In 2013, Lisa Edwards, UK publishing and commercial director of Scholastic Corporation, described Horrible Histories as one of the company's "crown jewels", and said it is at an "advanced stage of evolution".
A rebooted version of the 2009 sketch show began airing in 2015, retaining some members of the original cast in guest roles but with each episode focusing on a particular historical figure.
Actors in Series 6 included Ben Miller, Rowan Atkinson, Kathryn Drysdale, Kevin Eldon, Simon Farnaby, Sarah Hadland, Lorna Watson, Jim Howick and Jessica Ransom.
This series won an International Emmy Kids Award in Cannes in April 2017 for the episode 'Crooked King John and Magna Carta’.
The writers and cast of the 2009 series were responsible for the 2015 family adventure comedy film Bill, a fictional imagining of what happened during the 'lost years' of William Shakespeare's life.
[5][6] Bill has no formal connection to the Horrible Histories franchise, but through its writers, performers, content and humour shows a number of similarities.
[5] In 2019, the film Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans, from a new cast and writing team, was released to positive reviews, though generally less favourable than those for Bill.
They were published by Eaglemoss Publications, distributed by Cornag Magazine Marketing, printed by UK company Headley Bros, colour originated by Icon Reproductions, and released every fortnight.
[9] A monthly Horrible Histories magazine aimed at ages 7 to 10 was launched in the UK in October 2012, published by Immediate Media Company.
Horrible Histories Prom was a 2011 concert showcasing the original songs of the 2009 TV series, interspersed with classical music.
In 2003 and 2004, BBC Worldwide released 10 CDs of Audio tape/CD dramatizations of books from the Horrible Histories series, starring Terry Deary.
The response has been generally positive:Terry Deary and Martin Brown's brilliant books about the nastiest periods in history have now—with the help of some astounding actors—been transformed into a series of audio extravaganzas.
Featuring new, extra material not found anywhere in the books, these sound spectaculars are just as thrilling and spilling, funny and fast as their printed counterparts.
It's packed with quizzes, sketches, music and jokes, as well as mini-dramas and real life re-enactments—telling you the kind of foul facts which just aren't available from a classroom education!
The idea is that users will be able to explore areas with names like "Rotten Rome", "Awesome Egypt", and "Terrible Tudor London".
[22] One of the main ones, released in 2013, is the Battle Arena, which features action figures based on the book illustrations by Martin Brown.
Terry Deary and Mike Siggins are the designers, the artwork was done by Martin Brown and Dave Smith, and the text was by Simon Breed.
The content, which was designed and developed by Red Bee Media, was commissioned by Horrible Histories[35] to work in tandem with the 2009 CBBC TV series.
An interactive spoof talent show campaign was also launched, in which various historical characters vied for the title "Horrible Hero".
"[43] Author Terry Deary stated in March 2003 that he had plans for a £130 million theme park "...on an enormous scale, something that will really put this region on the map the way Disney World has done for Florida."
[50] These original plans fell through, but new talks are underway about a second proposal, based in County Durham, which would include the Horrible Histories name.
He wanted the audience to be fully immersed into the culture of the period, "Over there is Mr Shakespeare rehearsing a play and having trouble with the Puritans ... over here are the preparations for Queen Elizabeth's visit...in that house is a craftsman turning wooden bowls, and in that one a woman selling roast thrushes to take away while there is a house being built using genuine tools and skills and over there a Tudor ship.
"The original plans included an all-weather attraction where recreated villages from the Roman times to Tudor and Victorian England were to be encased in domes similar to the Eden Project in Cornwall.