Episodes
Published 05/22/24
Cleopatra's future hangs in the balance, but there is one person who could change her fate. He is Julius Caesar, the most powerful man in the world - and he's come to Egypt. If only she can convince him of her worth.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 05/07/24
Cleopatra is born into a life of luxury - and violence. Beautiful and brilliant, the young queen of Egypt is still a teenager when she ascends the throne - but it's not long before she's betrayed by those closest to her.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 04/30/24
Alan Turing’s life is tragically cut short. And his crucial impact during the war remains unknown for years. But in the 21st century, his legacy in Artificial Intelligence is more relevant than ever and so is his identity as a queer man. How should we reassess the legacy of Alan Turing? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 04/23/24
Turing returns to a normal social life after the war, where he is open about his sexual orientation with his friends. Until a burglary turns everything upside down and Turing faces the reality of being criminalised for who you love. Will Turing survive this? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 04/16/24
The stakes are high for Turing and his team of codebreakers as they try to decrypt Nazi messages. Known as “Prof”, Turing and his eccentricities are central to life at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. Will he and his team be able to turn the tide in Britain’s favour? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 04/09/24
A curious bookish boy, Alan Turing is already an outsider at a young age. But at Cambridge, he comes up with an idea that shapes the foundation of computer science. His genius will later alter the course of the Second World War. But Turing's personal life will destroy his reputation for generations to come. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 04/02/24
The tide is turning for Nina Simone. A new generation falls in love with her music, she's reconciled with her daughter and her mental health has recovered. But alongside the civil rights movement, Nina's significance as an activist is forgotten until recent events in the US give them new relevance. You can listen to the songs mentioned in this series here: https://music.amazon.co.uk/playlists/B0CVXPPT7G or search 'Nina Simone: The Legacy Playlist' in the Amazon Music app. See Privacy...
Published 03/27/24
Amidst marital and financial problems, Nina escapes the US for an eclectic life abroad - finding love in Barbados, happiness in Liberia, and a better education for her daughter in Switzerland. But mental health struggles soon come to the fore and before soon Nina Simone will reach a new low. You can listen to the songs mentioned in this series here: https://music.amazon.co.uk/playlists/B0CVXPPT7G or search 'Nina Simone: The Legacy Playlist' in the Amazon Music app. See Privacy Policy at...
Published 03/20/24
Nina Simone's star is rising - however cracks in her personal life are starting to show. Meanwhile, the civil rights movement is catching up with her. Where does she stand in the midst of this? And will she be on the right side of history? You can listen to the songs mentioned in this series here: https://music.amazon.co.uk/playlists/B0CVXPPT7G or search 'Nina Simone: The Legacy Playlist' in the Amazon Music app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy...
Published 03/13/24
Born in the Jim Crow South, Nina Simone's talent is obvious from an early age. She dreams of becoming the first black classical pianist but after a life-changing rejection, she has no choice but to reinvent herself... You can listen to the songs mentioned in this series here: https://music.amazon.co.uk/playlists/B0CVXPPT7G or search 'Nina Simone: The Legacy Playlist' in the Amazon Music app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at...
Published 03/06/24
Under Gorbachev's leadership the once sprawling empire that was the Soviet Union collapses. Is this his true legacy? Or was it all inevitable? And with present day Russia looking to the past for glory, what lessons can we learn from history's last Soviet leader?  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 02/28/24
These are stories you were never meant to hear. The invisible but vital work of the world’s intelligence services: secret operatives playing to very different rules. The Spy Who, hosted by Indira Varma and Raza Jaffrey, takes you deep inside that shadow world to meet spies who risked everything in the national interest – or, sometimes, their own. Search and follow The Spy Who wherever you listen to podcasts, or binge entire seasons early and ad-free on Wondery+ on Apple Podcasts or the...
Published 02/27/24
On a spring morning in 1986 one of the most catastrophic events in global history occurs - Chernobyl. It brings chaos to the environment, chaos to Europe and chaos to Mikhail Gorbachev's premiership. Will he survive this? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 02/21/24
With the levers of power now in his control, Gorbachev steps out on the international stage with one aim: to avoid a nuclear war. He forges a new relationship with US President Reagan, but will it be enough to remove the shadow of armageddon?  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 02/14/24
Shaped by the brutality of the Stalin regime, Gorbachev’s childhood was one of poverty and hardship. But the communist system also works to his strengths, and allows him to reach the very top. All along, he remains a true believer but knows change must happen.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 02/07/24
A 109 year old Black woman fights for reparations for her neighborhood that was burned to the ground when she was a child. The first woman on to the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist List was a Black Panther. The richest person of all time, an African king, gave away so much gold that it caused Cairo's economy to crash… for over a decade. On Wondery’s history series Black History, For Real, hosts Franchesca Ramsey and Conscious Lee go beyond the stories you already know to drop you right in the...
Published 02/06/24
A bombshell memoir by a former lover annoys and embarrasses Picasso in his final years. But it is only half a century after his death that his misogyny is seen as truly problematic. And leaves many now grappling with how to separate the art from the artist. Artwork: The Woman in a Chair, Pablo Picasso (1948) Seated Woman in Green, Pablo Picasso (1953) Self Portrait Facing Death, Pablo Picasso (1972) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at...
Published 01/31/24
Death is ever more present in Picasso’s work, as horrific events in his home country inspire him to create one of the defining paintings of the 20th century. Meanwhile his own mortality weighs on him as he approaches old age. Artwork: Guernica, Pablo Picasso (1937) The Weeping Woman, Pablo Picasso (1937) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 01/24/24
Picasso finds inspiration in an unlikely setting and changes art forever. He also finds his first muse, then his second... and then his third - leaving a trail of suffering behind him. Artwork: Family of Acrobats with Monkey, Pablo Picasso (1905) Portrait of Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso (1905-6) The Young Ladies of Avignon, Pablo Picasso (1906) Olga in an Armchair, Pablo Picasso (1917) The Dream, Pablo Picasso (1932) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California...
Published 01/17/24
His father wants him to become a great classical painter, but teenage Pablo Picasso has other ideas. He joins the heady bohemia of Barcelona and Paris, where tragedy transforms his art and puts him on the road to fame. Artwork: The Little Yellow Picador, Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1889) The First Communion, Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1896) La Vie, Pablo Picasso (1903) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 01/10/24
More than a century after Rhodes' death students in South Africa and Britain thrust his name back into the spotlight. Should statues of colonialists like him be torn down? And, in Africa, how is Rhodes' legacy felt today? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 01/03/24
Rhodes deals with the fallout from the Jameson Raid as questions about his conduct reach the British parliament. He finds a new cause to further his ambition but years of ill-health are starting to catch up with him. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 12/27/23
Rhodes dashes back to Kimberley to be with his dying friend. He then redoubles his colonial efforts, using ruthless tactics to trick the indigenous population out of their land. But an ill-fated scheme to take on the Boers is about to hurt him. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Published 12/20/23