Madness. Murder. Insurrection. Taking us on a wild ride from Julius Caesar to Elizabeth I, Mary Beard and David Mitchell share the histories of Rome and England like you’ve never heard them before.

Cambridge Professor Mary Beard has done more than anyone to bring the world of ancient Rome to life again. Comedian David Mitchell once studied history and won’t let it off the hook for the mess it’s made of everything.

Now they come together to tell the story of our rulers — from the emperors who ruled Britannia under the Roman occupation to the English kings and queens who succeeded them.

With an all-star cast of mad-men, philosophers, narcissists, and thugs, beheadings, assassinations, insurrections, uncivil wars, and at least one total Cnut, this one-of-a-kind video will tell you an awful lot about our past and explain an unfortunate amount about our present.