A baffling but brilliant ride through Birmingham’s surrealist scene
Stewart Lee’s Radio 4 documentary on the city’s artistic past is jarring, hard to follow and utterly engaging.
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A history of the world in circles
Radio 4’s In the Loop explores the secrets of things that are round – from particle accelerators to the 5,000-year-old…
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When Justin Welby met John Cleese
In BBC Radio 4’s Archbishop Interviews, the unlikely pair talk about faith, forgiveness, cancel culture – and whether Jesus is…
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What makes a witch?
A new BBC Sounds series explores the tangled roots and modern revival of witchcraft.
The secret history of how we measure time
Did you know the 24-hour day is likely the result of humans counting with their fingerbones?
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The BBC podcast series A Very British Cult is dark and gripping
This deep dive into a supposed life-coaching organisation is an explosive listen. I won’t spoil the ending.
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Radio 4 offers BBC staff a chance to “get your head around the economy”
Are W1Aers sure they understand how debt works?
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The UK’s rubbish-dump mafia
Radio 4’s Buried tells the story of “the astonishing crime you likely haven’t heard of”.
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The last bell foundry in Britain
This peek inside the John Taylor bell foundry is a ringing endorsement for BBC radio storytelling.
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The unbearable complacency of the Today programme
Arch presenters, clichéd reporting, soft interviews: no wonder BBC Radio 4’s stale morning show is rapidly losing listeners.
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Is American democracy in danger?
In the first episode of Owen Bennett-Jones’s new Radio 4 show, the journalist investigates Russia’s attempt to meddle in the…
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BBC Radio 4’s Raiders of the Lost Archive explores the world of “audio archaeologists” and missing tapes
In a tape-filled attic, Roger Bickerton finds 94 instalments of Desert Island Discs.
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Why rare earth metals “hold the key to our future”
In Radio 4’s The Scramble for Rare Earths, Misha Glenny explains how this small group of elements has replaced natural…
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The real Boris Johnson
The BBC’s Adam Fleming discusses what he learned when making his new podcast series about the UK’s “all vibe” prime…
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BBC Radio 4’s Torn takes a fresh look at fashion history
This documentary series explores the impact of fashion through the ages – from its role in slavery to driving at…
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BBC Radio 4’s Party’s Over is a perfectly timed tale of a disgraced prime minister
Imagining the escapades of a fictional failed politician provides ample opportunity to comment on some real ones.
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Rory Stewart’s lessons in arguing well
In a three-part radio series, the former Conservative minister aims to bring reason and rhetorical flair back to public discourse.
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What does it really mean to forgive?
A new BBC Radio 4 series variously frames forgiveness as difficult, healing, a tool to regain power and an act…
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How statistics mislead us
Anna Lawlor’s BBC Radio 4 show Typical! reveals how a poor grasp of means and modes skews our idea of…
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The People vs J Edgar Hoover reveals how the FBI seized power in the United States
Emily Maitlis explores how the bureau’s unaccountable director became the architect of the US’s deep state.
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