1. Catherine the Great: Husbands, Lovers and Sons

Did the young Catherine foresee the consequences of staging a coup d'état against her husband the Tsar? Or did she want him dead from the start?

Mike Walker's epic chronicle of the Russian Tsars continues.

Catherine The Great came to Russia as a 15-year-old girl from Prussia and became one of Russia's most renowned monarchs, transforming the country into one of the great powers of Europe.

Catherine II .... Samantha Spiro
Paul I .... Kenneth Collard
Peter III .... Anton Lesser
Petya .... Joe Sims
Panin .... Robert Blythe
Grigory Orlov .... David Sturzaker
Pugachev .... Simon Ludders
Praskovya .... Sanchia MacCormack
The Midwife .... Georgie Glen
Alexander .... Joel MacCormack
The Councillor .... Finlay Robertson

Producers: Alison Hindell and Sasha Yevtushenko

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2017.