In Time Commanders, contestants play against a computer simulation of various battles in ancient history. The object of the game is to lead their army to victory.

The studio has a large screen which displays an overview of the battlefield. The team is made up of two generals, who are in overall command of the situation, and two liuetenants, who must put the decisions of the generals into action.

In the first part of the show, the team gets to send scouts out to have a look at the battlefield and the enemy. The rest of the show consists of the team having a battle in real-time with the enemy.

Throughout the show two experts watch from a balcony and give the viewer commentary on how the battle was really played out in history, and how well the team are doing.

At the end of the show, the computer screen will display a message telling the team and the viewers whether they have won or not. After this, the experts will come down off their balcony and tell the team what they did right or wrong, and explain exactly how the battle happened in real life.

The first series of Time Commanders was broadcast in late 2003. The series featured battles from the times of the Romans. It was presented by Eddie Mair. The second series was broadcast in early 2005. The style of the second series was somewhat different from the first. Eddie Mair had left and was replaced by Richard Hammond. There was no commentary, so the job of explaining the battle was left to the experts. The background music was louder, and fast-moving split screens were introduced. The job of choosing which members of the team were to be generals was now down to the experts instead of the team themselves.

The gameplay also changed from the first series to the second. In the first series, the battle was fought in one go. In the second, the programme began with a brief "skirmish" between the two sides. This would give the team some time to establish their strengths and weaknesses. Also, the team was allowed to "pause" the battle for a few seconds in the game.

Time Commanders is made by Lion Television for BBC Two.

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