In Our Time: Culture

These podcasts are like getting free college courses! With top-notch professors from Cambridge, Exeter, Holy Cross, and Oxford-your mind will soar! Melvyn Bragg is the consummate host, giving each speaker, thought provoking questions, and ample time for each response. I enjoy listening and learning about new subjects on the daily !

With over 1000 episodes this show brings the best scholars from all fields of knowledge to BBC radio for 45 minutes of rapid discussion each week. Then, using the reading list that comes with the show listeners can get a more extensive look if they choose.

I'm going to add to the review, entitled "a lot of work." I listen to In Our Time regularly. In fact, I listen, and re-listen, and then listen again. The guests are always knowledgeable about their field, and Melvin is by far and away the best interviewer/mediator I have ever heard. I don't know how he does it, but I hope he keeps on doing it. with every episode, I can be assured of learning something.

In Our Time is one of only 3 podcasts I listen to regularly. I come back because I am guaranteed to hear people who are intelligent, informed and passionate share what they love. Wow! Great! Sometimes the host can hector a bit, but I think he is trying to be the conductor of an orchestra rather than a bully. He also must do a tremendous amount of prep work to shape all these many and varied conversations.

Great information, but as many others have said, the host is rather frustrating due to his extreme tendency to dismiss and interrupt the experts invited on the show. For example, during the episode on Emily Dickinson, the host interrupts the three guests (especially the two female experts) and redirects them while they are mid-thought and mid-sentence. He also seems to condescend Emily Dickinson in this episode and continues to undermine the guests’ expertise and diminish Dickinson’s accomplishments and legacy. The guests are incredibly knowledgeable if they were only allowed to speak.