History's Greatest Mysteries

In 1587, a group of 117 English men, women and children set foot on Roanoke Island with the intention of establishing a permanent English settlement in the New World. The entire party subsequently vanished without explanation, leaving one of history’s most enduring mysteries.

The Lost Colony of Roanoke is a television episode that recounts a baffling episode from early English colonisation. Presented as a programme rather than a drama, it falls within the episode genre and concentrates on a single, historic incident that has intrigued scholars for centuries. The core of the story follows a group of 117 English settlers – men, women and children – who set foot on Roanoke Island in 1587. Their objective was to found a lasting English community in the New World, turning the island into a permanent foothold for their homeland across the Atlantic. What makes the narrative striking is that the entire party disappeared without a trace. Despite the clear intention to establish a settlement, the colonists vanished, leaving no definitive record of what happened to them. Their loss remains unexplained, turning the event into one of history’s enduring mysteries. The episode concentrates on this unresolved disappearance, highlighting the composition of the group and their 1587 arrival. By focusing solely on the fact that these English men, women and children vanished while attempting to create a permanent settlement, the programme offers a concise yet compelling account of the Lost Colony’s enigmatic fate.