In Our Time
Hosted by Misha Glenny and Melvyn Bragg · BBC Radio 4
4.7from 7,868 ratings
- 1,144
- Episodes
- 137
- Transcribed
- 7,868
- Ratings
- Daily
- Cadence
- 1998
- First episode
About In Our Time
A world-class seminar, every week. In Our Time explores the ideas, people and discoveries that have shaped our world, spanning history, philosophy, religion, science, literature, art and culture. On Thursdays, hear brand-new episodes hosted by Misha Glenny and leading academics. On Mondays, discover Misha's Archive Picks: classic conversations from the In Our Time archive, originally presented by Melvyn Bragg. Recent episodes have featured topics as wide-ranging as the Roman Arena, Handel's Messiah, John Keats, On Liberty and the Mariana Trench, bringing expert insight to pivotal events, influential thinkers and remarkable discoveries. Throughout the archive, you can hear discussions on historical figures such as Marie Antoinette, Nefertiti, Mary Wollstonecraft, Karl Marx and Albert Einstein; explore great works of literature such as Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the poetry of John Donne; uncover the stories behind cultural masterpieces including Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel; or journey from Jupiter and the death of stars, to the theories of Plato and Aristotle. In Our Time celebrates the pursuit of knowledge and the enduring power of ideas.
- Publisher
- BBC Radio 4
- Category
- history
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 15 Oct 1998
- Latest episode
- 17 Sept 2026
Latest episodes
137 of 1,144 episodes have a transcript.
17 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
Archive: Rosalind Franklin
10 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
Archive: Plato's Republic
7 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
In Our Time Returns for a New Series
Inside a recent episode
Archive: Rosalind Franklin
Published 17 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Well, the internal workings of the Nobel Prize Committee are quite difficult to decipher sometimes. But there are two technical reasons why she couldn't have received it. The first is that by the time they announced the prize, she had already died and you can only be awarded the Nobel Prize while you're alive. The other problem is that it can only be awarded to a maximum of three people. So if she had been alive, I would like to think that it would have been awarded to Watson, Crick and Franklin. Is it possible to weigh the value of her contribution in one of the great scientists' discoveries of all time? […]
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See plansWho has been a guest on In Our Time
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- Patricia Fara
- Jim Naismith
- Judith Howard
- Angie Hobbs
- MM McCabe
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.6 / 5
- 5,220 ratings
- Spotify
- 4.9 / 5
- 2,648 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 67 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 94
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 0
- Engagement
- 100
Pitching In Our Time
- Guest appearances
- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting pitches.
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Questions about In Our Time
Who hosts In Our Time?
Misha Glenny and Melvyn Bragg host the show. Published by BBC Radio 4.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes daily, based on its RSS feed.
Does In Our Time take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
137 of 1,144 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
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