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Jon Ronson On

First broadcast from 20041214 to 20100202.

Journalist and broadcaster Jon Ronson looks at the human condition with the help of interviewees and reporters from the world of writing and performance.

35 episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Description
01	01	Amateur Sleuths	20041214		This week he talks to Jeremy Dyson, of the League of Gentlemen, who recalls his search for a missing childhood maze, philosophizes with a man who spent his life looking for the Loch Ness Monster, and meets Tony Frewin, Stanley Kubrick's live-in amateur sleuth who tracked down Kubrick's impersonator.
01	02	Being Invisible	20041221	20090924	How To Be Invisible Journalist and broadcaster Jon Ronson tries to find out how to be invisible with the help of a collection of extraordinary stories which try to illuminate the human condition. He talks to Frank Ahearn, whose job it is to make people vanish; comedian Jon Holmes, whose parents are 'invisible' to him as he is adopted; and Maggie O'farrell who recalls her time as a chamber maid, cleaning hotel rooms while guests carried on extremely personal activities. This week he talks to Michael Foot, a World War II Veteran who was fooled by a French resistance spy who could turn his personality off and Frank Ahearn whose job it is to make people vanish. He also meets comedian Jon Holmes, whose parents are 'invisible' to him as he is adopted, and Maggie O'Farrell who recalls her time as a chamber maid, cleaning hotel rooms while guests carried on extremely personal activities.
01	03	Positive Thinking	20041228		Jon Ronson explores ideas surrounding positive thinking with extra-ordinary stories illuminating the human condition. Ian Haworth talks about his experience of making a break from a cult.
01	04	Going West	20050104		Journalist and broadcaster Jon Ronson hears a collection of extra-ordinary stories illuminating the human condition from people who have all decided to 'go west'. This week he hears from Tom Fremantle who followed in his ancestors' footsteps across America, and writer Chris Ettridge who battled with the bureaucracy of US customs.
01	05	The Comfort Of Strangers	20050111	20091001	Journalist and broadcaster Jon Ronson hears a collection of extra-ordinary stories illuminating the human condition from people who have taken comfort in strangers. Jon talks to Abdullah Redpath who found, then lost, the love of his life in a remarkable 12 hour period. And Miranda Sawyer interviews Mark Pilkington who hitch-hiked and found himself in the company of helpful strangers who turned out to be criminals. Jon Ronson collects a series of extraordinary stories to illuminate the human condition. Jon talks to Abdullah Redpath, who found and then lost the love of his life in a remarkable 12-hour period. Comedian Danny Robins tries to make new friends in Amsterdam and Miranda Sawyer interviews Mark Pilkington, who hitch-hiked and found himself in the company of helpful strangers who turned out to be criminals. Jon talks to Abdullah Redpath, who found and lost the love of his life in a 12-hour period
01	06 LAST	Magical Moments	20050118		Journalist and broadcaster Jon Ronson hears a collection of extra-ordinary stories illuminating the human condition from people who have decided to provide magical moments to others. Jon talks to Jeremy Dyson who's father changed his life by providing a trip to a Blackpool joke shop and Danny Wallace who takes it upon himself to perform random acts of kindness.
02	01	Living In The Past	20060117	20090903	Jon investigates why often it is so difficult to leave a particular incident in the past. He he looks back to the time when he was thrown into a lake by his school friends, and confronts his bullies at his school reunion. Father Ted writer Graham Linehan remembers his own bully, and comedians Dan Tetsell and Robert Popper discover that they have parallel stories: one has a Nazi grandfather, the other a Jewish evacuee grandmother. A Unique production for BBC Radio 4. Jon recalls an incident in the past when he was thrown into a lake by school friends. This week he asks why he can't seem to leave a particular incident in the past behind when he was thrown into a lake by school friends. Jon confronts his bullies at his school reunion as Father Ted writer Graham Linehan remembers his own bully. Comedians Dan Tetsell and Robert Popper also discover they have parallel stories one has a Nazi as a grandfather, the other a Jewish evacuee as a grandmother.
02	02	Irrational Thoughts	20060124		Jon asks why his inner conversations spiral into irrationality and discovers he isn't alone. Actress Jessica Stevenson created a whole imaginary world for her boyfriend, while comedian Danny Robbins can't stop himself singing 'hopefully not' after the chorus of American Pie.
02	03	Lying	20060131		This week Jon confronts his compulsive lying disorder with the help of Danny Wallace who tries to get him out of his funk by teaching how to say yes more. Danny Robbins visits a town in the US Midwest where lying has got so bad that the mayor has banned it and James Rawlings recounts how his whole life turned into one great lie.
02	04	Friendship	20060207		Jon asks whether friendship is over if the power balance becomes skewed. Lawrence Howarth recounts how a relationship ended because his girlfriend wouldn't reveal her date of birth for two years, Caitlin Moran discusses a moment when friendship was challenged over the bird flu vaccine, and Jon visits a party held by a woman who has 25,000 'friends' in her contacts book.
02	05	Waiting	20060214		Jon asks what happens in the space while we wait. He talks to Richard Thomas who has spent his professional career waiting to record events such as his stomach on Christmas Day and eggs frying. He also talks to comedian Janey Godley on why she pretended to be ill in order to avoid waiting in queues at a theme park, and he meets the world's leading 'waiting' scientist.
02	06 LAST	Building Bridges	20060221	20091008	Jon asks why and how we learn to build bridges. He talks to Tom Hart Dyke who was kidnapped by Colombian rebels when out orchid hunting. He spent nine months trying to build bridges with his captors. Jon also hears how writer Jesse Armstrong remembers failing to build bridges while working in politics. Journalist and broadcaster Jon Ronson asks why and how we learn to metaphorically build bridges. He talks to Tom Hart Dyke, who was kidnapped by Colombian rebels when out orchid hunting and spent nine months trying to build bridges with his captors. He hears how writer Jesse Armstrong remembers failing to build bridges while working in politics. Jon also takes his producer to a workplace mediator to find out if he really is a difficult person to work with. Journalist and broadcaster Jon Ronson asks why and how we learn to 'build bridges'.
03	01	The Internet Date From Hell	20070529	20090827	Journalist Jon Ronson investigates the extraordinary story of Mary Turner Thompson, who experienced the worst internet date ever which lasted seven years and was to cause the total devastation of her life. Edinburgh-based Mary met and married a man who told her he was a CIA agent. Jon visits her in Scotland and hears the incredible twisting and turning love story of Will and Mary. Will carried a gun and had to dash off to Israel at a moment's notice; Mary was left holding the baby, never knowing when he would come back, and was unable to contact him. She even feared a terrorist attack on her home. But the most bizarre twist was still to come. The story of Mary Turner Thompson, who married a man who told her he was a CIA agent. The extraordinary story of Mary Turner Thompson, who met and married a man who told her he was a CIA agent. He carried a gun and often had to go away at a moment's notice. Mary was left holding the baby, unable to contact him and never knowing when he would come back. She even feared a targeted terrorist attack on her home. But the most bizarre twist was still to come.
03	02	Waking Up From A Dream	20070605		Jon talks to John Downes, director of the Centre of Fortean Zoology who spent his life searching for mythical creatures. When he woke up and realised they didn't exist, he turned his attention to something much more real, a giant eel spotted in Lake Windermere. Jon follows him on his underwater adventure.
03	03	Uncontrollable Responses	20070612	20090910	Jon Ronson continues his look at human behaviour by finding the moments where we respond in an uncontrollable way. Comedian Robert Popper couldn't stop his drunken friend from putting their lives at risk while at a wedding in Israel. The story involved a pair of underpants, but no hilarious consequences. Another interviewee, who survived the 7/7 terrorist attacks, found herself - during the period of her recovery - uncontrollably joining in with message boards accusing her of being a government plant on one of the bombed trains. Jon Ronson looks at the moments where we respond in an uncontrollable way. Comedian Robert Popper couldn't stop his drunken friend from putting their lives at risk while at a wedding in Israel. Another interviewee who survived the 7/7 terrorist attacks found herself uncontrollably joining in with message boards accusing her of being a government plant on one of the bombed trains.
03	04	Crushed Egos	20070619		This edition features an Italian waiter who offered up his action film script to comedy writer Graham Linehan over the pasta, an American real estate entrepreneur who owns unsaleable houses all over America and owes millions, and the architects of a new town which proved a spectacular failure.
03	05	Getting Lost At Glastonbury	20070626		Jon Ronson continues his series with the first of two special programmes recorded at Glastonbury, taking a different look at the festival and the many human dramas being played out over four intense days. Jon observes how performers, audience and organisers get lost and found at Glastonbury, both literally and figuratively. With Danny Robins and Pete Paphides
03	06 LAST	Good V Evil At Glastonbury	20070703		Jon Ronson concludes his series with the second of two special programmes recorded at Glastonbury, taking a different look at the festival and the many human dramas being played out over four intense days. Jon searches for good and for evil at the festival, looking for acts of kindness, bad deeds of hedonistic excess and emotional moments rarely captured. With Danny Robins and Pete Paphides
04	01	Bad News	20080828		Jon Ronson looks at how we take bad tidings. He talks to a man who was told that he had terminal cancer and spent the last six months of his life living it up, only to find out that the doctors got it wrong. He also hears the story of William Lobdell, the LA Times religious correspondent who became an atheist.
04	02	Being Fancy	20080904		Jon Ronson talks to Elliot Castro, who spent five years as a conman, living a five-star life before his eventual capture. Castro talks about his early school years when he would try to convince his school friends that he had magic powers. Other contributors include writer Charlie Brooker, who offers his thoughts on travelling first class, and wealth counsellor Theyer Willis, who advises rich people on how to cope with their huge wealth.
04	03	The Right Kind Of Mental Illness	20080911	20090917	Jon Ronson looks at how we view mental illness in society, the media and politics. He talks to former Labour spin doctor and psychoanalyst Derek Draper about sociopathic behaviour in parliament. He interviews a former Norwegian Prime Minister who resigned publicly, announcing that he was depressed, and later went on to be re-elected. Plus an update on a story from the last series. Former MI5 officer David Shayler has announced that he is the Messiah. States Of Mind Jon Ronson looks at how we all exist in different states of reality, according to the balance of our minds. He talks to ex-Labour spin doctor and psychoanalyst Derek Draper about the sociopathic behaviour in Parliament. Jon also interviews the ex-Norwegian prime minister who resigned after announcing he was depressed and who later went on to be re-elected. There is also an update on a previous story involving ex-MI5 officer David Shayler, who announced he is the Messiah and invites Jon along to his first press conference. Jon Ronson looks at how we all exist in different states of reality.
04	04	How To Stop Time	20080918		Jon Ronson wonders how we slow down or even stop time in a world which seems to be constantly accelerating. He talks to the scientist who claims to be developing a method of time travel and eventually hopes to visit the father who died in his childhood. He also talks to a man who holds the world record for staying awake the longest, thereby doubling his time. Guests include comedian Danny Robins
04	05 LAST	Anything For Love	20080925		Jon explores the silly things we sometimes do to prove our devotion to loved ones. He visits the perimeter fence at Stonehenge, which he once almost jumped over in an attempt to curry favour with his girlfriend. He talks to comic writer Jane Bussman about the time she decided to drop her well-paid job in the media to seek out a man who worked in Africa for a charity. Her story has some remarkable twists, not least that he never materialised
05	01	Fear Of Flying
05	01	Fear Of Flying	20100105		Jon Ronson looks at one of our deepest fears. When Vicky Coren realised her fear of flying was stopping her travelling, she sought help from a specialist councillor. He cured her - only to die a year later in an air crash. Mike Thexton tells Jon of his ordeal on board a hijacked plane, waiting for 12 hours to be shot. Comedian Danny Robins is terrified of death - so terrified that Jon decides to send him to a near death experience festival in Spain to try to cure his phobia. Finally, Jon finds a scientist who is working on finding an answer to eternal life.
05	02	When Small Talk Goes Wrong	20100112		Jon Ronson talks to Denis Fillon, who in 1999 was behind one of the first major internet hoaxes. Denis used to post threads and make small talk on a technical forum called Anandtech. Irritated by the misogyny he found on the site, he invented a female character to join in the chat. Soon he found himself flirting with his own character and weaving a tale so believable that the character took on an air of reality, even for him. As the relationship deepened, Denis was forced to take drastic action to get out of his own hoax. With additional contributions from comedian Josie Long and Charlie Brooker. Jon Ronson talks to Denis Fillon, who was behind one of the first major internet hoaxes.
05	02	When Small Talk Goes Wrong
05	03	Living In A Movie	20100119		Jon Ronson hears the story of conflict photographer Jason Howe. Jason had gone to Colombia to photograph both sides of the war when he met a Colombian woman, Marilyn, at a bus stop. They quickly became romantically involved but then she revealed she was a paramilitary fighter. Suddenly Jason was living his life as if it were a movie, going down a dangerous path that would end in tragedy. Photographer Jason Howe on becoming romantically involved with a Colombian paramilitary.
05	03	Living In A Movie
05	04	Being Alone	20100126		The writer Jon Ronson asks if we are more ourselves or less ourselves when we are alone. He confronts David Quantick, who Jon noticed avoiding him in the street one day. Father Ted writer Graham Linehan reveals the moment he was ignored. Yoshiro Nakamatsu, the world's most prolific inventor, talks about the moment he invents - alone and under water. Finally Jon hears from the British man who was jailed in Japan and wasn't allowed to speak to anyone in his daily life for nearly three years. Jon Ronson asks if we are more ourselves or less ourselves when we are alone.
05	04	Being Alone
05	05	Ambition
05	05 LAST	Ambition	20100202		The writer Jon Ronson asks how our driving ambitions shape us. By interviewing several people at different points in their lives, he sees how ambition can make and break people. He talks to an 11-year-old-boy who has plans to be a world-class architect, a young woman who has set her sights on being prime minister, and an ambitious stockbroker whose success led him down a dangerous path towards a high security prison in the US. Jon Ronson asks how our driving ambitions shape us.
		How To Be Invisible
		The Comfort Of Strangers