Michael Buerk discovers how the Victorians spent their leisure time, heading to Blackpool to learn how the seaside mini-break was transformed from a perk of the wealthy to a British institution. He steps onto one of the town's famous piers to learn how, thanks to architect and civil engineer Eugenius Birch, these humble loading aids became entertainment hubs. Michael also hears how a rivalry between two showbusiness giants resulted in some of the area's most glorious architecture and how the advent of electricity fuelled the town's tourist industry, via its world famous illuminations.

Michael Buerk discovers how the Victorians instituted a revolution in law and order, created the first modern police force and built the prisons Britain still relies on today. He begins in Spike Island, County Cork, dubbed "Ireland's Alcatraz", where he learns about the terrible conditions endured by convicts awaiting transportation to Australia, and hears the stories of those who tried to escape. Next, Michael travels to Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast, discovering why the Victorians embarked on the biggest prison-building programme in British history - and why their efforts at prisoner rehabilitation didn't always succeed. And in Glasgow, he discovers why the city became home to the country's first recognisably modern police force.