In Our Time (radio series): Difference between revisions

The series, devised and produced by Olivia Seligman (with others) and currently produced by Simon Tillotson<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b084zk6z</ref> with Victoria Brignell,<ref>https://www.anglia.ac.uk/graduation-and-alumni/honorary-award-holders2/victoria-brignell</ref> runs weekly throughout the year on [[BBC Radio 4]], except for a summer break of approximately eight to ten weeks between July and September. Each programme covers a specific historical, philosophical, religious, cultural or scientific topic. In a November 2009 interview, Bragg described how he prepares for each show: "It's not easy, but I like reading. I enjoy what was called [[Cramming (education)|swotting]] in my day. I get the notes late Friday afternoon for the following Thursday morning. I find all the spare time I can for reading, get up very early on a Thursday morning, have a final two hours of nervousness, and away we go."<ref name="scot09">{{cite web| url= http://living.scotsman.com/books/Interview-Melvyn-Bragg--Man.5640953.jp | title=Interview: Melvyn Bragg - Man out of time |date= 9 November 2009 | publisher=[[The Scotsman]] | first=Chitra |last= Ramaswamy | accessdate= 2009-11-09}}</ref>

 

 

{{quote|Bragg gives short shrift to pretension of any kind, while remaining stalwart in his search for knowledge. His methodology in ''In Our Time'' is... not unlike that of a man [[Fetch (game)|throwing a stick for a dog]]: he chucks his questions ahead, and if the chosen academic fails to bring it right back, he chides them. He retains enough of his bluff [[Cumbria]]n origins not to be taken in by gambolling and tweedy high spirits.|[[Will Self]], from a February 2010 issue<br/>of ''[[London Review of Books]]''<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.lrb.co.uk/v32/n04/will-self/diary |title= Diary on the Common | date= 25 February 2010 |first = Will | last= Self| authorlink = Will Self | publisher= [[London Review of Books]] | accessdate =2011-03-10}}</ref>}}

In 2005, listeners were invited to vote in a popularity contest for the "greatest philosopher in history" with the winner selected as the subject of the final programme before the summer break. With 30,000 votes cast,<ref Name="Brand">{{cite web|url=http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/484707/marx-wins-bbc-times-greatest-philosopher-vote|title=Marx wins BBC In Our Time's Greatest Philosopher vote|work=brandrepublic.com|accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref> the contest was won by [[Karl Marx]] with 27.9% of the votes. Other shortlisted figures were [[David Hume]] (12.7%), [[Ludwig Wittgenstein]] (6.8%), [[Friedrich Nietzsche]] (6.5%), [[Plato]] (5.6%), [[Immanuel Kant]] (5.6%), [[Thomas Aquinas]] (4.8%), [[Socrates]] (4.8%), [[Aristotle]] (4.5%) and [[Karl Popper]] (4.2%).<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/inourtime/greatest_philosopher_vote_result.shtml In Our Time's Greatest Philosopher Result] from the [[BBC Radio 4]] website</ref> The poll was controversial but led to widespread reporting, and a boost in the programme's overall listenership, as various UK celebrities and news outlets championed their favourites.<ref Name="Brand"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-133548708.html|title=Proles and polls; Philosophy.(Britons seem about to vote Marx history's greatest philosopher)|work=highbeam.com|accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article533688.ece|title=Login|work=timesonline.co.uk|accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref>

 

{{Reflist|2}}