Oh What A Time...

Oh What A Time...

It’s time to embark on a journey through history with "Oh What A Time…" a comedy history podcast hosted by renowned comedians Elis James and Tom Craine along with award winning podcaster Chris Scull. Tackling a brand new subject each week, (from ‘childhood’ to ‘a life at sea’, ‘marriage’ to ‘holidays’) your hosts will dive into the very weirdest and worst that history has to offer, in an effort to answer the question… "Was the past as awful as it sounds?" Listen to Oh What A Time... on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting https://wondery.com/links/oh-what-a-time/ You can get in touch with the show by emailing: hello@ohwhatatime.com.

Episodes

August 25, 2025 39 mins

Egypt rolls out the red carpet, hailing him as Pharaoh and even a living god. Finally, the titanic Battle of Gaugamela sees Alexander smash Darius’ massive army and claim the Persian Empire for himself.


If you fancy a bunch of OWAT content you’ve never heard before (and the entirety of the mini-series right now!), why not treat yourself and become an Oh What A Time: FULL TIMER?

Up for grabs is:

- two bonus episodes every ...

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It’s Alexander vs. Darius in a showdown for the ages. First, the Battle of Issus turns the Persian king into a fugitive and Alexander into master of the Levant.


Elsewhere, we’re discussing terrible marketing strategies including the infamous ‘ten cent brawl’. Got another to share with us? hello@ohwhatatime.com


If you fancy a bunch of OWAT content you’ve never heard before (and the entirety of the mini-series right no...

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As a special summer treat in amongst our Alexander The Great mini-series, we thought we'd drop a subscriber episode onto the feed.

This episode was made available for subscribers on new year's eve 2024 and in it, Tom Craine has been exploring the reality of life in the navy; from being kidnapped on a night out and thrown aboard a ship, incredible rum rations, right through to sharing a ship with hundreds of rats - it’s all ...

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August 18, 2025 31 mins

Next, Alexander stamps his authority on Greece — crushing Thebes, securing the Balkans, and claiming Achilles as his role model. We end with the first clash with Persia at the River Granicus, as Alexander announces himself on the world stage.


If you fancy a bunch of OWAT content you’ve never heard before (and the entirety of the mini-series right now!), why not treat yourself and become an Oh What A Time: FULL TIMER?

Up ...

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August 17, 2025 36 mins

We’re diving into palace intrigue, starting with the assassination of Philip II at a wedding that makes Game of Thrones look tame.


Also, Tom has an idea for glasses innovation that sounds suspiciously like the glasses Dutch footballer Edgar David’s wore in the 90s. Please email in your criticism to: hello@ohwhatatime.com


If you fancy a bunch of OWAT content you’ve never heard before (and the entirety of the mini-seri...

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August 11, 2025 31 mins

We explore the young prince’s elite education under Aristotle, featuring wild horses, epic poetry, and geography lessons that fuelled global conquest. Finally, we take a look at the puzzle of Alexander’s early life — where the myths end, the history begins, and the truth gets slippery.


If you fancy a bunch of OWAT content you’ve never heard before (and the entirety of the mini-series right now!), why not treat yourself ...

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August 10, 2025 29 mins

It’s time to set the stage for one of history’s biggest names. We meet Alexander’s parents: Olympias (possibly sleeping with gods) and Philip II (definitely sleeping with everyone else).


Plus, is everything in Alexander the Great’s life explained by the fact he effectively lived in a branch of David Lloyd? If you’ve got more on this, please email: hello@ohwhatatime.com


If you fancy a bunch of OWAT content you’ve neve...

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August 4, 2025 34 mins

This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed!


This week we’re talking about the great illusionists and conjurors of our times. We’ve got the man that pretty much invented the genre Jean-Eugene Robert, we’ve got the much-loved icon of British children’s TV Sooty and we’ve got the main man himself, Harry Houdini.


Plus, is trying to work out who won the dad’s race via mobile phone footage basically the same as trying to w...

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August 3, 2025 38 mins

This week we’re talking about the great illusionists and conjurors of our times. We’ve got the man that pretty much invented the genre Jean-Eugene Robert, we’ve got the much-loved icon of British children’s TV Sooty and we’ve got the main man himself, Harry Houdini.


Plus, is trying to work out who won the dad’s race via mobile phone footage basically the same as trying to work out who killed JFK from a single camera sho...

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July 28, 2025 25 mins

This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed!


This week we’re discussing some of history’s most revolting peasants! Now no episode like this would be complete without rumoured West Ham fan Wat Tyler, plus we’ll have the New York story of Dr Smith Azer Broughton, and we’ll hear from the Kulaks that riled against Stalin’s rule in the 20th century.


And this week we’re talking about historical marketing offers that went wr...

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July 27, 2025 29 mins

This week we’re discussing some of history’s most revolting peasants! Now no episode like this would be complete without rumoured West Ham fan Wat Tyler, plus we’ll have the New York story of Dr Smith Azer Broughton, and we’ll hear from the Kulaks that riled against Stalin’s rule in the 20th century.


And this week we’re talking about historical marketing offers that went wrong. Sunny Delight turning you orange! McDonald...

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July 21, 2025 29 mins

This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed!


**PLEASE NOTE: This episode was recorded just before Leslie Lemon - the custard-loving WW2 hero that so many listeners emailed us about - died at the age of 106 years old, last week. In tribute to the great man, we’ve left in our celebration of his custard-guzzling ways.**


This week we’re hitting the road and exploring the incredible travels of the likes of Eva Dickson...

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July 20, 2025 40 mins

**PLEASE NOTE: This episode was recorded just before Leslie Lemon - the custard-loving WW2 hero that so many listeners emailed us about - died at the age of 106 years old, last week. In tribute to the great man, we’ve left in our celebration of his custard-guzzling ways.**


This week we’re hitting the road and exploring the incredible travels of the likes of Eva Dickson, we’ll be getting in a canoe across Belgium wi...

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July 14, 2025 25 mins

This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed!


Let’s have a look at some of the most interesting self-made millionaires that history has to offer! This week we have Sarah Breedlove and her lucrative beauty revolution, Richard Crawshay’s Welsh ironmongery bonanza and, more recently, let’s discuss Apple’s main man Steve Jobs.


Elsewhere, haircuts come and go - from center parting curtains to the mullet - but the medieval m...

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July 13, 2025 42 mins

Let’s have a look at some of the most interesting self-made millionaires that history has to offer! This week we have Sarah Breedlove and her lucrative beauty revolution, Richard Crawshay’s Welsh ironmongery bonanza and, more recently, let’s discuss Apple’s main man Steve Jobs.


Elsewhere, haircuts come and go - from center parting curtains to the mullet - but the medieval monk circular-shaved-bald-spot-at-the-back refus...

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This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed!


This week we’re discussing various tunes and music genres which popped up in surprising circumstances. We’ve got North Africa’s blues inspired Tuareg Rock, western music behind the iron curtain and modern attempts to recreate that original Tudor sound!


Tom’s joined the rechargeable nasal hair remover revolution and we’re talking hair removal through history this week; we’re...

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This week we’re discussing various tunes and music genres which popped up in surprising circumstances. We’ve got North Africa’s blues inspired Tuareg Rock, western music behind the iron curtain and modern attempts to recreate that original Tudor sound!


Tom’s joined the rechargeable nasal hair remover revolution and we’re talking hair removal through history this week; we’re talking Norman Lamont, we’re talking Margaret ...

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June 30, 2025 27 mins

This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed!


Time to go back to the golden age of cinema; this week we’ll tell the story of how sport first burst onto the big screen, how the first silent films were soundtracked and how F Scott Fitzgerald fell in and out of love with Hollywood.


And we’re also discussing the things that take us back in time (like the theme tune to Going For Gold). What takes you back in time? AND PLEAS...

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June 29, 2025 37 mins

Time to go back to the golden age of cinema; this week we’ll tell the story of how sport first burst onto the big screen, how the first silent films were soundtracked and how F Scott Fitzgerald fell in and out of love with Hollywood.


And we’re also discussing the things that take us back in time (like the theme tune to Going For Gold). What takes you back in time? AND PLEASE SEND US YOUR QUAINT LOCAL ATTRACTIONS! (With ...

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June 23, 2025 27 mins

This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed!


This week we are trawling the archives for scandals! (And let’s attempt this episode description in true tabloid fashion). Hear all about Lord Byron’s saucy behaviour! The blackmail of Alexander Hamilton! And (one of the all-time great scandals) you simply won’t believe the Profumo affair!


And this week we’re asking: how on earth did anyone ever travel anywhere more than 50...

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