Horrible Histories

Horrible Histories: one of the smartest comedies on TV

Often described as being 'funny ... for a kids' show', few comedies can touch Horrible Histories for original ideas.

Interesting fact: in the late 1630s, as part of the war effort against the Scots, womens' urine was collected from church congregations for use in the production of gunpowder. This is grist to the mill for Horrible Histories, back on CBBC for a fourth series. And isn't that Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss and Reece Shearsmith, AKA The League Of Gentlemen, joining in the fun? Which just goes to show how much credibility HH enjoys these days.

In 80 years' time there will be a generation of pensioners in Britain still holding preconceptions about the Romans or Charles II that were formed by this CBBC sketch show. It's a phenomenon that has done more to form its viewers' sense of history than a legion of primary school teachers.

Whether or not you like HH's basic take on the past - not so much a foreign country as a lunatic asylum full of mad monarchs - you can't end an episode without absorbing half-a-dozen quirky nuggets.

Among those in this first episode of the fourth series: in the 1630s they collected women's urine to make gunpowder; ancient Egyptians believed the sun was rolled across the heavens by a giant dung-beetle; and it was Oliver Cromwell who coined the phrase "warts and all". Another triumph.

Why did The League of Gentlemen choose to reform on HH?

Find out why Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton and Mark Gatiss are working together on the popular kids show.

The hugely enjoyable comedy chronology returns for a new series. There's nothing else on TV like it, with its spot-on mix of education and bodily functions. In this episode you'll learn about the surprising properties of women's tinkle, where the phrase "warts and all" came from, and how German second world war pilots chose their targets from a tourists' guide to historic landmarks. All this plus the return of Stupid Deaths and an incredible running gag on the Spanish Armada with Ben Willbond dressed as Sir Francis Drake. One for the mums. Actual television perfection.

Horrible Histories: CBBC meets Royston Vasey

At their most grotesque, they possessed imagination dark enough to spew forth the village of Royston Vasey - a place populated by pen-obsessed sadists, an incestuous "local" couple and a magical man who swanned around in black-face, abducting innocent women from their homes. Now, after 10 years, The League of Gentlemen are back ... on a children's TV show.

Forget talking-head boffins boffing away in castles and battlefields. Far and away the best history show on TV - for children and adults alike - is this inspired sketch show with its deranged mix of crazy facts, knockabout comedy and bloodthirsty re-enactments. Did you know, to quote just one example, that in the 1630s, women's urine was a key ingredient of gunpowder? That's an icebreaker to store for future use.

Horrible Histories: Terrible Tudors review

Accentuating the visceral is what the Horrible Histories series does best. To this grisly end, blood-spattering visuals and axe-splicing sound effects are key components of the company's tribute to the 16th century's most ruthless royals.

Video: Horrible Histories Q&A at the BFI

The cast and crew of Horrible Histories talk about the show in advance of the fourth series.