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Stuff the British Stole

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Stuff the British Stole
GenreHistorical documentary
Written byMarc Fennell (s1-3); Adam G. Thompson, Nathan Maynard (s2); Stephanie Weimar (s3)
Directed byAaron Smith, Gary Hamaguchi, Shane Belcourt (s1); Stephanie Weimar (s2–3), Nathan Maynard (S2); Marc Fennell (s3)
Presented byMarc Fennell
Country of originAustralia
Original languageAustralian English
No. of series3
No. of episodes22
Production
ProducersMarc Fennell (s1); Kate Pappas (s1–3); Patrick Cameron, Adam G. Thompson (s2); Alan Erson, Matt Maclellan (s3)
Production companiesWooden Horse, WildBear Entertainment, Cream Productions
Original release
NetworkABC Television

Stuff the British Stole is a television documentary series based on an original podcast by Australian journalist Marc Fennell. The TV series premiered in Australia in November 2022 in Canada in January 2023. A co-production of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the series is hosted by Fennell. The series has been nominated for and won numerous awards.

Background

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The TV series arose from a podcast of the same name that was hosted by Marc Fennell.[1] The podcast is now a co-production between ABC and CBC Podcasts.[2] The TV series is broadcast on ABC Radio National and on the streaming platform ABC listen in Australia.[3]

Synopsis, production, and release

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The series delves into various controversies around historically and culturally significant objects and events involving the colonies of the British Empire.

Series 1

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The first series examines objects taken by the government and various institutions and /or individuals in the United Kingdom during its colonial era, and have been the subject of demands for their repatriation back to their homelands.[2]

Series 1 is written and co-produced by Marc Fennell along with Kate Pappas. Aaron Smith, Gary Hamaguchi, Shane Belcourt direct the series, which comprises 6 x 30-minute episodes.[4] It premiered on 1 November 2022 on ABC Television,[5] and on 6 January 2023 on CBC.

Series 2

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A second series was greenlit in August 2023.[6] It was co-written by Adam G. Thompson, Marc Fennell, and Nathan Maynard; produced by Kate Pappas, Patrick Cameron, and Adam G. Thompson; and directed by Stephanie Weimar and Nathan Maynard.[7] Production companies Wooden Horse, WildBear Entertainment, and Cream Productions were the producing studios responsible.[8]

Series 2, which comprises 8 x 30-minute episodes,[7] aired from 17 June 2024 in Australia.[9]

Series 3

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Series 3 was co-written and co-directed by Marc Fennell and Stephanie Weimar, and produced by Alan Erson, Kate Pappas, and Matt Maclellan.[10] The series was produced by Wooden Horse, WildBear Entertainment, and Artemis Media for the ABC, with major production investment from the ABC and Screen Australia. Fennell was an executive producer as well as director, creator and presenter of the series.[11]

Filming for a third series began in 2025,[12] and took place over two years across eight countries as well as all around Australia. It aired on 9 June 2026,[11] will all 8 x 30-minute episodes[10] aired on ABC iview on the same date.[11]

Episode list

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Objects profiled include the Koh-i-Noor diamond, the Parthenon Marbles, the Benin Bronzes, the Gweagal shield, Tipu's Tiger, and the Mokomokai.[5]

Episode titles are as follows:[13]

Series 1

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  1. "Jewel of Denial"
  2. "Stoned"
  3. "Chipped Away"
  4. "Shadow Boxer"
  5. "The Crow Flies" (apparel of Crowfoot, a Chief of Blackfoot nation)
  6. "The Return" (the remains of Yagan, a Noongar warrior from Western Australia)

Series 2

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  1. "Parthenon Sculptures" (Parthenon Marbles)
  2. "Australia's Egyptian Mystery"
  3. "World's Biggest Diamond" (Koh-i-Noor)
  4. "Girl and Her Doll"
  5. "Irish Giant" (Charles Byrne)
  6. "Operation Legacy"
  7. "Great Rubber Heist"
  8. "Mystery Sphinx"

Series 3

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  1. "Tea Leaves China"
  2. "The Cook & the Dead" (Captain Cook's death)
  3. "The Rosetta Code" (the Rosetta Stone)
  4. "Flag Fall" (English flag)
  5. "Five Star Rock" (Cranbourne meteorite)
  6. "The Zong" (about the killing of enslaved people aboard the Zong in 1781)

International broadcast

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Stuff the British Stole s1 is available on Channel Four in the UK[14] and on the paid streaming services BBC Select[15] and Apple TV.[8]

Recognition and awards

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Wins

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The series received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best History Documentary Program or Series at the 12th Canadian Screen Awards in 2024.[16]

Other award wins include:[17]

Nominations

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The series has also been nominated for the following awards:[17]

  • 2021: Walkley Arts Journalism Awards
  • 2021: Association of International Broadcasting Award
  • 2021: Association of International Broadcasting Award
  • 2022: AIDC Awards
  • 2022: Kennedy Journalism Awards
  • 2022: Signal Awards[a]
  • 2022: The Buzzies Congress Awards for Excellence[b]
  • 2023: Walkley Mid-Year Arts Award
  • 2023: Rockie Awards (Banff, Canada)
  • 2025: Association of International Broadcasting Award
  • 2024: The Buzzies Congress Awards for Excellence for Best History Program, Long Format - WildBear Entertainment, Wooden Horse and Cream Productions[9]
  • 2024: Rose d'Or, Factual Entertainment (Wooden Horse, Wildbear, Cream Productions, Fremantle, ABC, CBC)[9]
  • 2024: AACTA Award for Best Factual Entertainment Program[c][20][9]
  • 2024: AACTA Award for Best Direction in Nonfiction Television[20][9]

Scripted series

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An upcoming "big-budget scripted heist series" based on the original documentary series was announced in June 2024, supported by Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia and Wooden Horse Productions. The new series will comprise six episodes of an hour duration each, described as "deep dive into the complexity of history, and identity, in our modern world through an irreverent and wryly humorous lens". Playwright turned screenwriter Anchuli Felicia King is the creator and lead writer; other writers include Ben Chessell, Kacie Anning, and Dylan van den Berg.[1]

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ↑ New York-based podcast awards[18]
  2. ↑ "The Buzzies", awarded by the World Congress of Science & Factual Producers (WCSFP), to "celebrate excellence in science and factual storytelling, and recognize short-form, long-form and multiplatform science, history and natural history projects, as well as awarding projects for innovation and impact".[19]
  3. ↑ AACTAs are awarded in 2025 for 2024 shows.

References

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  1. 1 2 Brzeski, Patrick (26 June 2024). "'Stuff the British Stole' Doc Series to Be Reimagined as Scripted Heist Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 Chris Dart, "Stuff the British Stole host Marc Fennell wants to shake up our 'cultural amnesia'". CBC Arts, 6 January 2023.
  3. ↑ Fennell, Marc. "Stuff The British Stole with Marc Fennell" (audio). ABC listen. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "Stuff the British Stole series 1". Screen Australia. 11 April 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 Walter Marsh, "Stuff the British Stole: Marc Fennell’s TV series wades headfirst into colonial quagmires". The Guardian, 31 October 2022.
  6. ↑ Natalie Apostolou, "Fennell's Stuff the British Stole commissioned for season 2 by CBC and ABC". C21 Media, 1 August 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Stuff the British Stole series 2 (2024)". Screen Australia. 11 April 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Stuff the British Stole". Apple TV. 1 November 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Stuff the British Stole". Wooden Horse. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Stuff the British Stole series 3". Screen Australia. 11 April 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 "Stuff The British Stole with Marc Fennell returns for an epic third season on the ABC this June". About the ABC. 12 May 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Marc Fennell returns for a third season of acclaimed series Stuff The British Stole". About the ABC. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  13. ↑ "Stuff the British Stole". TVmaze. 1 November 2022. Archived from the original on 29 July 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "Watch Stuff the British Stole". Channel 4. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Watch Stuff the British Stole Season Two on BBC Select". BBC Select. 24 April 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  16. ↑ Mullen, Pat. "Canadian Screen Award Nominees in Documentary and Factual Categories". Point of View, 6 March 2024.
  17. 1 2 "Stuff the British Stole". Marc Fennell. Archived from the original on 19 May 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "About Us". Signal Awards. 24 March 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "The Buzzies Awards". WCSFP World Congress of Science & Factual Producers. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  20. 1 2 "Winners & Nominees". AACTA. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
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