In Search of the Dark Ages is a BBC television documentary series, written and presented by historian Michael Wood, first shown between 1979 and 1981.

It comprises eight short films across two series, each focusing on a particular character from the history of England prior to the Norman Conquest, a period popularly known as the Dark Ages.

The films were mostly composed of visits to battlefields, cathedrals and other early medieval sites in England to view the actual places where the great events of history occurred.

[citation needed] At a time when documentaries were often the exclusive preserve of academics, Wood's youth, fashion, and enthusiasm[14] were regarded as being the key to the success of the series.

[16] As well as the eight subjects of the television series, the book includes a ninth chapter on the Sutton Hoo man which was not made into a TV episode.

[17] Contemporary reviews of the book included comments such as: "Wood's carefully researched foray into early medieval Britain sifts a number of unresolved mysteries" (Publishers Weekly).