© BBC

The BBC has revamped the website for In Our Time, the Radio 4 programme in which Melvyn Bragg and eminent guests discuss the history of ideas. This has been done with a view to making the audio archive of the series permanently available. Audio recordings of every episode broadcast since 1998 are available to listen to again either via RealPlayer for the older editions or BBC IPlayer for the more recent episodes. Programmes are searchable by title, genre (culture, history, philosophy, religion, science) and by era, from prehistoric to 20th century. Amongst the cornucopia of topics covered are several on Shakespeare’s life and work as well as related discussions on Elizabethan revenge, the sonnet, tragedy and Christopher Marlowe. Further details on all these are given on BUFVC’s Shakespeare database.

From the front page of the In Our Time website, users can also access podcasts of the most recent programmes in the series and an e-mail newsletter giving Melvyn Bragg’s personal insight into the latest on-air discussion.