Abigail Owen is the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author of 30+ books that range from upper YA (18+) epic romantasy to new adult modern mythic romantasy to super spicy adult paranormal romance. She loves magical worlds with plots that move hot and fast, feisty heroines with sass, heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles of HEAs! Other titles include: wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, AuDHD, spreadsheet lover, Jeopardy! fanatic, organizational guru, true classic movie buff, linguaphile, wishful world traveller, and chocoholic. Abigail currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own swoon-worthy hero, their (mostly) angelic teenagers, and an adorable fur baby. abigailowen.com

Abigail Owen

Abigail Ulman was born and raised in Melbourne. She has a BA in Creative Arts from the University of Melbourne/VCA and was a recent Wallace Stegner Fellow in Fiction at Stanford University. This is her first book.

Abigail Ulman

Abilio Estévez

Abir Mukherjee is the bestselling author of the award-winning Wyndham &amp; Banerjee series of crime novels set in 1920s India and the British Book Awards Crime Thriller of the Year 2025 Hunted. His books have been translated into sixteen languages and won various awards including the CWA Dagger for best Historical Novel, the Prix du Polar Européen, and the Wilbur Smith Award for Adventure Writing. 
 
 
He also co-hosts the popular Red Hot Chilli Writers podcast which takes a wry look at the world of books, writing, and the creative arts, tackling everything from bestsellers to pop culture. Abir grew up in Scotland and now lives in Surrey with his wife and two sons. 
 
 
Website: abirmukherjee.com Twitter, Threads &amp; Instagram: @radiomukhers Facebook: AuthorAbir

Abir Mukherjee

Abolqasem Ferdowsi

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham L. Newman is a professor at the School of Foreign Service and Government Department at Georgetown University. He is a 2022-2023 Berlin Prize winner and his work has been published in leading outlets like The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Washington Post, Nature, Science, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Harvard Business Review, and Politico.

Abraham Newman

Abraham Verghese

Absolut Vodka

Ad Putter

Ada Moncrieff is the author of Murder Most Festive, Murder at the Theatre Royale and Murder at Maybridge Castle. She lives and works in London.

Ada Moncrieff

Adam Aleksic is a linguist and content creator posting educational videos as the “Etymology Nerd” to an audience of over three million. As a linguistics student at Harvard College, he founded and served as president of the Harvard Undergraduate Linguistics Society. He’s discussed online language on NPR, repeatedly contributed to The Washington Post, and his work has been mentioned in The New York Times, The Economist, and The Guardian. He’s lectured on language and social media at Stanford, Yale, Georgetown, and other top universities, including a TEDx talk at the University of Pennsylvania. Adam is based in New York City, where he spends a lot of time scrolling TikTok for “research.”

Adam Aleksic

Adam Alter is an Associate Professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, and holds an affiliated appointment within the Psychology Department. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces That Shape How We Think, Feel and Behave and has written for The New York Times, New Yorker, Atlantic, Wired, Popular Science and numerous other publications.

Adam Alter

Professor Adam Balen is lead clinician at one of the UK's largest and most successful IVF units at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. In recognition of his research on fertility and related conditions, he holds a DSc (the highest academic degree in medicine) from the University of Leeds. Adam is internationally renowned, holding roles with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Federation of Gyneacology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gyneacologists (RCOG). He runs both NHS and private fertility clinics so he understands the issues that arise from both sides and he works closely with fertility patient support organisations across the UK. Adam regularly features in the media on all aspects of reproductive health and lectures widely throughout the world.

Adam Balen

Adam Baron

Adam Bornstein

Adam Brookes grew up in the UK and was a journalist with BBC News for many years. As a foreign correspondent he was based in Indonesia, China and the United States. Along the way he reported from many other countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea. He lives in Washington DC.

Adam Brookes

Adam Buxton

Adam Byatt started his cooking career at Claridge’s aged just 16. He first introduced his seasonal, sustainable philosophy with the opening of Thyme in 2004. Having achieved both local and critical success, he returned to Clapham Old Town with Trinity in 2006. Following from the success of Trinity, Adam opened Bistro Union in 2011, and oversaw the hugely successful launch of Upstairs at Trinity, a recipient of a Bib Gourmand Award. Trinity now holds a coveted Michelin Star as well as three AA rosettes and is visited by 50,000 diners a year. Voted in the top ten restaurants in London by both Hardens and Zagat, it has also been included in The Times’ Top 100 Restaurants in the UK, and voted by Opentable diners as one of the top ten restaurants in the UK. 
 
Adam was named Imbibe’s Restaurant Personality of The Year 2017 in recognition of his impact on the London dining scene as well as his commitment to passing on his culinary knowledge to future generations of young chefs. Adam has worked for many charities including DEBRA and Action Against Hunger and travels to numerous culinary schools and colleges to give talks on careers in the hospitality industry. Adam has been appointed Chef Director of Food and Beverage at Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair, where he oversees Charlie’s. Adam is now the Chairman of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and recently announced his sixth restaurant, Brasserie Constance, in Fulham Pier. He has appeared on numerous television shows including regular appearances on Saturday Kitchen and Great British Menu. From 2025 Adam will be chef-in-residence for Delicious magazine, also presenting a podcast.

Adam Byatt

Adam Christopher is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith and Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town. He has also written official tie-in novels for the hit CBS television show Elementary and the award-winning Dishonored video game franchise. Co-creator of the twenty-first-century incarnation of Archie Comics superhero The Shield, Adam has also written for the universes of Doctor Who and World of Warcraft, and is a contributor to the internationally bestselling Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View anniversary anthology series and the all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic. Adam’s original novels include Made to Kill and The Burning Dark, among many others, and his debut novel Empire State was both a SciFi Now and Financial Times book of the year.

Adam Christopher

Adam Foulds's most recent books are In the Wolf’s Mouth, The Quickening Maze, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the Encore Award and the European Union Prize for Literature, and The Broken Word, which won the Costa Poetry Award and the Somerset Maugham Award. He has recently been awarded the E.M. Forster Award by the American Academy of Arts and Letters and named as one of Granta’s ‘Best of Young British Novelists’.

Adam Foulds

Dr Adam Fox is a highly qualified and respected allergy specialist and consultant paediatric allergist and clinical lead for Allergy at Guy's &amp; St Thomas' Hospitals. The Times recently named him as one of Britain's top 100 children’s doctors. 
 
www.allergyfreebabyandtoddler.com

Adam Fox

Adam Frost

Adam Galinsky is currently the Morris and Alice Kaplan Professor of Ethics and Decision in Management at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He received his PhD from Princeton University in Social Psychology and his B.A. from Harvard University.

Adam Galinsky

Adam Glasser

Adam Goodfellow

Adam Goodwin

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at The Wharton School, where he has been the top-rated professor for seven straight years. His books have sold millions of copies, his TED talks have been viewed more than thirty-five million times, and he hosts the hit podcast Re:Thinking. His pioneering research has challenged widespread assumptions about motivation, success, character, and change, and his viral piece on languishing was the most-read New York Times article of 2021 and the most-saved article across platforms. He has been recognized as the world’s number-two most influential management thinker and one of Fortune’s 40 Under 40, and he has received distinguished scientific achievement awards from the American Psychological Association and the National Science Foundation. Grant received his B.A. from Harvard University and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, and he is a former Junior Olympic springboard diver and magician. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Allison Sweet Grant, a novelist and poet; their two cats (who don’t get along); and their three children (who mostly do).

Adam Grant

Adam and Charlotte met in Zanzibar while working with Voluntary Services Overseas. Upon their return to the UK, Charlotte completed an MA at Oxford Brookes and started her career in publishing. Adam in the meantime became writer-in-residence at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre before co-founding Storytelling Schools, an international organisation dedicated to training teachers in oracy, literacy and creativity. Adam and Charlotte's first book together was the best-selling and award-winning Spaghetti with the Yeti. Since then, Adam and Charlotte have continued to follow their passion for creating engaging books that inspire interaction and creativity in young readers.

Adam Guillain

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Melvyn Bragg

In this collection, Melvyn Bragg surveys how English has evolved over 1,000 years. He starts by looking at the disappearance of old dialects like that of Cumbria, and how English has been enriched by foreign languages, from Latin and Old French to dozens more as conquest, trade and immigration played their part in recent centuries. He also examines new coinages, puns and wordplay; how accents and social class are entwined; swear words; attempts to stop the evolution of language in its tracks; and, lastly, the many varieties of English that are spoken around the world today. 
 
Next, it's dialects from around Britain: the Pitmatic of Northumberland, the dialect of (London/Derry), the increasingly elusive Cornish dialect, Pidgin and Shropshire dialect, before finishing up with a speculation on the future of English dialects. Finally, Melvyn examines some of the many different varieties of English spoken around the world today, taking in Spanglish from the USA, Indian English, Caribbean English, Australian English, South African English and a kind of 'international English' used between non-native English speakers. 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Routes Of English Complete Series 1-4

Jon Ronson delves into the extraordinary history of our current cultural conflicts 
 
'A thoroughly satisfying listen' Miranda Sawyer, The Guardian 
 
From taking the knee to transgender rights, wedge issues are everywhere in modern life - dividing opinions, polarizing debate and tearing friendships and families apart. Even something as seemingly innocuous as wearing a facemask can provoke vicious disagreement. But how did we get here, and what does it mean for society going forward? In this gripping series, acclaimed writer and journalist Jon Ronson searches for the origin stories of the hostilities - the pebbles thrown in the pond, creating the ripples that led to where we are today. 
 
His quest leads him from the Swiss Alps in the 1970s to contemporary Michigan, as he tracks down the cultural warriors involved in shaping some of the defining ideological battles of our era. Among them are filmmaker Frank Schaeffer, whose debut documentary triggered the explosive abortion rows that still rage over 40 years later; AIDs activist Steve Pieters, who prompted a crisis of conscience for televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker; Kelly Michaels, a daycare worker embroiled in America's 'Satanic panic'; and Brad Templeton, who shared a joke on a message board in the early days of the Internet - and became the very first person to be publicly shamed for something they did online. 
 
Surprising, nuanced and full of unexpected twists, these amazing human stories shed new light on our most ferocious cultural clashes, illuminating how we got caught up in them - and what we can learn from them. 
 
NB: Contains language which some may find offensive and deals with adult themes 
 
Cast and credits 
Written and presented by Jon Ronson 
Produced by Sarah Shebbeare 
Assistant Producer: Sam Peach 
Original music by Phil Channell 
Mixed by Bob Nettles 
Editor: Philip Sellars 
 
With Frank Schaeffer, Amanda Robb, Rev Rusty Thomas, Alice Moore, Rev Jim Lewis, Roger McGough, Rev Ron English, Christian Gregory, Jay Bakker, Steve Pieters, Bob Larson, Jon Trott, Kelly Michaels, Brad Templeton, Luisa D'Amato, Brian Reid, Eric Charles, John Sack 
 
With thanks to Trey Kay 
Archive from the PTL network's 'Tammy's House Party' and the 'PTL Club' 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 November-28 December 2021 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Things Fell Apart

Strange stories from the history of the culture wars

Patrick Aryee

Season 1 of the hugely successful BBC radio series about the natural world and the awesome ways it has inspired us. 
 
 Over billions of years, animals have evolved and adapted, learning through trial and error the best strategies for surviving and thriving. So who better to help us humans when it comes to solving our own challenges? In this fascinating series, biologist and wildlife filmmaker Patrick Aryee tells the incredible stories of some remarkable animals, and the surprising ways they have enabled us to make technological and scientific breakthroughs. 
 
 From the kingfisher whose beak led to a redesign of the bullet train, to the spider's web that may help us detect the earth's vibrations and turn them into electricity, the animals in these 30 episodes all have extraordinary abilities that could revolutionise our world. There's the bloodsucking mosquito whose mouthparts might hold the key to a future of painless injections; the woodpecker whose hard head has given us ideas for better bicycle helmets and black box recorders; the shark whose scaly skin could show us how to fight superbugs, the tenacious mussel that could make risky foetal surgery safer and save lives - and many more. 
 
 And in the final, live show, we dig deeper into the world of biomimicry, and hear from listeners about other creatures who could spark innovation - including scorpions, tarantulas and hibernating bears... 
 
 Full of brilliant, bingeable tales and astonishing revelations, this mind-blowing natural history series will thrill animal lovers, science fans and anyone who's curious about our wonderful natural world. 
 
 
 Production credits 
 Presented by Patrick Aryee 
 Series producer: Sarah Blunt 
 Produced by Amelia Butterly 
 Live show produced by Mark Ward 
 Series and live show editor: James Cook 
 Music and sound design by Dan Pollard 
 Sound recordist: Chris Watson 
 
 First broadcast on the BBC World Service on the following dates: 
 
Track Listing 
 Kingfisher and bullet train 25 March 2019 
 Octopus and camouflage 1 April 2019 
 Mosquito and surgical needle 8 April 2019 
 Woodpecker and black box 15 April 2019 
 Bat and visual aid 22 April 2019 
 Tardigrade and vaccine transport 29 April 2019 
 Firefly and lightbulb 6 May 2019 
 Mussel and plywood 13 May 2019 
 Termite and ventilation system 20 May 2019 
 Cod and antifreeze 27 May 2019 
 Desert spider and Mars robot 3 June 2019 
 Sea otter and wetsuit 10 June 2019 
 Stenocara beetle and water collector 17 June 2019 
 Albatross and drone 24 June 2019 
 Shark and hospital surfaces 1 July 2019 
 Spider and rescue robot 8 July 2019 
 Gecko and adhesives 15 July 2019 
 Whale and wind turbine 22 July 2019 
 Spider and window glass 29 July 2019 
 Bat and unassisted flight 5 August 2019 
 Bombardier beetle and fuel injection 12 August 2019 
 Fish schools and windfarm 19 August 2019 
 Bat and robot 26 August 2019 
 Dolphin and tsunami detector 2 September 2019 
 Butterfly and butterfly house 9 September 2019 
 Mussel and foetal surgery 16 September 2019 
 Ant and networks 23 September 2019 
 Peacock and computer screen 30 September 2019 
 Butterfly and paints 7 October 2019 
 Spider and remote sensing 14 October 2019 
30 Animals LIVE 21 October 2019 
 
 ©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter

Amazing things humans have learnt from the animal kingdom

Fergal Keane

A BBC Radio collection about Ireland and the Irish, hosted by Fergal Keane - plus bonus material 
 
Award-winning BBC foreign correspondent Fergal Keane grew up in Dublin and County Cork, and has always felt a deep attachment to his ancestral homeland. In these six absorbing programmes, he takes a wide-ranging look at Ireland's history, culture and people, in topics ranging from the political to the personal . Also included are two moving autobiographical pieces about fatherhood and his own childhood. 
 
How the Irish Shaped Britain explores the profound influence the Irish have had on the United Kingdom over many centuries. Beginning in the ancient Celtic world, Fergal travels through the time of the Vikings to the 19th and 20th Century and on to the present day, examining how Irish migrants and their descendants have shaped literature, business, sport and the physical landscape. 
 
Troubles Shared sees Fergal and fellow journalist Peter Taylor discussing their experiences of reporting on the Northern Ireland conflict. Over two episodes, they revisit the province to talk about what they saw, and ask what it all means now. Meanwhile, No Man is an Island takes Fergal from the Republic to Northern Ireland, as he charts the seismic changes that have taken place in both regions and reflects on the sectarian feuding which has dominated the history of Ulster. 
 
Keane on Keane... finds him presenting a profile of his uncle, celebrated playwright John B Keane. Visiting Dublin and the dramatist's home town of Listowel, Fergal hears how a country publican became an internationally-acclaimed writer. Another iconic figure is recalled in United Irishman, in which Keane recounts the colourful life of Wolfe Tone, the Protestant founding father of Irish republicanism. 
 
There Will Be Sunlight Later gives Fergal's impressions of life in Northern Ireland, as he talks to the country's citizens and listens to their poetry and music. And in two bonus essays, Letter to Daniel and My Grandmother's House, we receive insights into Fergal's own family life, through his poignant message to his newborn son and his recollections of his early days and his grandparents' home in Cork. 
 
 
How the Irish Shaped Britain 
Presented by Fergal Keane 
Produced by John Murphy &amp; Adele Armstrong 
Mixed by Eloise Whitmore 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11-25 January 2021 
 
Troubles Shared 
Presented by Fergal Keane and Peter Taylor 
Produced by Conor Garrett 
First broadcast BBC Radio Ulster, 31 October-7 November 2020 
 
No Man is an Island 
Presented by Fergal Keane 
Produced by Tony Grant 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 November and 9 December 1996 
 
Keane on Keane... 
With Fergal Keane and John B Keane 
Produced by Chris Spurr 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 January 2005 
 
United Irishman 
Presented by Fergal Keane 
Produced by Chris Bowlby 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14 November 1998 
 
There Will Be Sunlight Later 
Presented by Fergal Keane 
Produced by Cathy Packe 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 October 1990 
 
From Our Own Correspondent: Letter to Daniel 
Read by Fergal Keane 
Produced by Tony Grant 
First broadcast as BBC Radio 4, 15th February 1996 
 
My Grandmother's House 
Read by Fergal Keane 
Produced by Tony Grant 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 January 1999 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

How the Irish Shaped Britain

And 5 other BBC documentaries on Ireland

Susan Morrison

The history of Scotland's witch hunts revealed, with Susan Morrison 
 
About 450 years ago, from 16th to the early 18th centuries, witch hunts took place in Scotland. The country was convulsed by waves of savage panics and purges, leading to the judicial murder of thousands of their own citizens, mainly women. Women who were convicted and executed for crimes they not only didn't commit, but which were impossible for anyone to commit. 
 
Over six episodes, Witch Hunt investigates one of Scotland's biggest miscarriages of justice. Susan Morrison, along with Dr Louise Yeoman and a team of expert historians, explores how events aligned to allow this to happen. How did it get to the stage where many innocent people were executed for imaginary crimes? 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Witch Hunt

A BBC Radio Scotland history

Becky Milligan

David Torrance

Sara Jane Hall

A compelling collection of programmes exploring one of the world's most repressive and dangerous nations 
 
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a highly secretive totalitarian state - and one that poses an increasing threat to the West due to its rapidly expanding nuclear weapons programme. This unique 3-part collection takes an in-depth look at the country, encompassing its history, the human stories behind the regime, and its possible future. 
 
Part 1: Inside North Korea examines the politics, economy and leadership of this isolated nation. The Real Story: How dangerous is North Korea? discusses whether the country's increasing military belligerence rules out any hope for engagement with the rest of the world, while The Inquiry: Is North Korea broke? investigates how the state makes its money, from coffee shops to counterfeiting. And in two illuminating Profile programmes, David Torrance and Becky Milligan scrutinize the Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un, and his sister and closest confidant Kim Yo-jong. 
 
In Part 2: The People, North Koreans and Westerners recount their experiences. Assignment: Escape from North Korea talks to the forgotten survivors who made it across Asia's iron curtain, while The Documentary Podcast: North Korea's celebrity defectors discovers how these escapees have become a valuable commodity in South Korea. Seven fascinating Outlook documentaries focus on the extraordinary stories of ordinary individuals, including a defector interrogated for playing Western music; a young man who led a street gang; a female soldier; an author who befriended dictator Kim Il-sung; a former spy; a woman who fled North Koreat twice - and another who claims her defection was a terrible mistake. Trending: North Korea's YouTube Stars looks at the vloggers uploading footage from inside the hermit kingdom, and in an episode of HARDtalk, American missionary Kenneth Bae tells of his arrest and imprisonment in a Pyongyang labour camp. 
 
Part 3: Looking Forward asks, what next for North Korea? Three engrossing episodes of The Inquiry delve into the regime's missile capability and its global repercussions; reveal the conversations inside the war rooms; and consider whether China may hold the key to getting North Korea to step back from its nuclear ambitions. Finally, A Korean Thaw revisits the 2018 Winter Olympics, when North and South Korea competed under a single banner, and poses the question, could sports diplomacy stop a war in the peninsula? 
 
Cast and credits 
The Real Story: How dangerous is North Korea? 
Presented by Ritula Shah. First broadcast BBC Radio World Service, 16 October 2020 
The Inquiry: Is North Korea Broke? 
Presented by Celia Hatton. First broadcast BBC Radio World Service, 24 May 2018 
Profile: Kim Jong-un 
Presented by David Torrance. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14 April 2012 
Profile: Kim Yo-jong 
Presented by Becky Milligan. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 May 2020 
Assignment: Escape from North Korea 
Presented by Chris Gunness. First broadcast BBC World Service, 14 May 2003 
The Documentary: North Korea's celebrity defectors 
Presented by Jonathan Griffin and Natalia Zuo. First broadcast BBC Radio World Service, 26 March 2020 
Outlook: I fled North Korea for playing the wrong song 
Presented by Rajan Datar. First broadcast BBC World Service, 26 March 2020 
Outlook: I led a street gang in North Korea 
Presented by Matthew Bannister. First broadcast BBC World Service, 13 October 2016 
Outlook: A Woman Inside North Korea's Army 
Presented by Matthew Bannister. First broadcast BBC World Service, 28 September 2017 
Outlook: My Time with North Korea's Dictator 
Presented by Matthew Bannister. First broadcast BBC World Service, 4 April 2018 
Outlook: I Spied for North Korea 
Presented by Lucy Ash. First broadcast BBC World Service, 21 October 2013 
Outlook: Escaping North Korea Twice 
Presented by Jo Fidgen. First broadcast BBC World Service, 5 March 2018 
Outlook: I Want to Go Back to North Korea 
Presented by Matthew Bannister. First broadcast BBC World Service, 30 September 2015 
Trending: North Korea's YouTube stars 
Presented by Jonathan Griffin. First broadcast BBC World Service, 6 April 2018 
HARDtalk: Former North Korea Detainee - Kenneth Bae 
Presented by Stephen Sackur. First broadcast BBC World Service, 28 August 2017 
The Inquiry: North Korea Deep Dive 
Presented by Ruth Alexander. First broadcast BBC World Service, 22 December 2017 
The Inquiry: What Would War with North Korea Look Like? 
Presented by Neal Razzell. First broadcast BBC World Service, 27 July 2017 
The Inquiry: Can China Solve the North Korea Problem? 
Presented by Neal Razzell. First broadcast BBC World Service, 21 September 2017 
A Korean Thaw 
Presented by Jean Lee. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 February 2018 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Inside North Korea

A BBC Radio Documentary Collection

For over half a century, Alistair Cooke entertained millions of listeners across the globe with his weekly BBC radio programme 'Letter from America'. An outstanding observer of the American scene, he became one of the world's best-loved broadcasters and had the distinction of presenting the longest running one-man show in radio history. 
 
Following the sad death of Alistair Cooke after 58 years in broadcasting, this impressive collection features all three volumes of Letters from America - The Early Years: 1946-1968, The Middle Years: The 1970s and The Final Years: 1982-2003. The political and social landmarks of the last 50 years are reported on and examined in Cooke's uniquely wise style. Also included is Alistair Cooke at the BBC, a selection of archive recordings, including radio and television interviews, in a fascinating in-depth look at the career of the veteran journalist. 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Letter From America Collection

Gary Younge

Gary Younge explores race, society and Black history in these five fascinating documentaries 
 
Author, broadcaster and sociology professor Gary Younge has won several awards for his books and journalism covering topics such as the civil rights movement, inequality and immigration. In this documentary collection, the former Guardian US correspondent turns his attention to current American political and social issues, including populist conservatism, and African-American identity. 
 
In Thinking in Colour, he examines racial 'passing': light-skinned African-Americans who decided to live their lives as white people. Looking at the topic through the prism of Nella Larsen's 1929 novella Passing, Gary hears three astonishing personal stories, and probes the distinction between race and colour. 
 
Recorded shortly after the historic 2008 election, The Documentary: Opposing Obama follows Gary as he travels through Arkansas and Kentucky, talking to people who see Barack Obama's presidency as nothing but bad news, and hearing their hopes and fears for the future. 
 
In The Wales Window of Alabama, Gary recounts how the people of Wales helped rebuild an Alabama church, where bombers killed four girls in 1963. Hearing of the atrocity, sculptor John Petts rallied his local community to raise money, and subsequently created a new stained glass window that has become a focus for worship and a symbol of hope. 
 
In Ebony: Black on White on Black, we hear the history of Ebony, the magazine that has charted and redefined African-American life since its launch in 1945. But what is its place in the world today, and does it still speak to contemporary African-Americans? 
 
And in Analysis: Tea Party Politics, Gary assesses the Tea Party movement, a US right-wing protest group that objects to big government and high taxes. He finds out what sparked this grass-roots insurgency, who its supporters are, and analyses its impact. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Gary Younge 
 
Thinking in Colour 
Produced by Caitlin Smith 
Executive Producer: Tony Phillips 
With Bliss Broyard, Anthony Ekundayo Lennon, Georgina Lawton and Professor Jennifer DeVere Brody.Excerpts from Passing by Nella Larsen read by Robin Miles 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 May 2021 
 
The Documentary: Opposing Obama 
Produced by Neal Razzell 
First broadcast BBC World Service, 1-8 February 2010 
 
The Wales Window of Alabama 
Produced by Nicola Swords 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10 March 2011 
 
Ebony: Black on White on Black 
Produced by Mark Burman 
Readers: Ricky Fearon and Amaka Okafor 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10 June 2013 
 
Analysis: Tea Party Politics 
Produced by Emma Rippon 
With Andrew Neil, Frank Luntz, David Frum and Rand Paul 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 March 2010 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Thinking in Colour

A BBC documentary collection

Winston Churchill

'The most persuasive and patriotic exhortations to arms since the Agincourt address from Henry V.' - The Guardian. 
 
 
Sir Winston Churchill steered Britain through its darkest hours during World War II. He was one of the 20th century's greatest orators and the speeches that he painstakingly composed, rehearsed and delivered inspired courage in an entire nation. Churchill's output was prolific - his complete speeches alone contain more than 5 million words. On this special recording, the best and most important of those have been brought together in this historic volume. 
 
 
Winston Churchill oversaw some of the most significant events the world has ever seen and he was the most eloquent and expressive statesman of his age. These speeches help reveal the man behind the defiant orator and demonstrate why, in a national poll, Churchill was voted 'Greatest Briton of All Time'. Many of his speeches were recorded after their original delivery because the Houses of Parliament did not have the facility to record live speeches at the time; fortunately, most were committed to tape later and we can today still hear the power of Churchill's oratory. 
 
 
 
Bringing together digitally remastered archive recordings of Winston Churchill with readings by his grandson in the few cases where we can't hear from the great man himself, this collection of speeches includes: 
 
 'Blood, toil, tears and sweat' 
 'Give us the tools' 
 'We can take it!' 
 'A total and unmitigated defeat' 
 'The Few' 
 'This was their finest hour' 
 'An Iron Curtain has descended' 
 'Never give in!' 
 'Sinking of the Graf Spee' 
 'Fall of Singapore' 
 'Review of the war' 
 'Battle of the Atlantic' 
 'Victory in North Africa' 
 'Tribute to George VI' 
 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches

A BBC Collection

Bob Monkhouse

Denis Goodwin

A bumper collection of classic selected episodes and extracts from vintage variety show Calling All Forces 
 
Broadcasting on the BBC Light Programme from December 1950 until July 1952, 'Calling All Forces' was the biggest show of its day, attracting the biggest names of the time. Written by a young Bob Monkhouse and Denis Goodwin, it became a showcase for aspiring young comedians including Peter Sellers, Tony Hancock, Jimmy Edwards, Cyril Fletcher, Benny Hill, Kenneth Horne, Bill Kerr and Bob Monkhouse himself. 
 
Brilliantly hosted by comedian Ted Ray, the show features a mix of stand up comedy, music and sketches guest-starring well-known TV and film actors of the day. Peter Sellers tries out some early Goons characters, Tony Hancock steps in to co-host with Charlie Chester in the days before Hancock's Half Hour, and Bob Monkhouse steps on stage to perform some of his own material at the age of just 23. Sit back and enjoy musical hits from The Stargazers, songs performed by the 'Forces Sweetheart' Carole Carr, and amazing feats of recollection from 'The Memory Man' Leslie Welch as he answers sports questions sent in by British Forces stationed overseas. This rare collection offers a slice of post-war history, a window into pop culture in the British military forces of the time, and a fascinating look back at the early careers of our comedy greats. 
 
This uproarious compilation also includes two bonus episodes of Fletcher's Fare, plus two episodes of The Forces Show - the successor to Calling All Forces, also written by Bob Monkhouse and Denis Goodwin. 
 
Written by Bob Monkhouse and Denis Goodwin 
Linking material written by Martin Gibbons and read by Roy McMillan 
With thanks to the Estate of Bob Monkhouse, to the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society, and to Kaleidoscope for providing these audio recordings. 
 
Please note: due to the age of these recordings, the sound quality may vary. 
The humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes. 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Calling All Forces

The vintage BBC variety show

Audrey Gillan

Dan Maudsley

Audrey Gillan revisits her time on the ground with the British Army in Iraq, and the infamous friendly fire incident that killed Matty Hull 
 
'A remarkable listen: detailed, unflinching and revealing about the ripple effects of a wholly avoidable tragedy'Financial Times 
 
Award-winning journalist Audrey Gillan was embedded with British troops during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. She was on the ground with the Household Cavalry's D Squadron when American pilots, firing at what they believed to be the enemy, injured four of its soldiers and killed one: 25-year-old Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull. 
 
Realising their mistake moments later, one pilot is heard muttering to the other 'we're in jail, dude'. But although a 2007 inquest condemned Matty's killing as unlawful and criminal, they were never prosecuted or punished for their actions, nor have they ever offered any apology. Now, years later, Audrey Gillan has joined forces with producer Dan Maudsley to investigate the notorious incident and its aftershocks, and tell the story of D Squadron's war in her own voice and through the eyes of the men she lived alongside. 
 
From interviews with soldiers, fellow reporters, military doctors and relatives, to in-depth analysis of the US pilots' cockpit recordings, this compelling series, shortlisted for Radio/Podcast of the Year by the Foreign Press Association, sheds new and startling light on British soldiers' experiences during the Iraq invasion and the terrifying, tragic 'blue-on-blue' attack that changed their lives forever. 
 
NB: Contains strong language and descriptions of war that some listeners may find upsetting. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised, details of organisations offering information and support can be found on the BBC Action Line website. 
 
Production credits 
Written and recorded by Dan Maudsley and Audrey Gillan 
Edited by Dan Maudsley 
Sound design by Rory Auskerry 
Executive producer: Shelley Jofre 
Title music: 'Ma Wefet' by UTN1 
Image: D8. Studio 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 5live, 13 May-10 August 2020 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

On The Ground

The true story of young soldiers' lives forever changed by 'friendly fire' in Iraq.

Melvyn Bragg explores the pivotal role of England's north in defining modern Britain, and its enduring effect on every part of the globe 
 
'It's impossible not to admire the thrust and sweep of this series' The Telegraph 
 
In this captivating 10-part series, Melvyn Bragg brings all his enthusiasm, experience and expertise to a subject that has enthralled him his entire life: the importance of the North in shaping the United Kingdom. Joined by special guests including Dame Judi Dench, Sir Michael Parkinson, Joan Bakewell, David Hockney, Maxine Peake, Simon Armitage and Sir Geoffrey Boycott, he charts the ebb and flow of Northern power and influence, examining how one smallish geographical region came to have such an enormous effect on our culture worldwide: from science and philosophy to music and sport. 
 
Beginning his story from the top of Hadrian's Wall, Bragg looks at the fall of Rome and the rise of Northumbria, and considers the glorious Northumbrian Renaissance - and the mark left on the North by invading Vikings and Normans. He looks at the turbulent years of rebellion that swept the area and the idea of 'northern speech', and tells of his love for the Northern landscape that inspired Wordsworth, Coleridge, the Brontës and Turner. 
 
Bragg also celebrates the North as the heartland of the Industrial Revolution, and sings the praises of Manchester, the first city of that revolution. He explains how many radical movements had their genesis in the North: from Chartism and the suffragettes to the birth of the Labour Party. Bringing us right up to date, he looks at some great 20th Century cultural icons, such as the Beatles and Coronation Street. Finally, he reflects on 'Northern power', asking what being and sounding Northern means and questioning what the future holds for the North in the wake of the EU referendum. 
 
Also included In Our Time: Hadrian's Wall, in which Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss this famous archaeological monument, and the two-part series North and South: Across the Great Divide, which finds Ian Marchant travelling along England's North/South divide to ask what it really means - and see if it is shifting. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Melvyn Bragg. Produced by Faith Lawrence 
 
With guests including: Simon Armitage, Syima Aslam, Prof Simon Bainbridge, Dame Joan Bakewell, Maria Balshaw, Prof Hannah Barker, Dr Sarah Bastow, Chris Bonington, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Sir Geoffrey Boycott, Claire Breay, Prof Michelle Brown, Revd Canon Rosalind Brown, Prof Sally Bushell, Prof Robert Colls, Julian Cooper, Ed Cox, Prof Katy Cubitt, Judith Cummins MP, Dame Judi Dench, Prof Richard Gameson, Toby Gordon, Lee Hall, Prof Ian Haynes, Susan Harrison, Prof Nick Higham, David Hockney, Prof Richard Horrocks, Howard Hull, Prof Judith Jesch, Dr Chris Jones, Dr Katy Layton-Jones, Dr Jill Liddington, Bill Lloyd, Natalie McCaul, Jimmy McGovern, Ian McMillan, Dr Katrina Navickas, Sir Michael Parkinson, Maxine Peake, Dr Robert Poole, Irna Qureshi, Canon Apiarist Adrian Rhodes, Lee Rigg, Jonnie Robinson, Prof Dave Russell, Jonathan Schofield, Rommi Smith, Prof Keith Stringer, Dr James Sumner, Dr Matthew Townend, Jenny Uglow, Matthew Watson, Prof Andy Wood 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 29 August-9 September 2016 
 
In Our Time: Hadrian's Wall 
Presented by Melvyn Bragg 
Produced by Victoria Brignell 
With Greg Woolf, David Breeze and Lindsay Allason-Jones. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 July 2012 
 
North and South: Across the Great Divide 
Presented by Ian Marchant 
Produced by Mary Ward-Lowery 
With Sir Michael Darrington, Prof Danny Dorling, Rachel North, Dominic Watt, Prof David Morley, John Langton. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21-28 March 2012 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Matter of the North

How the north of England shaped modern Britain

Chloe Hadjimatheou

Helena Merriman

Carrie Grace

Three dramatic true stories, this is investigative journalism at its very best. 
 
'Slick, efficient and professional... hugely engaging' The Spectator (on Murder in the Lucky Holiday Hotel) 
'Thrilling... a really great listen'The Guardian (on Tunnel 29) 
'Brilliantly produced' The Observer (on Mayday) 
 
In these three gripping series, prominent journalists investigate fascinating human stories, shining a light on history and politics and deepening our understanding of the word we live in. 
 
Murder in the Lucky Holiday Hotel tells a shocking tale of sex, death and power, as Carrie Gracie delves into the mysterious murder that led to the toppling of charismatic Chinese politician, Bo Xilai, and the rise of his greatest rival, President Xi Jinping. The story of the killing of British businessman and fixer Neil Heywood in Chongqing in 2011 is one the authorities do not want told. Gracie was warned off making this programme, her phones were tapped and her emails hacked. But she would not be silenced. Here, she uncovers a tragedy 'with no heroes but only villains and victims', and takes us into the dark heart of Chinese politics. 
 
In Tunnel 29, Helena Merriman recounts the incredible story of Joachim Rudolph, who, in the early 1960s, joined a group digging a tunnel under the Berlin Wall, and helped smuggle out 29 people. It's a story of the young people who risked everything, the spy who betrayed them, and the terrible price paid by those who were caught - and of the love that developed between the refugees who found freedom. Based on interviews with the tunnellers, thousands of documents from Stasi archives, and recordings from the tunnel, it is an astonishing tale of one of the most daring escape attempts of the 20th Century. 
 
Mayday investigates the extraordinary case of James Le Mesurier, an ex-British army officer found dead in an Istanbul street in 2019. The co-founder of the White Helmets - a civil defence force who pull survivors from bombed-out buildings in Syria - he was a hero to many, awarded an OBE for his efforts. But he also attracted deep suspicion, and accusations of being a spy, faking rescue videos - and involvement in appalling atrocities... Talking to Le Mesurier's widow, friends and colleagues, Chloe Hadjimatheou attempts to discover who he really was and how he died, and unravel a tangle of truth and lies. Also featured is a special extended version of The Canister on the Bed, exploring the events of the Douma massacre. In addition, bonus programme Mayday: The Evidence Gatherers reveals how a Western-funded NGO, responsible for extracting over a million documents from Syria allegedly containing evidence of torture and genocide, is now fighting a disinformation war. 
 
NB: Contains strong language and scenes which some listeners might find upsetting 
 
Murder in the Lucky Holiday Hotel 
Presented by Carrie Gracie 
Produced by Maria Byrne and Neal Razzell 
Sound mix by James Beard 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 13-17 March 2017 
 
Tunnel 29 
Written, presented and produced by Helena Merriman 
Translation and additional research: Sabine Schereck 
Editor: Richard Knight 
Joachim Rudolph's original interviews voiced by Mark Edel Hunt 
Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 21 October-1 November 2019 
 
Mayday 
Produced, written and presented by Chloe Hadjimatheou 
Editor: Emma Rippon 
Researcher: Tom Wright 
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman 
Sound design and mix: Neil Churchill 
Additional mixing Graham Pudifoot 
Editing assistance: Robbie Wojciechowski 
Arabic translation and additional research: Vanessa Bowles and Abdul Kader Habak 
Turkish researcher: Nevin Sungur 
Narrative Consultant: John Yorke 
Original music: Nick Mundy and Bu Kolthoum 
End track: Zamilou by Bu Kolthoum 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 9-20 November 2020 
 
Mayday: The Evidence Gatherers 
Produced, written and presented by Chloe Hadjimatheou 
Editor: Emma Rippon 
Researchers: Orla O'Brien and Lara Al Gibaly 
Executive producer Maggie Latham 
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman 
Sound design and mix: Neil Churchill 
Commissioner for Radio 4: Richard Knight 
Prof Paul McKeigue and Ivan played by Mark Fleischman 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 7 April 2021 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Intrigue: 3 explosive true stories

Tunnel 29, Mayday & Murder in the Lucky Holiday Hotel

Bridget Christie

The collected radio shows of award-winning stand-up comedian Bridget Christie 
 
'The current queen of crusading UK comedy' - Guardian 
 
Writer, actress and stand-up star Bridget Christie has won numerous awards, performed 12 hit Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows and written the critically-acclaimed comic memoir A Book for Her. She's also created three hilarious and thought-provoking radio series, all of which are included here. 
 
In Bridget Christie Minds the Gap, she gives us her personal take on feminism, asking why it became a dirty word and whether women still need it. From a bookshop fart to the 'Bic for Her' and a fish called Michael, she recalls the key incidents which led her to an epiphany and a call to arms - with the help of token man Fred MacAulay. And in Series 2, she takes her activism to a new level as she deconstructs a yoghurt ad, tries to find an icon who doesn't replace the word 'feminism' with 'bootylicious', and reveals the consequences of wearing an 'End FGM' badge on a popular TV show... 
 
Bridget Christie's Utopia sees her embarking on a comic quest for her Shangri-La. Worried about world events - melting polar ice-caps, Brexit, Donald Trump - she attempts to find a way of living that will calm her anxiety. In these four episodes, she explores political disengagement, spirituality, a new life in the country and being mega-rich: but will any of them make her happy? 
 
And in Bridget Christie: Mortal, recorded from her home during lockdown, she turns her attention to the metaphysical questions we all spend our life avoiding (while being interrupted by cats, chores, children and her own dead self from beyond the grave). Do twins share a soul, or do they get one each? How do you live in the moment? And who's blocked the toilet again? Covering 'Birth', 'Death', 'Life', and 'The Afterlife', this informal, personal series will appeal to anyone mortal. 
 
 
Written and performed by Bridget Christie 
 
Bridget Christie Minds the Gap 
Produced by Alison Vernon-Smith and Alexandra Smith 
With Fred MacAulay 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7-28 March 2013 (Series 1), 8-29 January 2015 
 
Bridget Christie's Utopia 
Recorded in front of a live studio audience at the BBC Radio Theatre 
Produced by Simon Nicholls and Alison Vernon-Smith 
With special guests Mike Christie, Leyla Hussein, Sister Agatha and Fran Blockley 
A BBC Studios production 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7-28 February 2018 
 
Bridget Christie: Mortal 
Produced by Carl Cooper 
Sound mixer: Olga M. Reed 
With guest appearances from Bridget Christie's dad, sister Eileen and friend Ash 
A BBC Studios production 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13 April-4 May 2021 
 
Photo: Tash Pszenicki 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Bridget Christie: A BBC Radio 4 Stand-Up Comedy Collection

Bridget Christie Minds the Gap, Utopia & Mortal

New Generation Thinkers

The most exciting emerging thinkers of our age present their ideas 
 
Since 2010, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the BBC have joined forces to find the best and brightest academic minds whose cutting-edge research deserves to be shared with a wider audience. Each year, 10 pioneering scholars are selected as New Generation Thinkers, and given the unique opportunity to bring their groundbreaking work to life on radio. New Generation Thinkers have explored the arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, and continue to share ideas, bring people into their world, and expand horizons everywhere. 
 
To mark ten years of this incredible scheme, this collection brings together the 100 winners from the past decade. Many have gone on to become prominent public figures, and all have fascinating insights to share. Charlotte Blease questions the relationship between doctors and patients; Sarah Dillon explores roles for women in science fiction and whether the genre is sexist; Anindya Raychaudhuri discusses the 1947 Partition of India and how it is remembered; Edmund Richardson tells the story of Alexander the Great's lost city; and Ben Anderson explains how trespassers in the early 20th Century helped create new attitudes to nature by going off-piste. 
 
With topics ranging from a pirate's cookbook to prison breaks, from shaving to Shakespeare and from Berlin techno music to the Glasgow rag trade, these intriguing radio essays will inform, provoke, stimulate and surprise. 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
 
If you'd like to learn more about New Generation Thinkers, visit the Arts and Humanities Research Council website at ahrc.ukri.org

Instant Expert

100 of the best ideas from New Generation Thinkers

Mobeen Azhar

In 1989, the literary world was rocked by an unprecedented event: Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of Revolutionary Iran, issued a fatwa against Salman Rushdie, the author of The Satanic Verses. 
 
Rushdie's book was considered by many Muslims to be blasphemy for its depiction of Mohammed, and Khomeini had just ordered Rushdie's death. The book was banned in several countries and led to attacks against those involved in its publication. Hanif Kureishi called the fatwa "one of the most significant events in postwar literary history". 
 
In Fatwa, Chloe Hadjimatheou and Mobeen Azhar tell the hidden story of the fatwa - the forces which led to the death sentence and the consequences for all of us. Covers a 20-year period from 1979 to 1999, they speak to extraordinary voices from often overlooked British communities to explore race relations in Britain, identity, free speech and the connection between the fatwa and contemporary violent jihad. 
 
Also included is an interview with Salman Rushdie three years after the fatwa, Life after The Satanic Verses, in which the author talks about his life and work with Christopher Bigsby. Finally in The Book Burners: Salman Rushdie, Mike Wooldridge hears from Muslims who protested against The Satanic Verses twenty years after the fatwa - what do they think it achieved? 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Book Burners

Salman Rushdie, the fatwa, and the consequences for us all

David Mitchell

David Mitchell investigates how the humble meeting took over the world - and what we should do about it 
 
In this fantastic follow-up to Behaving Ourselves: David Mitchell on Manners, the comedian and columnist turns his attention to meetings, examining our love/hate relationship with them and asking how we evolved from getting together for a 'thing' to shouting at each other onscreen via Zoom. 
 
On the agenda: David talks to fellow comedian Russell Kane about the different ways introverts and extroverts behave in meetings; meets Dutch sociologist Wilbert van Vree to sum up several millennia of meetings - from hunter-gatherers, to the Middle Ages, to the modern-day office; and gets some tips from executive coach Sophie Bryan about being a good chairman (and dealing with the awkward person in the room). 
 
Exploring how our meetings culture is spinning out of control, David sits in on a council Zoom meeting in Cheshire (not that one); picks the brains of Imperial College Business School meetings expert Sankalp Chaturvedi, and chats to the former Leader of the House of Commons, Sir David Lidington, about Cabinet briefings and ministerial meetings. And, joining historian and author Professor Margaret Macmillan, he tackles one of the 20th Century's biggest meetings, the 1919 Paris Conference, discovering that there's nothing new about management away-days or brainstorming sessions - they were both being used 100 years ago. 
 
As he learns the secrets of communication, consensus, and coming together productively, can David overcome his scepticism and learn to love meetings? 
 
 
Production credits 
Written and presented by David Mitchell 
With Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden; Cat Brogan; Wilbert van Vree; Russell Kane; Sophie Bryan; Councillor Gill Merry; Councillor Kathryn Flavell; Councillor Laura Crane; Sir David Lidington; Sankalp Chaturvedi; Professor Margaret Macmillan 
Produced by Chris Ledgard 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13-27 March 2021 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Mitchell on Meetings

From Neil MacGregor, the author of A History of the World in 100 Objects, this is a view of Germany like no other 
 
For the past 140 years, Germany has been the central power in continental Europe. Thirty years ago a new German state came into being. How much do we really understand this new Germany, and how do its people now understand themselves? 
 
Neil MacGregor argues that uniquely for any European country, no coherent, over-arching narrative of Germany's history can be constructed, for in Germany both geography and history have always been unstable. Its frontiers have constantly floated. Königsberg, home to the greatest German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, is now Kaliningrad, Russia; Strasbourg, in whose cathedral Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's greatest writer, discovered the distinctiveness of his country's art and history, now lies within the borders of France. For most of the last five hundred years Germany has been composed of many separate political units, each with a distinct history. And any comfortable national story Germans might have told themselves before 1914 was destroyed by the events of the following thirty years. 
 
German history may be inherently fragmented, but it contains a large number of widely shared memories, awarenesses and experiences; examining some of these is the purpose of this book. Beginning with the fifteenth-century invention of modern printing by Gutenberg, MacGregor chooses objects and ideas, people and places which still resonate in the new Germany - porcelain from Dresden and rubble from its ruins, Bauhaus design and the German sausage, the crown of Charlemagne and the gates of Buchenwald - to show us something of its collective imagination. There has never been a book about Germany quite like it. 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Germany: Memories of a Nation

Jacob Hawley

Stand-up comedian Jacob Hawley explores every corner of the UK drugs scene, from nightclubs to prisons 
 
In his first BBC radio series, New Comedy Award finalist Jacob Hawley examines one of the most important issues affecting young people today, looking into every aspect of British drug culture to discover its scope and effects. As a recreational drugs user for almost a decade, Jacob thought he knew more than most about the topic - but was shocked by how much he still had to learn. 
 
Beginning with a debate about legalisation, these 16 episodes examine the highs and lows of drug use and abuse, from psychedelics, ayahuasca and chemsex to addiction, County Lines gangs and drugs behind bars and on the streets. Jacob visits a rehab clinic to talk to recovering addicts, meets families who have lost loved ones to drugs and speaks with dealers and policemen to canvass opinions from both sides of the law. In addition, he probes the murky world of doping and performance-enhancing drugs, investigates prescription drug abuse and antidepressants, and looks at the damaging effects of one of the most widely-used drugs in the world: alcohol. 
 
His guests include controversial scientist Professor David Nutt; 'Acid Countess' Amanda Feilding, grime artist and DJ Faze Miyake and Olympic gold medal winner Luke Campbell - and, in a special episode live from the BBC 6Music Festival, Jacob catches up with actor and presenter Tyger Drew-Honey, who discusses his struggle with drink and drugs. 
 
This acclaimed series earned Jacob a Radio Academy Silver Award for Best New Presenter. Enlightening, informative and insightful, it will expand your mind and make you rethink the way you look at drugs. 
 
Created and presented by Jacob Hawley 
Produced by Nick Coupe 
Music by Buddy Peace 
Art by Charles Williams at Made Up 
Jacob Hawley: On Drugs is a BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds 
 
With guests including: Professor David Nutt, Dr Kevin Sabet, Lizzie McCulloch, Jack Barry, Adam Deacon, Sabina Osbourne Gray, Tom Huggins, Carl Donnelly, Amanda Feilding, Harry Shapiro, Joshua Levitas, Elizabeth Burton-Phillips MBE, James Wharton, Denholm Spurr, Monty Moncrieff MBE, Luke Laws, Faze Miyake, Ryan Walker-Edwards, Fiona Measham, Bradley Laurencin, Shaun Attwood, Lawrence Gibbons, Paul Sharky, Joseph Kaz, Dr Michael Shiner, Chloe Petts, Laura Pilcher, Nathan Harmer, Ed Warner, Emily Robinson, Luke Campbell, Thomas Maw, Tyger Drew-Honey, Dr Tom Yerburgh, Michael Ritchie, Nikki Holland, Sonya Jones, Tanayah Sam, Ahir Shah, Angela Barnes, Emma Carrington, Dr David Healy, Lou Sanders, Jon Long, Tom Blackwood, Dr Richard Piper 
 
 
If you've been affected by any of the issues discussed in this podcast, you can find help and support here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1kS7QTDB16PWkywhsXJLzxz/information-and-support-addiction-alcohol-drugs-and-gambling

Jacob Hawley: On Drugs

Exploring the UK drug scene

Frances Fyfield

Clemency Burton Hill

Frances Fyfield and Clemency Burton-Hill explore the tales and tribulations behind the scores of well-known pieces of music 
 
'Endlessly fascinating' New Statesman 
 
Crime writer Frances Fyfield and classical music broadcaster Clemency Burton-Hill pore over the hand-written scores of great composers to decipher the hidden tales of creativity locked within. Behind the hieroglyphics, scribbles and corrections on these priceless pages are clues that, when forensically examined by an expert eye, reveal the extraordinary craft, skill and inventiveness of geniuses such as Beethoven, Handel, Elgar, Stravinsky, Schubert, Puccini, Rachmaninov and Chopin. 
 
Accompanied by a team of musical sleuths, including world-leading performers, conductors, writers and graphologists, Frances and Clemency travel the UK, Europe and America to track down these rare and treasured documents. Among their discoveries are the manuscripts for famous songs like 'On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring', and some of the best-loved operas, operettas and musicals of all time including Madame Butterfly, Porgy and Bess, and The Pirates of Penzance. 
 
They scour the fragile pages of Bach's B-Minor Mass, so thick with music that the ink has burned through the paper; the ballet score for Aaron Copland's 'Appalachian Spring', revealing the changes made to please guest dancer Rudolf Nureyev; and a long-lost flute concerto by Vivaldi, rediscovered after being buried in an Edinburgh archive for 250 years. Through detailed study of these, and many other, manuscripts, they reveal the answers to questions such as, how did Debussy attempt to capture the sea? What famous lines were adapted for their first singers? Why was one of Mozart's boldest lines crossed out? And did the shooting of a German diplomat inspire Tippett's A Child of Our Time? 
 
Inspired, insightful and often surprising, this is an unparalleled look at the astonishing secret history of musical invention - ink blots, doodles, coffee stains and all. 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, May 2004 - August 2020 
 
Presented by Frances Fyfield, Clemency Burton-Hill 
Christine Andreas and Ted Sperling (Series 19, Episode 3) 
Loras Schissel (Series 19, Episode 4) 
Produced by Tom Alban, Simon Elmes, Mohini Patel

Tales from the Stave

The extraordinary stories behind classical musical manuscripts

Dustin Lance Black

Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning screenwriter and activist, explores attitudes towards surrogacy. He shares his own journey to have a child, with husband Tom Daley, through surrogacy. 
 
 
Dustin beautifully and thoroughly explores how the question of surrogacy links to wider societal questions; how much control do women legally have over their body? Do we have a right to know our genetic history? How can LGBTQ+ couples shield their children from homophobia? 
 
 
Dustin explores the personal, scientific, financial and legal aspects of surrogacy. He talks to women who are surrogates, hears the experiences of straight and gay intended parents who have built a family via surrogacy and raises concerns about the current surrogacy laws in the UK. Dustin hears from families in different countries who have had different and difficult processes, and also hears from children born through surrogacy on the right to know their genetic history, always bringing it back to 'why are some people uncomfortable with surrogacy?'.

Surrogacy: A Family Frontier

Alfie Moore

Ever wondered what sort of a police officer you might make? 
 
In Series 4-6, Alfie dives into deeper topics than before. How many times were you filmed without your knowledge today? What is the legacy of ASBOs? Alfie takes the audience with him as he navigates the twisted world of government surveillance. 
 
Alfie Moore spent 18 years on the Humberside police force before turning to stand-up comedy. In each episode of this live stand-up show, he takes his audience through a scenario based on a real-life case and tasks them with deciding how they would have acted in the circumstances. 
 
Along the way Alfie spills the beans on what it's really like to be one of Britain's finest, tells us some great anecdotes about law breakers and makers that he's come across and gets his audience to divulge secrets about their own, sometimes less than strictly law-abiding lives. 
 
Series 4: 
1. The Wrath of Zeus 
2. Office Banter 
3. Hedgerow Hedge Row 
4. Pass the Person 
5. Misper Mervyn 
 
Series 5: 
1. Police Complaints 
2. Babysitter 
3. Wild Westwood 
4. Informant 
 
Series 6: 
1. Dog Theft 
2. Malicious Communication 
3. Sudden Death 
4. Vehicle Stop 
5. Exposure 
6. Policing Covid 
 
Written and performed by Alfie Moore. 
Produced by Alison Vernon-Smith. 
 
© 2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

It’s a Fair Cop: Series 4-6

The BBC Radio 4 stand-up comedy

Scarlett Moffatt

Scott Dobinson

Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt attempts to uncover the truth about conspiracy theories - and win over her non-believer boyfriend Scott 
 
'Moffatt and Dobinson are delightful' The Guardian 
 
Scarlett Moffatt is obsessed by the unsolved and the unexplained. But her boyfriend Scott Dobinson is more sceptical, preferring facts and evidence to her bizarre conspiracy theories. Can she persuade him to keep an open mind - or even come around to her way of thinking? 
 
Crowned 'Queen of the Jungle' in series 16 of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, Scarlett knows all about tough challenges. But now she's facing her greatest one yet - convincing Scott that the weird and wonderful theories could, just possibly, be true... From the Bermuda Triangle to mermaids and the moon landing, she puts her favourite conspiracies out there for Scott to debunk. Did a UFO crash-land in Roswell? What's lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness? Are celebrity clones walking among us? And is Prince Charles actually a vampire? 
 
Scarlett gets some backup from her friends (or, as Scott puts it, gang up on him). She chats to This Country star Daisy May Cooper about whether the pyramids were built by time travellers, seeks illumination about the Illuminati with actor and DJ Dev, and speculates with Joe Swash (EastEnders, Dancing on Ice) about whether our phones are spying on us. She also quizzes social media superstar Arron Crascall about The Mandela Effect, a phenomenon that gives the world false memories, and uncovers the secrets behind beloved films and children's TV with stand-up comedian Helen Bauer. But will they get behind #TeamScarlett or defect to #TeamScott - and what side are you on? 
 
Whether you're a believer like Scarlett or a cynic like Scott, you'll love their daft banter, affectionate bickering and light-hearted debates as they try to sift the truth from the myths in these lively, hilarious shows. 
 
©2021 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2021 BBC Worldwide Ltd 
Presented by Scarlett Moffatt and Scott Dobinson and co-created by Scarlett Moffatt 
Made for BBC Sounds and first broadcast on BBC Radio 1, 4 May-27 July 2020

Scarlett Moffatt Wants to Believe

A BBC Radio Show

Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee's highly-acclaimed and award-winning BBC Radio 4 history of the British Empire. 
 
Britain had the biggest empire the world has ever known. At one time a quarter of the global land mass was British. Over a third of the world was insured at Lloyds. At his coronation, more than 400 million people saluted George V. Truly, the sun never set on this historical phenomenon. Whatever the day, whatever the hour, somewhere on the globe, the empire worked and played the British game, often absurdly so. 
 
BBC Radio 4's monumental history of Britain tells the story of the British Empire from its earliest beginnings through the years when British influence grew steadily around the globe, years when Britain took full advantage of the technical advances of its industrial revolution. 
 
Here are the origins of the modern nations of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and of the ways in which British influence has affected, for better or for worse, nations such as India, Sri Lanka, and China. Here are the stories, not always happy and glorious, of Captain James Cook, Mungo Park, Warren Hastings, Sir Stamford Raffles, and David Livingstone. 
 
The story of the British Empire is one of enormous personalities, adventure, scientific and maritime development, and the building of one of the most complex international administrations the world has ever seen. 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

This Sceptred Isle: Empire

The Classic BBC Radio History

BBC Radio Comedy

Three more series of the flagship comedy show presented by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis 
 
The Now Show returns to put a smile on your face from a safe distance, with more topical sketches, stand-up, songs and chat. 
 
In these 19 episodes, recorded from their home studios and broadcast to a remote audience, presenters Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are joined by a plethora of special guests including Lucy Porter, Huge Davies, Gemma Arrowsmith, Zoe Lyons, George Fouracres, Jena Friedman, Darren Harriott, Lost Voice Guy, Eshaan Akbar, Jessica Fostekew, Chris McCausland, Daliso Chaponda, Janine Harouni and Laura Lexx. 
 
With their characteristic wit and satirical flair, they crack wise at all things news, from the COVID-19 disruption and the vaccine rollout to Dominic Cummings' resignation, the US presidential election, Harry and Meghan's explosive Oprah Winfrey interview, Boris Johnson's new briefing room and the upcoming 2022 'Festival of Brexit'. 
 
NB: Contains humour and language that some listeners may find offensive 
 
Cast and credits 
Presented by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis 
Written by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis with the cast 
Additional material by Jeffrey Aidoo, Simon Alcock, Donald Alexander, Rebecca Bain, Liam Beirne, Alex Bertulis-Fernandes, Catherine Brinkworth,Suchandrika Chakrabarti, Laura Claxton, Tasha Dhanraj, Charlie Dinkin, Toussaint Douglas, Tania Edwards, Hannah Fairweather, Aidan Fitzmaurice, Georgie Flinn, Charlie George, Gareth Gwynn, Jon Hunter, Rajiv Karia, Alex Kealy, Athena Kugblenu, Ola Labib, Helena Langdon, Jenny Laville,Laura Major,Ambika Mod, Robin Morgan, Mo Omar, Mary O'Connell, Alfie Packham, Mike Shepherd,Katie Storey, Josh Weller 
 
Produced by Adnan Ahmed, Julia McKenzie, Victoria Lloyd and Pete Strauss 
Production Co-ordinators: Caroline Barlow and Carina Andrews 
Editor/Engineer: David Thomas 
A BBC Studios Production 
 
Series 56 featuring: Eshaan Akbar, Gemma Arrowsmith, Joe Barnes, Sara Barron, Scott Bennett, Huge Davies, George Fouracres, Dominic Frisby, Darren Harriott, Luke Kempner, Sooz Kempner, Rosie Jones, Zoe Lyons, Chris McCausland, Robin Morgan, Geoff Norcott, Rachel Parris, Lucy Porter, Jess Robinson, Kai Samra, Tim Sutton, Ellie Taylor, Andy Zaltzman 
 
Series 57 featuring: Eshaan Akbar, Gemma Arrowsmith, Karen Bartke, Beardyman, Josh Berry, Catherine Bohart, Huge Davies, Sophie Duker, Flo and Joan, Jena Friedman, George Fouracres, Ivo Graham, Darren Harriott, Harry and Chris, Luke Kempner, Sooz Kempner, Sarah Keyworth, Matt Kirshen, Lost Voice Guy, Zoe Lyons, Patrick Maguire, Geoff Norcott, Katie Norris, Jess Robinson, Emma Sidi, Tim Sutton, Ellie Taylor, Felicity Ward 
 
Series 58 featuring: Eshaan Akbar, Gemma Arrowsmith, Dane Baptiste, Karen Bartke, Beardyman, Ken Cheng, Daliso Chaponda, Alun Cochrane, Huge Davies, Jessica Fostekew, Jason Forbes, George Fouracres, Chiara Goldsmith, Felix Hagen, Janine Harouni, Kieran Hodgson, Luke Kempner, Sooz Kempner, Laura Lexx, Ria Lina, Emily Lloyd-Saini, Zoe Lyons, Chris McCausland, Geoff Norcott, Katie Norris, Rachel Parris, Lucy Porter, Jess Robinson, Tim Sutton, Ellie Taylor 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 6 March-10 April 2020 (Series 56), 30 October-4 December 2020 (Series 57), 26 February-9 April 2021 (Series 58) 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Now Show: Series 56-58

The BBC Radio 4 topical comedy

Sean Bean

The Second World War ended over 75 years ago, and the number of men and women who lived through it is rapidly dwindling. But its legacy casts a long shadow, and the memories of those who experienced the conflict left both powerful stories and often a complex inheritance behind for their children and grandchildren. 
 
In this series, Sean Bean investigates how the trauma of profound wartime experiences - whether spoken or unspoken - can be transferred down through subsequent generations. For although physical wounds may heal, emotional wounds can remain to inform family dynamics for good or ill. 
 
From prisoners of war and hero soldiers to infamous traitors and long-lost relatives, Sean meets 10 families who have been forever changed by World War II. He talks to Gethin Jones, whose father was a conscientious objector; Anne Godden and Barbara Sherman, daughters of returning soldiers whose marriages broke down; Tom Boden, who lived through the bombing of Liverpool and was evacuated twice; Ingrid Von Oelhafen, who discovered she was the victim of the Nazi's 'Lebensborn' programme in which children were stolen from their parents; and Stella Collis, daughter of a German POW who was interred at Wormwood Scrubs. 
 
We also hear the moving story of Barclay Patoir, who came to Britain from Guyana and survived war and prejudice to marry and raise a family; the extraordinary experiences of Kurt Marx, a Kindertransport refugee, and his wife Ingrid, who lived through Auschwitz; and the children of Nazi sympathiser John Beckett talk about their complicated, conflicted legacy. Shafquat Towheed reflects on the ways that his father's experience of the Bengal Famine stayed with him throughout his life - and the ways in which it is remembered. And in a fascinating voyage of discovery, Niki MacCarthy journeys to Nagasaki to find out about her father Aidan's life-saving medical work, and uncover the truth behind a very special family heirloom. 
 
©2021 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2014 BBC Worldwide Ltd 
Presented by Sean Bean 
Produced by Martin Williams, Kate Bissell and Mark Rickards 
 
Featuring: Gethin and Adam Russell-Jones; Betty and Max Paschal; Kurt, Michael and Johanna Marx; Anne Godden and Barbara Sherman; Clare Beckett-Wrighton and Francis Beckett; Juliet Weller; Shafquat Towheed, Niki and Adrienne MacCarthy; Tom Boden, Dawn Hann, Evie Thame and Michael Thame; Ingrid Von Oelhafen 
 
With thanks to: Michael Newman of the Association of Jewish Refugees, Diya Gupta and Brian Hann 
 
For more information about Kurt Marx's wartime experiences, please see Refugee Voices, a project of the AJR: https://www.ajrrefugeevoices.org.uk/ 
 
And for more information about the legacy of such experiences please visit the Second Generation Network and the Holocaust Memorial Trust: https://secondgeneration.org.uk/ and https://www.het.org.uk/ 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 13 May-10 August 2020

Legacy of War

A BBC World War 2 History

Helen Lewis

Journalist and author Helen Lewis meets groundbreaking thinkers to test out their big ideas 
 
From politics to economics, from tech to the study of how we live, things are changing fast. Old certainties are crumbling, and we need new solutions to shake up the status quo and shape the future. In The Spark, Helen Lewis meets 11 radical thinkers who are bidding to change our world, and puts their ideas under the spotlight to find out what they have to offer compared to the failures of the past. 
 
Part 1 sees her interviewing American economist Emily Oster, who discusses how data-based parenting could have a life-changing impact on pregnancy and child-rearing; social entrepreneur Hilary Cottam, who believes that human connection should be at the heart of the welfare state; Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, who explains why 'zombie ideas' are holding us back; and social pyschologist Roy Baumeister, who talks about our inbuilt negativity bias and how to defeat it. 
 
In Part 2, CEO and writer Margaret Heffernan argues that preparedness is the best way to deal with uncertainty; artificial intelligence pioneer Stuart Russell explains how we can keep AI under human control; former Frome mayor Peter Macfadyen takes us through his new model for community-based politics; and behavioural scientist Pragya Agarwal discusses our unintentional biases - how they affect our decision making, and ways of overcoming them. 
 
And in Part 3, Helen's guests include economists Paul Collier and John Kay, who call for an end to destructive individualism in favour of mutuality and co-operation; educationalist Kiran Gill, whose organisation The Difference strives to improve the life chances of excluded schoolchildren; and barrister Chris Daw, advocate of a radical plan to abolish prisons and rethink our whole approach to punishment and rehabilitation. 
 
Cogent, credible and compelling, these thought-provoking proposals will give you a whole new perspective on the problems our society faces and how we could solve them. 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. ? 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
Presented by Helen Lewis 
With: Emily Oster, Hilary Cottam, Paul Krugman, Roy Baumeister, Margaret Heffernan, Stuart Russell, Peter Macfadyen, Pragya Agarwal, Paul Collier and John Kay, Kiran Gill, Chris Daw 
Produced by Eliane Glaser, Phil Tinline, Emma Wallace and Sarah Shebbeare

The Spark

11 ideas to change the world

Rory Sutherland

Rory Sutherland explores the stories and psychology behind the most influential marketing campaigns in history, and smashes apart received wisdom with a look at iconoclastic ideas. 
 
Advertising guru Rory Sutherland is a world-leading proponent of behavioural economics. In Hacking the Unconscious, he looks at how this emerging science is used by marketers to influence us and challenges us to reassess which ideas we hold dear. 
 
In Part 1, Marketing, Rory asks why certain ad campaigns, such as Nike's 'Just Do It' and the MND Ice Bucket Challenge, cast such a spell over us. Looking at ten all-time great campaigns - including Coke's iconic 'Hilltop' ad, Dove's 'Campaign for Real Beauty' and De Beers' 'A Diamond is Forever' - he discusses their success with the creative minds that conceived them. 
 
Along the way, he ponders the allure of altruism, asks whether ads can be art, considers what 'Big Data' means for the future of marketing, and shows how a powerful health campaign transformed attitudes, and saved lives. 
 
Part 2, Thought Cages, sees Rory confounding conventional wisdom with his intriguing, subversive and controversial concepts. Is education always a good thing? Would we be better off selecting our MPs by lottery? Plus, he looks at the dilemma the NHS faces - to be successful, or to be loved; speculates if we're really as rational as we think; exposes the fallacy of market research; shows how businesses play on our susceptibility to commitment; and wonders whether online retail will ever replicate the magic of the traditional shopping experience. 
 
As he explores how 'psycho-logic', behavioural quirks and mind hacks could drive change, he formulates a magical series of radical ideas that may provide new solutions to society's problems. 
 
Contributors include novelist Fay Weldon, onetime CEO of Cambridge Analytica, Alexander Nix, New York Times bestseller Bryan Caplan, MP Jess Philips and Nassim Nicholas Taleb, statistician and author of The Black Swan. 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
Presented by Rory Sutherland 
Produced by Steven Rajam and Michael Surcombe 
 
Hacking the Unconscious 
Featuring: Shelina Janmohamed, Steve Henry, Roger Greenaway, Nicola Raihani, Sara Pascoe, Geoffrey Miller, Daryl Fielding, J Courtney Sullivan, Fay Weldon, Scott Bedbury, Liz Dolan, Byron Sharp, Alexander Nix, Nick Hall, Lord Norman Fowler, Sammy Harari, Sir Nick Partridge, Jacqueline Gold, Jennifer Jacquet, Matt Brosnan 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 1-12 May 2017 
 
Thought Cages 
Featuring: Natalie Perera, Bryan Caplan, Nicholas Gruen, Jess Philips, Diana Fleischman, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Helena Cronin, Dave Trott, Ben Page, Nichola Raihani, Robin Hanson, Oliver Payne, Natalie Nahai, Leigh Caldwell, Jonathan Haidt, Owain Service, Sue Benson, Dan Ariely, Katherine Lewis, David Dalziel 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 19-30 November 2018

Hacking The Unconscious

A major 60-part BBC radio series exploring the questions that have preoccupied philosophers through the ages, presented by Melvyn Bragg. 
 
With his landmark series In Our Time, Melvyn Bragg introduced an audience of over 2 million to big ideas across the realms of science, religion, culture, history and philosophy. Now, in A History of Ideas, he looks at the fundamental concepts that underpin our world, and the great thinkers who explored them - from Plato, Aristotle and Seneca to Freud, Rousseau, David Hume and John Stuart Mill. 
 
He is joined by experts from a wide range of fields to discuss the biggest questions we ask ourselves, such as 'What does it mean to be free?', 'How do I tell wrong from right?', 'What makes us human?' and 'How can I know anything at all?' Each of his guests attempts to answer these questions using their specialist expertise. 
 
Between them, they lead us through some of the most significant themes in philosophy, including morality, beauty, justice, altruism and existentialism. We find out about the evolution of language and technology, are given insights into consciousness and memory, and discover the many aspects of love - as well as learning the Buddha's Four Noble Truths, hearing what put the bang in the Big Bang, and uncovering the link between Wittgenstein and Blade Runner... 
 
Wide-ranging, entertaining and inspiring, this stunning series puts the big ideas in their historical context, showing us that they are not merely academic abstractions, but essential tools for living. 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A History of Ideas

Key philosophers and their theories

Tim FitzHigham

Award winning comedian-author-adventurer, Tim FitzHigham and his nemesis Alex Horne embark on recreating bizarre and amusing bets from the 18th and 19th century in this engaging radio series. 
 
'His unflappable pluck in the face of impossible (or at least ridiculous) odds seldom fails to amuse' 
The Guardian 
 
Award-winning comedian Tim FitzHigham has a history of performing eccentric, record-breaking feats, including rowing across the Channel in a Victorian bathtub and blowing up the world's largest human-inflated balloon (he passed out twice during the attempt). Now, in this BBC Radio 4 series - based on his hugely successful 2011 Edinburgh Fringe show - he takes on some of the greatest (and oddest) bets in history, as he seeks to win a series of wacky wagers placed by Georgian and Victorian gamblers. 
 
In these nine episodes, he attempts to make a woollen coat from scratch - going from the sheep's back to his own back in a single day, tries to toss a cheeseboard over 4½ miles in under 100 throws, strives to outrun a racehorse in a 100-yard dash and endeavours to travel 25mph on water utilising only the methods existing in 1765. 
 
Tim also sets out to navigate central London blindfolded, bets that his pig can go over a bridge faster than a rower can scull across the river beneath it; and finds out if it's possible to cook a pudding ten feet underwater. In addition, accompanied by his nemesis Alex Horne, he recreates two legendary bets involving sending a missive 50 miles in an hour (using only the means available to a gentleman in 1753), and riding a horse from London to Dover and back before Alex can make a million dots on a piece of paper... 
 
Production credits 
Performed, written by and starring Tim FitzHigham with Alex Horne, Olivia Fitzroy and Bob Slayer 
Additional material by Paul Byrne, Jon Hunter and Joe Oldak 
Produced by Colin Anderson and Joe Nunnery 
Coat material supplied by the Derbyshire Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 17 February 2013 (Pilot), 6-27 April 2014 (Series 1) 1-22 April 2015 (Series 2) 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Gambler: Complete Series 1-2

A BBC Comedy

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BBC Radio’s The Lord of the Rings

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The complete boxed collection of Beatrix Potter's beloved Peter Rabbit books

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Bim Blake

Bindi Babes

Tim and Biscuit, two unlikely friends, always seem to get themselves into difficult situations. From their first meeting in Cliffhanger, where bookish Tim is forced to endure an activities camp, to Buried Alive, where a quiet camping holiday turns out to be full of surprises, there is never a dull moment with these two around.Jaqueline Wilson’s hilarious duo of books catalogues their escapades, triumphs and failures, with a good helping of snacks along the way!

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