Episodes

  • Big Storm Coming?

    Big Storm Coming?
    Jun 11 2026
    The next El Nino could be the biggest in history. The Pacific atmospheric pattern that regularly disrupts global weather, is set to cause floods in some areas and droughts in others, on a larger scale than ever before, because of climate change. So how worried should we be? And what can we expect? Phil and Roger ask Manoj Joshi, Professor of Climate Dynamics at the University of East Anglia.

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    33 mins
  • Trump/Iran - Madman or Genius?

    Trump/Iran - Madman or Genius?
    Jun 5 2026
    Three months of US efforts to tame Iran, and Donald Trump is in a bind - there's still no deal, and Iran has a stranglehold on the Straits of Hormuz. Oil price rises mean the cost of filling up the car is painful for many Americans, and that could spell trouble for the Republicans in the upcoming mid-term elections. But the US stock market is buoyant and Trump seem unperturbed - so is he far more in control of all this than he seems? Is he using 'madman theory' to keep his enemies guessing? Phil and Roger ask Dr James Boys, senior research fellow at UCL's Centre on US Politics, and author of "US Grand Strategy and the Madman Theory"

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    43 mins
  • Too Real TV?

    Too Real TV?
    May 28 2026
    Has reality TV become too toxic? A number of scandals have shown the dark side of formats that put ordinary, vulnerable people in challenging situations - and let us be amused by the disastrous results. Whether it's Married At First Sight or Love Island, is there something wrong and damaging about this sort of entertainment? Helen Wood is Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at Aston University, and has led research into the effect of reality TV on participants, crew and audiences - she tells Phil and Roger about the costs of all this

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    39 mins
  • Ready For The Next Pandemic?

    Ready For The Next Pandemic?
    May 21 2026
    As Hantavirus and Ebola grab the headlines, how prepared is the world for the next pandemic? Have we learned from COVID both how to stop the spread and deal with a panicking population? Are we ready for the new animal-origin viruses that emerge as humans encroach on their habitats? Phil and Roger ask Dr Jeremy Rossman, senior lecturer in virology at the University of Kent.

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    42 mins
  • Reform Government?

    Reform Government?
    May 14 2026
    If the polls are right, ReformUK could be in Downing Street in three years. So what would they do with the country? We know they don't like immigrants or Europe or windfarms, but what DO they want? How would they shape Britain's economy, foreign policy, health service? Dr Vladimir Bortun, lecturer in politics at Oxford University, tells Phil and Roger it would be some form extreme Thatcherism, but with policies shaped to please the party's billionaire backers, rather than their mainly working-class supporters.

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    39 mins
  • Heading for a crash?

    Heading for a crash?
    May 7 2026
    A global energy crisis - and yet Wall Street is still surging at record levels. It's largely AI that's fuelling stocks, but many see it as a bubble, and of course, AI needs a lot of the energy that is becoming increasingly scarce. So does this all mean a major correction in stock prices is coming? A market crash that could make us all poorer, and shatter the prospects of economies far away from the US? Phil and Roger ask David McMillan, Professor of Finance at the University of Stirling.

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    41 mins
  • The Kindest Generation?

    The Kindest Generation?
    Apr 30 2026
    Is humanity kinder now than it has ever been before? Today we are appalled at things that were commonplace only a generation ago - unmarried mothers forced to hand over their babies for adoption, gay soldiers imprisoned for their sexuality, landlords refusing black tenants. So has empathy changed us? And what has brought that about? Phil and Roger ask Dr Steve Taylor, senior lecturer in psychology at Leeds Beckett University, and author of "DisConnected: The Roots of Human Cruelty and How Connection Can Heal The World"

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    38 mins
  • Welfare or Warfare?

    Welfare or Warfare?
    Apr 23 2026
    Can we afford to boost national defence alongside the growing bill for benefits, health and social care? Can the UK's shaky finances cope with both? Or is there a choice to be made, as the Russian threat pushes the need for more tanks, drones and bullets? Simon French, chief economist and head of research at Panmure Gordon, takes Phil and Roger through the difficult challenges of balancing demand and capacity in the national budget

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    38 mins