In Our Time

In Our Time runs as a structured panel format: one host leads a roughly 50-minute conversation with three academic guests, each contributing a distinct angle on a single weekly subject. Recurring subject areas include medieval and Tudor English history, evolutionary biology and microbiology, art history and early-20th-century avant-garde movements, and philosophy. Guests are typically university professors or research scientists — examples from the sample include a Cambridge molecular biologist discussing archaea and cell evolution, and professors of art history and French visual culture discussing Dadaism — each appearing for a single topic-specific episode rather than as recurring personalities. The host's role is to represent the listener, asking clarifying questions of the specialists rather than offering their own expertise, a format the show has kept through its January 2026 presenter change from Melvyn Bragg to Misha Glenny. A handful of shorter, non-panel episodes function as behind-the-scenes interviews or announcements, such as the introduction of the new host and a Today programme exchange about the show's appeal. The tone throughout is educational and unhurried, aimed at synthesizing academic consensus and open questions on a topic for a general audience. Episodes assume no prior specialist knowledge but do not simplify the subject matter. Listeners who benefit most are those wanting survey-level depth on a rotating cast of humanities and science topics rather than narrative storytelling or debate-style disagreement. Production values follow standard BBC Radio 4 studio broadcast, distributed via BBC Sounds.