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Play S1 E1Xand van Tulleken, Raksha Dave and John Sergeant trace the spread of the Great Plague of 1665 week by week and discover parallels with the coronavirus.
Cast: Raksha Dave, Xand van Tulleken, John Sergeant
MHDCC
Season 1
3 episodes
1. OutbreakIn the first episode, the epidemic is traced back to its source in the parish of St Giles in the Fields, now at the heart of London's theatre district. The programme also examines the symptoms of the disease and uncovers new research into the plague bacteria that could overthrow accepted ideas about how the infection was spread.MCC45minNov 17, 2020
2. DecimationIn the second episode, Xand heads to St Barts hospital to look back at historical records which show that nursing staff stayed behind and risked their lives to help the sick. Elsewhere, John investigates why infection rates were so different between the rich and poor, examining clothes typical for each group in the 17th century.MCC45minNov 18, 2020
3. AftermathXand van Tulleken visits Samuel Pepys' parish church and discovers the sad tale of the Poole family, who within 11 days lost all five of their children. He also heads to Eyam in Derbyshire, revealing the heroic story of self-sacrifice that saw all 700 villagers lock themselves in to try to stop the disease spreading to surrounding areas. Raksha Dave trials 17th-century disinfection methods and reveals a surprising substitute that can be just effective as modern antibacterial cleaners.MCC45minNov 19, 2020
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The Great Plague
★ 7.0/1020201 season3 episodesEnded
Xand van Tulleken, Raksha Dave and John Sergeant trace the spread of the Great Plague of 1665 week by week and discover parallels with the coronavirus.
Creators and cast
- Directors
- Jamie Simpson
- Created by
- Eddie Richey, Jamie Simpson
- Studio
- Voltage TV, Motion Content Group
Maturity rating
MCheck the rating before watching with younger viewers.
Audio languages
English
Where to watch
Not currently listed on any streaming, rental or purchase service.
