The Zeitgeist Tapes

This month, Emma and Steve are joined by comedian, writer, director and comedy trainer Logan Murray to talk about Trevor Griffith's Comedians.  Originally written in 1975 and translated for TV as a Play For Today the show follows a group of men looking to become successful club comedians as they do their final showcase in front of an audience.  The play uses a lot of language that is very much 'of its time' but does so in questioning of how comedy works, what it is for and how we use it both to elevate and victimise and reflect the society we live in.  Logan Murray's website: https://loganmurray.com/ Emma's comedy routine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpKMzGNmzSQ

In this episode Emma and Steve discuss one of the most consequential dramatisations of recent years. Described as 'Kafka meets Ealing Comedy' (Copyright Steve) this ITV drama shown between Christmas and New Year 2023/24 had politicians finally scrabbling to respond to the long-running scandal at the Post Office.  David Aaaronovich: The Fatal Flaw in Mr Bates Vs The Post Office https://davidaaronovitch.substack.com/p/the-fatal-flaw-in-mr-bates-vs-the Emma's Substack: https://softleft.substack.com/

This month, to reflect on the death of Henry Kissinger, Emma and Steve look at 1964 film Fail Safe. Based on the same novel as Dr Strangelove, but definitely not played for laughs this film examines from the inside two sides trying and failing to avoid a nuclear confrontation. 

This month Emma and Steve discuss the show that has had the political world more obsessed than with anything since The West Wing - Succession.  This tale of a family battling over the future of a media empire has obvious real-world parallels. But should we care as much as we do?

This month, Emma and Steve look at Brassed Off. It's a film about a colliery band, about music and community. It's also an explicitly anti-Tory film set 10 years after the Miners Strike and one year before the Tories were swept out of office by the 1997 Labour election landslide. 

This month, Steve and Emma discuss the 1964 classic My Fair Lady. What does George Bernard Shaw's play and the musical based on it have to say about modern political themes of class or gender? 

In a plot twist, this month Steve interviews Emma about her recent play Triggered. 

As we head into a winter of discontent, Steve and Emma look at the Carry On film's somewhat misguided take on industrial relations. It seems that the most successful strike was that of the joke writers. 

This month, Emma and Steve discuss Kenneth Brannagh's turn as Boris Johnson in This England. This drama covers the opening weeks of the Covid crisis and the government's response.  They also talk briefly about Triggered - Emma's play, which will be showing in London in November. Tickets here: https://www.whitebeartheatre.co.uk/whatson/Triggered

This month (and a bit - sorry about the delay!) Steve and Emma are joined by Professor Marc Stears of the UCL Policy Lab. The writer of Sherwood - James Graham, who regular listeners will be familiar - is a visiting professor at the Lab so Marc came to tell us why and give his thoughts on this fascinating and engrossing drama about the long tail of the miner's strike. 

This month Emma and Steve look at nuclear paranoia(?) thriller Edge of Darkness. This classic six-part drama largely holds up well - even if it was baffling in parts both then and now. 

This month, prompted by events in Ukraine, Emma and Steve watched Katyń - the 2007 Polish film about the massacre in the Katyń Forest. Heartbreaking and bleak this film depicts strong violence and touches on extremely difficult topics. It also looks at the horrors of war crimes and the distortion of truth in propaganda. To donate to the Red Cross appeal for Ukrainian relief please go here. To see details of, and buy tickets for, Emma's play Triggered, please go here. 

This month, Emma and Steve watched the 1963 classic The Manchurian Candidate - and loved it!  The superb cast, tight script and conspiracy heavy, but ironic plot have so much to say to a modern audience. 

This month, Steve and Emma watched popular Netflix comedy Don't Look Up. Starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Jennifer Lawrence, this obvious climate change allegory asks why we aren't acting against the obvious.  But is it asking the right questions and/or challenging the right people? 

This month, Emma and Steve look at G.B.H. Alan Bleasdale's seven-part fictional account of a city council infiltrated by a Trotskyist group and the man who stands up to them. What starts as a political drama descends into conspiracy theory. But it still has a lot to say about the debates the left are still having with itself today. 

The Founder is based on the true story of how McDonalds became the behemoth it is today. It focuses not on the McDonald brothers - who invented the Speed-E system that revolutionised 'fast food' but on Ray Kroc - the man who franchised the idea to millions.  Released in 2016, this film encapsulates the tensions between Main Street and Wall Street - which was a dominant political narrative of that year's election

This month, Steve and Emma look at 70s political assassination thriller The Parallax View. While it underperformed in terms of box office, it has had a lasting effect and stands as a classic of the paranoid genre. Even if at times it does look like an episode of Dukes of Hazard. The brainwashing scene can be watched here. Tickets for Emma's play, No Cure for Love can be bought here. 

This month, Emma and Steve are looking at the David Hare play The Absence of War. Originally set in 1993 (after extraordinary access to the Labour campaign of 1992) the play echoes many themes still discussed by the Labour Party today.  Tickets for Emma's play can be bought here: https://app.lineupnow.com/event/no-cure-for-love-camden-fringe?fbclid=IwAR2-qZFd6FHUvbsAnx_dsGGRd2wqj4_TtvbBCwz4w8VLkLUoT9xLipkXNw4

Emma and Steve finally discuss The West Wing. We use the double episode 20 Hours in America but take in as much of the show as can be covered in under an hour.  Links:  Tom Hanks Philadelphia acceptance speech:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBuDMEpUc8k Lin Manuel Miranda 'What's Next' rap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TTD5-3fuZE Emma Burnell: The West Wing was wonderful. But you're still not Josh Lyman.  https://medium.com/@emmaburnell/the-west-wing-was-wonderful-but-youre-still-not-josh-lyman-feeed759ae6d

For international Women's Day, Emma and Steve discuss the feminist classic The Stepford Wives. A chillingly dark comedy horror about what men really want from women. 

We're back!  This month Emma and Steve look at the 1936 French film The Crime of Monsieur Lange. This morality tale from French auteur Jean Renoir divided us on some of the interpretations of characters. But the film is pacey and enjoyable and ahead of its time in many aspects of sex, gender roles and the evils of capitalists. 

This month, Steve and Emma are joined by Dr Scott Rodgers, Senior Lecturer in media theory at the University of London, Birkbeck to discuss The Hunger Games.  A film adored across the political spectrum, but is it too down on politics? And is it also inherently conservative?

In this episode, Steve and Emma are joined by journalist Helen Lewis - author of Difficult Women: A History of feminism in 11 fights - to talk about Mrs America.  The Series depicts the fight around the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s between two groups of women. The second wave feminists and the backlash from conservative women. It is an incredible and complex depiction which - while clearly taking a view - doesn't demonise or idolise either side. 

In this episode, Emma and Steve are joined by the President of the New York chapter of National Action Network - Derek Perkinson - to discuss three seminal Spike Lee films. We cover Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X and BlacKKKlansman.  All three speak to the moment we find ourselves in. Lee uses humour and great storytelling to drive home his point, never losing either anger or control. 

Today we are delighted to be joined by playwright James Graham. We interview him on the day that his play This House is due to go online (you can watch it here for free for a week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vsSHyjEMrg).  We talk about his portrayal of both real and fictional political actors from This House through Labour of Love and of course we touch on his portrayal of a certain Dominic Cummings. 

We have a first this month as Emma and Steve are joined by our first guest ever to be portrayed onscreen as a character. Jon Lansman talks about the 1981 Labour Party conference and the battle to change the way the party elects its leader as depicted in a BBC docudrama which can be found here. 

As we all find ourselves willing Prisoners reliant on a strong proactive state to keep us healthy, we thought it might be fun to explore an alternative point of view.  In this iconic 60s drama, Patrick McGoohan finds himself trapped in the perplexing and frustrating world of The Village. Constantly experimented on and tortured by Number 2, he is number 6. Though he would argue he's a free man.  This drama explores issues of surveillance, freedom, conformity and difference. While a touch baffling at times, this incredibly watchable and interesting drama combines the best of 60s psychedelia with old fashioned action.  With Emma Burnell, Professor Steve Fielding and Tim Worthington. 

This month Emma and Steve discuss Parks and Recreation - possibly the least cyncial programme ever made about politics. 

This month, Emma and Steve discuss Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister. Prompted by the recent death of the last remaining regular, Derek Fowlds who played Private Secetary Bernard Woolley we re-examine what this show meant to perceptions of the civil service and where power really lies. 

This month, to keep us going through the election, Emma and Steve have been watching The Campaign. These politicians are not kissing babies - they're punching them!  Lighthearted and surprisingly sweet in places this is definitely a good antidote to UK politics. 

In this election special, Steve and Emma are joined by occasional broadcaster and TV's Clangers expert Tim Worthington to talk about the one-off special of that show: Vote For Froglet. This seven-minute-long slice of surreal seventies stuff has a lot more to tell us about our current political moment than you would think. You can find the whole thing here. As always do get in touch and let us know what you think at @ztpodcast on Twitter or on our Facebook page. 

This month, Emma and Steve discuss Netflix original series The Politician.  The first season of this show follows the campaign of consummate politician Payton Hobart as he campaigns to be Class President of his high school.  A dark comedy in primary colours The Politician is very watchable. But is it at once too cynical and too innocent?

This month Emma Burnell and Steve Fielding discuss England, England by Julian Barnes.  Written in the late 90s when New Labour was still new and The Referendum Party was just a joke outfit, this prophetic novel shows that our 'little Englander' never really went away.  The discussion covers Britpop's role in re-normalising patriotism and why Peter Mandelson didn't just use a female Bulldog!

In this episode, journalist Emma Burnell and Professor Steve Fielding discuss BBC 3 Drama The Left Behind. Bleak and uncompromising, it tells the tale of Gethin, a young man in South Wales who becomes radicalised into the far right. 

This month, Emma and Steve are joined by Jonn Elledge of the New Statesman to talk about BBC Drama Years and Years.  Written by Russell T Davies it's the tale of a dystopian (though sadly plausible) near future. Britain has descended into chaos, the banks crash - again and facism - in the smiling form of Vivienne Rook (Emma Thompson) is on the rise. 

As a nod to the discussions of sovereignty and independence that have surrounded the EU elections this month Emma and Steve have watched Passport to Pimlico. This Ealing comedy is a pean to the collectivism of the Attlee government. But it's also good at tweaking the nose of bureaucracy. 

This month, Emma and Steve interviewed Marlon Soloman about his one-man show Conspiracy Theory: A Lizard's Tale. In it, Marlon unpacks both antisemitism in conspiracy theories and specifically in the Labour Party. It's a fascinating show - full of rich humour and details that will shock. And we talk about the reaction he's had.

This month Emma and Steve are delighted to be joined by Steve Waters, playwrite and author of the recent highly successful play Limehouse.  Limehouse is a fictionalised account of the day the 'Gang of Four' broke away from the Labour Party to form the SDP. Originally performed at the Donmar Warehouse, this play is still very timely, especially after the formation of The Independent Group of MPs.  Show notes:  More information on Steve Waters here: https://people.uea.ac.uk/en/persons/steven-waters Steve Fielding's Excellent documentary on party splits through the ages can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00035ng The play Emma couldn't recall the name of was An Honourable Man. You can find her review here:  https://playstosee.com/an-honourable-man/

This month, Steve and Emma are joined by Historian and Screenwriter Alex Von Tunzelmann to discuss Vice.  Telling the story of Dick Cheyney this film - from the makers of The Big Short - does it's "fucking best" according to the makers. Do we agree? And if we dont, does it matter?

The Zeitgeist Tapes on tour!  This month, Emma has dragged Steve all the way down to 'That London' to a play above a pub in Clapham. But a play about Clement Attlee so very much on brand.  Listen to us chat while our teeth chatter (all will be revealed).

New Year - new naming scheme!  This is a special episode where Emma and Steve have got together to discuss last night's James Graham TV play Brexit: The Uncivil War.  Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Dominic Cummings, this covered the ins and outs of the in or out vote in 2016. Largely focussed on the successful leave campaign, we discuss the timeliness or otherwise of the drama, the casting and the baggage that brings and how you decide what to include and what to leave out.

Happy Christmas! For this year's Christmas special, Emma and Steve look at the Bill Murray vehicle Scrooged. Loosely based on Charles Dicken's classic A Christmas Carol, this is a tale of how rampant greed ruinds lives and redemption through giving - at Christmas.

In this special episode, journalist Emma Burnell has made a short documentary about political podcasts. In it she explores who is making them, who is listening to them and why they are taking off.  Interviewees include Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, Nick Robinson, Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, Iain Dale, Matt Chorley, Helen Lewis and Stephen Bush.

This month, Steve and Emma talk about Mike Leigh's Peterloo. In cinemas now, this tells the tale of the massacre in the early 19th century of democracy and poverty campaigners at a rally in Manchester.  With a stunning cast, this epic is historically accurate - but is it entertaining?

This month Emma and Steve are joined by Clangers Expert and writer for Dr Who Magazine Tim Worthington to discuss the politics of The Doctor. Is the Doctor basically a centrist Dad even now she's a woman?

This month, Emma and Steve are joined by Dr Sarah Lonsdale, Author of The Journalist in British Fiction and Film. We talk about 1983's Ploughman's Lunch - a drama about journalists covering the 1982 Argentine War, the Tory Party conference and generally climbing the greasy pole of the establishment. Written by Ian McEwan and directed by Richard Eyre, this early Channel 4 film is as watchable as its characters are unlikeable.

This month, Emma and Steve discuss 2016 film Denial. Based on the true story of a court case between Jewish historian Deborah Lipstadt and holocaust denier David Irving. The film speaks to the Labour Party's current crisis, but equally to the importance not just of remembering, but of not forgetting, which as Emma says are two different things.

Seminal dance movie of the 80s, few think of Dirty Dancing as a political film, but it absolutely is. From having women's reproductive rights at it's heart to its critique of middle-class liberalism, politics are at the heart of this classic film. And it makes its point much better by not hammering them home, but dancing around them.

This month, Emma and Steve discuss the recent Russell T Davis penned, real life drama A Very English Scandal. The true story of the leader of the Liberals who tried to have his ex-lover killed. With barnstoming performances from both Hugh Grant and Ben Wishaw, this drama exposes just how far the establishment will go to protect their own.

In this episode, Professor Steve Fielding and journalist Emma Burnell discuss the novel Heartland by Anthony Cartwright. Set around the 2002 world cup at a time and place of heightened racial and political tensions it tells the story of three contests playing out in the fictions Cinderheath neighbourhood of Dudley.

In this episode, Emma and Steve discuss The Crown - the Netflix series about the life and times of Queen Elizabeth the Second. Gloriously shot, but somewhat overstretched, this drama centres on the least interesting person in the monarchy, but does so in a way that shows the conflicts of duty and regality.