Rich Lives, Poor Lives - Season 2

First aired: 8/4/2026 4 episodes

This series will once again feature Rob Rinder and Ruth Goodman, who will explore how wealth and class shaped everyday life across four key periods of British history, Roman, Tudor, Georgian, and Victorian. From city streets to grand estates, they’ll uncover how people from all walks of life experienced the past in very different ways.

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Episodes

Episode 1

1. The Victorians

Aired: 8/4/2026

Rob Rinder and Ruth Goodman discover how some of history's most famous events were experienced by the rich and by the poor. They start by exploring the 1840s Victorian era, when railway mania swept Britain. Rob follows the wealthy Victorians who poured their money into the railway boom, while Ruth investigates the lives of those who built and worked on the railways.

2. The Romans

Aired: 8/11/2026

Rob and Ruth delve into 122 AD, when the Emperor Hadrian made a dramatic visit to Roman Britain, a moment that would change the fortunes of rich and poor alike. Rob follows the powerful figures at the heart of Roman Londinium, while Ruth investigates the lives of ordinary people living under Roman rule. Also, Rob also uncovers the story of Hadrian himself.

3. Tudor

4. Georgian