The Sonnet

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Sonnet, the most enduring form in the poet’s armoury.

• 41 mins

Existentialism

Melvyn Bragg and guests examine the 20th century philosophy of existentialism

• 45 mins

The Earth's Origins

Melvyn Bragg discusses the origins of the Earth.

• 45 mins

Dickens

The achievements and legacy of the 19th century literary giant Charles Dickens.

• 45 mins

Byzantium

The culture, history and legacy of the eastern Byzantine Empire.

• 45 mins

Democracy

Melvyn Bragg examines the origins of the most cherished form of government in the world.

• 45 mins

Napoleon and Wellington

The comparative histories of two titans of 19th century history.

• 41 mins

Confucius

Melvyn Bragg and guests examine the chinese philosophy of Confucianism.

• 45 mins

The British Empire

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ethos and legacy of the British Empire.

• 45 mins

Surrealism

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss surrealism, the art of the unconscious.

• 45 mins

Oceanography

Melvyn Bragg explores what science has revealed, and we still don't know, about the sea.

• 45 mins

Third Crusade

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the highs and lows of the Third Crusade.

• 45 mins

Oscar Wilde

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Oscar Wilde, his literary legacy and the Aesthetes.

• 45 mins

Genetics

Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the development of the science of genetics.

• 45 mins

Rome and European Civilization

Melvyn Bragg and guests assess the role that Rome has played in European civilization.

• 45 mins

Food

The cultural history of food in Modern Europe since the Renaissance.

• 45 mins

Sensibility

Melvyn Bragg examines the ideas behind the 18th century literary cult of sensibility.

• 45 mins

Nuclear Physics

Melvyn Bragg examines the 20th century development of nuclear physics as a science.

• 45 mins

Catharism

Melvyn Bragg examines the Cathars, a medieval European Christian sect accused of heresy.

• 45 mins

Happiness

Melvyn Bragg considers whether 'happiness' means living a life of pleasure or of virtue.

• 45 mins

Yeats and Mysticism

Melvyn Bragg explores the strange and mystical world of the Irish poet W B Yeats.

• 45 mins

The Universe's Shape

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the shape, size and topology of the universe.

• 45 mins

Anatomy

The 2000 year old history of mankind's quest to understand the human body.

• 45 mins

The Celts

Melvyn Bragg examines what we really know about the Celts of pre-Roman Britain.

• 45 mins

Virtue

Melvyn Bragg explores the meaning and purpose of the philosophical concept of virtue.

• 45 mins

Milton

Melvyn Bragg examines both the literary and political careers of the poet John Milton.

• 45 mins

The Buddha

The life of Siddhartha Gautama and the legacy of his teachings.

• 45 mins

Marriage

The history of marriage from ancient Greek and Babylonian times to today.

• 45 mins

The Artist

Melvyn Bragg explores the history and changing the status of the artist.

• 45 mins

Extra Terrestrials

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss our chances of ever discovering life on another planet.

• 45 mins