Hilarious Histories - What's So Funny About The Past?

Greg is the Historical Consultant to all eight series of CBBC's Emmy and multiple BAFTA award-winning Horrible Histories. In short he is both a nerd and a comedy nerd.

Over three hours, the range of comedy from the BBC archives includes:

* Pauline Pepys' Dowry starring David Mitchell, Olivia Colman, Katherine Parkinson and Sharon Horgan.

* Austentatious (Cariad Lloyd, Rachel Parris, Andrew Hunter-Murray)

* Stand-up from Eddie Izzard.

And, that's not all; we've also excavated audio of Monty Python discussing the controversy surrounding The Holy Grail and Life of Brian, plus a choice selection of shiny trinkets from Horrible Histories.

To help Greg grapple with the big questions over accuracy, ethics, and whether Mr Darcy wore underpants, he's chatting to comedian-turned-Classicist Natalie Haynes, Horrible Histories Head Writer Ben Ward, Austentatious improvisers Cariad Lloyd and Andrew Hunter-Murray, and Stephen Fry, who apparently was in a show called Blackadder.

In the first of three programmes, Greg grapples with the big questions over accuracy and ethics

‘Austentatious' improvisers Cariad Lloyd and Andrew Hunter-Murray.

Featured programme:

‘Austentatious: A Cad and a Bounder' [BBC Radio 4 18/06/2017]

In the second of three programmes, Greg grapples with the big questions over accuracy and ethics

‘Austentatious' improvisers Cariad Lloyd and Andrew Hunter-Murray

Featured programmes:

‘Desert Island Discs: Terry Jones' [BBC Radio 4 1983]

‘Reel Histories: The Life of Brian' [BBC Radio 4 2004]

In the last of three programmes, Greg grapples with the big questions over accuracy and ethics

‘Austentatious' improvisers Cariad Lloyd and Andrew Hunter-Murray

Featured programmes:

‘Pauline Pepys' Dowry' [BBC Radio 4 2010]

‘That Mitchell and Webb Sound' [BBC Radio 4 2005]

‘Eddie Izzard: Dressed to Kill