To go alongside the 10-part BBC2 observational documentary series, is the first ever behind the scenes look at the British Museum. It will cover a year in the life of one of the world's great museums containing some remarkable collections of Egyptian, Roman and Greek treasures, including the Mummy of the priest Nesperennub, the Rosetta Stone and the famous sculptures of Parthenon known as the Elgin Marbles. Further to this we will see the famous Reading Room where Karl Marx worked and is still used by researchers and writers alike and the fantastic Great Court revamped by the architect Norman Foster.

Looking after these great collections are some 800 people from scholars and archaeologists to conservators and exhibition specialists. Between them they must look after the collections, devise and plan the great shows, and manage a flow of 4.5 million visitors a year. Now for the first time, we will go behind the scenes at the Museum to see what makes this remarkable place work.

Accompanying the 10-part BBC2 documentary series...

Rupert Smith, history, Museum