Episodes

We all know you’re here because you – like us, are a bona fide history nerd, so here’s a little something from the producers of this podcast; a brand new series of Conflict Of Interest with the Imperial War Museum. We think you’re going to love it How have artists, filmmakers and photographers shaped our […]

Groundbreaking police procedural Hill Street Blues first aired on NBC on January 15th, 1981. Back then, TV dramas were mainly mindless entertainment, overshadowed by sitcoms or feel-good fare such as Little House on the Prairie. But, with its richly chaotic blend of overlapping dialogue, gritty realism, and complex characters, Hill St broke the mould.  Yet

24-year-old doctor Jesse Bennett successfully performed a C-section on his wife, Elizabeth, saving both her life and their daughter Maria’s: 14th January, 1794, in a log cabin on the Virginia Frontier. The attending physician’s refusal to participate, leaving the scene altogether, left Bennett to make quick decisions – though this included spontaneously removing his wife’s

According to legend, François Grimaldi and his brother Ranieri executed a bold plan to seize control of Monaco’s iconic rock on 8th January, 1297. Disguised as Franciscan monks seeking refuge, they gained access to the fortress under false pretenses… only to reveal their true intentions by overpowering the guards and taking the stronghold. The House

On January 7th, 1904 the Marconi Company sought to establish a universal distress call; proposing, ‘CQD’ for emergencies.  Despite its adoption in Britain, other nations had varied distress signals, leading to a lack of international consensus. The second International Radio Telegraphic Conference in Berlin in 1906 came up with ‘SOS’ instead. The United States weren’t

In our first new episode of 2025, The Retrospectors dive into the scandal that shocked the world of figure skating, when, on 6th January, 1994, Olympic hopeful Nancy Kerrigan was attacked in the leg by a man wielding a police baton in an attempt to incapacitate her.  This wasn’t just a random act of violence;

Olly’s favourite episode of 2024 unfolds on September 23rd, 1387: the day of the most extravagant feast of the Middle Ages, featuring dishes like broth, venison, roasted swan, and boar-heads… and 12,000 eggs.  It took place at the London home of the Bishop of Durham, and was given in honour of King Richard II. Just

Rebecca’s favourite episode of 2024 recalls the day ‘These Are My Children’ premiered on NBC; the world’s first televised soap opera, transmitted on 31st January, 1949. It lasted only four weeks on air, was broadcast live, and had a tiny budget, but influenced the production of the genre for decades.  As dramas primarily created by

Happy New Year, Retrospectors! We’ll return with new episodes from Monday 6th January, but in the meantime the team have been choosing their favourite episodes from 2024 that are worthy of a second listen. First up, Arion has selected our conversation about “Zone de Sensibilité Picturale Immatérielle”, the artwork concluded by French artist Yves Klein 

How many nickels did the first Automat take in 1902? What does ‘Opus Dei’ mean in Latin? And what WAS the title of the novelty song released by the Jamaican bobsled team in 1988?  It’s Arion vs. Rebecca in our fourth annual Retrospectors Quiz of the Year! Over festive drinks and listener feedback, Olly puts