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BBC Radio 4

The comedy podcast that takes history seriously. In each episode of You’re Dead to Me from BBC Radio 4, Greg Jenner is joined by a comedian and an expert historian to learn and laugh about the past.

History isn’t just about dates and textbooks – it’s about extraordinary characters, amazing stories, and some very questionable fashion choices. How long did it take to build an Egyptian pyramid? What does the Bayeux Tapestry reveal about medieval life? Why did it take nearly half a millennium for Joan of Arc to become a saint? And was Catherine the Great really all that great? Whether you want to explore ancient landmarks like Stonehenge and Machu Picchu, dance through the history of Broadway and Bollywood, or find out how the Tudors rose to power, Greg and his guests promise to teach you something new that you won’t have heard in history lessons.

Previous episodes of You’re Dead To Me have covered everything from royals to revolutionaries, actors to activists and divas to dictators. Take a stroll through the history of high-heeled shoes or get the scoop on the history of ice cream. Maybe you’d like to paint like the cave artists of the Palaeolithic era, work out like a Victorian bodybuilder, or fight like a Spartan? We’ve even hosted a special, live episode with the BBC Concert Orchestra to explore the dramatic life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Whatever your historical interests, Greg and his guests make even the trickiest topics easy to follow. Join them for a history lesson that’s as entertaining as it is enlightening - with no homework required.

You're Dead to Me

Forget Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Justinian and Theodora were the power couple of the Byzantine era. From withstanding riots to protecting women’s rights, how did a woman from such humble beginnings (and who did *that* with a swan…) fall in love with one of the most powerful men of the time and secure her place in the history books? Join public historian Greg Jenner, comedian Shappi Khorsandi and historian Prof Peter Frankopan.

Justinian and Theodora

Never mind the famous battles, who was the real Napoleon? Where did he come from? What events conspired to turn him from a young Corsican officer to one of history’s greatest figures? How intense was his relationship with his wife Josephine? What part of his body was recreated in plaster, and how much was somebody willing to pay for it? 

And just how did one man manufacture his own hype way before the days of social media? 

Greg Jenner is joined by comedian Dan Schreiber and historian Dr Laura O’Brien. It’s history for people who don’t like history! 

Produced by Dan Morelle
Script and research by Emma Nagouse

A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4

Young Napoleon

Travel back to the land of the Aztecs to discover that they’re not that dissimilar to the Tudors, but with more human sacrifices.

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? It’s history for people who don’t like history! 

Produced by Dan Morelle
Script by Greg Jenner
Research by Emma Nagouse assisted by Josh Daniels

A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4

The Aztecs

Greg Jenner is joined by Professor Peter Frankopan and comedian Phil Wang in the 12th century to meet one of the most feared conquerors in world history, Genghis Khan. 

We find out why silk shirts weren’t just a fashion choice and how kittens were apparently used as weapons as Genghis Khan established the largest land empire in history.

A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4

Genghis Khan

Sue Perkins and Dr Lucy Worsley join Greg Jenner to discuss the life of world-famous novelist, Agatha Christie. 

Agatha Christie is arguably the greatest ever crime novelist but her work has also permeated film, theatre and television over the past century. Christie also lived during an extraordinary period of modern history. Her life encompassed the end of the Victorian era, the two world wars and ended at the age of 85 in 1976. 

There was also much more to Christie the person: from unexpected sporting hobbies to a romantic life that had its fair share of heartbreak and harmony; her life off the page is as interesting as her novels are on it. 

Research by Jessica Honey
Written by Emma Nagouse, Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Jessica Honey and Greg Jenner
Produced by Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner
Assistant Producer: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow
Project Management: Isla Matthews
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey

Agatha Christie

Greg Jenner is joined in the 11th century by Dr Eleanor Barraclough and actor Kiell Smith-Bynoe to learn about legendary Viking explorer Leif Erikson.

Leif was possibly the first European to reach the Americas, nearly half a millennium before Christopher Columbus landed in the Caribbean. According to the stories told about him, he was a lucky explorer with a murderer for a father and a fearsome warrior for a sister, who travelled in his longship across the Atlantic to the coast of North America. But we only know about him from two Norse sagas, written in the centuries after his death – so did he exist at all?

This episode explores the saga narrative before delving into the archaeological evidence for a Viking presence in Canada, to discover what we can know for sure about this legendary adventurer.

This is a radio edit of the original podcast episode. For the full-length version, please look further back in the feed.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Jon Norman Mason
Written by: Jon Norman Mason, Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Ben Hollands
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: James Cook

Leif Erikson (Radio Edit)

Greg Jenner is joined in 20th-century New York by Dr Hannah Thuraisingam Robbins and comedian Desiree Burch to learn about the history of Broadway.

Most of us are familiar with at least one Broadway musical, from classics like My Fair Lady and the Sound of Music to new favourites Hamilton and Wicked. In the last couple of decades, high-profile film adaptations of shows like Chicago, Cats and Les Misérables have brought musical theatre to a bigger audience than ever before. But whether or not you know your Rodgers & Hammerstein from your Lloyd Webber, the history of Broadway is perhaps more of a mystery.

This episode explores all aspects of musical theatre, from its origins in the early years of the 20th century, to the ‘Golden Age’ in the 50s and the rise of the megamusical in the 80s. Along the way, Greg and his guests learn about the racial and class dynamics of Broadway, uncover musical flops and triumphs, and find out exactly what ‘cheating out’ is.

This is a radio edit of the original podcast episode. For the full-length version, please look further back in the feed.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Hannah Campbell Hewson, Annabel Storr and Anna McCully Stewart
Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Ben Hollands
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: James Cook

History of Broadway (Radio Edit)

Greg Jenner invites you to listen to the Christmas specials in the back catalogue and looks ahead to the new series of You're Dead To Me.

Happy Christmas from Greg and the team!

Greg Jenner is joined in ancient Greece by Professor Edith Hall and comedian Dan Schreiber to learn all about famous philosopher Aristotle and his world changing ideas. Born a doctor’s son in the coastal settlement of Stagira, Aristotle would go on to revolutionise intellectual life in the west, writing on everything from theatre and the arts to politics, moral philosophy and zoology. After studying under Plato at his academy, Aristotle became a teacher himself, tutoring none other than a young Alexander the Great in Macedon before returning to Athens to found his own school, the Lyceum. And yet this extraordinary life came to an end in exile, after he was banished from his beloved Athens. This episode charts Aristotle’s incredible rise and fall, exploring his intellectual career and philosophical ideas alongside his friendships and romances, and asking whether despite his views on women and slavery he deserves the title of the greatest Greek philosopher. 

If you’re a fan of ancient academic rivalries, bloodthirsty kings, and incredible scientific discoveries, you’ll love our episode on Aristotle.

If you want more Greek philosophers with Professor Edith, check out our episode on Pythagoras. And for more from Dan Schreiber, listen to our episode on Young Napoleon.

You’re Dead to Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Madeleine Bracey
Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Ben Hollands
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: James Cook

Aristotle: Ancient Greece’s greatest philosopher?

Greg Jenner is joined in 17th-Century England by Dr Jonathan Healey and comedian Toussaint Douglass to learn about King Charles I and the causes of the British Civil Wars.

This year marks the 400th anniversary of Charles I coming to the throne on 27th March 1625. Less than two decades later, his antagonistic relationship with Parliament would ignite a civil war, one that would end with his capture, trial and execution, and the rule of Oliver Cromwell. The war is remembered as a fight between Cavaliers and Roundheads, but what did each side actually believe in, and what were the causes of this conflict? Tracing the breakdown of the relationship between the King and Parliament, this episode takes in clashes over taxation, religion and the limits of royal power, disastrous wars, unpopular advisers, and Charles’s attempts to rule without Parliament altogether. It also moves outside London, exploring popular uprisings against everything from the King’s taxes and contentious church reforms to the 17th-Century cost-of-living crisis. 

If you’re a fan of royals behaving badly, political bust-ups, rebellion and revolution, you’ll love our episode on the causes of the British Civil Wars.

If you want to hear more from Toussaint Douglass, check out our episode on abolitionist Frederick Douglass. And for more Stuart history, listen to our episodes on King James I and VI and scandalous actress Nell Gwyn.

You’re Dead to Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Matt Ryan
Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Ben Hollands
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: James Cook

Causes of the British Civil Wars: Royalists versus Parliamentarians

Greg Jenner and his guests Prof Michael Scott and comedian Shaparak Khorsandi limber up for a trip to the ancient Olympics. Discover the drastic measures taken to prevent women watching the action. Hear how the gruelling challenges brought a whole new meaning to the term "leaving it all on the field" and how even death couldn’t stop you winning.

For the full-length verion of this episode, please look further back in the feed.

The Ancient Olympics (Radio Edit)

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