Skateboarding made its Olympic debut as an optional sport in 2020, and it'll become a permanent fixture in 2028. But long before the Olympics caught on, skaters had already found their spot.
Back in the 1970s, London's South Bank was known for something other than tourists and river views: skateboarders, drawn to the smooth concrete and sloped walls of the Undercroft Skate Space. Decades later, an exhibit is celebrating that space — a hollowed-out concrete bowl with a cult following — through art, memorabilia, and film.
The Undercroft is where a generation of skaters learned the sport (safety gear very much included). But for years, this free public space faced a real threat: developers tried repeatedly to shut it down or move skaters elsewhere.
The skaters didn't budge. Their persistence paid off — the space was saved, renovated, and eventually celebrated as a landmark. Today, skaters and BMX riders of every age still roll through the Undercroft, part of a community it helped build.
Move over, Superman. There are new heroes flying through the sky! The women of London’s Air Ambulance fly helicopters staffed with medical crews that take to the skies to save lives and inspire people everywhere. Not only do these teams provide critical care to people in need, but they also shape future generations by demonstrating what’s possible for women. But, it’s not specific to inspiring kids. A current pilot actually came from a full career as an accountant before moving from The Cloud to the clouds.
As impressive as it already is, the company is always striving to improve. They’ve recently gotten a team together to operate an ECMO, a life-support system for patients with severe, life-threatening heart or lung failure. Everyone works as a team to make sure patients get transported quickly and safely. The pilots not only fly the choppers but are instrumental in helping the medical team get set up for success and allowing them to focus on the patients.
What happens when a zoo animal gets sick? For most of the history of zoos, that question had an answer most visitors never saw. Now, one of the world's oldest zoological societies is building a facility designed to change that — and what they're planning goes well beyond routine checkups.
The Zoological Society of London is constructing a new wildlife health center that will allow visitors to observe animals receiving medical care firsthand. Some of what they'll see will be routine — weight checks, dental exams, the kind of maintenance that keeps zoo populations healthy. But onlookers may also get a window into surgical procedures, and in some cases, postmortems. It's an unusually transparent approach for an institution that has traditionally kept its medical operations behind closed doors.
Not everyone is convinced. Critics argue the center is more about capitalizing on public curiosity than genuinely benefiting the animals in its care — that making medicine into a spectator sport serves the zoo's revenue more than its residents.
ZSL pushes back on that framing. The center is designed to be more than an exhibit. It's intended to function as a global training resource for wildlife vets, a hub where expertise in animal medicine can be developed and shared across institutions worldwide. The argument is that visibility and conservation aren't in conflict — that showing people what it actually takes to keep wild animals healthy is exactly the kind of thing that builds the public understanding zoos increasingly depend on to justify their existence.
The deeper question the center raises isn't really about one zoo or one building. It's about what zoos are actually for — and whether letting people watch is a compromise of that mission or an extension of it.
Flying over London in a jet? What a view! Can you figure out what time Big Ben is showing? Pretend you’re in the Vroomster soaring above London. Act out what you can see.
Meet the Icons of the 20th Century. From brilliant scientists and inspiring activists to legendary athletes and artists, these remarkable individuals changed the world in powerful ways. In this video playlist of clips from BBC's Icons: The Greatest Person of the 20th Century, meet Muhammad Ali, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., Pablo Picasso, Jane Goodall, Pelé, Billie Holiday and others — each a trailblazer who shaped history through courage, creativity, and conviction. A perfect playlist to inspire young minds to think big and act boldly!
In Can We Stop the Glacier Melt?, geologist Iain Stewart explains the crucial role ice plays in our planet’s climate and how it’s being affected by global warming. Scientists are studying Greenland's massive Jakobshavn Glacier to understand how the ice is melting and the impact that has on rising sea levels. Over just the last few decades, the glacier has retreated significantly, and if Greenland's ice melts completely, it could raise sea levels by 23 feet (7 meters), threatening places like London and Florida. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Earth: The Power of the Planet, a documentary series in which Dr. Iain Stewart discovers how Earth's forces can shape nature, species, and even the climate.
In Tanni Grey-Thompson, a Voice for Disability, sports journalist Clare Balding explores how Tanni Grey-Thompson not only fought for equality in sports for people with disabilities but also in everyday life. She talks to Grey-Thompson about her achievements and goals. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Icons: The Greatest Person of the 20th Century, a documentary series celebrating the achievements of the most influential figures of the era.
In The Go Jetters Play at Wimbledon, the Go Jetters crew is in London at the Wimbledon tennis court. Ubercorn shares funky facts about Wimbledon including what makes the stadium unique and why it has a guard hawk. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four international heroes as they travel the globe visiting landmarks and solving environmental problems with Ubercorn, a disco-dancing
In The Go Jetters' Tower Bridge Rescue, the Go Jetters crew is in London when the Tower Bridge breaks! Grandmaster Glitch is up to no good! The Go Jetters work together to get the bridge working again. Ubercorn shares funky facts about the Tower Bridge. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four international heroes as they travel the globe visiting landmarks and solving environmental problems with Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
In The History of Toilets, presenter Ruth Goodman is at Westminster in London to learn how the toilet was invented. Learn what the development of the toilet has to do with Queen Elizabeth, the Thames River, Thomas Crapper, and public health. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Inside the Factory, a series that takes viewers behind the scenes in the factories that make our favorite products.
In The Go Jetters Visit London's Big Ben, the Go Jetters crew visits London’s House of Parliament, home to Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben. Learn how the huge bell is struck on the hour to keep time for the city of London. This video is excerpted from BBC's Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four plucky international heroes as they travel the globe visiting the world’s most famous landmarks with their friend and mentor, Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
Skateboarding made its Olympic debut as an optional sport in 2020, and it'll become a permanent fixture in 2028. But long before the Olympics caught on, skaters had already found their spot.
Back in the 1970s, London's South Bank was known for something other than tourists and river views: skateboarders, drawn to the smooth concrete and sloped walls of the Undercroft Skate Space. Decades later, an exhibit is celebrating that space — a hollowed-out concrete bowl with a cult following — through art, memorabilia, and film.
The Undercroft is where a generation of skaters learned the sport (safety gear very much included). But for years, this free public space faced a real threat: developers tried repeatedly to shut it down or move skaters elsewhere.
The skaters didn't budge. Their persistence paid off — the space was saved, renovated, and eventually celebrated as a landmark. Today, skaters and BMX riders of every age still roll through the Undercroft, part of a community it helped build.
Move over, Superman. There are new heroes flying through the sky! The women of London’s Air Ambulance fly helicopters staffed with medical crews that take to the skies to save lives and inspire people everywhere. Not only do these teams provide critical care to people in need, but they also shape future generations by demonstrating what’s possible for women. But, it’s not specific to inspiring kids. A current pilot actually came from a full career as an accountant before moving from The Cloud to the clouds.
As impressive as it already is, the company is always striving to improve. They’ve recently gotten a team together to operate an ECMO, a life-support system for patients with severe, life-threatening heart or lung failure. Everyone works as a team to make sure patients get transported quickly and safely. The pilots not only fly the choppers but are instrumental in helping the medical team get set up for success and allowing them to focus on the patients.
What happens when a zoo animal gets sick? For most of the history of zoos, that question had an answer most visitors never saw. Now, one of the world's oldest zoological societies is building a facility designed to change that — and what they're planning goes well beyond routine checkups.
The Zoological Society of London is constructing a new wildlife health center that will allow visitors to observe animals receiving medical care firsthand. Some of what they'll see will be routine — weight checks, dental exams, the kind of maintenance that keeps zoo populations healthy. But onlookers may also get a window into surgical procedures, and in some cases, postmortems. It's an unusually transparent approach for an institution that has traditionally kept its medical operations behind closed doors.
Not everyone is convinced. Critics argue the center is more about capitalizing on public curiosity than genuinely benefiting the animals in its care — that making medicine into a spectator sport serves the zoo's revenue more than its residents.
ZSL pushes back on that framing. The center is designed to be more than an exhibit. It's intended to function as a global training resource for wildlife vets, a hub where expertise in animal medicine can be developed and shared across institutions worldwide. The argument is that visibility and conservation aren't in conflict — that showing people what it actually takes to keep wild animals healthy is exactly the kind of thing that builds the public understanding zoos increasingly depend on to justify their existence.
The deeper question the center raises isn't really about one zoo or one building. It's about what zoos are actually for — and whether letting people watch is a compromise of that mission or an extension of it.
Flying over London in a jet? What a view! Can you figure out what time Big Ben is showing? Pretend you’re in the Vroomster soaring above London. Act out what you can see.
Meet the Icons of the 20th Century. From brilliant scientists and inspiring activists to legendary athletes and artists, these remarkable individuals changed the world in powerful ways. In this video playlist of clips from BBC's Icons: The Greatest Person of the 20th Century, meet Muhammad Ali, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., Pablo Picasso, Jane Goodall, Pelé, Billie Holiday and others — each a trailblazer who shaped history through courage, creativity, and conviction. A perfect playlist to inspire young minds to think big and act boldly!
In Can We Stop the Glacier Melt?, geologist Iain Stewart explains the crucial role ice plays in our planet’s climate and how it’s being affected by global warming. Scientists are studying Greenland's massive Jakobshavn Glacier to understand how the ice is melting and the impact that has on rising sea levels. Over just the last few decades, the glacier has retreated significantly, and if Greenland's ice melts completely, it could raise sea levels by 23 feet (7 meters), threatening places like London and Florida. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Earth: The Power of the Planet, a documentary series in which Dr. Iain Stewart discovers how Earth's forces can shape nature, species, and even the climate.
In Tanni Grey-Thompson, a Voice for Disability, sports journalist Clare Balding explores how Tanni Grey-Thompson not only fought for equality in sports for people with disabilities but also in everyday life. She talks to Grey-Thompson about her achievements and goals. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Icons: The Greatest Person of the 20th Century, a documentary series celebrating the achievements of the most influential figures of the era.
In The Go Jetters Play at Wimbledon, the Go Jetters crew is in London at the Wimbledon tennis court. Ubercorn shares funky facts about Wimbledon including what makes the stadium unique and why it has a guard hawk. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four international heroes as they travel the globe visiting landmarks and solving environmental problems with Ubercorn, a disco-dancing
In The Go Jetters' Tower Bridge Rescue, the Go Jetters crew is in London when the Tower Bridge breaks! Grandmaster Glitch is up to no good! The Go Jetters work together to get the bridge working again. Ubercorn shares funky facts about the Tower Bridge. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four international heroes as they travel the globe visiting landmarks and solving environmental problems with Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
In The History of Toilets, presenter Ruth Goodman is at Westminster in London to learn how the toilet was invented. Learn what the development of the toilet has to do with Queen Elizabeth, the Thames River, Thomas Crapper, and public health. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Inside the Factory, a series that takes viewers behind the scenes in the factories that make our favorite products.
In The Go Jetters Visit London's Big Ben, the Go Jetters crew visits London’s House of Parliament, home to Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben. Learn how the huge bell is struck on the hour to keep time for the city of London. This video is excerpted from BBC's Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four plucky international heroes as they travel the globe visiting the world’s most famous landmarks with their friend and mentor, Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.