Secrets of the London Underground

A look behind the everyday facades of the London Underground network to see how its history and design made it the network we know today.

Genre: Documentary

Cast:Tim Dunn , Siddy Holloway , Chris Nix , Mo Gajia , Roy Kenneth , Georgia Morley , Sam Mullins , David Leboff , Matt Brosnan , Charley Monroe , Antony Badsey-Ellis , David Bownes , Chris Eames , Simon Galbraith , Margaret Barford , Mike Guy , Vickie Aylward , Mark Dewhurst

1Season 1

S1.E1 ∙ Holborn

Mon, Jul 19, 2021

Tim and Siddy explore the Holborn-to-Aldwych branch of the Piccadilly Line, closed in 1994, and Tim talks to Martin Keegan, the driver of the very last passenger train to call at Aldwych. Chris Nix, assistant director of the London Transport Museum, shows Tim some of the artwork and posters used by London Transport. Siddy looks at the old tiles and posters in disused parts of Holloway Road station; at the LT Museum, David Leboff shows her and Tim the remnants of the experimental spiral escalator which used to be installed in a lift shaft at the station.

2Season 1

S1.E2 ∙ North End

Mon, Jul 26, 2021

Tim and Siddy explore the site of North End station (aka Bull and Bush) on the Northern Line in Hampstead. The platforms were built in the early 1900s but the surface-level buildings were never built and the station was abandoned because the planned housing development which would have used the station was thwarted by conservationists. It was planned that the subterranean parts of the station, in the deepest part of the London Underground system, would be used for controlling floodgates on the Underground during the Cold War period of the 1950s. In the London Transport Museum, transport historian David Bownes tells Tim about the American influence on the Underground and Chris Nix shows him some of the blueprints for early trains, signalling and stations. Siddy looks at the history of the District line along the north embankment of the Thames, and examines Embankment station (previously called Charing Cross). Actor Oswald Laurence had recorded the iconic "Mind the Gap" announcement for the tube. In 2012 this was replaced by a more modern female version of the announcement, but Laurence's widow was instrumental in having his recording reinstated, only on the northbound Northern Line platform at Embankment station, so she could continue to hear his voice. Back at the Transport Museum, a TfL engineer describes in more detail the Cold War floodgates that would have been controlled from North End station in the event of a bomb landing in the Thames.

3Season 1

S1.E3 ∙ Piccadilly

Mon, Aug 2, 2021

Tim looks at passimeters - small ticket kiosks - at the London Transport Museum. He then looks at evolution of Piccadilly Circus station, helped by historian Antony Badsley-Ellis who describes the major reconstruction and expansion work of the entrance hall which took there in the 1920s, without closing the road junction above or the underground station below. Chris Nix shows Tim the art-deco ceremonial lamp which was presented to the Mayor of Westminster when he opened the new station in 1928. Siddy shows Tim the disused foot tunnels of the original 1906 station which were reopened as an air-raid shelter during WWII. Tim shows Siddy the station's unique World Time Clock which displays the time at all points around the globe. Tim talks to Darren Burrows who worked at Piccadilly Circus for 20 years, as station supervisor, duty manager and area manager. Typography expert Mark Ovenden describes to Tim the iconic Johnston typeface which was introduced in 1916 for all station signs and posters. Siddy explores the remains of the disused high-level station at Highgate which served the branch (now the Parkland Walk) from Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace that closed in the 1950s. Malcolm Payne, principal engineer for TfL, describes his work on the "green corridors", preserving the disused tunnels of Highgate High Level which have now been colonised by bats, and also talks about other wildlife such as red kites and stags that has been seen on overground parts of the London Underground system.

4Season 1

S1.E4 ∙ Euston

Mon, Aug 9, 2021

Tim Dunn and Siddy Holloway explore the hidden parts of Euston, including unique features not found elsewhere and the Leslie Green entrance hall (disused since 1914) which is set to be demolished for HS2.

5Season 1

S1.E5 ∙ St Mary's

Mon, Aug 16, 2021

Tim Dunn and Siddy Holloway have a night-time track walk exploring long forgotten stations on the District line in Whitechapel.

6Season 1

S1.E6 ∙ Clapham

Mon, Aug 23, 2021

Tim Dunn and Siddy Holloway explore Clapham South deep level shelter where thousands of Londoners slept in the war.

1Season 3

S3.E1 ∙ Camden Town / Sloane Square

Tue, Jul 4, 2023

Tim Dunn and Siddy Holloway head to London's iconic Camden Town station - a labyrinthine junction on the Northern Line.

2Season 3

S3.E2 ∙ South Kensington / Marylebone

Tue, Jul 11, 2023

Tim Dunn and Siddy Holloway begin their journey at South Kensington, home of Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum.

3Season 3

S3.E3 ∙ Green Park / Down Street

Tue, Jul 18, 2023

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4Season 3

S3.E4 ∙ British Museum / Bayswater

Mon, Jul 24, 2023

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5Season 3

S3.E5 ∙ West Ashfield / Oval

Tue, Aug 1, 2023

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6Season 3

S3.E6 ∙ Leicester Square / Hyde Park Corner

Tue, Aug 8, 2023

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7Season 3

S3.E7 ∙ Heathrow / Swiss Cottage

Tue, Aug 15, 2023

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8Season 3

S3.E8 ∙ Shepherd's Bush / Elephant and Castle

Tue, Aug 22, 2023

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9Season 3

S3.E9 ∙ Acton Works / Acton Town

Tue, Aug 29, 2023

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10Season 3

S3.E10 ∙ Archway / ERU, Acton Works

Tue, Sep 5, 2023

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Secrets of the London Underground

S1.E1 ∙ Holborn

S1.E2 ∙ North End

S1.E3 ∙ Piccadilly

S1.E4 ∙ Euston

S1.E5 ∙ St Mary's

S1.E6 ∙ Clapham

S2.E1 ∙ Charing Cross / Kennington

S2.E2 ∙ Waterloo and City / Mark Lane

S2.E3 ∙ King William Street / Knightsbridge

S2.E4 ∙ Brompton Road / St Paul's

S2.E5 ∙ London Bridge / Ongar

S2.E6 ∙ King's Cross / Marlborough Road

S2.E7 ∙ Elizabeth Line / Angel

S2.E8 ∙ Quainton Road / Kingsway Tram Tunnel

S2.E9 ∙ Greenwich Power Station / Notting Hill Gate

S2.E10 ∙ Baker Street / Edgware Road

S3.E1 ∙ Camden Town / Sloane Square

S3.E2 ∙ South Kensington / Marylebone

S3.E3 ∙ Green Park / Down Street

S3.E4 ∙ British Museum / Bayswater

S3.E5 ∙ West Ashfield / Oval

S3.E6 ∙ Leicester Square / Hyde Park Corner

S3.E7 ∙ Heathrow / Swiss Cottage

S3.E8 ∙ Shepherd's Bush / Elephant and Castle

S3.E9 ∙ Acton Works / Acton Town

S3.E10 ∙ Archway / ERU, Acton Works