Melvyn Bragg meets Misha Glenny

January 22, 2026·16 min

1. In Our Time is discussed through a BBC Today programme exchange between Melvyn Bragg and Misha Glenny. 2. Melvyn Bragg is the former In Our Time presenter, and Misha Glenny is identified as his successor. 3. The discussion is led by Today presenter Justin Webb, who opens with a question about the programme’s appeal. 4. Webb asks why the BBC cultural event has taken off so widely in Britain and around the world. 5. Bragg answers that “curiosity” is the main force behind the programme’s appeal. 6. Bragg says people want to “know stuff” and talk about what they know “in pubs.” 7. He also links the appeal to a “very patchy education” shared by many listeners. 8. Bragg says science particularly attracts him because “they didn’t teach it at my school.” 9. He describes school coverage of science as something they “skimmed through.” 10. The exchange presents knowledge-seeking as social, practical, and shaped by gaps in formal schooling. 11. Bragg’s answer turns curiosity into a general explanation for why people listen. 12. His mention of pubs gives the answer a concrete setting rather than an abstract theory. 13. The line about a “very patchy education” connects the programme’s audience to unfinished learning. 14. The reference to science shows a personal example rather than a general slogan. 15. Bragg’s comment suggests that missing school subjects can create lasting interest. 16. The discussion stays focused on why people are drawn to the BBC’s intellectual programming. 17. The tone is conversational and reflective, with Webb prompting and Bragg answering directly. 18. The format is a short broadcast interview rather than a long-form lecture. 19. Listeners who like media history and public-intellectual conversation will find it useful. 20. Listeners wanting a full topic deep-dive may skip this brief exchange.

As heard by us

A warm, careful handover about curiosity, subject-first broadcasting, and the challenge of succeeding Melvyn Bragg.

Melvyn Bragg's conversation with Misha Glenny is less a farewell than a clear statement of what has kept In Our Time alive: curiosity, subject by subject, without a prescribed moral at the end.

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Why you'd press play

For a thoughtful BBC handover, not a flashy interview.

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