The Guillotine examines the fascinating and bizarre history of the "national razor" that started out strictly for execution and then became a source of entertainment and amusement. In Scotland they called it "the Maiden," in England "the Halifax Gibbet," and in France "the Machine," "the Widow," and "the Guillotine." It existed for hundreds of years, but found its home in France during the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror when nearly 20,000 men, women and children died beneath its blade. Through dramatic reenactments and archival documentation of famous executions, the program explores the early technology of the guillotine and its bloodstained career throughout Europe.

Stacy Keach
as Narrator (Voice)

Whitney Alves
as Re-creations

Stephen Cornwell
as Re-creations

Tommy Elledge II
as Re-creations

Nickolena Gibbons-Elledge
as Re-creations

Kenneth Sollazzo
as Re-creations

Tim Redmond
as Re-creations

Jeffrey Scott
as Re-creations

Tanya R. Tollefson
as Re-creations

Eli Borggraefe
as Re-creations