Historical Friction

About Historical Friction

Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it. Also sometimes bad wigs. Created by Alice Procter with Abigail Fine and Helen Victoria Murray.

Publisher

Alice Procter, Abigail Fine, Helen Victoria Murray

Category

history

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

27 Oct 2020

Latest episode

24 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

44 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Apr 2026

   The Terror (2018)

   Bundle up, it's time to head to the frozen tundra! And be sure to double-check your canned goods before going or you may not like your nutritional options! In today's episode, Alice, Helen, and Abigail discuss the first season of AMC's The Terror (2018) (an adaptation of the Dan Simmons' supernatural horror novel of the same name), which takes as its focus the lost Franklin Expedition to the Arctic (1845-1848). Starring Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Ciaran Hinds, Paul Ready, Nive Nielson, Ian Hart, and Adam Nagaitis, The Terror tells the tale of the 129 men who perished on the expedition's search for the Northwest Passage. As the historical record shows, starvation, scurvy, and even cannibalism have their roles to play, but in this version, so does a violent Inuit spirit known as the Tuunbaq. So join us for a wide-ranging discussion on Arctic exploration, maritime customs, cultural and naval understandings of cannibalism, Inuit mythology, and why we, as a species, seem so fascinated with historical disaster mysteries. Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it. Find us on Instagram at @historical_friction, on Bluesky at @historicalfriction, or email us at historicalfrictionpodcast@gmail.com. Bluesky: Alice - @aaprocter, Abigail - @onceuponafine, Helen - @helenvmurray Instagram: Alice - @aliceaprocter, Abigail - @onceuponafine, Helen - @helenvmurray Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction

2. 

   20 Feb 2026

   'Wuthering Heights' (2026)

   Our Heights have been Wuthered! Have yours? In today's episode, Alice, Helen, and Abigail discuss the brand new Wuthering Heights film directed by Emerald Fennell, starring Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Shazad Latif, Hong Chau, and Alison Oliver, based on Emily Brontë's classic 1847 novel. From eggs to skin wallpaper, from sexy Joseph (?) to Bridgerton-esque carriage sex, from casting controversies to discourse surrounding creative adaptation, from obvious corset metaphors to obvious necklace metaphors, this film... was something, that's for sure. Was it a surface-level flop? Or a brilliant commentary on our own surface-level society? So join us, and get your Heights Wuthered! NB: if you're familiar with both the book and film, this episode is largely plot summary until the 20 minute mark, so you can start our analysis there. This episode contains explicit-ish sexual content, discussion of child and marital abuse, and mention of pregnancy loss. Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it. Find us on Instagram at @historical_friction, on Bluesky at @historicalfriction, or email us at historicalfrictionpodcast@gmail.com. Bluesky: Alice - @aaprocter, Abigail - @onceuponafine, Helen - @helenvmurray Instagram: Alice - @aliceaprocter, Abigail - @onceuponafine, Helen - @helenvmurray Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction

3. 

   22 Dec 2025

   The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

   A Yuletide treat! This year, we at Historical Friction have plenty of cheeses for you meeces, as Alice, Helen, and Abigail finally discuss The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). Directed by Brian Henson, this film stars Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit, a few other humans, and the entire Muppet cast! From how the Muppets alter the original Dickens text, to what they so brilliantly add in, from ectoplasmic spiritualism to embodied cognition and Muppet lore, this episode has a little something to fill everyone's stocking! This movie was such a childhood and Dickensian touchstone for all three of us that we're sure we'll be revisting it and referencing it on many holiday episodes Yet To Come (but that's in the future, like December 2026). Happy holidays everyone, from us here at Historical Friction! Historical Friction is a podcast about storytelling, pop culture, the past, and why we reenact it. Find us on Instagram at @historical_friction, on Bluesky at @historicalfriction, or email us at historicalfrictionpodcast@gmail.com. Bluesky: Alice - @aaprocter, Abigail - @onceuponafine, Helen - @helenvmurray Instagram: Alice - @aliceaprocter, Abigail - @onceuponafine, Helen - @helenvmurray Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalfriction

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

12 ratings

Contact Historical Friction

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.