The core of this season is the gripping three episode documentary "Shakespeare: The Rise of Genius" by BBC Channel 2 and iPlayer, composed of frontline actors including Lady Judy Dench, Lady Helen Mirren, Brian Cox, Adrian Leicester, Lolita Chakrabati, Martin Freeman and Jesse Buckley, as well as scholars and writers James Shapiro Janet Winterson, Lucy Jago, Jeremy O'Harris, and Ewan Fernie provide new insights into the incredible stories of our greatest writers, their place and time of residence, and their works.