Tony Robinson's Time Travels

Season 1, Episode 11: “Game Changers”

Tests of combat skills and physical prowess have been used throughout history to entertain the masses and promote goodwill between nations. Warriors and elite athletes became heroes of the people in contests of epic scale and breathtaking pageantry. In this episode Tony journeys back to 776 BC to witness the birth of the ancient Olympic games, held in honour of the Greek god Zeus. He uncovers why the Roman Empire banned them and how the games reappeared in an English village thousands of years later. In World War II Tony discovers why a brawl involving 3000 men erupted with the arrival of U.S. soldiers on Australian soil, and what unique solution authorities devised to save a crucial alliance. Tony finds out how a courageous female swimmer in 1912 challenged the social taboo of mixed bathing to compete in Sweden. And a trip to 1850s reveals the origins of the 8 hour working day and how it ties into one of the world's longest running rivalries.