gems and the Museum launches a recovery process to try and find more of the missing items. But will it ever get back what has been lost?

Mix and sound design : James Beard

Ittai hands over his gems. But will we ever know what else the Museum has lost?

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	The Man With The Cardboard Box	20240527		People have called Dr Ittai Gradel a kind of Sherlock Holmes, if Holmes were Danish and obsessed with gems. He's an antiquities dealer with an eye for stolen goods who will help unlock the mystery at the heart of this story. When Katie meets him in London, he's got something to show her - two ancient gemstones he believes belong to the British Museum. But this whodunnit begins more than a decade ago as a man with a cardboard box wanders into an antiques market. He has some valuable treasure to sell. Mix and sound design : James Beard Archive: Sky News Australia People have called him Sherlock Holmes, if Holmes were Danish and obsessed with gems. People have called Dr Ittai Gradel a kind of Sherlock Holmes, if Holmes were Danish and obsessed with gems. He's an antiquities dealer with an eye for stolen goods.
02	White Paper Dots	20240527	20240528 (R4)	A mysterious seller appears with a seemingly endless supply of ancient, precious gems at bargain prices. Collector and dealer Ittai Gradel snaps them up. But then a strange series of events starts to unfold. From his home in rural Denmark, Ittai becomes suspicious about what is happening hundreds of miles away at the heart of the British Museum. Mix and sound design: James Beard Ittai Gradel discovers a seemingly endless supply of precious gemstones. Ittai Gradel starts buying from a mysterious seller with a seemingly endless supply of ancient, precious gemstones at bargain prices. But soon his suspicions start to grow.
03	Lightbulb Moment	20240527	20240529 (R4)	For Ittai, the clues finally fall into place. Has he identified the thief? Ittai Gradel long suspected someone was selling ancient gems that once belonged to the British Museum. But he had no idea when they were stolen or by whom. Now a startling discovery leads him to believe the thefts are recent and that the thief is someone in a position of trust. Mix and sound design : James Beard Mix and sound design: James Beard
04	Seeds Of Doubt	20240527	20240530 (R4)	Ittai is convinced he's found his thief, but not everyone is so sure. “I mean, to me, it just sounds like a setup. It sounds like he's being framed ?, one former museum insider tells us. Peter Higgs is a well respected curator, highly regarded for his expertise on the ancient world and known for helping to return stolen antiquities, not selling them on eBay. When Ittai shares his evidence with the British Museum, laying out why he thinks Higgs is a thief, no one seems interested. Has he missed something? Mix and sound design : James Beard Archive: Galleries of the British Museum Ittai is convinced he has found his thief, but not everyone is so sure. Ittai is convinced he's found his thief but not everyone is so sure. “I mean, to me, it just sounds like a setup. It sounds likes he's being framed ?. Mix and sound design: James Beard
05	Secret Missions	20240527	20240531 (R4) 20240705 (R4)	Ittai recruits an ally who used to work at the museum to go on a secret mission. He's convinced a senior staff member is stealing the very treasure they're supposed to protect. But no one will listen. What Ittai doesn't know is that the museum is conducting its own secret investigation that will change everything. Mix and sound design : James Beard Ittai recruits an ally to go on a secret mission inside the museum. Ittai recruits an ex-member of staff to go on a secret mission inside the museum. Meanwhile the museum conducts a secret investigation of its own. Mix and sound design: James Beard
06	Lone Wolf Or Scapegoat?	20240527	20240603 (R4)	As news of the thefts breaks around the world, the boss of the British Museum turns on Ittai. Now he has to fight to clear his name. And what of the thief? The museum shares details about how they think the thief covered their tracks. Peter Higgs is sacked and when Katie tries to learn more about him she discovers something unexpected. Mix and sound design : James Beard Archive: Sky News Peter Higgs is sacked, but the British Museum's director turns on Ittai. The museum shares details about how they think the thief covered their tracks. Peter Higgs is sacked, but the boss of the British Museum turns on Ittai.
06	Thief At The British Museum	20240527	20240531 (R4) 20240705 (R4)	The inside story of how ancient treasures were stolen from one of the world's most renowned institutions. And how one man believes he caught a thief. Omnibus edition part one of two. Mix and sound design : James Beard A story of history disregarded, beauty destroyed, and trust betrayed.
07	Treasure Hunt	20240527	20240604 (R4)	Ittai Gradel says he sold on some of the gems he thinks came from the British Museum. A mission to hunt them down leads the team through the backstreets of Paris and to a small town in Germany. Mix and sound design : James Beard Katie and Ittai's hunt for gems leads them across Europe Ittai's hunt for gems leads the team to the backstreets of Paris and a small town in Germany. Katie and Ittai's hunt for gems leads them across Europe.
08	Stateside	20240527	20240605 (R4)	Katie receives a tip-off that sultan1966 has been selling gems in the US. After speaking to a buyer in New Orleans, she learns about an even bigger collection of gems offered by the same seller that have ended up in the Washington DC area. Mix and sound design : James Beard Katie discovers the eBay seller has customers in the US - one with hundreds of gems. Katie receives a tip-off that the eBay seller sultan1966 has been selling gems in the US.
09	An Ending, A Beginning	20240527	20240606 (R4)	Ittai hands over his gems and the Museum launches a recovery process to try and find more of the missing items. But will it ever get back what has been lost? Mix and sound design : James Beard Ittai hands over his gems. But will we ever know what else the Museum has lost?