In Our Time

788

Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world. History fans can learn about pivotal wars and societal upheavals, such as the rise and fall of Napoleon, the Sack of Rome in 1527, and the political intrigue of the Russian Revolution. Those fascinated by the lives of kings and queens can journey to Versailles to meet Marie Antoinette and Louis XIV the Sun King, or to Ancient Egypt to meet Cleopatra and Nerfertiti. Or perhaps you’re looking to explore the history of religion, from Buddhism’s early teachings to the Protestant Reformation. If you’re interested in the stories behind iconic works of art, music and literature, dive in to discussions on the artistic genius of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers. From Gothic architecture to the works of Shakespeare, each episode of In Our Time offers new insight into humanity’s cultural achievements. Those looking to enrich their scientific knowledge can hear episodes on black holes, the Periodic Table, and classical theories of gravity, motion, evolution and relativity. Learn how the discovery of penicillin revolutionised medicine, and how the death of stars can lead to the formation of new planets. Lovers of philosophy will find episodes on the big issues that define existence, from free will and ethics, to liberty and justice. In what ways did celebrated philosophers such as Mary Wollstonecraft and Karl Marx push forward radical new ideas? How has the concept of karma evolved from the ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism to today? What was Plato’s concept of an ideal republic, and how did he explore this through the legend of the lost city of Atlantis? In Our Time celebrates the pursuit of knowledge and the enduring power of ideas.

Lise Meitner
Jun 5, 2025 – 57:22
The Korean Empire
May 29, 2025 – 47:40
Molière
May 22, 2025 – 51:24
Typology
May 15, 2025 – 50:45
The Battle of Clontarf
May 8, 2025 – 51:40
The Gracchi
May 1, 2025 – 49:09
Maurice Merleau-Ponty
Apr 24, 2025 – 59:02
Thomas Middleton
Apr 17, 2025 – 56:29
Cyrus the Great
Apr 10, 2025 – 50:59
Pollination
Apr 3, 2025 – 50:10
Kali
Mar 27, 2025 – 57:41
Oliver Goldsmith
Mar 20, 2025 – 54:23
Catherine of Aragon
Mar 13, 2025 – 52:38
Sir John Soane
Mar 6, 2025 – 53:25
Pope Joan
Feb 27, 2025 – 46:37
Socrates in Prison
Feb 20, 2025 – 50:50
The Battle of Valmy
Feb 13, 2025 – 47:43
Slime Moulds
Jan 30, 2025 – 51:30
Vase-mania
Jan 23, 2025 – 56:27
Plutarch's Parallel Lives
Jan 16, 2025 – 56:33
The Habitability of Planets
Jan 9, 2025 – 52:50
Nizami Ganjavi
Jan 2, 2025 – 52:21
The Hanoverian Succession
Dec 26, 2024 – 50:54
Italo Calvino
Dec 19, 2024 – 48:31
The Antikythera Mechanism
Dec 12, 2024 – 50:35
George Herbert
Dec 5, 2024 – 52:27
The Venetian Empire
Nov 28, 2024 – 51:24
Little Women
Nov 21, 2024 – 48:16
Hayek's The Road to Serfdom
Nov 14, 2024 – 53:16
Robert Graves
Nov 7, 2024 – 54:53
The Haymarket Affair
Oct 31, 2024 – 51:39
Wormholes
Oct 24, 2024 – 01:00:56
Benjamin Disraeli
Oct 17, 2024 – 51:21
Bacteriophages
Aug 1, 2024 – 50:43
Monet in England
Jul 25, 2024 – 50:48
Karma
Jul 18, 2024 – 50:55
Fielding's Tom Jones
Jul 11, 2024 – 54:47
The Orkneyinga Saga
Jul 4, 2024 – 51:02
Marsilius of Padua
Jun 27, 2024 – 56:44
Empress Dowager Cixi
Jun 20, 2024 – 50:02
Philippa Foot
Jun 13, 2024 – 58:12
Sir Thomas Wyatt
Jun 6, 2024 – 58:01
Mercury
May 30, 2024 – 53:49
Bertolt Brecht
May 23, 2024 – 59:34
Napoleon's Hundred Days
May 16, 2024 – 58:56
Lysistrata
May 9, 2024 – 55:10
Nikola Tesla
May 2, 2024 – 52:50
The Kalevala
Apr 25, 2024 – 50:20
Julian the Apostate
Apr 18, 2024 – 50:14
The Waltz
Apr 11, 2024 – 52:12

Recent Reviews

pizzacat

Melvyn Bragg needs to go.

The guests and topics are well spoken and interesting. The host is constantly interrupting them and applying pressure to speed up the talking points. It's infuriating to listen to. Every episode is a wasted opportunity for learning and productive dialogue. I can't wait until he retires. Melvyn Bragg makes this impossible to listen to. I hate him. I want to learn and listen but he makes it impossible. Melvyn, please go away and never come back.
taouin

Pertinent Information ruined by the host mumbling.

The content and guest are knowledgeable, but the host speak too low, mumble his words, interrupt a lot and should drink a couple redbulls because he seems to lack energy.
Tom.mcmahon

Venetian Empire

I was stunned by this podcast. I don’t think there was a single mention of how much Venice’s wealth and power depended on capturing, enslaving and selling human beings enslaved by Venice, and the slaves forced into the navy galleys. I think this erasure makes the entire podcast worse than useless. The podcast becomes part of white supremacist history making. I urge In Our Time to make a completely new podcast about Venice and how much it expanded and benefited from enslaving and selling humans. Talk about Caucasus enslavement, talk about sugar plantations, talk about what ships brought the black plague to Europe, talk about selling young white women into Muslim slave markets, talk about the living and working conditions of galley slaves.
Aquilina88

Speaks way too fast

I could only get a few minutes into one of these episodes. The speaker talks way too fast to keep up. I had to rewind 3 times in the first 2 minutes and then gave up.
JgSM1TTY

Melvyn ruins what could be interesting

I gave up on this podcast after a few episodes. The best interviewers let smart people talk, and Melvyn Bragg constantly interrupts his guests, controlling things to annoying degree. As a result everything feels rushed and I can’t absorb what the guests are sharing. It’s like he’s trying to cram so much into every episode that you end up getting very little out of it. Find a better host, BBC. Preferably one that isn’t so high on themselves.
Aaaavvvvvvvbv

Outstanding

An outstanding podcast. Melvyn and his team do a wonderful job of finding fascinating subjects and erudite guests. Thank you Melvyn for being such an insightful interviewer and superb host. Long may you continue!
Anonymous 919

Heisenberg

I can't write enough about the beauty of this podcast concerning the allergic and brilliant Heinsberg. However, the commercials that interrupted the narrative were so sudden--abrupt, and audibly irritating, that it woke me up. They were like nails on a blackboard. I can't afford to pay every podcast I listen to. I struggle every month with a limited income.
ummalquain

Early access

I’ve stopped listening since this early access charge was put in place. I wonder if that’s a common theme. It’s too bad as it was my favorite program.
James of BC

Diction inaudible

Mr Bragg’s pertinent questions flow quickly from an undoubtably intelligent mind but his diction is poor. He frequently drifts into a mumble, which as a Canadian listener, I miss key portions of phrases despite my being thoroughly familiar with British speech. A pity. The content is too good to miss.
tomfive19

poor audio

seems like an interesting podcast but intolerable audio pan for me
Mick519

Melvin

Melvin is grumpy and impatient, often interrupting his guests. He gets irritable when his guests aren’t explaining something he wants to know. Reminds me of my dad 😀
enthusiaccident

I want to love it

The content is excellent but listening to the host breathe and wheeze into the mic is intolerable!
Dordtscannon

interruptions

I consider myself a very patient guy, but I cannot believe the level of interruptions that the BBC allows this interviewer. You can immediately tell that people are on pins and needles waiting for the next interruption, and it certainly affects their thought patterns, and what the listener receives in terms of information. I post this knowing full well, that she will not change his habits, since it seems to me that all the reviews of pointed this out
mr. gibberish

gbrsh

.
Persian Boomer

Fantastic podcast

Really enjoy each episode, but especially the ones on Emi Nota(?) and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Hope to get an episode on the Shahnameh some day.
HarrietBrown666

Melvyn Bragg is a belligerent boob!

Thematically this podcast is excellent but my god, man. Is Bragg a lush? He asks questions and then interrupts his guests before they can even answer! Not only is that poor manners, it’s poor hosting. I appreciate the intelligence of his guests, but this podcast is unlistenable because of Bragg! I wish there were less erratic outbursts from him so that he his guests could actually share their knowledge. GET A BETTER HOST.
Laileesolei

The most terrible host

Interesting subjects, but I can’t stand the arrogance and the constant interruptions by the host. Stopped listening just for this reason.
shannon rebekkah

Interrupt

I agree. He interrupts too much rather arrogantly. Stop it!!
ipodlist

All

Enjoy it most of the time but MB interrupts too much and apologizes but still interrupts if the others don’t follow his script Pod list
Trenton James

Want to rate it 5/5… but BBC Sounds?

So disappointed that BBC has decided to enforce a time-delay on all podcasts not housed on their BBC Sounds app. Totally get that they want to drive users to their BBC Sounds app, but most consumers want *less* apps cluttering their home screens, not more. If they wanted more people to use BBC Sounds, it would’ve been smarter to develop *more, diverse, and interesting content* to host exclusively on their app to drive users that way (like virtually all other podcast providers), not implementing a time-delay on Apple Podcasts.
wertham

The best podcast in the world

IOT has been the undisputed champion of information programming since the turn of the millennium. Host Melvyn Bragg has access to some of the greatest minds in the world - experts in history, science, philosophy & literature. No other podcast even comes close to this level of brilliance. Essential listening.
Nonexpertlistener

In Our Time

The topics are often interesting but the host seems to want to be included as an expert on every topic he brings on. Let the actual experts speak without all the interruptions!
Cobourgreen

Excellent!

Quite a diverse range of topics. Always interesting to hear the experts views on their areas of expertise. Great listening.
Tangled garden

Mixed review

Excellent content but he has a supercilious interview style that is off-putting.
Kaaskop1962

Melvyn Mumbles the host

I recently discovered the In Our Time podcast and I find it to be wonderfully interesting and engaging but the host however ... Melvyn Bragg mumbles so consistently that I understand only about half of what he says. He also frequently interrupts his guests in mid stream to ask them a question or make a statement that the guest is already actually in the process of answering or explaining. I’m not sure if he feels it necessary to interject because he is the host and feels compelled to make a contribution or perhaps he himself has made episode notes and wants to ensure what he has written becomes part of the broadcast. I find his manner very distracting and it impedes the flow and cadence of the broadcast. I can only imagine it must be annoying for the guests as well and perhaps even mildly insulting to their expertise.
hhhulga

Best podcast ever

I am completely addicted.
Peachy🍑Jess

I have only one wish

Please never stop making podcasts. Where has this been all my life i have so much to catch up on ahhhhh
Upgrade no work

and you thought you knew history

Love this podcast for Melvin Bragg. He’s not only knows his stuff but his banter with guests has me in stitches. Some of the history may seem obscure nevertheless it pulls you in and hooks you. I listen to them twice sometimes three times so I don’t miss anything. Then I go do some of my own independent research for fun.
LM1958

D, Alberta

The best podcast of its kind (by far) that I have come across. Bragg is an old pro and the guests (yes, real academics) are of a very high quality
Nico_wa

New host pls

Nothing like an old white dude consistently interrupting the female experts. Would be much more tolerable with a new, less misogynistic host!
Sarelo

Dangerous

I write this review shortly after discovering this series. The subjects cover everything from Free Will to solar winds. As I write this, the Covid virus has reached my small, lonely prairie city. I am unaware of closures, health notices, and travel protocols as I’ve stopped listening to the news because I’m too busy listening to this podcast! Darn you Melvyn, darn you to heck!
BellMontreal

Great

Although at times the host interrupts, it is a well researched and smart show. You can hear the paper russel as guest go to their notes and give the best research explanation to topics
Gib Primo

super enjoyable

great show, great host, super british, love it
Miss Mortification

Informative

Very enlightening podcast with lots of interesting conversations. It’s super hard not to feel like the host is quite arrogant at times though. He scoffs at certain ideas like he is so above it all. It’s rather insulting to anyone who may not agree with the position being taken on the given topic. Maybe I’m reading into things too much but that’s the sense i get at times. Still worth a listen though. Thanks
toddsieling

Every show has so much

The no-nonsense and well-paced discussion format that gives ample room to guests to share what they know is so rare in podcasts or radio. High quality shows on topics familar and new.
Jecomprend

The Best!

Each show is of such high quality. And M Bragg is a brilliant host, constantly moving the dialogue forward. All the guests are experts in their respective fields and they want to be clear in their explanations. At the end of each show you will always want more. A weekly education. You will never be disappointed.
Fiftyfifththousandeighthundred

amazing content. three cheers

quality content. so much learnt. so much more to be learnt.
Furicle

A real treat

It’s amazing the connections between things you think you know, and things around them you didn’t. The context around famous people, places and concepts are fascinating.
taylorjanewoolf

A podcast with some good food for thought

One of the most intelligent and entertaining podcasts available.
NickWhy55

Brilliant!

Fabulous! But Bragg needs to lighten up sometimes :P though I know he needs to keep time. My only criticism is that sometimes they don't go into enough detail on the subjects but just graze over them a little to vaguely and jump around a little to much without connecting it all togther (sometimes they do actually do this wonderfully though!).
Deadfish07

Great show, great topics and guests!

I wish the shows were longer , more discussion and greater depth. What is wrong with a two hour show?
Ghostface Chillah

In Our Time – Elaborate Monty Python Skit?

Hosted by professional boor Melvyn Bragg, In Our Time features academics and experts discussing intellectually stimulating topics while the host audibly wheezes in the background and offers the occasional unsolicited opinion. Melvyn is armed with an array of inane questions (some of which have already been answered by the guests) so in the event one of the guests begins to say something interesting, he can rudely interrupt and demand that they answer a different question. BBC sticks firmly by their man Melvyn, a kind of Charlie Rose with Korsakoff’s syndrome. A fantastic show if you want to witness the degeneration of British culture in real time.
Ruexxx

Amazing

Favourite podcast. Im afraid I will run out of episodes to listen to.
Dl3141

Great

Melvin interviews top academics in this high informative podcast. The host covers a broad range of topics and is able to ask good questions on a variety of topics
K MW

Fascinating

Hearing from real experts in all kinds of academic domains. The only thing that’s wrong with it is the name—almost *nothing* in the podcast is about our time: it’s all about other times!
Erroll Treslan

I am a podcast addict and this is my favorite

Podcast gold.
Delysid

Indispensable

I've listened to many, many different podcasts over the years, starting in 2005. In Our Time is one of my most favourite. A fascinating, wide array of topics, knowledgeably discussed each week by the host and three guests, usually academics, who are experts in the subject at hand. Always informative & enlightening. I've learned a lot from this program. A must-have for anybody's podcast list.
QuiteAbigDeal

Great Topics

I love this podcast. The array of topics makes it easy to be interested. The only negative is the usual throat clearing. A lozenge may help beforehand or during the show.
Mmalano

One of the best

Very very good
Labnorth

The best

The best intellectual discussions and the best way to fill gaps in knowledge quickly. Sometimes I listen as I am falling asleep and have dreams of Roman Emperors, quantum particles or great poets.