Behind the headlines
The Tudors and Stuarts left us with a lot of blood-stained pages in the history books but what else did they leave behind? Well, quite a lot, in fact. The opening up of the New World, the development of the cast-iron cannon, the first lead pencil, the first shopping centre, the first theatre and even the first spy network - were just some of the legacies from the Tudors and Stuarts.

History man
What the Tudors and Stuarts Did for Us host Adam Hart-Davis should need little introduction. But, for those of you who've been living on another planet recently, he's the passionate presenter of some of our very best science and history programmes, including Local Heroes, What the Romans Did for Us, What the Victorians Did for Us and Science Shack.

Adam is a man of many interests and one of his fascinations is the history of the humble loo. You're never far from a historic relief station when he's around and What the Tudors and Stuarts Did for Us is no exception. Adam can't wait to tell us all about the first flushing toilet, a device invented by Sir John Harrington, a godson of Elizabeth I. The Queen quite liked Harrington's "Ajax" loo but it was a bit whiffy, apparently, and never caught on.

Don't mock us
Sit up straight. Here's a quick history lesson. The first Tudor was Henry VII, who came to the throne in 1485. His son, Henry VIII, is most famous for having six wives but he also found time to have a bust-up with Rome, changing the face of the English church for good. After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, Henry VIII's daughter, Elizabeth I, came to the throne, in 1558. Her life was constantly under threat but she saw off all her enemies, including her second cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, who she had executed.

Mary's revenge
Elizabeth died childless in 1603, so Mary's son, James I, collared the English throne for the House of Stuart. His son, Charles I, fought constantly with Parliament, dragging the country into civil war. He was executed in 1649. His son, Charles II, waited until "Lord Protector" Oliver Cromwell died, claiming the throne back for the Stuarts in 1660. Charles II had many mistresses (including the infamous actress Nell Gwynn), fathering eight sons and five daughters. The last Stuart was Queen Anne, who was so fond of a tipple she was known as Brandy Nan. She died in 1714.

Iron man
Henry VIII's principal historical legacy is usually considered to be the dissolution of the monasteries and the split with the Roman Catholic Church. But this led to another development. After his row with Rome, Henry feared an invasion from Catholic France or Spain. He couldn't afford expensive bronze cannons from Flanders, so ordered his own metalworkers to manufacture guns. The result, in 1543, was an English cast-iron cannon. The weapon was so successful that England was exporting it by the end of the century. Henry VIII had invented the arms trade. Now, you can argue that this might not be a good thing. But its influence is undeniable.

All steamed up
A Stuart was on the throne when the invention Adam Hart-Davis considers to be the most influential in history was unveiled. Thomas Newcomen, a Dartmouth ironmonger, built the first steam engine in 1712, to pump water from a flooded West Midlands coal mine. It was a success and, over the next 50 years, hundreds of Newcomen engines were built. "It was the most important invention ever," Adam explains. "Because, for the first time, we had portable power."