Plot Synopsis

MYSTIC BRITAIN is a one-hour docuseries that follows British talk show host Clive Anderson and anthropologist Mary-Ann Ochota, as they travel across the U.K. to explore the sacred sites and supernatural beliefs of the ancient Britons. By examining their mystic places and practices, they hope to unlock the secrets of their ancestors and better understand the worlds in which they lived. In the series opener, "Witches and Demons," Clive travels to the ancient Church of St. Mary's Troston, where the walls are scored with medieval demonic symbols. Mary-Ann tries her hand at spells and curses, learning why demons really weren't very smart. Clive tries to understand why people 600 years ago truly believed that demons walked the earth doing the devil's work. The two discover that these evil creatures transformed into something very real and very human - witches. What drove such intense levels of superstition in our ancestors? And were people really practicing black magic? MYSTIC BRITAIN had its U.S. premiere on Monday, August 5, 2019 at 9pm ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.
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Season 2 of MYSTIC BRITAIN had its U.S. premiere on Sunday, June 14, 2020 at 8pm ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel. In the season opener, "Lost Tribe of Scotland," Clive Anderson and Mary-Ann Ochota are on a hunt for the Picts, a medieval tribe from Scotland that terrified the Romans and ruled most of northern Scotland for centuries before vanishing from history. Our hosts are on a mission to discover who these formidable people were, what happened to them, and where this lost tribe eventually went. Finding the answers will lead them into a strange world of myth and magic, involving Viking-battling giants, crazed warriors, and the Loch Ness Monster--Nessie--herself!