Back to Home
TV-14National Geographic7.0(8)

Pirates: Behind the Legends

A swashbuckling adventure; the true and untold story of the history of pirates.

DramaDocumentary
2024
1 Season
8 Episodes
EN
Ended
TV-14

About

From legendary John Ward, immortalized in fiction as Jack Sparrow, and English explorer Francis Drake; branded Pirates by their enemies but heroes by their comrades, to the notorious Pirates of the Caribbean shrouded in myth.

#based on true story#pirate#character study#pirate ship#fictional biography#legendary hero#semi-biographical#fictionalized history#legends#sea pirates#historical documentary#based on real person#based on legends

Cast

Billy Boyd

Billy Boyd

as Narrator (voice)

Anne Chambers

Anne Chambers

as Self - Author

Harcourt T. Fuller

Harcourt T. Fuller

as Self - Historian

IL

Iszi Lawrence

as Self - Author & History Presenter

Martin Mares

Martin Mares

as Self - Historian

RB

Richard Blakemore

as Self - Historian

HC

Hannah Cusworth

as Self - Historian

CK

Connie Kelleher

as Self - Author

MH

Mark Hanna

as Self - Historian

Episodes

Season 1

Francis Drake - For Queen and Country
E1

Francis Drake - For Queen and Country

Jun 9, 202444m7.3

Circumnavigation is the pinnacle of Drake's career, cementing him in history as the world's most controversial pirate.

Grace O’Malley - The Pirate Queen of Ireland
E2

Grace O’Malley - The Pirate Queen of Ireland

Jun 9, 202444m7.3

Grace O’Malley, the Pirate Queen of Ireland. Her rise from wanted pirate to Chieftain is won through a warrior’s sword and a woman’s grit.

John Ward - The English Pirate of North Africa
E3

John Ward - The English Pirate of North Africa

Jun 16, 202444m7.3

The Englishman turned Algerian pirate starts his remarkable ascent from petty pirate to a notorious menace, becoming ruler of the Tunisian empire.

Henry Morgan - The Lieutenant Pirate
E4

Henry Morgan - The Lieutenant Pirate

Jun 16, 202444m7.7

A brilliant strategist, Morgan takes humans, treasure and Spanish colonial towns with no mercy later becoming Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica.

William Kidd - The Treasure Hunter
E5

William Kidd - The Treasure Hunter

Jun 23, 202444m6.7

Captain Kidd, the treasure hunter. When the legitimate prizes of the Red Sea are not to be found, Kidd quickly turns from pirate hunter to pirate.

Blackbeard
E6

Blackbeard

Jun 23, 202444m7.7

Blackbeard is a terrifying figure with a diverse crew of pirates seeking equality and treasure, aboard the stolen flagship The Queen Anne’s Revenge.

Calico Jack, Anne Bonny, Mary Read: Rebel Spirits
E7

Calico Jack, Anne Bonny, Mary Read: Rebel Spirits

Jun 30, 202444m7.7

The notorious pirate run town of Nassau is soon to be shaken by the English crackdown on lawlessness in the Caribbean. Living off plunder and raiding, Calico Jack, Anne Bonny and Mary Read form a troublesome trio who successfully rob ships and live off the spoils of the sea until they are captured by pirate hunters and tried for piracy.

Roberts - The Last Great Pirate
E8

Roberts - The Last Great Pirate

Jun 30, 202444m7.3

Bartholomew Roberts aka Black Bart, the most successful pirate of the Golden Age, his fleet amassing 450 stolen ships. From his humble beginnings as a Welsh sailor, Roberts quickly becomes captain of a pirate ship, showing his shrewd captainship he writes down a pirate code. His piracy almost brings West Indies trade to a standstill until he is hunted down by the English crown.

Similar Shows

Shows like this one

Recommended for You

Based on this series