Past Forward: A Century of Sound: A BBC Radio 4 history series

by Greg Jenner, Stephen Fry (Narrator), Naomi Alderman (Narrator)

A funny, fascinating and personal look at 100 years of history in the BBC archives.

Historian Greg Jenner uses a random date generator to visit somewhere in the BBC's vast archives of remarkable sound clips from the last 100 years. Using that clip as a jumping-off point to explore what has changed between then and now, Greg talks to experts and those connected to the archived people, places, and ideas, including Stephen Fry, writer Naomi Alderman, playwright Nell Leyshon, social historian Carol Dyhouse, author and disability campaigner Dr Amit Patel, food historian Annie Gray, and inveterate tennis fan Geoff Dyer.

From dance crazes, post-war Christmases and communist sitcoms to pub evolution, life on the waterways and women's political activism, Past Forward provides a rich and thought-provoking look at the oral histories, personal stories, big moments and small joys of the past and the present, and how our history has shaped the people we have become.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following

"The Lambeth Walk" - 03 January 2022

"1984 - Comrade Dad" - 04 January 2022

"Christmas 1945" - 05 January 2022

"Mary Whitehouse" - 06 January 2022

"Porton Down" - 07 January 2022

"Match Point" - 10 January 2022

"Kitty Hart-Moxon" - 11 January 2022

"If People Can't Let Slip..." - 12 January 2022

"Traffic" - 13 January 2022

"England v Argentina 1998" - 14 January 2022

"Dinner Is Served" - 21 March 2022

"Get Out of My Pub" - 22 March 2022

"Talking Technology" - 23 March 2022

"The Teen Age" - 24 March 2022

"Louie Hooper sings Lord Rendall" - 25 March 2022

"Listen with Mother" - 28 March 2022

"Rebuilding Britain" - 29 March 2022

"The Corncrake and the Croft" - 30 March 2022

"Life on the Canals" - 31 March 2022

"Save our Steelworks" - 01 April 2022

Production

Produced by Dan Potts, Amelia Parker, Martin Williams, Megan Jones, and Eliane Glaser, for BBC Wales

Audible Audio

Published July 18, 2022

About the author

Greg Jenner (FRHistS) is a British public historian, broadcaster, and author noted for using comedy and pop culture in his writing and podcasting work. He holds an Honorary Doctorate and Fellowship from the University of York

As well as being the author of seven funny books, for adults and children, he is the creator and host of the chart-topping BBC comedy podcast 'YOU'RE DEAD TO ME', and spent 11 years working as the historical adviser on the multi-award-winning BBC comedy sketch show 'HORRIBLE HISTORIES' and its spin-off movie. He has also hosted numerous other radio, TV, and podcast series (see his website for more).

Greg began writing books for teens and adults, but has recently pivoted back to writing for children, most notably with his 'TOTALLY CHAOTIC HISTORY!' series which he co-writes with expert historians, and is illustrated by Rikin Parekh

GREG'S HISTORY BOOKS FOR ADULTS:
- Ask A Historian: 50 Surprising Answers To Things You Always Wanted To Know (2021)

- Dead Famous: An Unexpected History of Celebrity, From Bronze Age To Silver Screen (2020)

- A Million Years In A Day: A Curious History of Daily Life, From Stone Age To Phone Age (2015)

GREG'S CHILDREN'S BOOKS:
- You Are History: From the Alarm Clock to the Toilet, the Amazing History of the Things You Use Every Day', illustrated by Jenny Taylor

- Totally Chaotic History: Ancient Egypt Gets Unruly, co-written with Dr Campbell Price and illustrated by Rikin Parekh

- Totally Chaotic History: Roman Britain Gets Rowdy, co-written with Dr Emma Southon and illustrated by Rikin Parekh

- Totally Chaotic History: The Stone Age Runs Wild, co-written with Dr Brenna Hassett and illustrated by Rikin Parekh


Greg is an avid user of social media, and can be found on Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads - come have a chat!