Plot

Humorous review of British history.

The film consists of sketches concerning British history. The sketch "The Ages of Man" is a comparison between men of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Modern Era. The sketch "1066" depicts the Battle of Hastings (1066) between the armies of Harold Godwinson and William the Conqueror. It is described in the style of a modern football match. Also depicted are the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Cardiff.

The sketch "Scott of the Antarctic" depicts the explorer Robert Falcon Scott and the ill-fated Terra Nova expedition of 1910-1913. The sketch "The First Spin Doctor" depicts Henry V of England in a meeting with his spin doctor. The sketch "Treaty of Westphalia" depicts the eponymous diplomatic meeting (1648) which concluded the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). The sketch "Marriage Guidance" depicts Henry VIII of England and his wife Catherine Parr seeking help from a marriage counselor.

Subsequent sketches depict the lives of commoners in various ages, the family saga of the Nice-But-Dim Family through its encounters with highwaymen and military figures, the fates of explorers Francis Drake, Ferdinand Magellan, and Walter Raleigh, a humorous look at the Victorian Age (1837-1901) and a depiction of the history of British theatrical comedy.

In the penultimate sketch "When Columbo discovered America", King Ferdinand II of Aragon assigns the exploration of the Americas to homicide detective Columbo instead of Christopher Columbus. The final sketch is a parody of the medical drama "Casualty", and depicts the series character Mike Barratt.