What were you doing in the early 2000s? A time when Britney, Blockbuster, Napster and Nokia ruled the world. Joe and Mel present the week that was, 20 years ago. T minus 20, a podcast about not so ancient history.
Send us a textRewind to 29 May to 4 June 2005 — a week of anonymous sources, screaming chefs and beauties meeting geeks.
Send us a textRewind to 22 May to 28 May 2005 — the boogie board that broke Australia made headlines, Carrie Underwood hit her high note and Darth Vader finally got his glow-up.
Send us a textRewind to 15 May to 21 May 2005.From a Eurovision fever dream to a rollercoaster that needed its own weather forecast, this week brought chaos, confessions and comeback queens. Kylie faced a life-changing diagnosis with absolute grace, Britney overshared via camcorder and Mariah said we belong together and we absolutely did.
Send us a textRewind to 8 May 2005 to 14 May 2005 — when HuffPost launched the comment section wars, John Cena dropped a platinum rap album and Malcolm Glazer bought Manchester United like it was a timeshare. Also: the Gorillaz went full apocalypse, Bush nearly got grenaded and 50 Cent whispered sweet nothings on the beach.
Send us a textRewind to 1 May 2005 to 7 May 2005: Fall Out Boy drops From Under the Cork Tree straight into our black emo hearts, Lionel Messi scores his first ever goal and The Bold and the Beautiful pulls the ultimate soap opera move — bringing back Taylor from the dead.
Send us a textRewind to 24 to 30 April 2005 — where a massive plane took flight, Gwen taught us how to spell bananas and Japan's rail system suffered a shattering blow.
Send us a textRewind to 17 to 23 April 2005 – when the Bali 9 are busted with 8.3kg of heroin, a teenager drove a tram like a boss and YouTube dropped its very first “like and subscribe.”
Send us a textRewind to 10 to 16 April 2005, when science cloned your dog, Mariah staged a mega comeback, and Pamela Anderson worked in a bookstore (yes, really).
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Send us a text⚛️ Did scientists almost create a black hole? Scientists at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider were smashing particles together at nearly the speed of light, reaching temperatures hotter than the sun. One physicist suggested we may have created our own version of a black hole. Big bang anyone?
Send us a text⚖️ The U.S. Supreme Court makes a landmark ruling, banning the death penalty for crimes committed by minors. ♟️ The world's greatest chess player retires, leaving us all to wonder: who will defend us when AI takes over?
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Send us a textPop-punk fans everywhere are in emotional free fall—with Blink-182 confirming their split, leaving us all whisper-screaming Where are you?
Send us a textExplosions, heists and YouTube's awkward dating era? This week on T minus 20:
Send us a textTony Blair breaks records as the longest-serving Labour PM—but let's be real, his coolest moment was inviting Oasis to Downing Street. (Noel Gallagher later called it awkward, which is ironic coming from him.) Meanwhile, his approval ratings nosedived over the Iraq War. Yikes.Over in the world of extreme determination, Ellen MacArthur sails solo around the world in 71 days, surviving on power naps and sheer stubbornness.
Send us a textWe had such a great chat with Ryan Cabrera and he was so generous with his time that we pretty much had enough content for an entire show. So, as a special treat to our wonderful subscribers, we thought we'd give you the full interview, warts and all, in this bonus episode. You'll hear all about his 20th anniversary re-release of his single "On The Way Down". We discuss fatherhood, his marriage to WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss, his best mate The Miz, $20 smoothies, tour bus etiquette, the golden years of MTV, celeb reality shows and so much more!We hope you have as much fun listening as we did getting up at the butt-crack of dawn to hang with this top bloke. Hang with us on socials to chat more noughties nostalgia - Facebook (@tminus20) or Instagram (tminus20podcast). You can also contact us there if you want to be a part of the show.
Send us a textFrom Iraq's first free elections
Send us a textWe've saved some of the biggest stories of 2004 for our last week of summer programming.Protesters, dressed as Batman, scaled Buckingham Palace. Protesters, dressed as construction workers, broke into British Parliament. And Saddam Hussein, dressed as Saddam Hussein faced his first day in court following his capture. We dissect the conspiracy theories around Eron's Ken Lay and his mysterious death, George W Bush covers Eamon's "F**k It (I don;t want you back)", Fat Joe leans back and we provide a long awaited update on Aussie reality music TV sensation Selwyn. Plus our favourite film, Napoleon Dynamite, turns 20 and we put in a few calls and chat to people in his home town. Hang with us on socials to chat more noughties nostalgia - Facebook (@tminus20) or Instagram (tminus20podcast). You can also contact us there if you want to be a part of the show.
Send us a textWe're halfway through our little sabbatical and getting ready to come back with our biggest season yet. In the meantime enjoy the tall tales of Malice at The Palace - the biggest brawl in NBA history, the time Britney married K-Fed and Mel's adventures with porno Tetris. Plus we've got shaved mouse mats, tornado chasers getting sucked out of ditches and we see whether or not reality show The Biggest Loser stands up against today's moral standards!Hang with us on socials to chat more noughties nostalgia - Facebook (@tminus20) or Instagram (tminus20podcast). You can also contact us there if you want to be a part of the show.
Send us a textWe're still taking a short break but now is your chance to catch up on some of our bigger moments from 2004. The Killdozer rampage, Lance Armstrong's fall from grace and who could forget the time Dave Matthews tour bus dumped a full tank of human waste on the city of Chicago!?!? Also we have the body horror that was the reality series The Swan, a book of 10 Big Ones from Janet Evanovich, a new album from Hanson and we discuss the subtle differences between the US and Australian versions of People Magazine. So get your pink on, sit with your Mean Girls in the no smoking area of Fibber McGees as you study Yelp reviews in your fave battle jacket and enjoy. Hang with us on socials to chat more noughties nostalgia - Facebook (@tminus20) or Instagram (tminus20podcast). You can also contact us there if you want to be a part of the show.
Send us a textIts that time where we get to put our feet up, but not before we go over some of the better stories from 2004. So load up your Party Susans and get ready for Nipplegate, Ceasar Milan, some hot coffee from GTA 3 and loads more. Hang with us on socials to chat more noughties nostalgia - Facebook (@tminus20) or Instagram (tminus20podcast). You can also contact us there if you want to be a part of the show.
Send us a textIt's our best of the best for the year 2004 where the internet's favorite new words take center stage
Send us a textIt's a week full of heartbreak. There's no way to sugar coat it, but we will press on and make the best of it. On December 8, tragedy struck the music world
Send us a textThis week, the heartbreaking Shaanxi coal mine explosion in China. A methane gas build-up caused one of the deadliest mining disasters ever, claiming 166 lives and shining a harsh light on the dangers of an industry where safety often took a backseat.
Send us a textThis week in 2004 NASA cranked up the speed dial to an astonishing Mach 9.6—that's 7,000 mph—thanks to the experimental X-43A scramjet aircraft. Unlike traditional rockets, this futuristic wonder didn't rely on onboard oxygen; it sucked in atmospheric air as fuel, reaching record-breaking speeds and paving the way for some thrilling possibilities. We're talking hypersonic missiles that can outmaneuver anything in sight, a cost-effective boost for space access, and one day, maybe even hypersonic passenger flights (NYC to Tokyo in under two hours, anyone?). We're ready, but we might want to strap in.
Send us a textThis week is loaded with high-stakes showdowns, culture-defining beats, and innovations that reshaped our digital lives. We begin in Fallujah, Iraq, where the brutal Second Battle of Fallujah—aka Operation Phantom Fury—gripped international attention. Coalition forces faced intense resistance in a city that had become a fortified insurgent hub, leading to one of the bloodiest battles of the Iraq War. But this wasn't just history; it's also the story behind the controversial game Six Days in Fallujah. Reviving real-life conflict as a video game sparked huge debates about militarism in gaming—some called it a recruitment tool, while others argued for its realism in capturing war's harsh realities.
Send us a textWe kick things off with the tragic story of Ricky Hendrick, NASCAR's rising star who soared to victory on the track but tragically crashed out of the sky. When his plane went down in 2004, taking nine others with him, it was a devastating loss for motorsports and the Hendrick family. Next, Osama bin Laden pulled out the ultimate villain move, dropping a video like a sinister mixtape
Send us a textWe kick things off with the brave but tragic story of humanitarian Margaret Hassan, whose kidnapping in Iraq shook the world
Send us a textIn this episode, we dig into the criminal underworld taking a closer look at the recent discovery of human remains at a reputed Gambino family burial ground
Send us a textDo you remember the infamous Mark Latham vs. John Howard "Handshake of Doom"
Send us a textGet a grip on your tentacles because this week's episode dives into a whirlwind of cosmic chaos and squishy surprises!
Send us a textHold onto your iPod Classic and crank up the Green Day because we're time-traveling back to the week of 19 September 2004!
Send us a textGet ready to rewind the clock with us as we dive into an absolutely bonkers week from 2004!
Send us a Text Message.Get ready for a rollercoaster of a week!
Send us a Text Message.Get ready to rewind to a week where headlines, heartbreaks, and heroics took center stage! From the tense streets of Iraq to the Olympic glory in Athens.
Send us a Text Message.This week, we're rolling through August 2004, where history meets hilarity!
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Send us a Text Message.⚖️ Saddam Hussein made his first courtroom appearance since being captured. Spoiler alert: he didn't exactly roll over and accept his fate. Defiant and dramatic, Saddam had some choice words and loads of theatrics for the court and President Bush.
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