Lucy Worsley to Investigate 'The American Revolution' In April
History is written by the winners, but every so often, the losing side is so used to winning that they keep records as well. Lucy Worsley naturally investigates.
History is written by the winners, but every so often, the losing side is so used to winning that they keep records as well. That’s the premise of the latest installment of PBS’s popular Lucy Worsley Investigates series, The American Revolution, part of public television’s programming celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
One of my favorite facts about Lucy Worsley is that if you’re an American, you know her as the costume-wearing historian who does deep dives into British history. However, if you are from the U.K., Lucy Worsley is the costume-wearing historian who does deep dives into American history; her biggest hit across the pond is American History’s Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley. That makes her the perfect person to spearhead a program that takes a deep dive into the American Revolution, from the contrarian counterpoint of the country that lost the war.
“Digging into the past is a true joy for me. So often history gets written by the winners: lots of people know the US side of the American Revolution, but much fewer the British one,” said Worsley as part of the press release. “Interrogating amazing sources and meeting people who can shine a light on this hidden history, I can’t wait to share the forgotten and surprising story of how losing America affected Britain and beyond.”
Here’s the two-part series’ synopsis:
On the eve of America’s 250th anniversary, popular British historian Lucy Worsley investigates the sabotage, espionage, and unrest that led to the birth of a new nation. In 1776, 13 American colonies declared independence from one of the most powerful empires in the world, igniting a bloody eight-year war that claimed thousands of lives and ended in Britain’s humiliating defeat. But how did this historic rupture come to pass, and could it have been avoided? Over two episodes, Lucy delves deeper into the American Revolution by examining it from the British perspective, discovering the human drama, radical ideas, and political missteps behind this seismic split, and revealing how losing America changed Britain forever.
Worsley will once again write and star in the series, which Linda Sands will produce. The cast playing historical figures includes Tim Barrow (Outlander) as King George III, Ronan Doyle (The Buccaneers) as Edward Bancroft, Charlie Jeffrey as George Washington, and Liam Rudden as Benjamin Franklin.
Amanda Lyon executive produces the new two-part series alongside commissioners Jack Bootle for the BBC and Zara Frankel for PBS.
Lucy Worsley Investigates: The American Revolution premieres Tuesday, April 7, at 9 p.m. ET, on most local PBS stations, the PBS app, and the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel, with the second episode following on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. As always, check your local listings.
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