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ON THIS DAY
One Direction: The Movie

‘This Is Us’ premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square on 20th August, 2013. 10,000 ‘Directioners’, some of whom had slept rough for three nights, were there to catch a glimpse of their favourite boyband.

The documentary, directed by ‘Supersize Me’s Morgan Spurlock, went on to take $18m in its Labor Day opening weekend in the US – but failed to scale the heights of Justin Beiber’s effort, ‘Never Say Never’.

In this episode, Olly, Rebecca and Arion unpick the secret of the boys’ success; explain why X Factor winner Matt Cardle was mysteriously disappeared from the movie; and reveal an unexpected connection between 1D and Osama Bin Laden… 

Further Reading:

• One Direction “This Is US” London Premiere Part 1 (Poveelive, 2013):

• ‘This Is Us’ on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2515086/

• ‘Morgan Spurlock, Director Of ‘This Is Us,’ Explains Why He Cut One Direction’s Girlfriends Out Of Documentary’ (HuffPo, 2013):

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/this-is-us-girlfriends-cut-morgan-spurlock_n_3839053

ON THIS DAY
One Direction: The Movie

‘This Is Us’ premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square on 20th August, 2013. 10,000 ‘Directioners’, some of whom had slept rough for three nights, were there to catch a glimpse of their favourite boyband.

The documentary, directed by ‘Supersize Me’s Morgan Spurlock, went on to take $18m in its Labor Day opening weekend in the US – but failed to scale the heights of Justin Beiber’s effort, ‘Never Say Never’.

In this episode, Olly, Rebecca and Arion unpick the secret of the boys’ success; explain why X Factor winner Matt Cardle was mysteriously disappeared from the movie; and reveal an unexpected connection between 1D and Osama Bin Laden… 

Further Reading:

• One Direction “This Is US” London Premiere Part 1 (Poveelive, 2013):

• ‘This Is Us’ on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2515086/

• ‘Morgan Spurlock, Director Of ‘This Is Us,’ Explains Why He Cut One Direction’s Girlfriends Out Of Documentary’ (HuffPo, 2013):

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/this-is-us-girlfriends-cut-morgan-spurlock_n_3839053

ON PREVIOUS DAYS:




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On our Patreon, there’s three tiers to choose from, each with their own wonderful perks, from ad-free versions to BIRTHDAY SURPRISES.

OLLY MANN

Olly Mann made his name with another trivia-wielding podcast, Answer Me This! with Helen Zaltzman – and now presents The Modern Mann, The Week Unwrapped, and Four Thought for BBC Radio Four. He also has an A-Level in History, so Dan Snow beware.

REBECCA MESSINA

Rebecca got a passion for podcasting  working at The Week magazine and a passion for trivia appearing on University Challenge in 2011, making The Retrospectors her natural home.

ARION MCNICOLL

Arion started out in satirical news in Australia, then moved to the UK to work for ostensibly serious publications including The Times, CNN, and The Week… before realising that since around 2016 the news has all been satire really.

Do you have a day of note that we should cover? Or would you or your business like to support the podcast? Get in touch!

    20 Aug: One Direction: The Movie

    ‘This Is Us’ premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square on 20th August, 2013. 10,000 ‘Directioners’, some of whom had slept rough for three nights, were there to catch a glimpse of their favourite boyband. The documentary, directed by ‘Supersize Me’s Morgan Spurlock, went on to take $18m in its Labor…

    19 Aug: The CIA's Iranian Coup

    Mohammad Mossadegh was overthrown in a coup backed by the CIA and MI6 on 19th August, 1953. He had nationalised Iran's oil industry, threatening the British stake in the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (now BP), fuelling American fears of the spread of Communism.  Britain initially responded with an economic blockade, and…

    17 Aug: The Man Who Invented Seat Belts

    Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin patented the three-point seatbelt while working for Volvo, on 17th August 1959. Prior to that, cars only had lap belts - basically a single strap across your waist - if they were fitted at all. Volvo made the patent open to all manufacturers, which boosted global…

    13 Aug: The Fake King of Albania

    German circus performer Otto Witte went to his death-bed claiming he had been crowned King of Albania on 13th August, 1913 for a five-day reign which culminated with him being chased out of the country as an imposter. Generally believed to have been a fantasist who invented the story, Witte…

    12 Aug: Ford Puts The World On Wheels

    The Ford Model T rolled into production on 12th August, 1908, still hand-assembled in much the same way as its rivals. But Henry Ford’s ambition for the car was bigger: to create a reliable, durable motor that ordinary Americans could realistically afford - a dream he later realised by deploying…