Samuel L Jackson to front BBC Two documentary about transatlantic slave trade

Jackson will appear alongside author and Guardian writer Afua Hirsch, and investigative journalist Simcha Jacobovici.

Enslaved promises to bring to life both the enslaved people and their European captors using retrieved artefacts and “dramatic reconstruction”. The show will also use the latest diving technology – think advanced 3D mapping and ground-penetrating radar – to locate and examine sunken slave ships across three continents.

While deep-sea divers will explore sites in UK, the Caribbean and Florida, experts on land will investigate the stories behind related locations in Ghana, England and the Americas.

The BBC says: “Enslaved provides a fresh and authentic history of the transatlantic slave trade - one that demonstrates to today’s audiences that this is a truly global story. It celebrates the cultures that millions of enslaved people left behind, and the impact those who survived had on world culture today.”

Freemantle's Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade is set to premiere in the US as a six-part series, but the BBC has “re-versioned” the show into four episodes.

“British viewers will also be fascinated to see Bristol's role in this history, as writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch visits the now infamous – and since toppled – statue of Edward Colston. With impressive and ground-breaking production values, this is an unmissable look at a near lost history,” said Distributor Jamie Lynn.

The BBC has not announced an air date for the series.

Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade will air on BBC Two. See what else is on with our TV Guide.