Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ink | 20230901 | 20240831 (R4) | Tigers, snakes, sharks - People love to get animals tattooed on their bodies. What can this tell us about our attitudes towards animals, and our own identities? In Animal, writer and adventurer Blair Braverman presents stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals - from magpies to spiders to creatures of the deepest oceans. In this episode, Blair hears from tattooist Cameron Hay and scholar Margo DeMello, on the symbolism of animals in tattoos. From icons of working class masculinity to personal tributes to individual animals, tattoos can mean everything - or nothing at all. Producer and Sound Designer: Arlie Adlington Co-Producer: Jesse Lawson Executive Producer: Steven Rajam Sound Mixing: Arlie Adlington Series Art: Cameron Hay An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4 Tigers, snakes, sharks\u2026 Blair Braverman asks, why are people so drawn to animal tattoos? Tigers, snakes, sharks... People love to get animals tattooed on their body. Blair Braverman explores what this says about our attitudes towards animals, and our own identities. | |
| Jaws | 20230831 | 20240824 (R4) | You might think you know the story of Jaws. But dive a bit deeper - because there's more swimming in these waters - In Animal, writer and adventurer Blair Braverman presents stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals - from magpies to spiders to creatures of the deepest oceans. In this episode, Blair speaks to Claire Parkinson, Co-Director of the Centre for Human Animal Studies at Edgehill University, and shark expert Melissa Cristina Márquez, about the legacies of Jaws - the book and movie that forever changed our capacity for a relaxing day at the beach. Blair uncovers a story of planetary existential crisis, and a quest for redemption for author Peter Benchley. Producer and Sound Designer: Jesse Lawson Co-Producer: Arlie Adlington Executive Producer: Steven Rajam Sound Mixing: Arlie Adlington Series Art: Cameron Hay An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4 You might think you know the story of Jaws. Blair Braverman finds it goes much... deeper. Stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals. You might think you know the story of the movie Jaws. But writer and adventurer Blair Braverman discovers there's much more - lurking just beneath the surface. | |
| Shapeshifters | 20230829 | 20240810 (R4) | Writer and adventurer Blair Braverman dives deep under the surface of the ocean, in search of a more fluid, expansive and communal way to live. In short, she discovers that the ocean is queer. In Animal, writer and adventurer Blair Braverman presents stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals - from magpies to spiders to creatures of the deepest oceans. In this episode, Blair hears from Sabrina Imbler, author of the book How Far The Light Reaches. Sabrina takes us on a journey into the depths, where shapeshifters stretch the limits of our imaginations, tiny creatures teach us how to live in community, and where we can uncover new possibilities for how life can work on our planet. Producer and Sound Designer: Arlie Adlington Co-Producer: Jesse Lawson Executive Producer: Steven Rajam Sound Mixing: Arlie Adlington Series Art: Cameron Hay Featuring sound recordings by Tzu-Hao Harry Lin An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4 Fluid, noisy, flouting the rules. Blair Braverman discovers that the ocean is queer. Stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals. | |
| Swooping Season | 20230830 | 20240817 (R4) | Most Australians only notice magpies once a year, during ‘swooping season'. For a few weeks, local magpies appear to launch random attacks on passers-by. But maybe we're only seeing one side of it. In this episode - why humans should learn to listen better to these intelligent birds. Blair hears from Gisela Kaplan - a Professor of Animal Behaviour who's spent over 25 years rehabilitating native birds at her home on the south eastern coast of Australia. Gisela introduces us to a different, unexpected side of the Australian magpie. In Animal, writer and adventurer Blair Braverman presents stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals - from magpies to spiders to creatures of the deepest oceans. Producer and Sound Designer: Arlie Adlington Co-Producer: Jesse Lawson Executive Producer: Steven Rajam Sound Mixing: Arlie Adlington Series Art: Cameron Hay An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4 A real-life echo of Hitchcock's The Birds reveals our relationship with the avian world. Stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals. For a few weeks each year, Australian magpies seem to launch random attacks on passers-by. But perhaps we're only seeing one side of the story. Blair Braverman investigates. | |
| 01 | Itsy Bitsy Spider | 20230828 | 20240803 (R4) | In this new series, writer and adventurer Blair Braverman presents stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals - from magpies to spiders to creatures of the deepest oceans. We begin with the story of a phobia - of night terrors, hypnosis and Carly Simon... Why is it that so many people are deathly afraid of spiders? Especially in a place like the UK, where all our spiders are harmless. In this episode, Blair follows 29 year-old Elzo, as she attempts to cure her lifelong arachnophobia. Featuring night terrors on the west coast of Scotland, Carly Simon, and an experiment in hypnosis. Producer and Sound Designer: Jesse Lawson Co-Producer: Arlie Adlington Executive Producer: Steven Rajam Sound Mixing: Arlie Adlington Series Art: Cameron Hay An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4 Blair Braverman presents the story of a phobia: of night terrors, hypnosis and Carly Simon Stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals. Can you cure a fear of spiders? Writer and adventurer Blair Braverman presents the story of a phobia - of Scottish night terrors, Carly Simon, and an experiment in hypnosis. In this new series, writer and adventurer Blair Braverman presents stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals - from magpies to spiders to creatures of the deepest oceans. We begin with the story of a phobia - of night terrors, hypnosis and Carly Simon... Why is it that so many people are deathly afraid of spiders? Especially in a place like the UK, where all our spiders are harmless. In this episode, Blair follows 29 year-old Elzo, as she attempts to cure her lifelong arachnophobia. Featuring night terrors on the west coast of Scotland, Carly Simon, and an experiment in hypnosis. Producer and Sound Designer: Jesse Lawson Co-Producer: Arlie Adlington Executive Producer: Steven Rajam Sound Mixing: Arlie Adlington Series Art: Cameron Hay An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4 Blair Braverman presents the story of a phobia: of night terrors, hypnosis and Carly Simon Stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals. Can you cure a fear of spiders? Writer and adventurer Blair Braverman presents the story of a phobia - of Scottish night terrors, Carly Simon, and an experiment in hypnosis. |
| 02 | Shapeshifters | 20230829 | 20240810 (R4) | Writer and adventurer Blair Braverman dives deep under the surface of the ocean, in search of a more fluid, expansive and communal way to live. In short, she discovers that the ocean is queer. In Animal, writer and adventurer Blair Braverman presents stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals - from magpies to spiders to creatures of the deepest oceans. In this episode, Blair hears from Sabrina Imbler, author of the book How Far The Light Reaches. Sabrina takes us on a journey into the depths, where shapeshifters stretch the limits of our imaginations, tiny creatures teach us how to live in community, and where we can uncover new possibilities for how life can work on our planet. Producer and Sound Designer: Arlie Adlington Co-Producer: Jesse Lawson Executive Producer: Steven Rajam Sound Mixing: Arlie Adlington Series Art: Cameron Hay Featuring sound recordings by Tzu-Hao Harry Lin An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4 Fluid, noisy, flouting the rules. Blair Braverman discovers that the ocean is queer. Stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals. |
| 03 | Swooping Season | 20230830 | Most Australians only notice magpies once a year, during swooping season'. For a few weeks, local magpies appear to launch random attacks on passers-by. But maybe we're only seeing one side of it. In this episode - why humans should learn to listen better to these intelligent birds. Blair hears from Gisela Kaplan - a Professor of Animal Behaviour who's spent over 25 years rehabilitating native birds at her home on the south eastern coast of Australia. Gisela introduces us to a different, unexpected side of the Australian magpie. In Animal, writer and adventurer Blair Braverman presents stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals - from magpies to spiders to creatures of the deepest oceans. Producer and Sound Designer: Arlie Adlington Co-Producer: Jesse Lawson Executive Producer: Steven Rajam Sound Mixing: Arlie Adlington Series Art: Cameron Hay An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4 A real-life echo of Hitchcock's The Birds reveals our relationship with the avian world. Stories exploring the curious and fascinating ways humans relate to other animals. | |
| 04 | Jaws | 20230831 | You might think you know the story of Jaws. But dive a bit deeper - because there's more swimming in these water | |
| 05 LAST | Ink | 20230901 | Tigers, snakes, shark |