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Start the Week

BBC Radio 4
Climate Change
Ukraine
Art History
Disinformation
Poetry
Artificial Intelligence
Propaganda
British Art
China
Animal Communication
Neuroscience
Russian Revolution
Election Fraud
Social Care
Gender Equality
Christianity
Art
Mental Health
Climate Crisis
Freedom

Weekly discussion programme, setting the cultural agenda every Monday

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes664Founded21 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

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Artwork for Start the Week

Latest Episodes

How do we tell the stories of the past, and whose histories get remembered? On Radio 4’s weekly discussion programme, Adam Rutherford is joined by three guests whose work challenges inherited narratives, recovers overlooked voices, and reimagines his... more

What happens when the certainties that underpinned the post-war international order begin to fall apart? On Radio 4's weekly discussion programme, Naomi Alderman is joined by three guests examining the forces that shape global power and the legacies ... more

Can looking differently at the world help us imagine a better future? On Radio 4's weekly discussion programme, Tom Sutcliffe is joined by three guests exploring ideas of art, community and social change.

The writer and archivist Tom Overton discus... more

What happens when the relationship between leaders and those entrusted to implement policy breaks down? On Radio 4's weekly discussion programme, Adam Rutherford is joined by three guests to explore power, loyalty and the often unseen people who make... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

David Runciman
Historian, broadcaster and podcaster
Episode: Global instability and the end of illusion
Kim Ghattas
Award-winning journalist and author
Episode: Global instability and the end of illusion
Gideon Rachman
Chief foreign affairs columnist at the Financial Times
Financial Times
Episode: Global instability and the end of illusion
Tom Overton
Writer and archivist, and author of John Berger: From Life
Episode: John Berger and another way of seeing
Maryam Aslany
Academic and author of Peasants: Makers of the Modern World
Episode: John Berger and another way of seeing
Rowan Bain
Principal Curator of the William Morris Gallery
William Morris Gallery
Episode: John Berger and another way of seeing
Andrew Roberts
Historian and author of Napoleon and His Marshals
Episode: Napoleon’s marshals and President Trump’s civil servants
Jill Rutter
Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government with experience in HM Treasury, No. 10 and DEFRA
Institute for Government
Episode: Napoleon’s marshals and President Trump’s civil servants
Michael Lewis
Bestselling writer and author of Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State
Episode: Napoleon’s marshals and President Trump’s civil servants

Hosts

Naomi Alderman
Novelist and broadcaster
Tom Sutcliffe
Radio presenter
Adam Rutherford
Scientist, author and broadcaster

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 621 ratings
  • Great stuff

    Great guest selection, thought provoking

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NorthEar
    United Kingdom17 days ago
  • För bra att somna till

    Jag brukar somna till poddar om ämnen som intresserar mig, men här är det för intressant och för intresserat - jag vaknar till istället och vill lära mig allt om nattfjärilar eller allergier.

    Initierat, kunnigt, nördigt.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PappaStekman
    Sweden3 years ago
  • So much better since Marr left

    Every week this show delivers an interesting discussion and normally results in more additions to my ‘to read’ pile.

    The new post-Marr format of rotating presenters is refreshing and less egotistical in style. And speaking are even now allowed to be honest about how bad Brexit is going.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Alex_Phillips
    United Kingdom4 years ago
  • Excellent but…

    Can someone ask the host to resist the urge to interrupt his guests? We genuinely want to hear what they have to say. That is, we haven’t run out of attention quite as quickly as he has.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    MaryCherry75
    Canada5 years ago
  • Variable and a bit pompous but often interesting

    Podcast Addict
    4
    Professor
    6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The conversations often prompt listeners to seek out books, events and ideas raised by the guests.
Listeners praise the range of subjects and guests, and describe the discussions as informative, stimulating and thought-provoking.
Many appreciate the presenters' questioning and ability to guide expert panels, though some find interruptions distracting.
Some listeners value the mix of arts and current affairs, while others would prefer more science or a broader range of perspectives.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Global instability and the end of illusion
Q: How close are we?
Gideon Rachman says the world remains a few steps from a world war, but overlapping regional conflicts, cooperation between adversaries, and the threat of escalation make the situation dangerous.
Global instability and the end of illusion
Q: Can you briefly set the scene for us running up to these conflicts?
David Runciman outlines Khrushchev's denunciation of Stalin, the resulting demand for freedoms in Hungary, and Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal, alongside the American election and Eisenhower's role.
John Berger and another way of seeing
Q: Can you define a peasant for us, Maryam?
Aslany defines peasants as small-scale cultivators, often working family-owned farms with family labour, who produce agricultural goods for their own use and for markets. Their priorities include family survival across generations, not only profit.
John Berger and another way of seeing
Q: Who was John Berger and why was his work so important in your view?
Tom Overton describes Berger as a writer, broadcaster and artist known for Ways of Seeing, the Booker Prize-winning novel G, and his work on migration and peasant communities. He says Berger used art to connect people with history and give art a social role.
Napoleon’s marshals and President Trump’s civil servants
Q: What gave you the impetus to write another book about the second term?
Lewis says Trump's second term brought a major power grab and an effort to turn a two-million-person nonpartisan civil service into a loyalist operation. He wanted to show its consequences through the experiences of individual civil servants and the government functions affected.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About Start the Week

What is Start the Week about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Weekly, multi-guest conversations connect current affairs with ideas from history, science, politics, literature, economics and the arts. Rotating presenters, including Naomi Alderman, Tom Sutcliffe and Adam Rutherford, guide panels of writers, researchers, artists, public figures and policy specialists. Discussions move between contemporary questions and the histories or cultural works that help explain them, often bringing different disciplines into the same conversation. The format suits listeners who enjoy thoughtful, sustained debate and want to encounter unfamiliar subjects alongside familiar ones. Its distinctive mix of cultural criticism and public-affairs discussion gives guests room to bring specialist knowledge to broad questions... more

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How many listeners does Start the Week get?

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How many subscribers and views does Start the Week have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Start the Week has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Start the Week?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Start the Week:

1. Free Thinking
2. Great Lives
3. Front Row
4. More or Less
5. The Briefing Room

How many episodes of Start the Week are there?

Start the Week launched 21 years ago and published 664 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Start the Week?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Start the Week?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Start the Week from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on Start the Week?

Recent guests on Start the Week include:

1. David Runciman
2. Kim Ghattas
3. Gideon Rachman
4. Tom Overton
5. Maryam Aslany
6. Rowan Bain
7. Andrew Roberts
8. Jill Rutter

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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