History Series / HorribleHistories

* OneSteveLimit: Deliberately -- not to say enthusiastically -- averted by writer Rickard, who always tries to get Geoff into the Historical Paramedics sketches.

* OneSteveLimit: Deliberately -- not to say enthusiastically -- averted by writer Rickard, who shoehorns as many 'Geoff's into his skits as possible.

** Which was in turn recently lampshaded during a [=BAFTA=] ceremony interview with the cast. "What's the secret to your tremendous success?" Rickard (completely deadpan): "Mat's eyes."

** Amusingly reversed when Baynton landed a role in adult sitcom ''Spy''. Cue endless variations on "...that guy from ''Horrible Histories'' is in it!"

In 2010, this became more obvious when the second series won three children's [=BAFTA=]s for writing, performing and Best Comedy, ''plus'' a surprise British Comedy Award for Best Sketch Comedy. As a result a six-part version was made for main adult channel BBC1, which featured the best sketches as introduced by StephenFry.

Currently filming its fourth series following a successful BBC Prom concert at the Royal Albert Hall. It has been announced that Reece Shearsmith and his TheLeagueOfGentlemen troupe will be joining the cast for some upcoming sketches.

* OneSteveLimit: Deliberately -- not to say enthusiastically -- averted by writer Rickard, who shoehorns as many 'Geoffs' into his skits as possible.

* OneSteveLimit: Deliberately -- not to say enthusiastically -- averted by writer Rickard, who shoehorns as many 'Geoffs' into his skits as possible.

** Aaahhh... Rattus claiming that The Hundred Years War took hundred years; it did not, it lasted 116 years. There are other slips as well. But you generally have to be a histoorian to notice them.

** Danke Magazine. Whole series is full of Ho Ya.

** Ethelred the Unready getting e-mails from Olav of Norway, and on Norsebook with Sven of Denmark posting requests for Danegeld on his wall...

** Charles II and Thomas Blood ("The man who tried to steal the crown juwles"). Charles- while looking like a puppy- is saying "I love him". Or earlier: "You must come round to the palace for tea."

* MadLibsCatchPhrase - Bob Hale has a tendency to give lists in the form of "X, and Y, and Z, except ''not'' Y," where X and Z are historical facts and Y is a humorous anachronism. Usually helicopters.

* ImagineSpot: What if gladiator school was run like a modern junior high? Or if Henry VIII had access to the internet? Usually courtesy Rattus -- complete with 'imagine if...' and wavy dissolve cut ([[LampshadeHanging "Ooh, I'm imaginin' it, I'm imaginin' it...!"]]).

* VillainSong: Henry VIII's is deliberately styled as this. "...I had six sorry wives/You could say I ruined their lives..."

** Similarly, the "Historical Paramedics" sketches, although their patients rarely die -- presumably because the HPs are forced to flee the scene too quickly to avoid the present-day EMS.

* ActionGirl: You do ''not'' want to mess with Boudicca. Or for that matter several of the other female characters. The show actually makes something of a point of celebrating this trope.

** Similarly, the Historical Paramedics sketches, although their patients rarely die... presumably because they're forced to flee the scene too quickly to avoid the present-day EMS.

* PoirotSpeak: Sometimes. For example, the sketch at a German supply store during the Battle of Stalingrad - the whole thing is in English, except for the words ''Herr'' and ''Auf Wiedersen''.

* MadLibsCatchPhrase - Bob Hale has a tendency of giving lists in the form of "X, and Y, and Z, except ''not'' Y," where X and Z are historical facts and Y is humorous anachronism. "Y" is usually helicopters.

* PoirotSpeak: Sometimes. For example, the sketch at a German supply store during the Battle of Stalingrad - the whole thing is in English, except for the words "Herr" and "Auf Wiedersen."
* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: Averted and then some.

* SummersFamilyTree: The poor "This is Your Reign" Presenter gets very confused (and {{squick}}ed) by Cleopatra's family tree (including her marrying [[BrotherSisterIncest two of her brothers]] [[ParentalIncest and her father]]) when she appears on his show.

** Similarly, the Historical Paramedics sketches, although they rarely die.

* PoirotSpeak: Sometimes. For example, the sketch at a German supply store during the Battle of Stalingrad - the whole thing is in English, except for the words "Herr" "Guten Tag" and "Auf Wiedersen."

** "Wallup!"
** "BIGGER THAN ME?!"
** "Good day"

** And Admiral Nelsons death and last words. And the hug he gets from his 'captain'.

* FridgeBrilliance: Some of the musical references, by matching historical ideas with comparable modern day genres. For example, Charles II, a king known for his excesses and love of partying, is portrayed as a rapper, while the women of World War Two are in a girl group, the Viking invaders of England are a hair metal band and Blackbeard the pirate captain sings GilbertAndSullivan-esque operetta. But the best example may be the song ''I'm a Greek'', which extols the virtues of Ancient Greece in the style of FlandersAndSwann. Donald Swann was a great admirer of Greek culture, and would no doubt heartily agree with the sentiments. A few are much more blatant, like a song about Dick Turpin to the tune of ''Stand and Deliver''.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Played with in a sketch in which a softspoken monk manages to bring the Viking assault on his monastery to a dead halt simply by asking what on ''earth'' they're doing there, which completely baffles them... for about a minute. "Oh yeah... 'cos violence is fun!". Cue the monk's running for his life.