Pirates: Behind the Legends

Charting the voyages and exploits of infamous pirate legends, with the help of historical experts and a wealth of pirate artifacts.

Nat Geo TV · Documentary · Streaming on Disney+ · 8 episodes

Episodes: S1 E8 Bartholomew Roberts — Bartholomew Roberts, the most successful pirate of the Golden Age, brings West Indies trade to a standstill until hunted down by the English crown,; S1 E7 Anne Bonny and Mary Read — Before they’re captured and face trial, Anne Bonny and Mary Read’s brief careers show them to be more ferocious than the male pirates they sail with.; S1 E6 Blackbeard — Blackbeard is a terrifying figure with a diverse crew of pirates seeking equality and treasure, aboard the stolen flagship The Queen Anne’s Revenge.; S1 E5 William Kidd — Captain Kidd, the treasure hunter. When the legitimate prizes of the Red Sea are not to be found, Kidd turns from pirate hunter to pirate.; S1 E4 Henry Morgan — A brilliant strategist, Morgan takes humans, treasure and Spanish colonial towns with no mercy later becoming Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica.; S1 E3 John Ward — The Englishman turned Algerian pirate starts his remarkable ascent from petty pirate to a notorious menace, becoming ruler of the Tunisian empire.; S1 E2 Grace O'Malley — 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.; S1 E1 Francis Drake — Circumnavigation is the pinnacle of Drake’s career, cementing him in history as the world’s most controversial pirate.