Historian Dr Sam Willis explores the world of outlaws in 17th and 18th-century Britain. The host focuses on a particular era in each episode, discovering why rogues were celebrated in popular culture. Stories of urban criminals, highwaymen and rebellious pirates are widely documented in literature and art, but Willis goes on a journey to reveal the truth behind the romanticised image of the outlaw. The historian refers to Britain's political past to view why these individuals were both feared and admired in the public eye.