When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, it spewed molten rock, pumice, and hot ash over the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, killing thousands. Now, actor Tom Hiddleston is your guide to this ancient disaster in National Geographic’s new three-part docuseries, Pompeii: Out of Time.

The series combines historical facts with a dramatic narrative approach, featuring re-enacted scenes and high production values. Hiddleston delves into the lives of three individuals from Pompeii as they navigate their final 24 hours.

“There is just a passion to the way Tom tells stories that’s infectious,” said executive producer Kevin Wright, highlighting how this blend makes history more relatable. “This isn’t just ancient history; these were real people with lives not dramatically different from ours even though they lived over 2,000 years ago.”

The docuseries explores the idea of ‘historia’ – a merging of imagination and historical fact – showing that storytelling and history are intertwined in Latin. This approach makes the ancient past come alive for modern viewers.