Mary Beard asks why we laugh and explores what laughter can tell us about ourselves, our relationships and the world we live in. Show more

Mary Beard asks why we are drawn to literature, theatre, TV and film that take us ‘back to school’. She meets authors Philip Pullman and Liz Pichon to discuss the enduring popularity of these stories. Show more

Mary Beard investigates the ongoing history of creative connection and cultural exchange between Britain and Australia and asks what that relationship looks like today. Show more

Mary Beard explores how thousands of years of stories and images stereotyping women have shaped our thinking and what this means for women who are in positions of power today. Show more

Mary Beard is joined by actor and screenwriter Emma Thompson to talk tears, dissecting some of Emma’s most famous on-screen weeps and explore the role that crying plays both in art and in real life. Show more

Mary visits Stonehenge, where she meets leading creative voices, including Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller. Mary explores which cultural forms are the winners and losers of the pandemic. Show more

Mary talks to Emmy-nominated actor Brian Cox and Bernardine Evaristo, who last year shared the Booker Prize with Margaret Atwood, and discusses how awards shape what art is created. Show more

Mary inhabits the worlds of architecture and fashion to analyse how we live now, during a pandemic, and fulfils a 40-year-long dream of reuniting the cast of renowned 1970s BBC drama I, Claudius. Show more

Mary examines what the future holds for museums post-lockdown, venturing out of her study to the British Museum to take on the role of museum guide. Show more

Hot on the heels of the US presidential inauguration, Mary talks to Armando Iannucci and David Olusoga, asking how comedians and satirists adjust to new regimes. Show more

Mary is examining our rapidly changing language: what is it and why do we fight about it? She meets deaf musician Dame Evelyn Glennie, who discusses how her life has been affected by the pandemic. Show more

Do audiences matter, and what is their role? Mary talks to sports stars about how the loss of the crowd affects their performance, as well as attending her first Twitter listening party. Show more

Why is there such a fuss about the difference between fact and fiction? Mary talks to actor Jason Watkins about the difference between playing real and fictional characters. Show more

Mary Beard talks to cultural creatives who make other worlds for our exploration and delight, including Booker Prize winner Marlon James and the Lyceum's artistic director, David Greig. Show more

Mary Beard kicks off the series by thinking about how we remember - not just as individuals, but as a society and a nation. Show more

Mary Beard talks to James May, Gary Numan, David Olusoga, Rosie Jones and William Dalrymple to explore what we lose from arts and culture when we cannot travel. Show more

Mary’s exploration of the world of arts and culture continues as she asks: why do we have to act our age? And what happens when we don’t? Show more

Mary Beard hands over the reins to cultural historian Shahidha Bari to explore the importance of self-expression: from the clothes we wear to the art and music we make. Show more

Shahidha Bari takes the reins for this episode of Inside Culture, which celebrates the joy of books and asks whether the way we read is changing. Show more

Whether it’s in fashion and music or on our TV and cinema screens, the 90s are well and truly back. Shahidha Bari takes a look at the reasons why. Show more