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World of Weapons Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
10 Episodes 2020 - 0
Episode 1
Ranged Weapons
Sun, Mar 15, 2020 60 mins
Weapons experts reveal three of history's most important ranged weapons, including the pilum of the Roman Empire, the English longbow of the Middle Ages, and the Minié ball of the 19th century.
Episode 2
Attack From Above
Sun, Mar 22, 2020 60 mins
Experts examine and test weapons that have been used for aerial attacks over thousands of years.
Episode 3
Close Combat
Sun, Mar 29, 2020 60 mins
A look at history's greatest hand-to-hand combat weapons, from short swords to war hammers to the bayonet.
Episode 4
Weapons for all
Sun, Apr 5, 2020 60 mins
One weapon helped Alexander the Great lead the underdog Macedonians to defeat the once invincible Persian Empire. Another helped commoners take down experienced knights from their horses, revolutionizing European warfare in the Middle Ages. And another, used today by guerrilla fighters and terrorists, has claimed more victims than nuclear bombs. Examine three weapons that can cause immense damage with very little training: the pike, the crossbow, and the AK-47 rifle.
Episode 5
Faster Than The Enemy
Sun, Apr 12, 2020 60 mins
Since humans began fighting one another, quickness and mobility have been key factors in determining victory or defeat. Experts take a hands-on look at three weapons that were built for speed. Discover the history of the two-wheeled chariot, a weapons system developed by the Hyksos before the Egyptians and Romans perfected it. Examine and test how a simple range weapon--the sling--rocked its enemy at speeds of 116. And see how small handguns like the revolver changed warfare forever.
Episode 6
The Power of Destruction
Sun, Apr 19, 2020 60 mins
New weapons with devastating force shaped the wars of the 20th century. Weapons experts test the Maxim machine gun, explain its impact on modern warfare, and explore the psychological effects experienced by soldiers who faced them in battle. See how grenades were used to counteract trench warfare in World War I, and how the horrible injuries they caused led to one of the world's most important medications. And examine a war machine that is considered a symbol of power: the tank.
Episode 7
War at Sea
Sun, Apr 26, 2020 60 mins
War at sea is a unique form of warfare requiring new tactics and arsenal. We look at three revolutionary weapons: Greek fire, developed by the Byzantine Empire to fight back Arab ships; the cannon, used by the British Royal Navy to defeat Spain; and the torpedo, which dominated the seas during the World Wars. Join an international team of experts as they reinvent ancient formulas and follow 17th century construction plans to recreate weapons used in past sea battles and put them to the test.
Episode 8
The ambush
Sun, May 3, 2020 60 mins
Ambushing the enemy with weapons that stay undetected until their very strike can be an insidious, but efficient, military strategy. A team of weapons experts takes a look at three such inventions: the ancient Roman's caltrop, iron spikes spread across battlefields to bring horses and soldiers to their knees; the Dreyse needle gun, which changed the tactics of future armies; and the landmine, an age-old weapon lethally improved by modern technology.
Episode 9
Civillians On The Battlefield
Sun, May 10, 2020 60 mins
Experts examine deadly inventions designed over the centuries to injure or kill civilians as well as soldiers, from the trebuchet siege weapon to biological and chemical weapons to the atomic bomb.
Episode 10
Deadly Inventions
Sun, May 10, 2020 60 mins
As technology evolved over the centuries, inventors and engineers upgraded weapons and influenced the course of global history. Join military and weapons experts as they examine three deadly inventions that heightened bloodshed in battle: the scorpio, an ancient missile launcher used by the Romans; the longsword, intrinsically tied to the medieval world of knights; and the Henry rifle, which influenced warfare thanks to its revolutionary reloading design.
