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Angie Hobbs examines the changing nature of the hero, from the Iliad to the present day. Read more
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No More Heroes
Angie Hobbs examines the changing nature of the hero, from the Iliad to the present day.
Media and the Middle East
Why does the Arab-Israeli conflict attract so much media attention? With John Lloyd.
Four Women Poets Today
Carol Ann Duffy, Liz Lochhead, Gillian Clarke and Eavan Boland on gender and poetry.
Joan Littlewood and the People's Theatre
Richard Eyre pays tribute to maverick left-wing theatre director Joan Littlewood.
From Inside: The Guildford Four
Martin McNamara presents Paul Hill's letters from jail, read by Jonjo O'Neill.
The Revolution That Nearly Wasn't
Elinor Goodman explores the general election that brought Harold Wilson to power in 1964.
Speaking as a Member of the Public
Danny Wallace's history of the vox pop. Are the opinions of random people of any value?
Cerys Goes Under Milk Wood
Cerys Matthews unlocks her uncle's rare recordings of Dylan Thomas's friends and family.
Tears of a Clown
Robin Ince looks at the enduring cliche of the sad clown.
The Mersey Militants
How Militant Tendency dominated Liverpool politics in the 1980s, and its ongoing legacy.
A Girl's Own Story
Ruby Tandoh shows how young women are finding a powerful new voice via the internet.
Art School, Smart School
Brian Eno, Grayson Perry and others reflect on the state of the art school.
Singing Together
Jarvis Cocker re the long-running BBC radio programme, "Singing Together."
Malcolm X in Oxford
Stephen Tuck asks why Malcolm X was so ionate about speaking at an Oxford Union debate
Gone with the Wind: A Legacy
Diane Roberts examines the impact and legacy of the film classic, 75 years on.
Peter and the Wolf
Christopher Frayling explores the untold story behind the creation of Prokofiev's classic.
The Art of Filibustering
Ann Trenneman asks whether the filibuster has reached the end of its time.
Mustn't Grumble: The Noble British Art of Complaining
Writer Bidisha explores how complaining has become such an important part of British life.
Going to the Flicks
Episode 1
Barry Norman on the changing experience of British cinema going over the last century.
Episode 2
Charting the rise from the 1970s low ebb in cinema-going to today's exciting innovations.
Alan Lomax - Songs of Freedom
Billy Bragg explores the politics behind the work of folklorist Alan Lomax.
Coups and Coalitions: The Two Elections of 1974
Steve Richards on the political fears and shocks of 1974, and their lessons for today.
Read My Lips: Why Politicians Speak the Way They Do
Jonathan Powell explores the secret language of politicians.
Malled: 60 Years of Undercover Shopping
Will Self explores the appeal of the shopping mall.
A Brief History of Anger
American satirist Joe Queenan presents spats, tantrums and explosions from the archive.
ing Sue Townsend, Aged 68 ¾
Adrian Mole's creator, Sue Townsend, is ed by friends, family and in her own words
Lern Yerself Scouse
Paul Farley cooks a pot of Scouse as he explores the complex flavours of the Scouse accent
Epic Fail
Grace Dent presents a field guide to failure.
Who's Your Father, Referee?
Clive Anderson searches for a golden age of respect for the football referee.
Black Aquarius
The dawning of the age of Black Aquarius, the second great wave of pop occultism in the UK
The Entomology of Gregor Samsa
David Baddiel asks what kind of insect Gregor Samsa becomes in Kafka's The Metamorphosis.