View source for The Gunpowder Plot: Exploding the Legend

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Gppetl screenshot.jpg
| caption              = The title screen for ''The Gunpowder Plot: Exploding the Legend''
| genre                = documentary
| creator              = Darlow Smithson Productions, Ltd.
| writer               =
| director             = [[Mike Slee]]
| developer            = 
| presenter            = [[Richard Hammond]]
| starring             = 
| voices               = 
| narrated             = 
| theme_music_composer = Richard Attree
| open_theme            = 
| end_theme             = 
| composer             = 
| country              = United Kingdom
| language             = 
| num_seasons          = 
| num_episodes         = 
| list_episodes        = 
| executive_producer   = Richard Battin
| producer             = Mike Slee
| editor               = Ross Bradley
| location             = UK, Spain
| cinematography       = 
| camera               = Lee Butterby<br>Peter Allibone<br>Chris Bryant<br>Mike Craven Todd<br>Dave Baillie (aerial photography)
| runtime              = 104 min.
| channel              = [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|2005|11|01|df=yes}}
| last_aired           = 
| related              =  
}}

'''''The Gunpowder Plot: Exploding the Legend''''' was a British television show, hosted by [[Richard Hammond]] that recreated elements of the [[Gunpowder Plot]] in which [[Guy Fawkes]] attempted to blow up the [[Palace of Westminster|House of Lords]].

First aired on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV1]] on 1 November 2005, this £1 million<ref>[http://moreresults.factiva.com/results/index/index.aspx?ref=DAISTA0020051031e1av0000t Factiva Search<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> programme centres on a reconstruction of the Houses of Parliament as they were in 1605 (the current ones had not yet been built at the time of the Gunpowder Plot), constructed using period equivalent methods wherever possible. This was stocked with mannequins to represent notable commoners, members and the king before the bomb was detonated. The programme was made to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the plot.

==Synopsis==
The programme explores through partial dramatization the plot itself, and the persons involved. It also answers the question of whether the plot would have actually worked: the Houses of Parliament would have been completely obliterated, and most of the windows in nearby [[Westminster Abbey]] would have been shattered.

The first hurdle to overcome was the actual recreation of the 17th-century Houses of Parliament. As the buildings were demolished to expand the current structures, Simon Carter, the Parliamentary Curator provided drawings of the original structures for the recreated structure to utilise using 650 tonnes of concrete. Explosives expert Sidney Alford helped to determine that thirty-six barrels containing one [[cubic ton]]<ref name="manser"/> of gunpowder were used in the plot. Alford further proved that the "decayed" powder was classified as such because it was unsuitable for infantry use, but could still detonate.<ref name="plotterswish">{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article584830.ece |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110604000218/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article584830.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 June 2011 |title=Gunpowder plotters get their wish, 400 years on |accessdate=2008-07-10 |author=Adam Sherwin |date=31 October 2005 |work=The Times |publisher=Times Newspapers Ltd | location=London}}</ref>

The dramatic experiment, conducted on the [[Advantica (UK)|Advantica]]-owned [[RAF Spadeadam|Spadeadam test site]] and overseen by [[Arup Group Limited|Arup]], proved unambiguously that the explosion would have, at the very least, killed all those attending the State Opening of Parliament in the Lords chamber,<ref name="plotterswish"/> including, according to historical consultant Justin Pollard, [[James I of England|King James I and VI of Scotland]], [[Archbishop of Canterbury|Archbishop]] [[Richard Bancroft|Bancroft]], [[Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton|Lord Northampton]] and the philosopher [[Francis Bacon]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060927152913/http://www.show.me.uk/gunpowderplot/adults_people_lc.htm The Gunpowder Plot: Parliament & Treason 1605 - People<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/francis-bacon Francis Bacon: Biography and Much More from Answers.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>{{unreliable source|date=November 2024}}{{Failed verification|date=November 2024}}

[[File:Gpp.blastradius montage.jpg|right|thumb|400px|The [[blast radius]] indicated in red would have killed everyone within it, while those in the blue-shaded area would likely be harmed by falling debris.]]
The power of the explosion, which surprised even gunpowder experts, was such that {{convert|7|ft|m|adj=mid|-deep}} solid concrete walls (made deliberately to replicate how archives suggest the walls in the old House of Lords were constructed) were reduced to rubble. Measuring devices placed in the chamber to calculate the force of the blast were themselves destroyed by it, while the skull of the [[mannequin]] representing King James, which had been placed on a throne inside the chamber surrounded by courtiers, peers and bishops, was found far from the site. 

According to the findings of the programme, no one within 100 metres of the blast would have survived, and all windows within a large distance of the palace would have been shattered, including the stained-glass windows of Westminster Abbey. The power of the explosion would have been heard at least five miles away, and seen from much further. Even if only half the gunpowder had gone off, everyone in the House of Lords and its environs would have been killed instantly. The blast would have been mostly directed upwards, Arup blasting consultant David Haddon, pointed out, raining debris in a 200-meter radius.<ref name="plotterswish" />

The later part of the programme addressed the [[Contrafactual history|contrafactual historical]] aspects, had the plot actually succeeded. Pollard notes that the conspirators ideally planned to use the bombing to create a Catholic monarchy, with [[Robert Catesby]] and the Catholics in power while James's nine-year-old daughter, princess [[Elizabeth of Bohemia|Elizabeth]], sat on the throne. Pollard speculates that English history would have therefore more closely resembled that of [[France]], which overthrew its monarchy and became a republic, and that a [[President (government title)|president]] would be living in [[Buckingham Palace]] today.

However, Pollard points out that, in all likelihood, the result would have been much the same as what actually transpired, with the conspirators caught and executed. Additionally, had the plot succeeded, there would have been a massacre of Catholics, who accounted for 5% of the populace, with the worst-case scenario  [[Genocide|leading to their complete extermination within England:]] "In reality, the blast would have sent shockwaves through the Protestant community, bolstering their resolve against the hugely outnumbered Catholics and sparking ruthless revenge." Pollard concludes that the plot was a "stupid" plan, stating that "you can't change the politics of a whole country just by blowing up a few hundred people".<ref>{{cite news |title=Catholic terrorists attack London! |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2005/11/05/2003278905 |access-date=2025-09-14 |work=The Taipei Times |agency=AFP |date=2005-11-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070505185726/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2005/11/05/2003278905 |archive-date=2007-05-05}}</ref>

==Cast==

* [[Richard Hammond]] - ''Host''
* [[Justin Pollard]] - ''Historical Consultant''

==Historical dramatization==

* [[Henry Douthwaite]] as [[Guy Fawkes]]<br />[[Stuart Liddle]] as [[James I of England|King James I]]<br />[[Matt Rozier]] as [[Robert Catesby]]<br />[[Jonathan Dunstan]] as [[Thomas Wintour|Thomas Winteur]]<br />[[Daniel Hoadley]] as [[Thomas Percy (plotter)|Thomas Percy]]<br />[[Toby Knight (actor)|Toby Knight]] as [[John Wright (Gunpowder Plot)|John Wright]]<br />[[Tallulah Boote Bond]] as [[Elizabeth of Bohemia|Princess Elizabeth]]<br />[[John Joyce (actor)|John Joyce]] as [[Henry Garnet|Father Henry Garnet]]

==Production==
[[File:Exploding the Legend cast and crew.jpg|thumb|right|Presenter [[Richard Hammond]] and director [[Mike Slee]] with the cast and crew, shown during filming of the Tavern scene on location at [[Kentwell Hall]], [[Suffolk]].]]
When approached with the idea of building a full-size replica of Parliament, stuffing the basement with gunpowder and blowing it up, presenter Richard Hammond considered it a hoax, saying that he "simply did not believe that anyone would be crazy enough to recreate the Gunpowder Plot."<ref name="blastfromthepast">{{cite web |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16316997&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=blast-from-the-past-name_page.html |title=BLAST FROM THE PAST Richard Hammond recreates the Gunpowder Plot .. for real |accessdate=2008-07-10 |author=Richard Hammond |date=1 November 2005 |work=Daily Mirror |publisher=MGN Ltd }}</ref>

Production of the documentary took six months. While historical research was underway in England, Hammond and explosives expert [[Sidney Alford]] had to travel to Spain to buy some gunpowder, as not enough was available in the UK. They were stopped at the French border by [[customs]] because, "perhaps unsurprisingly, our expert turned out to be contaminated with traces of just about every form of explosive known to man, triggering a security alert."<ref name="blastfromthepast" />

The [[7 July 2005 London bombings]] occurred during the programme's production, prompting concerns about the subject matter. Hammond insisted on continuing production, believing that the attacks made the documentary more relevant than ever:

{{cquote|There were those who said we should stop our project, that it was insensitive. I disagreed. This is, after all, the story of a young man who felt persecuted in his country, who travelled abroad to learn how to use explosives and returned prepared to perpetrate an appalling act of terrorism - and if that rings a bell, so it should.<ref name="blastfromthepast" />}} [[File:Gpp.exp montage.jpeg|right|thumb|300px|The power of the explosion surprised gunpowder experts.]]
For the reconstruction of Parliament, production designer Jo Manser was given the task.<ref name="manser">{{cite web|url=http://www.broadcastfreelancer.com/broadcast/content/ViewEditorialContentStory.do?contentId=1601 |title=In Profile: production designer Jo Manser |accessdate=2008-07-10 |work=Broadcast Freelancer |publisher=Broadcastnow.co.uk |date=5 November 2005 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060329220258/http://www.broadcastfreelancer.com/broadcast/content/ViewEditorialContentStory.do?contentId=1601 |archivedate=29 March 2006 }}</ref> Manser said the set (to scale as it was in 1605: 11m by 23m and 16m high) required a production crew of 45 people, and cost £200k.<ref name="manser" /> The set was built between July and September 2005. AP [[structural engineers]] were consulted to assess the equations used building the structure to ensure accuracy and safety. Manser noted the topic of setting off an explosion at Parliament allowed the novelty of blowing up a set compared to conventional disposal methods, saying that the explosion "was a more exciting way to dispose of it."<ref name="manser" />

For the interior filming, fifteen small digital cameras were used, such as the [[Sony DSR-PD150]]. For the external shots of the explosion, a [[slow motion]] camera was used, not the type typically used in television filming. Advantica used them to study the explosions frame by frame.<ref name="manser" />

==Reception==

[[Adam Nicolson]] of [[The Guardian]] wrote in August that the casting of Hammond was "eccentric."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/aug/04/past.comment | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Guy Fawkes was also trained abroad | date=4 August 2005 | accessdate=25 May 2010 | first=Adam | last=Nicolson}}</ref> [[Tom Sutcliffe (broadcaster)|Thomas Sutcliffe]] of [[The Independent]] noted with "satisfaction" that the documentary was "irresistible to anyone with a weakness for the delicious combination of immediate spectacle and delayed climax."<ref name="reviews">{{cite web |url=http://www.mikeslee.co.uk/reviews01.htm |title=Mike Slee Producer / Director / Writer | accessdate=2008-07-10}}</ref> [[Sunday Express]]' Adrian Pettet points out that ''Gunpowder'' is "a cross between [[Mechannibals]] and [[Timewatch]], it's great fun and there is a bit of proper history smuggled in there too".<ref name="reviews" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/gunpowder_hutton_01.shtml What If the Gunpowder Plot Had Succeeded?]
*[http://www.gunpowderplot.parliament.uk The History of the Gunpowder Plot (Produced by The Parliamentary Archives)]
*[http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/ukandireland/a/gunpowderindex.htm The Gunpowder Plot of 1605]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07081b.htm ''Catholic Encyclopedia'': The Gunpowder Plot]
*[http://www.show.me.uk/gunpowderplot The Gunpowder Plot (Website exploring the history of the plot for younger users)]
*[http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/g08.pdf The Gunpowder Plot (House of Commons Information Sheet)]
*{{IMDb title|id=0492459}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gunpowder Plot: Exploding The Legend, The}}
[[Category:Gunpowder Plot]]
[[Category:Anglicanism]]
[[Category:British documentary television films]]
[[Category:Historical reenactment events]]
[[Category:British historical television series]]
[[Category:ITV (TV network) original programming]]
[[Category:2005 in British television]]