Series synopsis
Armada: 12 Days to Save England is a British documentary history television series that premiered on BBC Two on May 24, 2015. It ended on June 7, 2015. It stars Dan Snow, Anita Dobson, Iain Fletcher and Joseph Balderrama.
Three-part documentary about the sinking of the Spanish Armada, featuring dramatic reconstructions and information gleaned from recently recovered documents. Dan Snow takes to the sea to tell the story of how England came within a whisker of disaster in summer 1588.
Premise
Three-part documentary about the sinking of the Spanish Armada, featuring dramatic reconstructions and information gleaned from recently recovered documents. Dan Snow takes to the sea to tell the story of how England came within a whisker of disaster in summer 1588.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Dan Snow as Self - Presenter
- Anita Dobson as Queen Elizabeth I
- Iain Fletcher as Sir Francis Drake
- Joseph Balderrama as Medina Sidonia
- Zeh Prado as Mateo
- Philip Cox as King Phillip II
- Rupert Frazer as Lord William Burghley
- Crispin Redman as Sir Francis Walsingham
Supporting cast
- Dominic Jephcott as Admiral Charles Howard
- Alun Raglan as Juan Martinez de Recalde
- Phoebe Thomas as Elizabeth Throckmorton
- Gwenyth Petty as Blanche Parry
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 3 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 3 | May 24, 2015 | June 7, 2015 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
12 Days to Save England Dan Snow boards a yacht on the English channel to get a sense of the naval battle, revealing how tensions between England and Spain were fuelled by religion, piracy and Elizabeth I's rejection of King Philip II of Spain as a suitor 30 years earlier, and how a missed opportunity could have resulted in disaster. |
May 24, 2015 |
| 2 |
The Battle for England Dan relives the fierce battles at sea and we go behind the scenes in the royal court of Elizabeth as the Spanish fleet prepares for full-on invasion. |
May 31, 2015 |
| 3 |
Endgame Newly discovered documents reveal a remarkable web of misunderstandings that stopped the Spanish from invading, and show how the English victory forged the reputation of Elizabeth. |
June 7, 2015 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC Two |
|---|---|
| First aired | May 24, 2015 |
| Last aired | June 7, 2015 |
| Runtime | 60 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Sunday at 21:00:00 |