Horrible Histories

A Victorian teacher is confused by her pupils' bizarre names, the Romans run out of animals to execute, and Queen Victoria advertises her exercise DVD.

There's a monastic start to this week's episode of the comedy sketch show as 'Smashing Saxons' explores the unusual table manners of Saxon monks and reveals the grisly importance of geese, lamb and wasp eggs to the art of writing, in Write Like A Monk.

Vile Victorians looks at some of the bizarre names favoured by Victorians - step forward Minty Badger and Princess Cheese - while Queen Victoria's workout video promises instant results for those wishing to be as wide as they are tall.

Meera Syal tells the fairy-tale of the Ugly Duckling, explaining how royals were the only people allowed to eat swans, while Measly Middle Ages serves up details of the Earl of Warwick's extraordinary dinner party to celebrate his brother's ordination as archbishop. On the menu for that occasion were 104 oxen, 2,000 swine, 1,000 sheep and 13,000 puddings - with not a vegetable in sight.