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Horrible Histories - Historical Desktops - Compilation
Historical Desktops is a series of sketches featuring historical characters using the internet, first introduced in Series 2 of Horrible Histories.
If some of these historical figures had a computer or tablet then perhaps these are some of the things they would’ve been doing if they had one.
Sketches[]
Cleopatra[]
- Episode: Series 2, Episode 2
- Era: Awful Egyptians
Cleopatra (portrayed by Martha Howe-Douglas) courts Mark Antony(portrayed by Matthew Baynton) via the social network.
Henry VIII[]
- Episode: Series 2, Episode 12
- Era: Terrible Tudors
Henry VIII (portrayed by Ben Willbond) surfs dating services & winds up starting the English Reformation online.
Mainly one of Rattus's Imagine Spots.
Guest Star: Jim Howick as Pope Clement VII
Ethelred the Unready[]
- Episode: Series 3, Episode 8
- Era: Vicious Vikings
Ethelred the Unready suffers cyberbullying at the hands of Viking raiders.They ask him for money, and he pays them.
Example of an Historical Desktop
Queen Elizabeth I[]
- Episode: Series 4, Episode 3
- Era: Terrible Tudors
Elizabeth I (portrayed by Martha Howe-Douglas) takes her search for the perfect consort online.
King John[]
- Episode: Series 4, Episode 11
- Era: Measly Middle Ages
King John’s(portrayed by Jim Howick) concern for his social media status leads him to accidentally sign the Magna Carta through an email sent by the barons. He soon video chats his mother after his brother Richard's death.
Goofs[]
- Richard II's portrait is used in Richard I's profile, and the calendar says "1190 AD" instead of "1199 AD".
Neville Chamberlain[]
- Episode: Series 5, Episode 11
- Era: Woeful Second World War
Neville Chamberlain gauges the reaction to his new European peace settlement.
Historical Tablets[]
From Series 6 onwards, Historical Laptops was replaced with Historical Tablets likely to appeal to younger audiences.
William the Conqueror[]
- Episode: Wicked William the Conqueror (Series 6 Episode 3)
- Era: Ruthless Rulers
William organizes his invasion after learning things hadn’t gone to plan.
Emperor Nero[]
- Episode: Bolshy Boudica (Series 6 Episode 9)
- Era: Rotten Romans
Emperor Nero doesn’t seem bothered at first by Boudica, but when you dislike his Boo-Tube videos you’re History!
William Shakespeare[]
- Episode: Sensational Shakespeare (Series 7 Special 1)
- Era: Slimy Stuarts
The Bard quickly comes up with a play for King James I, to earn the title of ‘The King’s Men’.
Samuel Pepys[]
- Episode: The Grisly Great Fire of London (Series 7 Special 3)
- Era: Slimy Stuarts
Samuel Pepys fails to get the King or Lord Mayor Bludwin to deal with the fire that has broken out, who don’t seem very concerned!
Jefferson & Bonaparte[]
Napoleon is selling off New Orleans and Thomas Jefferson is keen to get his hands on it, and after an interruption from King George III, Jefferson manages to negotiate very well!
Trivia[]
- King John's wallpaper "I CAN HAS ROAST SWAN" is a parody of the now famous "I CAN HAS CHEEZEBURGER" meme.
- Aethelred's wallpaper has the "No Vikings" sign.
- Henry VIII's wallpaper is the classical version of Bliss, a default wallpaper for Windows XP
- The computer sound effects are from Windows 3.1, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows XP.
- Mullions XP, Windows XPlode and Stained Glass Windows XP are parodies of Windows XP.
- Some websites were parodied like:
- BooTube - parody of YouTube
- Gargoyle - parody of Google
- Trype - parody of Skype
- Nile - parody of Amazon
- Yebo/Mummy-bo - mostly a parody of MySpace or Facebook
- Norsebook/Macebook - parody of Facebook
- Chitter/Twaddler - parody of Twitter
- Thyspace - parody of MySpace
- YeBay - parody of eBay
- Tudor Brides and MySingleHeadOfState - parody of various online dating sites.
External Links[]
- Historical Desktops at Horrible Histories TV