Melvyn Bragg steps down from presenting In Our Time

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Emotional reactions & legacy

  • Many describe the news as sad and the end of an era; the show is called “brilliant”, “timeless” and among the BBC’s best work.
  • Several note his voice and energy had clearly declined in recent years, comparing this to other long-running broadcasters’ final years.
  • Some suspect he may have been gently pushed due to clarity issues, while others just see it as an inevitable, dignified retirement after a long run.

Bragg’s hosting style

  • Praised for being well-prepared, genuinely curious, and excellent at steering experts away from tangents toward a coherent narrative.
  • His slightly impatient, interrupting manner divides opinion: some find it refreshing, disciplined and necessary; others hear it as grating or even rude, especially in later years.
  • The format is seen as “hub-and-spoke”: questions directed individually at guests, with limited true cross-talk, but effective for clarity and pace.

Science vs arts coverage

  • Several feel his enthusiasm and depth shine more in literature, history, and philosophy than in science or computing.
  • Critiques include “boffinphobia” (self-deprecating math/science jokes) and “basicism” (never getting beyond introductory anecdotes).
  • The P vs NP episode is cited as a low point; others defend the difficulty of explaining such topics in 45 minutes to a general audience.

Future of the show & replacement

  • Some doubt anyone can match his breadth; others argue what’s needed is preparation, curiosity, and journalistic skill, not encyclopedic knowledge.
  • There’s debate over whether to retire the brand entirely versus continuing it to preserve a rare space for high-intensity, assumption-of-intelligence programming.

Access, ads, and audio issues

  • Non-UK listeners report BBC Sounds geoblocks; workarounds include direct MP3 downloads and tools like get_iplayer or VPNs.
  • Ad insertions with loud chimes in podcast feeds are widely disliked; some switch to alternative feeds or platforms to avoid them.
  • Audio mixing (uneven guest volumes) and his accent/late-career mumbling are noted as challenges, especially for non-native speakers.

Archive, tools, and recommendations

  • Commenters celebrate the 1,000+ episode archive, sharing many favorite episodes across history, science, philosophy and culture.
  • Braggoscope (episode directory, Dewey classification, and t-SNE map) is highlighted as a useful AI-assisted exploration tool.
  • Listeners also recommend related BBC series and other highbrow podcasts, but repeatedly single out In Our Time’s density, lack of fluff, iconic no-waffle intro, and tea/coffee outro as unique.