10 free episodes you can watch on HISTORY Play in December

HISTORY Play is the number one place to catch up on incredible award-winning documentaries and factual television shows. New original seasons are being added every month, so you never have to watch the same show twice.

The extensive catalogue is available as part of Amazon’s line-up of Prime Video Channels in the UK and Europe for just £3.99 per month. Every month, 10 episodes are available to watch for free, so you can get a taste of the variety of content that you can stream on HISTORY Play.

Make sure you act fast though because the free offer on these episodes must end on 31 December.

History’s Greatest Mysteries – Season 3, Episode 1

Hosted by Laurence Fishburne, History’s Greatest Mysteries investigates some of the world’s most well-known and unsolved enigmas. The team, led by The Matrix star, provides fresh perspectives on the cases using new evidence and data supported by modern technology. Season three covers mysteries including the Dyatlov Pass Incident, the man on Somerton Beach, and Malaysia Flight 370.

The season three premiere looks into one of the most notorious missing person cases of all time. 45 years ago, union activist Jimmy Hoffa disappeared from a Detroit suburb. The story has more twists and turns than a Hollywood movie, but despite being declared legally dead in 1982, people are still searching for answers.

Ancient Aliens – Season 14, Episode 1

In one of the world’s favourite extraterrestrial television shows, Ancient Aliens examines 75 million years of the most credible evidence found here on Earth. Historians investigate the events, legends and texts that may point toward previous contact between humans and alien life.

Giorgio Tsoukalos returns to look back at some of the most compelling investigations of all and the events that he believes represent encounters with real extraterrestrials. Season 14 begins by looking at the so-called ‘Disclosure Event’. In 2021, the United States government broke a 70-year precedent of denying UFOs. Are they about to reveal the truth?

Secrets of the Lost Ark – Season 1, Episode 1

Lost for centuries, scholars believe the Ark of the Covenant never left Jerusalem and remains buried beneath the ancient city. Now, a team of archaeological experts set out on a quest to unearth the most famous and treasured religious artifact in human history. Secrets of the Lost Ark documents this improbable mission.

To begin the quest, the pioneering team explores mysterious cults and ancient catacombs. Their goal is to determine whether or not the Ark of the Covenant could have been stolen by the Roman legion and hidden in Rome.

Barbarians – Season 2, Episode 1

From the 9th century AD through to the 14th century AD, Europe, Asia and Africa were besieged by various barbarian hordes. Tribes of violent, brutish men thundered across the horizon on horseback with their battleaxes at the ready. Who were these barbarians that lived and died by the sword, seemingly devoted only to violence, conquest and destruction?

The second season of Barbarians begins with Ari suspecting the Romans of rebuilding their forces. Therefore, he seeks help from Marbod, an easter tribal chief, to help prepare for a potential battle in the near future.

When Big Things Go Wrong – Season 1, Episode 1

Modern engineering lets us build bigger and bigger. Taller skyscrapers, bigger tankers, giant bridges and mammoth planes. But with enormous size comes enormous risk and when big things go wrong, they really go wrong. Each episode of When Big Things Go Wrong follows one huge story of one huge disaster.

In 2007, the busy I-35 bridge in the heart of Minneapolis collapsed at the peak of rush hour traffic. 13 people tragically lost their lives and over one hundred more were injured. As the city reeled, the question on everyone’s mind was how did the enormous steel bridge fail without warning?

Secrets in the Ice – Season 2, Episode 1

Secrets in the Ice goes to the most remote, cold, and inhospitable places on the planet to reveal great mysteries that were once frozen in time. Merging CGI recreations with advanced scanning technology and scientific research, the series investigates curiosities that have been lost for millennia…or never seen before. How did they end up in the most desolate areas of the globe and what else is concealed in the frozen depths?

Multiple mysteries are explored in the opening episode of the brand new series. A mummified businessman is found atop Mexico’s highest peak, divers spot an object that could solve a nuclear mystery from the Cold War, and the legend of an Icelandic fire giant is investigated.

Forged in Fire – Season 8, Episode 2

Top bladesmiths from every corner of the United States compete to create the best weapons and prove their effectiveness in a series of daunting challenges. In the final challenge, they must create a historic blade that proves their unique mix of brains and brawn.

The first contest of season eight sees the contestants tasked with making a canister damascus knife from tubes. After the initial tense rounds in the Forged in Fire forge, the smiths must head to their home forges to create a vajra-mushti. This knuckleduster-like weapon has a knife blade sticking out the side and was used in an ancient form of Indian wrestling.

The Curse of Oak Island – Season 9, Episode 2

After more than a decade of tireless work, the Laginas and the team are seeing the fruits of their labour. Not only have they proven that the Oak Island mystery is more profound than anyone thought possible, but they are closer than anyone who came before them to finally recover the treasure. What is lying beneath the surface?

Season nine of The Curse of Oak Island, the biggest yet, kicks off with Rick, Marty, and the rest of the team returning to the fabled island. Armed with scientific evidence that there are massive amounts of silver in the soil near the Money Pit, they are closer than ever to solving the centuries-old mystery.

Curse of Skinwalker Ranch – Season 2, Episode 1

For more than 200 years, Utah’s Skinwalker Ranch has been the site of hundreds of paranormal and UFO sightings. Despite decades of study, no-one has been able to crack the case. Curse of Skinwalker Ranch is one of the most popular paranormal shows on reality television. From UFO encounters and crop circles to shape-shifting creatures and cattle mutilations, Dr. Travis Taylor and his team have seen it all.

In the first episode of season two, the team recommences their monumental search for answers on the notorious 512-acre property. However, an excavation of a mysterious pit at Homestead Two leads to a frightening encounter.

Pawn Stars – Season 22, Episode 2

Let Rick, Richard, Corey, and Chumlee guide you around the colourful world of the pawn business. Step inside the ‘Gold & Silver Pawn Shop’ on the outskirts of Las Vegas where the Harrisons jointly run the business. There’s clashing and camaraderie every step of the way as the men use their sharp eyes and skills to assess the value of every type of item you could possibly imagine.

Pawn Stars is now in its 22nd season and the Harrisons show no sign of slowing down. Things get flashy when a seller brings in an unusual diamond made from the DNA of a musical genius. Then, a vintage collection of paperback books come into the shop.