Dirty Money (1666 - 1820)

How money drove the making of modern Britain, exploring its role in the rebuilding of London following the Great Fire of 1666. The programme investigates how underhanded deals brokered in coffee houses fuelled British prosperity, and exposes how the country profited from dubious practices, including the slave trade, the sex industry and global colonisation. It also explores those who rebelled against the status quo during the period, and discovers how the armed forces countered the threat posed by Napoleon Bonaparte. With contributions by Jeremy Irons, Frank Lampard and Terry Wogan.