Conspiracies - The Secret Knowledge

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Some Smoky Backroom

20210312

20210730 (R4)

As we race into an uncertain future, conspiracy theories appear to be everywhere. Why has this way of thinking become such a significant part of how we see the world?

In this series, documentary-maker Phil Tinline explores how conspiracy theories have long told us stories about power. And how fiction and movies - and journalism and history - have done the same. Over many years, baseless theories, works of creativity and evidence-based accounts of the real world have become tangled up with each other. Why have we let that happen - and how can we tell them apart?

To find out, Phil talks to historians, writers and analysts of internet culture to unpick how the narrative structure of baseless theories is strikingly different from real conspiracies. He explores how much of this comes down to the nature of the connections between the supposed conspirators, to the function the story plays in people's lives and to the role of 'secret knowledge'. And he asks how fictional representations of power can work to bring out the difference between real and imaginary conspiracies, rather than blurring the lines between them.

Series contributors include: Michael Butter, Bryan Cheyette, Paul Cobley, Karen Douglas, Sir Richard Evans, Beverly Gage, Pamela Hutchinson, Dennis Kelly, Rick Perlstein, Whitney Phillips, Vwani Roychowdhury, Tim Tangherlini

Presenter/ Producer: Phil Tinline

What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.

Narrative Graphs

20210319

20210806 (R4)

Documentary-maker Phil Tinline continues his series exploring how conspiracy theories and fictions work as stories, and what they claim to tell us about how power works.

Drawing on new research, he finds out how narrative graphs' reveal telling differences between real and bogus conspiracies. And he explores this casts a different light on the anxious world of post-war America, from McCarthyism, through the assassination of President Kennedy, to Watergate. Are all those 'paranoia' movies of the 1970s actually telling two very different stories? And if so, what might this tell us about how we think about conspiracy narratives today?

Phil Tinline continues his series exploring what conspiracy stories tell us about power.

What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.

The Secret Knowledge

20210326

20210813 (R4)

Documentary-maker Phil Tinline continues his series exploring how conspiracy theories and fictions work as stories, and what they claim to tell us about how power works.

In this final episode, Phil asks Whitney Phillips about 'deep memetic frames' - the ingrained narratives through which, she argues, we all see the world. How do these intersect with conspiracy theories, especially in times of political upheaval? And Dennis Kelly, creator of Channel 4's dystopic conspiracy drama Utopia, discusses the possibilities, and the pitfalls, of creating fictional conspiracies.

Phil Tinline continues his series exploring what conspiracy stories tell us about power.

What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.

Machine Guns On Street Corners

20230514

20230614 (R4)
20230618 (R4)

Historian Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in British politics.

In this first episode, Phil examines the rumours of plots that swirled around the Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the late 1960s and mid-1970s.

Wilson was the subject of an extraordinary conspiracy theory harboured by disaffected MI5 officers: that he was a Soviet agent and that his predecessor as Labour leader had been assassinated to make way for him. Did this lead to a plot to oust him, as one of those officers, Peter Wright, later claimed?

Even before this, in the late 1960s, there was much talk of ousting Wilson from power. In May 1968, an extraordinary meeting took place which has long been remembered as the potential start of a coup. Alongside this, there were 'mutinous mutterings' in the military. And then there was the mysterious appearance of tanks at Heathrow, and the emergence of 'private armies'...

But did all this add up to a serious, detailed conspiracy to overthrow a democratically-elected leader? Phil explores the vital role in the construction of this narrative of Harold Wilson himself, to try to trace a clear line between fact and theory.

Series contributors include: James Ball, Nick Cohen, Stephen Dorril, Ruth Dudley Edwards, David Edgar, Steven Fielding, Simon Heffer, Dan Lomas, Andrew Lownie, Oliver Bullough, Jean Seaton, Camilla Schofield

Producer: Phil Tinline

What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.

The Enemy Within

20230521

20230625 (R4)
20230621 (R4)

Historian Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in British politics.

In this episode, Phil examines Enoch Powell's personal crusade against the 'enemy within' during the 1970 election campaign, with the help of Powell biographers Camilla Schofield and Simon Heffer, and explores the impact of this idea, with the help of playwright David Edgar, and historians Jean Seaton, Stephen Dorril and Dan Lomas.

Producer: Phil Tinline

What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.

Historian Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in British politics.

Producer: Phil Tinline

What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.

Historian Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in British politics.

Producer: Phil Tinline

What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.

Now What?

20230528

20230702 (R4)

Historian Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in our politics.

In this final episode, Phil asks leading journalists and commentators across the political spectrum about how the battles over Brexit. What light can the history we've been exploring in this series shed on the present?

Series contributors include: James Ball, Oliver Bullough, Nick Cohen, Matthew D'Ancona, Stephen Dorril, Ruth Dudley Edwards, David Edgar, Steven Fielding, Matthew Goodwin, Simon Heffer, Helen Lewis, Dan Lomas, Andrew Lownie, Jean Seaton, Camilla Schofield

Producer: Phil Tinline

Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in British politics.

What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.

Historian Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in our politics.

Producer: Phil Tinline

Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in British politics.

What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	Some Smoky Backroom	20210312	20210730 (R4)	As we race into an uncertain future, conspiracy theories appear to be everywhere. Why has this way of thinking become such a significant part of how we see the world? In this series, documentary-maker Phil Tinline explores how conspiracy theories have long told us stories about power. And how fiction and movies - and journalism and history - have done the same. Over many years, baseless theories, works of creativity and evidence-based accounts of the real world have become tangled up with each other. Why have we let that happen - and how can we tell them apart? To find out, Phil talks to historians, writers and analysts of internet culture to unpick how the narrative structure of baseless theories is strikingly different from real conspiracies. He explores how much of this comes down to the nature of the connections between the supposed conspirators, to the function the story plays in people's lives and to the role of 'secret knowledge'. And he asks how fictional representations of power can work to bring out the difference between real and imaginary conspiracies, rather than blurring the lines between them. Series contributors include: Michael Butter, Bryan Cheyette, Paul Cobley, Karen Douglas, Sir Richard Evans, Beverly Gage, Pamela Hutchinson, Dennis Kelly, Rick Perlstein, Whitney Phillips, Vwani Roychowdhury, Tim Tangherlini Presenter/ Producer: Phil Tinline What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.
02	Narrative Graphs	20210319	20210806 (R4)	Documentary-maker Phil Tinline continues his series exploring how conspiracy theories and fictions work as stories, and what they claim to tell us about how power works. Drawing on new research, he finds out how narrative graphs' reveal telling differences between real and bogus conspiracies. And he explores this casts a different light on the anxious world of post-war America, from McCarthyism, through the assassination of President Kennedy, to Watergate. Are all those 'paranoia' movies of the 1970s actually telling two very different stories? And if so, what might this tell us about how we think about conspiracy narratives today? Series contributors include: Michael Butter, Bryan Cheyette, Paul Cobley, Karen Douglas, Sir Richard Evans, Beverly Gage, Pamela Hutchinson, Dennis Kelly, Rick Perlstein, Whitney Phillips, Vwani Roychowdhury, Tim Tangherlini Phil Tinline continues his series exploring what conspiracy stories tell us about power. What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.
03	The Secret Knowledge	20210326	20210813 (R4)	Documentary-maker Phil Tinline continues his series exploring how conspiracy theories and fictions work as stories, and what they claim to tell us about how power works. In this final episode, Phil asks Whitney Phillips about 'deep memetic frames' - the ingrained narratives through which, she argues, we all see the world. How do these intersect with conspiracy theories, especially in times of political upheaval? And Dennis Kelly, creator of Channel 4's dystopic conspiracy drama Utopia, discusses the possibilities, and the pitfalls, of creating fictional conspiracies. Series contributors include: Michael Butter, Bryan Cheyette, Paul Cobley, Karen Douglas, Sir Richard Evans, Beverly Gage, Pamela Hutchinson, Dennis Kelly, Rick Perlstein, Whitney Phillips, Vwani Roychowdhury, Tim Tangherlini Phil Tinline continues his series exploring what conspiracy stories tell us about power. What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.
04	Machine Guns On Street Corners	20230514	20230614 (R4) 20230618 (R4)	Historian Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in British politics. In this first episode, Phil examines the rumours of plots that swirled around the Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the late 1960s and mid-1970s. Wilson was the subject of an extraordinary conspiracy theory harboured by disaffected MI5 officers: that he was a Soviet agent and that his predecessor as Labour leader had been assassinated to make way for him. Did this lead to a plot to oust him, as one of those officers, Peter Wright, later claimed? Even before this, in the late 1960s, there was much talk of ousting Wilson from power. In May 1968, an extraordinary meeting took place which has long been remembered as the potential start of a coup. Alongside this, there were 'mutinous mutterings' in the military. And then there was the mysterious appearance of tanks at Heathrow, and the emergence of 'private armies'... But did all this add up to a serious, detailed conspiracy to overthrow a democratically-elected leader? Phil explores the vital role in the construction of this narrative of Harold Wilson himself, to try to trace a clear line between fact and theory. Series contributors include: James Ball, Nick Cohen, Stephen Dorril, Ruth Dudley Edwards, David Edgar, Steven Fielding, Simon Heffer, Dan Lomas, Andrew Lownie, Oliver Bullough, Jean Seaton, Camilla Schofield Producer: Phil Tinline What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.
05	The Enemy Within	20230521	20230625 (R4) 20230621 (R4)	Historian Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in British politics. In this episode, Phil examines Enoch Powell's personal crusade against the 'enemy within' during the 1970 election campaign, with the help of Powell biographers Camilla Schofield and Simon Heffer, and explores the impact of this idea, with the help of playwright David Edgar, and historians Jean Seaton, Stephen Dorril and Dan Lomas. Series contributors include: James Ball, Nick Cohen, Stephen Dorril, Ruth Dudley Edwards, David Edgar, Steven Fielding, Simon Heffer, Dan Lomas, Andrew Lownie, Oliver Bullough, Jean Seaton, Camilla Schofield Producer: Phil Tinline What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power. Historian Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in British politics. In this episode, Phil examines Enoch Powell's personal crusade against the 'enemy within' during the 1970 election campaign, with the help of Powell biographers Camilla Schofield and Simon Heffer, and explores the impact of this idea, with the help of playwright David Edgar, and historians Jean Seaton, Stephen Dorril and Dan Lomas. Series contributors include: James Ball, Nick Cohen, Stephen Dorril, Ruth Dudley Edwards, David Edgar, Steven Fielding, Simon Heffer, Dan Lomas, Andrew Lownie, Oliver Bullough, Jean Seaton, Camilla Schofield Producer: Phil Tinline What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power. Historian Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in British politics. In this episode, Phil examines Enoch Powell's personal crusade against the 'enemy within' during the 1970 election campaign, with the help of Powell biographers Camilla Schofield and Simon Heffer, and explores the impact of this idea, with the help of playwright David Edgar, and historians Jean Seaton, Stephen Dorril and Dan Lomas. Series contributors include: James Ball, Nick Cohen, Stephen Dorril, Ruth Dudley Edwards, David Edgar, Steven Fielding, Simon Heffer, Dan Lomas, Andrew Lownie, Oliver Bullough, Jean Seaton, Camilla Schofield Producer: Phil Tinline What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.
06	Now What?	20230528	20230702 (R4)	Historian Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in our politics. In this final episode, Phil asks leading journalists and commentators across the political spectrum about how the battles over Brexit. What light can the history we've been exploring in this series shed on the present? Series contributors include: James Ball, Oliver Bullough, Nick Cohen, Matthew D'Ancona, Stephen Dorril, Ruth Dudley Edwards, David Edgar, Steven Fielding, Matthew Goodwin, Simon Heffer, Helen Lewis, Dan Lomas, Andrew Lownie, Jean Seaton, Camilla Schofield Producer: Phil Tinline Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in British politics. What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power. Historian Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in our politics. In this final episode, Phil asks leading journalists and commentators across the political spectrum about how the battles over Brexit. What light can the history we've been exploring in this series shed on the present? Series contributors include: James Ball, Oliver Bullough, Nick Cohen, Matthew D'Ancona, Stephen Dorril, Ruth Dudley Edwards, David Edgar, Steven Fielding, Matthew Goodwin, Simon Heffer, Helen Lewis, Dan Lomas, Andrew Lownie, Jean Seaton, Camilla Schofield Producer: Phil Tinline Phil Tinline explores the role of conspiracy, and conspiracy theory, in British politics. What conspiracy theory - and conspiracy fiction - claim to tell us about power.