It's tempting to believe that our present age of fake news and alternative facts is unique and unprecedented. But it's not. Since the dawn of time, people in power have played with the truth, danced with deception, and altered reality to suit their interests, often through the use of propaganda and disinformation. This cunning new documentary series unearths and explores the most dramatic historical examples of facts being bent, twisted and reshaped as a means of achieving influence and control. With the help of experts, academics and journalists, we unpack all the gory details of the past's greatest deceits- from Kings and Pharaohs leading their people into false wars, to the brutal Witch Hunts of the 17th Century, to scurrilous corruption and intrigue in the name of money and power, to wild conspiracy theories, wiretapping and forgeries.