BRUTAL SPECTACLE

Colosseum, 9pm, Sky History

THIS new series brings the Roman amphitheatre to life through a pacey mix of violent, epic dramatisations and talking heads. The show sees the colosseum and the deadly struggles staged there as a metaphor for the nature of the empire. This first of eight episodes opens in 80AD as the Emperor Titus decrees 100 days of games to mark the completion of the great arena — including an epic battle to the death between two gladiators.