We return to the theme of colonialism as we visit the Belgian Congo. Its a tale of two countries: one a huge territory deep inside the equatorial rainforest, and the other a tiny European nation, led by a King with imperial dreams.Were joined by a speci

A cultural touchstone and masterpiece of suspense, this weeks episode features Alfred Hitchcocks seminal film, Psycho.Perhaps more than any film well discuss during this series, Psycho is a film so completely entrenched in the cultural consciousness t

In this episode were talking about the Twist. The dance that took the teenage world by storm in the 1950s and 1960s. More broadly, were talking about its various different recordings, and the artist whose cover of the song made it into a smash hit phe

Today many people know about his assassination, and his rumoured affair with Marilyn Monroe but there was a lot more to Kennedy than that.Special guest Frederik Logevall, JFKs biographer, a professor at Harvard University, joins us to tell us about Jo

Todays episode looks into the process of paying for radio time which is called Payola.A dominant trend in the 1930s onwards, Payola was a core part of the music industry and a huge influence on the dominant trends in popular music. Interestingly, while t

In this episode we go back to the origins of the split between North and South Korea, as we learn about another famous statesman: Syngman Rhee. He was a gifted scholar, a revolutionary, a prickly, authoritarian ruler – and a dangerous driver. We’re joined

In this episode were looking at the revolutionary spy plane that defined post World War 2 military surveillance, the Lockheed U-2. The U-2 is still a key device today in the gathering of military intelligence. Its intensely aerodynamic design allows it

In this episode were looking at debatably the most notorious product failure in American history.A flop that puts Crystal Pepsi and Google Glass to shame, the Ford Edsel has become synonymous with failure. A new line of cars designed by Ford to try and

In this episode we return to the Cold War and discuss yet another controversial political figure - Fidel Castro, the revolutionary firebrand who came to power in Cuba in the late 1950s.To some hes a tyrant, and to others, hes the hero who deposed a co

 In this episode we return to the Cold War and discuss yet another controversial political figure - Fidel Castro, the revolutionary firebrand who came to power in Cuba in the late 1950s. To some he’s a tyrant, and to others, he’s the hero who deposed a co