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Ian Hislop presents an entertaining and provocative film about the colourful Victorian financiers whose spectacular philanthropy shows that banking wasn’t always associated with greed or self-serving financial recklessness. Victorian bankers achieved wealth on a scale never envisaged by previous generations, but many of them were far from comfortable about their new-found riches, which caused them intense soul-searching amidst furious national debate about the moral purpose of money and its potential to corrupt. Like so many other Victorian bankers, Samuel Gurney was a Quaker. Banking and its rewards seemed at odds with a faith that valued modest simplicity, but Gurney’s wealth helped the work of his sister, prison reformer Elizabeth Fry, who is immortalised on today’s five-pound note. Self-made millionaire George Peabody was a merchant banker who made an enormous donation to London housing. 150 years on, his housing estates still provide accommodation to 50,000 Londoners. Angela Burdett-Coutts became an overnight celebrity after she inherited the enormous Coutts fortune. With her love of small dogs and her vast stash, she could have been the Paris Hilton of her day. Instead, she went on to become a great philanthropist. Perhaps the richest of them all was Natty Rothschild, who tried not just to ensure that his personal wealth did good, but that his bank’s did too. Deploying his customary mix of light touch and big ideas, Ian champions these extraordinary and generous individuals. Along the way, he meets Dr Giles Fraser, until his recent, dramatic resignation canon chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, chairman of the FSA Lord Turner, philanthropic financier the current Lord Rothschild, historian A N Wilson and chief rabbi Lord Sacks.

How to Watch Ian Hislop: When Bankers Were Good Legally and Safely

If you want to stream Ian Hislop: When Bankers Were Good through reputable and legal services, there are a few good options depending on where you are. Subscription platforms like HBO Max, Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ sometimes carry Ian Hislop: When Bankers Were Good films or related DC titles—though availability depends on your country.

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Lastly, don’t forget about library‑linked streaming options like Kanopy or Hoopla (if your library or university is registered), and official uploads by film distributors on YouTube—these can also give you legal access to classic movies.