About this season
Follow Marc Fennell on a globe-trotting, emotional quest for the truth as he unravels the twisted mysteries behind six iconic and priceless objects taken by the British Empire and meets those who want them back.
Episodes (6)
1. Tea Leaves China
Aired 9 June 2026 • 31 min
Marc Fennell spills the tea on the dark truth behind the world's most beloved beverage. Sipped by millions every day, tea's story is one of spies, espionage and the world's largest drug cartel.
2. The Cook and The Dead
Aired 16 June 2026 • 31 min
Marc Fennell unpacks how a celebrated explorer ended up in Hawaii and why a detour, a broken mast, and a clash over sacred wood spiralled into Captain Cook's violent demise.
3. The Rosetta Code
Aired 23 June 2026 • 31 min
From Egypt to France and on to Britain, Marc decodes the story of the Rosetta Stone: how it ended up in London, who really took it, where it belongs, and why it remains one of the British Museum's most contested treasures.
4. Flag Fall
Aired 30 June 2026 • 30 min
What if the flag of England itself was stolen? From Crusades to pirates to pesto pasta, Marc Fennell uncovers the surprising and contentious history of England's flag.
5. Fire Star Rock
Aired 7 July 2026 • 31 min
The largest meteorite of its kind, the Cranbourne Meteorite now sits tucked away in the British Natural History Museum's gift shop. But how did it get there and should it be returned back to Australia where it landed?
6. The Zong
Aired 14 July 2026 • 31 min
Murder on the high seas spurred an infamous legal case that some argue helped to usher in the abolition of British slavery. Marc travels to the UK and an abandoned pirate city on the coast of Jamaica to uncover the truth.