You're Dead to Me

In the first of five special episodes on US history, Greg Jenner is joined by Prof Emily Bernard and Roy Wood Jr in 1920s New York as they take a look at the movers and shakers of the Harlem Renaissance. Walk through one of Harlem's infamous rent parties and meet the greatest icons and minds from music, politics and the literary world during a cultural revolution. Produced by Cornelius Mendez Scri...

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Prof Olivette Otele and comedian Sophie Duker in 18th century France to meet the Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Born the son of a slave and a white plantation owner, he lived a remarkable life in France, becoming a master fencer, violin virtuoso, composer, confident of Marie Antoinette and a revolutionary. He is regarded as one of the most significant composers of t...

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr Janina Ramirez and comedian Kae Kurd in medieval Iceland to delve into the world of old Norse literature. It's full of elves, giants, trolls, gods, deadly mistletoe and eight-legged horse babies. Anything goes in a world created from the decapitated body of a giant where a squirrel runs communications! But what was the ultimate purpose of these stories? Who wr...

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Prof Tineke D’Haeseleer and comedian Evelyn Mok in medieval China to explore the Tang Dynasty. Known as the Golden Age of China, it was the time of China’s Emperor Wu, the only woman to hold power in her own right, and Emperor Xuanzong who became so bored with austerity he came up with a unique way to have fun. A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr Anna Whitelock and comedian Larry Dean in 16th-century Scotland to meet King James VI, the first Stuart king to rule Scotland and England simultaneously. He is renowned for his translation of The Bible, his belief in witches and for being the primary target of the Gunpowder Plot. But is that really how we should remember him?

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr Augustus Casely-Hayford OBE and comedian Sophie Duker to explore the incredible Asante Empire. We learn the roots of Ghanian heritage - from storytelling, fabric, food, music and rhythm as communication, to how centuries of traditions across the empire came together to protect the most sacred symbol of power in the Asante Kingdom from the hands of the British...

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Prof Catherine Fletcher and comedian Phil Wang in 15th-century Rome as they introduce us to the infamous Borgias family. With dynastic alliances, poisonous rings, murders and chestnut orgies, it’s not hard to see how they may have inspired Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather. But how much of what we know of Italy’s original crime family is actually true? Produced...

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr Kristi Upson-Saia and comedian Stu Goldsmith to explore the strange world of Ancient Greek and Roman medicine. Welcome to a world where health was fleeting, water could be dangerous and communal bum sponges are all the rage. The team will take you through a variety of common ailments from tight atoms to wandering wombs and provide startling cures in the form o...

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr Gillian Kenny and comedian Catherine Bohart in 16th century Ireland to look at the life of pirate queen Grainne O’Malley. Against the backdrop of the changing legal landscape of Ireland as it faced brutality from incoming English administrators, we look at the difficult decisions Grainne was forced to make to ensure her family's survival. From bold changes to...

Host Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid and comedian Kae Kurd in Ancient Mesopotamia as they explore the Babylonian civiliisation. If your knowledge of Babylon doesn’t extend beyond the Boney M. song then this is the episode for you. We reveal all sorts of fascinating facts that connect you to a people who existed 4000 years ago – from the way we communicate to a maths system w...

Greg Jenner is joined by returning guests, historian Dr Emma Southon and comedian Cariad Lloyd as they travel back to 1st-century Rome to meet Agrippina the Younger. Empress, overbearing mother of the Emperor Nero and murderer, but how much of what has been written about this extraordinary woman is true? What does it really take to survive as a woman at the top of the Roman Empire? Produced by Cor...

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr Mehreen Chida-Razvi and comedian Sindhu Vee to explore the Mughal Empire and its legacy in art and architecture. We learn why an Emperor always needed to be wary of his siblings and how a zebra came to cause disbelief in court, and we hear the real story behind the wondrous Taj Mahal. A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Greg Jenner is joined by chocolate historian Alex Hutchinson and British TV legend Richard Osman to explore the culinary and cultural history of chocolate. How did cacao become chocolate and find its way into our shops and hearts? A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Why do we celebrate Christmas with cards, crackers and a tree? Join us as we travel back and explore the weird and wonderful history of the Victorian Christmas. Just who the Dickens had the idea to bring trees indoors? Can a soft-drinks firm really take credit for Father Christmas’s red suit? And why did the Victorians send each other such bizarre Christmas cards? Greg Jenner is joined in the stud...

Greg Jenner is joined by historical expert Dr Michell Chresfield and comedian Desiree Burch to travel to 1920s Paris and meet the phenomenal Josephine Baker. Josephine Baker was a renowned performer and entertainer, a civil rights activist and even a spy during the German occupation of France. But just how did the daughter of a laundress in St Louis find herself at the centre of some of the most p...

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr Misha Ewen and comedian Alex Edelman to take a trip back in time and across the Atlantic with the passengers of The Mayflower. A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Revisit the dark days of the European Witch Craze when one book turned the world upside down and a disgruntled patriarchy murdered thousands of innocent women. Greg Jenner's guests are comedian Cariad Lloyd and historian Prof Suzannah Lipscomb. Produced by Dan Morelle Script and research by Emma Nagouse, assisted by Eszter Szabo and Evie Randall Radio edit by Cornelius Mendez A Muddy Knees Media p...

Where did football come from? Was it really invented in China or is the truth a little closer to home? And what’s the truth behind the history of the women’s game? Greg Jenner is joined by comedian Tom Parry and historian Prof Jean Williams to learn the history of the beautiful game. Produced by Dan Morelle Scripted by Greg Jenner Researched by Emma Nagouse, assisted by Eszter Szabo and Evie Randa...

Greg Jenner digs into the history and mystery of Stonehenge. Is it really the symbol of fertility and scene of sacrifice it’s portrayed to be, and what part of Stonehenge is the henge exactly? Featuring podcasting legend Richard Herring alongside archaeologist Susan Greaney from English Heritage. Produced by Dan Morelle Script by Greg Jenner Research by Emma Nagouse Radio edit by Cornelius Mendez...

Greg Jenner is joined by comedian Desiree Burch and historian Dr Michell Chresfield to explore the life of the American hero and abolitionist, Harriet Tubman. From a torturous childhood to surgery without anaesthetic, get ready to understand true bravery as we uncover the events which made Harriet Tubman a phenomenal force for change. Produced by Dan Morelle Scripted by Greg Jenner Researched by E...

Never mind the famous battles, who was the real Napoleon and what events turned him from a young Corsican officer to one of history’s greatest figures? Greg Jenner is joined by comedian Dan Schreiber and historian Dr Laura O’Brien. Produced by Dan Morelle Script and research by Emma Nagouse Radio edit by Cornelius Mendez A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Greg Jenner is joined by the brilliant comedian Tim Minchin and Palaeolithic archaeologist Dr Becky Wragg Sykes as they take us way back in time to visit the Neanderthals. Just who were the Neanderthals? Were they the squat caveman we’ve come to know in pop culture or have we misunderstood them entirely? Join the team as we discover there is so much more to those handsome, hench beings who walked...

Travel back to the land of the Aztecs for stories of sacrifice and fancy diets. Greg Jenner is joined by comedian Joel Dommett and historian Dr Caroline Dodds Pennock to ask just how much food can be traced back to the Aztecs? Was cannibalism really a respectful process? And at what age were Aztec children expected to contribute to the family? Produced by Dan Morelle Script by Greg Jenner Research...

Greg Jenner is joined by comedian Stu Goldsmith and historian Dr Rebecca Simon for a hilarious look at the life of the infamous pirate, Blackbeard. Produced by Dan Morelle Scripted by Greg Jenner Researched by Emma Nagouse Radio edit by Cornelius Mendez A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Host Greg Jenner is joined by Prof Sarah Parcak and comedian Maria Shehata to learn all about the magnificent Egyptian pyramids. We discover how and why pyramids were built, who constructed them, and how space archaeology can help us discover and protect hundreds of pyramids and tombs that are yet to be found.