This is a taster episode from our sister show, Real Survival Stories. Hosted by our very own John Hopkins, the show brings you astonishing tales of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary survival situations.
In this episode, we meet Pat and Pete Etheridge. One tranquil day on holiday in Sri Lanka, the island is engulfed by a wall of water. Swept away in ... Show More
Apr 12
The American Civil War (Part Two of Two)
In the decades since the United States declared their independence from Britain, the question of slavery had become increasingly divisive. As the nation expanded, fragile political agreements over the issue failed, and the frontier became a battleground. When Abraham Lincoln was ... Show More
59m 7s
Mar 29
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
In 1914, Europe was dominated by four great empires — the British, the French, the Russian, and the vast, uneasy realm of Austria-Hungary, stretching from the Alps to the Balkans. While international treaties bound the continent together under a veneer of peace, beneath the surfa ... Show More
55m 43s
Jun 2025
The Mysteries of Easter Island
<p>In the heart of the Pacific Ocean, over 2,000 miles from the nearest continent, lies one of the world’s most iconic archaeological treasure troves - Rapa Nui, known to the outside world as Easter Island. Famed for the towering stone faces of the <em>moai</em>, the island has u ... Show More
41m 27s
Aug 2025
Coming up in the new season of Lives Less Ordinary
A heads-up on some of the extraordinary stories to look forward to from September - from a long-lost son, to the sole survivor of a plane crash, to Afghanistan’s answer to Bruce Lee. We're back with a new look, and the best in global true life storytelling.Presenter: Mobeen Azhar ... Show More
3m 16s
Nov 2025
Tsunami in Thailand | Overtaken | 2
<p>As the wave barreled ashore on Thailand’s west coast, people were sucked under a powerful wall of water that was so strong it ripped the clothes off their backs. It separated husbands from wives, and parents from their children. Six miles out to sea, fisherman Wimon Thong ... Show More
30m 14s
Jul 2025
Alone in Antarctica | The Windiest Place on Earth | 1
<p>It’s 1912, the golden age of Antarctic exploration, and teams from the Australasian Antarctic Expedition are preparing to journey into the wilderness. One trio, led by the Australian geologist Douglas Mawson, will venture the farthest — traversing 700 miles roundtrip of unchar ... Show More
42 m
Nov 2025
Tsunami in Thailand | Strange Tide | 1
<p>On the morning of December 26th, 2004, a 9.1 earthquake struck in the Indian Ocean, triggering a tsunami. Along Thailand’s west coast, tourists like Ed and Helen Muesch, and residents like fisherman Wimon Thongtae went about their days, as usual. They were all unaware tha ... Show More
40m 42s