Episodes
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With their colourful uniforms and pomp, the Vatican’s iconic Swiss Guards might seem more decorative than dangerous today - but their origin is far from ornamental. On January 22nd, 1506, 150 elite Swiss mercenaries marched into the City, and were blessed by ‘Warrior Pope’ Julius II at sunset to protect the Pope during a tumultuous era of political strife.
The Swiss were Renaissance Europe’s answer to modern special forces. Renowned for their phalanx formations and halberds, they could dismantle charging cavalry with precision. Their reputation as fierce fighters had already drawn the attention of earlier popes, including Sixtus IV and Alexander VI, who hired Swiss mercenaries to bolster their armies.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly revisit the lethal Sack of Rome in 1527; explain how Jules Repond revived and reformed the Guards in the 20th century; and consider the strict qualifications for candidates to become a member of their ranks…
Further Reading:
• ’A history of the Vatican's Swiss Guard’ (Daily Telegraph, 2011): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/8873853/A-history-of-the-Vaticans-Swiss-Guard.html?msockid=23c525cc0876634208c637a40951628f
• ‘The Swiss Guard’ (Suisse Société): https://houseofswitzerland.org/swissstories/society/swiss-guard
• ’Ex-guards march to mark 500th anniversary’ (Associated Press, 2015):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyF8VDovJqM
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The iconic DeLorean DMC-12 rolled off the production line in Belfast on 21st January, 1981.
Priced at $25,000, the stainless steel gullwing sportscar was marketed as a luxury item, but its actual features fell short of the hype. The DeLorean Motor Company faced financial troubles, and had ceased production within just two years. But the car found its way into the "Back to the Future" script because John DeLorean, the man behind the car, was embroiled in a $24 million cocaine conspiracy, making headlines during the film's development.
In this episode, The Retrospectors explain how DeLorean leveraged his profile within the car industry to raise the funds to finance his dream project; explain how the car’s production in Northern Ireland led to untrained workers and corporate deceit of the British government; and reveal how Doc Brown very nearly drove a Mustang...
Further Reading:
• ’The Short, Chaotic History of the DeLorean’ (Time, 2016):
https://time.com/4180894/delorean-history/
• ‘DeLorean Motor Company and the DMC-12: the full story’ (AutoExpress, 2021): https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/features/354919/delorean-motor-company-and-dmc-12-full-story
• ‘Back to the Future: The DeLorean’ (Amblin Entertainment, 1985): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0cw6lU5jo4
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Ozzy Osbourne orally decapitated a bat live on stage in Des Moines, Iowa on 20th January, 1982; an act that quickly went down as one of the most outrageous moments in rock n roll history.
Concertgoer Mark Neal, 17, said the bat was dead long before he threw it on stage. But this was not Osbourne’s first offence: he had previously shocked attendees at a CBS press launch by biting the head away from a live dove.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly trace the origins of Osbourne’s bizarre bird-and-bat-beheading behaviour; applaud the ingenuity of his long-suffering wife Sharon; and debate whether Alice Cooper intentionally threw a chicken to a braying mob to be mutilated…
CONTENT WARNING: animal cruelty, offensive language beeped.
Further Reading:
• ‘Everything you need to know about Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off a bat in Des Moines’ (desmoinesregister.com): https://eu.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/kyle-munson/2016/01/20/everything-you-need-know-ozzy-osbourne-biting-head-off-bat-des-moines/79055858/
• ‘When Ozzy Osbourne Bit Off the Heads of Two Doves (ultimateclassicrock.com)’:
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/ozzy-osbourne-dove-bite-head/
• ‘Ozzy Osbourne talking to David Letterman about the bat incident’ (NBC, 1982): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxn2_sO5los
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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 understanding of wars and conflict? Journalist and writer Helen Lewis explores the recently-opened Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries at Imperial War Museum, London.
From No Man's Land to mushroom clouds, Helen discovers the people that have interpreted over a hundred years of conflict, in this specially-curated tour by James Bulgin, Head of Public History at IWM.
They are joined by Suzanne Plunkett, Reuters' Chief Photographer for the UK and Ireland, and a photojournalist for almost 30 years - and someone who can give us a first hand account of what it’s like to be capturing a seismic event in the moment.
Objects Discussed:
Paul Nash, The Menin Road, 1919
John Armstrong, Pro Patria, 1938
War Pictorial News No. 21
Mushroom Cloud over Nagasaki, 1945
Suzanne Plunkett, People Covered in Dust and Debris New York, 11 September 2001 -
© AP (IWM DC 123993)
© AP (IWM DC 124023)
Narrator: âJames Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums
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The first night of Richard Sheridan’s classic comedy ‘The Rivals’ did not go according to plan. Critics thought it was too long, the Irish gentry in the audience were insulted, and an actor was pelted with rotten fruit. It closed after one performance on 17th January, 1775.
But then… after eleven days of rewrites, recasting and edits (a process Sheridan called “prunings, trimmings and patchings”), the show re-opened - and became the much-loved hit it remains to this day.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly expose how Sheridan exploited his notoriety in Bath to put bums on seats; unpick how the play’s famous ‘Malapropisms’ achieved seminal status; and revisit the best of Sheridan’s real-life one-liners…
Further Reading:
• ‘The scourge of Bath’ (The Guardian, 2004): https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2004/may/15/theatre
• The Dramatic Works of Richard Brinsley Sheridan (Cavan Library): http://www.cavanlibrary.ie/file/Local-Studies/Library-Scanned-Docs/The_dramatic_works_of_Richard_Brinsley_Sheridan.pdf
• ‘What Are Malapropisms?’ (Bright Idea, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMdgr-qSAfM
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Prior to the release of his book Don Quixote on 16th January, 1605, Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes had previously been a soldier, a royal messenger, a tax collector and â for a spell â a slave.But perseverance paid off for the aspiring author who, at the age of 57, produced a book that has been called âthe greatest piece of literature ever writtenâ.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discuss why Cervantesâ poetry and plays werenât as successful as his first novel; reveal how his characters became embedded in the English language; and explain why Don Quixote is really just Shrek but 400 years earlier. Further Reading:⢠âDisneyâs many failed attempts to bring Don Quixote to the screenâ (Polygon, 2020): https://www.polygon.com/entertainment/2020/9/15/21436961/disneys-failed-attempts-to-bring-don-quixote-to-the-screen⢠âNo Ordinary Man - The Life and Times of Miguel de Cervantesâ (Dover Publishing, 2006): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/No_Ordinary_Man/CBHLqNlLuEMC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Miguel+de+Cervantes&printsec=frontcover⢠âWhy should you read "Don Quixote"?â (TED-Ed, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDUPu6tMWHY Love the show? Support us! Join đ´CLUB RETROSPECTORSđ´to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY⌠⌠Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show â¤ď¸Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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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 the pilot’s test audiences found the unconventional format disorienting—the flawed characters, unresolved storylines, and chaotic setting were too unfamiliar for comfort. Nonetheless, NBC renewed the low-rated show, partly because its small audience was an influential demographic of discerning viewers who valued its intelligence and depth.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Hill Street Blues revolutionized TV storytelling; consider the outdated societal attitudes on display in their pilot episode; and reveal why Rebecca was prevented from discussing her love for show on the BBC’s Mastermind…
Further Reading:
• ‘Hill Street Blues’: The most influential TV show ever (CNN, 2014): https://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/29/showbiz/tv/hill-street-blues-oral-history/index.html
• ’15 Surprising Facts About Hill Street Blues’ (Mental Floss, 2018): https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/73436/15-gripping-facts-about-hill-street-blues
• ‘Hill St Blues, Episode 1’ (NBC, 1981):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeJEEAtZH_I
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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 ovaries.The groundbreaking operation remained a local legend for nearly a century, as he never publicly reported it due to concerns about disbelief and the delicacy of the matter.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why, despite the success of this operation, C-sections still werenât routinely performed until over a century later; investigate whether earlier examples of successful caesareans had happened in Africa; and consider whether pig-spaying was an appropriate qualification for midwiferyâŚFurther Reading:⢠âCaesarean Section - A Brief History: Part 2â (US National Library of Medicine): https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/cesarean/part2.html⢠âHouse Of The Dragon: A History Of Mediaeval Caesareans (C-Sections)â (HistoryExtra, 2022): https://www.historyextra.com/period/general-history/caesarean-c-section-childbirth-history-origins/⢠âAfrican midwives successfully performed C-sections before it was common in Europeâ (Verify, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mto400r_T3MThis episode first premiered in 2024, for members of đ´CLUB RETROSPECTORSđ´ - where you can also DITCH THE ADS and get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 100 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks! We'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/retrospectors The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Chariot racing was a dangerous and violent sport at the best of times, but on 13th January, 532, a hooligan-led protest at the Hippodrome of Constantinople - known as ‘the Nika rebellion’ - ultimately lead to over 30,000 deaths and the destruction of half the City.
Upon hearing his wife urge him that ‘royalty is a good burial shroud’, the Emperor Justinian reportedly decided to slaughter his own people to maintain his position of power. Yet, despite this, he was ultimately deemed to have earned his epithet: ‘The Great’.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly unearth the tradition of ‘curse tablets’; explain why Empress Theodora switched allegiances from the ‘greens’ to the ‘blues’; and reveal how a eunuch wielding gold coins helped to stabilise the Byzantine empire…
Further Reading:
• ‘Overview of the Nika Revolt’ (ThoughtCo, 2019): https://www.thoughtco.com/the-nika-revolt-1788557
• Deadly Moments in History - The Nika Riots (Invicta, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm9mscL2qHU
• ‘12 Historic Little Known Rebellions with Tragic and Bloody Ends’ (History Collection, 2017): https://historycollection.com/12-historic-little-known-rebellions-tragic-bloody-ends/9/
‘Why am I hearing a rerun?’
Each Thursday and Friday we repeat stories from our archive of 800+ episodes, so we can maintain the quality of our independent podcast and bring you fresh, free content every Monday-Wednesday…
… But đ´CLUB RETROSPECTORSđ´members get an additional full-length episode each Sunday! Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show â¤ď¸
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Rerun: The Sinclair C5, Sir Clive Sinclairâs disastrous entry into the EV market, launched at Alexandra Palace on 10th January, 1985. Looking like a cross between a mobility scooter and a childâs pedal car, it had no on-board storage, was too heavy to climb uphill, and a top speed of 15km per hour. But Sinclair had contracted Hoover to produce the vehicle, expecting orders of 200,000 units per year.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly revisit the original publicity material for this doomed design classic; rank the public embarrassment of the carâs failure against Sinclairâs other high-profile flops; and reveal the contents of the optional âwet weather kitâ drivers could enjoyâŚFurther Reading:⢠âA Revolution in Personal Transportâ - the original press kit from the launch (1985): www.sinclairql.net/downloads/1985-01-10_Sinclair_C5_launch_press_kit-SQPP.pdf⢠âSinclair C5: the history of Sir Clive Sinclairâs electric carâ (Auto Express, 2021): https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/356059/sinclair-c5-history-sir-clive-sinclairs-electric-car⢠âImagine a Vehicle that can drive you five miles for a pennyâ - original Sinclair C5 TV advert (1985): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EQetm_qWDgPhoto credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eevblog/âWhy am I hearing a rerun?âEach Thursday and Friday we repeat stories from our archive of 800+ episodes, so we can maintain the quality of our independent podcast and bring you fresh, free content every Monday-Wednesday⌠⌠But đ´CLUB RETROSPECTORSđ´members get an additional full-length episode each Sunday! Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show â¤ď¸The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Rerun: âIn this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxesâ, the American statesman Benjamin Franklin once said, but until 9 January, 1799, taxation looked very different to the way it does today, because this was the day the world was first introduced to income tax.Its introduction by British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger was not one of his most popular innovations, but he had good reason to be wanting to bring more money into the governmentâs coffers, given the national debt had doubled during the American War of Independence and now stood at ÂŁ243 million.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why there was a bonfire outside Westminster the day income tax was eventually repealed; marvel that taxation used to target the wealthy rather than the poor; and reveal why taxing farts is more sensible than it sounds⌠Further Reading:⢠â9 January 1799: income tax introduced to Britainâ (Money Week, 2021): https://moneyweek.com/372129/9-january-1799-income-tax-introduced-to-britain ⢠âA short history of income taxâ (The Independent, 1995): https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/a-short-history-of-income-tax-1577708.html⢠âWilliam Hague on William Pittâ (Cambridge University, 2010): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0tHmYEaqokâWhy am I hearing a rerun?âEach Thursday and Friday we repeat stories from our archive of 800+ episodes, so we can maintain the quality of our independent podcast and bring you fresh, free content every Monday-Wednesday⌠⌠But đ´CLUB RETROSPECTORSđ´members get an additional full-length episode each Sunday! Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show â¤ď¸The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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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 of Grimaldi remains the monarchy of the microstate, over seven centuries later.
Monaco’s appeal has always revolved around its strategic rock. Since ancient times, this geographical feature has served as a vital lookout and defence point over the Mediterranean. It wasn’t until 1297, amid the turbulent Guelph and Ghibelline conflicts—where local loyalties were deeply entangled in the rivalries of the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor—that the Grimaldis seized their opportunity. Their success against Genoan control marked the start of an initially turbulent history, with Monaco’s sovereignty repeatedly contested until the principality solidified its independence.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal that Monaco, now synonymous with wealth, was in fact once the world’s poorest country; explain where the ‘Carlo’ in ‘Monte Carlo’ comes from; and question whether ‘The Grimaldi Curse’ can really be evidenced…
Further Reading:
• ’How the Grimaldis came to live on the Rock’ (Monaco Life, 2023): https://monacolife.net/how-the-grimaldis-came-to-live-on-the-rock/
• ‘The Basics; Why Is Monaco A Country?’ (The New York Times, 2005): https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/10/weekinreview/the-basics-why-is-monaco-a-country.html?searchResultPosition=27
• ‘MONACO: MONTE CARLO: 700TH ANNIVERSARY OF GRIMALDI DYNASTY’ (AP Archive, 2015):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1M8H-XcOMo
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On January 7th, 1904 the Marconi Company sought to establish a universal distress call; proposing, âCQDâ 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 âSOSâ instead. The United States werenât keen on adopting the new standard⌠until the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 highlighted the need to fall into line.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain what âWCâ meant; recall the eye-catching way Marconi first demonstrated transatlantic radio waves; and explain how, eventually, Morse Code itself was retired as a method of marine communication by the end of the 20th Century⌠This episode first premiered in 2023, for members of đ´CLUB RETROSPECTORSđ´ - where you can also DITCH THE ADS and get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 100 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks! We'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/retrospectors The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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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 wasnât just a random act of violence; it was part of an orchestrated scheme involving Kerriganâs rival, Tonya Harding, her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, and a band of bumbling conspirators. What followed was a tale of ambition, sabotage, and an investigation that captured the worldâs attention.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explore how the media, both upmarket and tabloid, got their guns out for Harding and backed Kerrigan as the wronged ice princess; recall the drama that played out in Lillehammer that year as both competitors were chosen for the squad; and consider how, despite a raised awareness of the abusive relationships under the surface, the sheer absurdity of Hardingâs crime continues to resonateâŚFurther Reading:⢠âJealousy On Iceâ (The New York Times, 1994): https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/packages/html/sports/year_in_sports/01.06.html⢠âJeff Gillooly, The Mastermind Behind The Nancy Kerrigan Attackâ (All Thatâs Interesting, 2024): https://allthatsinteresting.com/jeff-gillooly⢠âTonya Harding speaks out about Nancy Kerrigan attackâ (Good Morning America, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfXm8s37E8g#Sport #Crime #90s #ScandalLove the show? Support us! Join đ´CLUB RETROSPECTORSđ´to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY⌠⌠Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show â¤ď¸The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Ollyâs 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 20 years old, Richard had already developed a reputation for extravagant tastes, employing 2,000 cooks to feed his court. But, despite the abundant and luxurious menu, the atmosphere at the feast was likely solemn, given the churchy setting and the era's rigid rules of etiquette. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why the cooks roasted birds in increasingly extravagant styles, yet served spices NEAT; discover how to make a "subtlety"; and dip into the rulebook for the carvers trained in the fine art of slicing and presenting food fit for a KingâŚFurther Reading:⢠âKing Richard's Feast Of 1387â (OAKDEN): https://oakden.co.uk/king-richard-second-feast-1387/⢠âOxford Symposium on Food & Cookeryâ (1990): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Oxford_Symposium_on_Food_Cookery_1990/XseXnb98h90C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=23rd+September+1387&pg=PA138&printsec=frontcover⢠âHow To Prepare A Traditional Medieval Feast | Let's Cook Historyâ (Chronicle, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkqQ5iGATrkLove the show? Support us! Join đ´CLUB RETROSPECTORSđ´to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY⌠⌠Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show â¤ď¸Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Rebeccaâs favourite episode of 2024 recalls the day âThese Are My Childrenâ premiered on NBC; the worldâs 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 and for women, soap operas typically attracted sniffy reviews from male critics, yet proved enormously popular with their initial audience of 1950s housewives. Creator Irna Phillipsâ own backstory mirrored the dramatic storylines she wrote, and many of the situations she introduced into her productions â illegitimate children, amnesiac medical patients â were TV firsts. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider the genreâs clunky transition from radio to TV; explain the difficulties in obtaining quality soap actors; and reveal how Phillips not only pioneered soaps, but also pre-empted the Marvel Cinematic Universe⌠Further Reading:⢠âThe Queen of Soaps SpeaksâŚfor Herselfâ (Library of Congress, 2022): https://blogs.loc.gov/now-see-hear/2022/03/the-queen-of-soaps-speaks-for-herself/⢠âWomen Pioneers in Television â Biographies of Fifteen Industry Leaders, By Cary OâDellâ (McFarland, 1997): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Women_Pioneers_in_Television/74fnsRmeeZcC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=these+are+my+children+first+soap+opera&pg=PA191&printsec=frontcover⢠âEileen Fulton on Irna Phillipsâ (Television Academy, 2018):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGyhpn01e9ILove the show? Support us! Join đ´CLUB RETROSPECTORSđ´to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY⌠⌠Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show â¤ď¸Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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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 on 26th January 1962 – when he threw half the gold he received for the artwork into the Seine, and burned the ownership receipt. This conceptual performance, forgotten for decades, is now often credited by art critics for presaging the world of NFTs and blockchains.
Known for his daring, influential art, Klein’s more famous works include orchestrating a monotone silence symphony and copyrighting a colour: International Klein Blue. Despite satirising capitalism, however, he always made sure he was well paid…
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Klein’s methods aimed for spontaneous, chaotic, and absurd expressions of art; explain how the audience were always a crucial component in his performances; and question whether Farrow and Ball have the edge over his trademark colour…
Further Reading:
• ‘Money for nothing: receipt for ‘invisible art’ sells for $1.2m’ (The Guardian, 2022): https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/apr/14/receipt-for-invisible-art-auction-yves-klein
• ‘Yves Klein: The man who invented a colour’ (BBC Culture, 2014): https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20140828-the-man-who-invented-a-colour
• What Inspired Yves Klein? (Christie’s, 2018):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX3GrC6legQ
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Join đ´CLUB RETROSPECTORSđ´to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…
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Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show â¤ď¸
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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 them to the test in this fiendishly difficult quiz - fiendishly difficult, that is, unless you’ve been listening to our show this year… in which case you will obviously know ALL the answers.
That’s it for another year of great Retrospecting: we’ll be back with new episodes from Monday 6th January, 2025. Thanks for listening, and happy holidays!
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Rerun: Charles Dickensâ novella âA Christmas Carolâ was written in just six weeks, and published on 19th December, 1843. The timeless story, which introduced the world to Ebeneezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, was conceived in part to get its author out of a sticky financial situation.Dickensâ other motive was to put into an accessible fable the political ideas that had formed the core of his proposed pamphlet, âAn Appeal to the People of England on behalf of the Poor Man's Childâ. In so doing, he re-focussed the Christmas message around charitable giving and kindness for generations. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Dickens plundered his own back-catalogue to surface some âChristmas goblinsâ; consider whether the book-buying public truly understood the intended message of his work; and reveal why his determination to produce it in an affordable edition hit him in the pocket⌠Further Reading:⢠âA Christmas Carol: The True History Behind the Dickens Storyâ (Time, 2021): https://time.com/4597964/history-charles-dickens-christmas-carol/⢠âHow did A Christmas Carol come to be?â (BBC Culture, 2017): https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20171215-how-did-a-christmas-carol-come-to-be⢠"What day is it?" (George C. Scott - A Christmas Carol - 1984): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO17UOjcovgâWhy am I hearing a rerun?âEach Thursday and Friday we repeat stories from our archive of 800+ episodes, so we can maintain the quality of our independent podcast and bring you fresh, free content every Monday-Wednesday⌠⌠But đ´CLUB RETROSPECTORSđ´members get an additional full-length episode each Sunday! Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show â¤ď¸The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Save Your Love became the UK’s unlikely Christmas Number One on 18th December, 1982. A blend of heartfelt crooning, offbeat British humour, and bucketfuls of kitsch, the song gained traction after Terry Wogan played it on his Radio 2 breakfast show, going on to sell around one million copies.
Former Italian waiter Renato Pagliari delivered the operatic voice and dramatic presence that carried the track, but the ‘Renée’ in the duet was in fact a young British session musician called Hilary Lester. The two had been brought together by songwriter Johnny Edward, after he spotted Pagliari on New Faces, and composed Save Your Love as a satirical jab at the overly saccharine ballads of the 70s.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Renée came to be replaced for the song’s iconic video; reveal the extraordinary contribution the song made to the success of independent records in the UK charts; and take a shot at topping Ronato’s show-stopping vocals…
Further Reading:
• ’30 years on from Birmingham duo Renee and Renato at top of the pop charts’ (Birmingham Live, 2013): https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music/30-years-on-from-birmingham-duo-renee-401365
• ’Even Renée didn't want to star in 'cheesy' Save Your Love hit’ (Daily Express, 2022): https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1711081/renee-renato-save-your-love-christmas-hit
• ’Renée and Renato - Save Your Love’ (Hollywood Records, 1982): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuaIBGwEUfo
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Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show â¤ď¸
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