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Proud pessimist Bryan Appleyard investigates the contemporary cult of optimism. Read more
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Optimism - Our Enemy
Proud pessimist Bryan Appleyard investigates the contemporary cult of optimism.
The Unabomber
How a reclusive maths prodigy terrorised America - and how the media amplified his cause.
Working Class Heroes and Poverty Porn
How the portrayal of the working class and poor in film and TV has changed over 70 years.
Rising Voices
Fergal Keane explores the cultural landscape of the 1916 Easter Rising.
Tennant Looks Back At Osborne
David Tennant explores the back story to Osborne's revolutionary play Look Back in Anger.
Return to Subtopia
Gillian Darley explores "Subtopia", the blurring of space between town and country
The Camera Never Lies
Bafta award-winning film-maker Molly Dineen examines the concept of truth in documentary.
A Guide to the Modern Snob
Writer DJ Taylor creates a 's guide to the snob for the 21st century.
The Bomb That Made Manchester?
Michael Symmons Roberts examines the myth that the 1996 bomb heralded Manchester's rebirth
Gillian Reynolds: Audiophile
Critic and broadcaster Gillian Reynolds celebrates 50 years’ professional radio listening.
Pevsner: Through Outsider's Eyes
Tom Dyckhoff goes in search of Nikolaus Pevsner.
Roald Dahl: In His Own Words
Roald Dahl tells his own story in his own words with the help of his granddaughter Sophie.
The Heath Enigma
On Edward Heath's centenary, Shaun Ley reassesses the enigmatic former prime minister.
The League of Extraordinary Housewives
A history of the housewife since 1945, which explores her shifting power and politics.
The Norma Percy Tapes
An archive of the most powerful people, shaping the monumental events of modern history.
Lenny Bruce - In His Own, Unheard, Words
Fifty years since Lenny Bruce died, Mark Steel explores his legacy in the 21st century.
Tolkien: The Lost Recordings
Joss Ackland narrates a search through BBC archives for unheard gems from JRR Tolkien.
Dimbleby on Dimbleby
Jonathan Dimbleby tells the story of his legendary broadcaster father, Richard Dimbleby.
Star Trek - The Undiscovered Future
Kevin Fong boldly goes in search of Star Trek's 50-year-old vision of the future.
Period Drama Politics
Steven Fielding on relations between upstairs and downstairs in dramas like Downton Abbey.
Don't Be Rude on the Road
Alan Dein takes a breakneck tour through the history of the public information film.
The Villain in 6 Chapters
Toby Jones celebrates the mercurial world of the villain.
Radio Dada
Alexei Sayle on the cultural impact of the Dada movement, 100 years since it was founded.
The Black Panthers
The rise and fall of the Black Panther Party and its legacy for American black insurgency.
Song of the Singer Sewing Machine
The Singer sewing machine has whirred its way through history as Maria Margaronis unravels
A Natural History of the Banker
Andrew Ross Sorkin traces the reputation of UK and USA bankers through history.
Speaking in Public: Archive on 4 Goes Live!
David Bramwell sets out to prove that anyone can be a good public speaker.
No Platform
Andrew Hussey on the history of the 'no platform' debates raging on university campuses.
Being Bored: The Importance Of Doing Nothing
Phill Jupitus explores the importance of being bored.
Logan's Run and Intergenerational War
Ed Howker looks at the world depicted in the science fiction novel Logan's Run.
Lloyd George's Revolution
Peter Hennessy tells how Lloyd George galvanised Britain as war leader a century ago.
