Historian Lucy Worsley Explores One of History’s Most Explosive Breakups and How the British Empire Lost the War for America’s Independence Against a Ragtag Band of Rebels
New Two-Part Series, Filmed on Both Sides of the Atlantic, Premieres Tuesdays, April 7-14, 2026, on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS App
ARLINGTON VA; February 18, 2026 – 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. Part of the PBS America @ 250 special programming lineup, LUCY WORSLEY INVESTIGATES: THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION premieres Tuesday, April 7 and 14, 2026, at 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS,PBS.org and the PBS app.
“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. “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.”
“Lucy is a PBS treasure, beloved by our audiences for bringing her signature wit and contemporary perspective to history,” said Zara Frankel, Senior Director, Programming and Development at PBS. “As America approaches its Semiquincentennial, I can’t think of anyone better to guide us through this story from a British point of view. By stepping outside the familiar narrative, the series invites viewers to see how the Revolution not only forged a new nation, but also fundamentally altered Britain and sent shockwaves across the globe.”
Episode descriptions are provided below:
Episode One (April 7, 2026) takes Lucy to New York’s City Hall Park, where George Washington’s troops heard the Declaration of Independence read aloud — a rallying cry that inspired rebels to destroy a statue of King George III and melt it into musket balls. At the New York Historical, Lucy examines a relic of this defiance and asks whether the rupture was inevitable. She then travels home to England to uncover the British perspective, studying King George’s maps and visiting Benjamin Franklin’s London home. She traces British and American tensions rising from Britain’s punitive taxes and the Stamp Act of 1765. In Boston, Lucy explores how the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party were flashpoints that pushed Americans toward war. Finally, Lucy reveals the radical voices — John Wilkes and Thomas Paine — whose words crystallized America’s vision of liberty and independence.
Episode Two (April 14, 2026) uncovers how the war reverberated in Britain itself. At Portsmouth Royal Dockyard, Lucy investigates James Aitken’s shocking arson plot to cripple the Royal Navy. She traces Franklin’s secret mission to Paris to secure French support, while British spy Edward Bancroft fed intelligence back to London. Lucy explores Britain’s growing fears as France — and later Spain — joined the conflict, and how Irish Volunteers forced Britain to lift trade restrictions between Ireland and America. Back in London, riots erupted, and George III agonized over the possibility of losing the empire. By 1781, Britain’s campaign collapsed at Yorktown, and two years later, Britain formally recognized American independence. Concluding her investigation at Grosvenor Square, the site of America’s first embassy in London, Lucy reflects on a revolution that created an independent America and reshaped Britain forever.
LUCY WORSLEY INVESTIGATES: THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION will stream simultaneously with broadcast and be available on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS app, which is available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.
LUCY WORSLEY INVESTIGATES: THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, a 2x60’ for BBC Two and iPlayer, is made by BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions. It was commissioned by Simon Young, Head of History for the BBC and Zara Frankel is the Executive In Charge for PBS. The Executive Producer is Amanda Lyon and the Series Producer is Linda Sands. BBC Studios is handling Global Sales.
LUCY WORSLEY INVESTIGATES: THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION is part of a slate of new programming for PBS America @ 250, a multiyear celebration of U.S. history, culture, and children’s programming that pays homage to America’s Semiquincentennial in 2026. As part of the largest national and local engagement effort in its history, PBS member stations are activating events in more than 75 markets nationwide. In addition to tentpole programming like THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION from Florentine Films, PBS KIDS, PBS LearningMedia, PBS Digital Studios, and PBS member stations are exploring these topics at a national and local level. PBS America @ 250 programming will span across History, Music and Culture, plus programming from PBS KIDS. Visit the PBS America @ 250 Explore Page at www.pbs.org/explore/pbs-america-at-250 for more program information and PBS LearningMedia resources.
About Lucy Worsley
For over two decades, Lucy Worsley OBE served as the Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces in the U.K. She's the author of popular books about Jane Austen and Queen Victoria as well as the Sunday Times no. 1 bestselling biography of Agatha Christie. She is the host of dozens of PBS specials and series including LUCY WORSLEY INVESTIGATES, LUCY WORSLEY’S HOLMES VS. DOYLE, AGATHA CHRISTIE: LUCY WORSLEY ON THE MYSTERY QUEEN, LUCY WORSLEY’S ROYAL MYTHS AND SECRETS, A VERY BRITISH ROMANCE WITH LUCY WORSLEY, 12 DAYS OF TUDOR CHRISTMAS, VICTORIA & ALBERT: THE WEDDING, TALES FROM THE ROYAL BEDCHAMBER, and more. She also hosts the hit BBC Radio 4 podcasts LADY KILLERS and LADY SWINDLERS WITH LUCY WORSLEY, which investigate the crimes of Victorian women from a contemporary, feminist perspective.
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