The Political Butterfly Effect

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Did A Doomed West End Musical Shape Australia's Immigration Policy?

20220208

20240301 (R4)

When a 1960s pop star decided to write a musical based on the life of Leonardo Da Vinci, it's unlikely he thought about how it would come to impact immigration policy on the other side of the world.

The tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be one of the richest countries on earth due to its natural resources but blew its cash in a series of disastrous investments, including funding a production of the musical in London's West End. With few other options to prop up its economy, it became an off-shore processing centre for Australia's asylum seekers.

Producer: Hannah Varrall

Executive Producer: Katherine Godfrey and Robbie MacInnes

Mixing: Alexis Adimora

Contributors: Tommy Moeller, Hal Fowler, Paul Farrell

A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Jim Waterson asks if a doomed West End musical left migrants living on a Pacific island.

Jim Waterson investigates whether a doomed investment in a West End musical about Leonardo Da Vinci left the Pacific island nation of Nauru housing Australia's migrants.

Did A Drunken Headbutt Cause Brexit?

20190902

As the butterfly effect theory goes, a flap of an insect's wings can set off a chain of events that causes a tornado on the other side of the world. But what of political weather? Where are the butterfly effects that led to major shifts in global politics, society, and our everyday lives?

The Guardian's Media Editor Jim Waterson explores how different the world would look were it not for the occasional, well-timed flap of a butterfly's wings.

In episode one, Jim asks whether a Labour MP headbutting a fellow politician in the House of Commons led the UK to vote for Brexit. He traces the events that were set in motion by the fracas in 2012. Does the trail lead all the way to Britain's exit from the EU?

Producer: Robbie MacInnes

An SPG production for BBC Radio 4

Did The Black Panthers Change The Nra?

20190903

20220215 (R4)

The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was created to defend black communities in California from excessive force by the police. The Guardian's Media Editor Jim Waterson examines whether their armed shadowing of police officers inadvertently went on to change the USA in an unexpected way.

Producer: Robbie MacInnes

An SPG production for BBC Radio 4

Did An Engine Failure Fuel The Climate Crisis?

20190904

20220222 (R4)

When five-year-old Cuban Eliကn Gonzကlez arrived in the USA under tragic circumstances in 1999, he found himself at the centre of a political storm over whether he should be returned to his home nation.

The decision over his fate would reverberate at the highest levels of US politics and around the globe for decades to come - with inadvertent consequences shaping how the world reacted to climate change.

Producer: Robbie MacInnes

An SPG production for BBC Radio 4

Did Bovril Keep Us Out Of The Euro?

20190905

20220301 (R4)

When James Goldmsith bought the parent company of meaty drink Bovril in 1971 he finally hit the big time. He described the deal as 'the most important of his career' and it made him a small fortune - which he would then use to build the early Eurosceptic movement.

Jim Waterson takes us back to the start of James Goldsmith's singular career and follows a series of events that ends with New Labour ruling out the UK's membership of the single currency.

Producer: Robbie MacInnes

An SPG production for BBC Radio 4

Did Your Holiday Photos Spread Global Chaos?

20190906

20220308 (R4)

The arrival of Facebook's News Feed in 2016 didn't seem like much at first. Billed by Mark Zuckerberg simply as a way to make sure `you don't miss the photo album of your friend's trip to Nepal,` the News Feed went on to change the world in all sorts of ways.

Jim Waterson explores the libertarian philosophy underlying its introduction - and how Facebook's quest for never-ending growth helped spread chaos throughout the world.

Producer: Robbie MacInnes

An SPG production for BBC Radio 4

Did Mr Blobby Upend Local Politics In Lancashire?

20211227

20220111 (R4)
20240226 (R4)

In 1994, a theme park based on Mr Blobby opened in the seaside resort of Morecambe, in the north west of England. Guardian Media editor Jim Waterson investigates the impact the park's failure had on local politics, and the legacy the town is left with today as it looks towards the future.

Contributors: Steve Middlesbrough, Clive Portman, Erica Lewis

Mixing: Alexis Adimora

Producer: Hannah Varrall

Executive Producers: Katherine Godfrey and Robbie MacInnes

A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Jim Waterson looks at how a doomed theme park investment caused chaos in a seaside resort.

Jim Waterson investigates how a doomed theme park based on a 1990s TV character turned local politics in Morecambe upside down, with long-lasting effects.

Did The Vietnam War Break America's Food System?

20211228

20220118 (R4)
20240227 (R4)

Jim Waterson investigates how the politics of the Vietnam era changed agriculture in the US and pushed the country towards a national diet of highly processed foods.

When Richard Nixon stood for re-election in 1972, he had two big problems - the Vietnam war, and food prices. He hired a man called Earl Butz, who made a decision that would shape what Americans eat today - helping to push the poorest citizens to eat highly processed, less nutritious foods.

Contributors: Zellie Thomas, Tom Philpott, Dr Laura Schmidt

Mixing: Alexis Adimora

Producer: Hannah Varrall

Executive Producer: Katherine Godfrey and Robbie MacInnes

A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Jim Waterson investigates how the Vietnam war and a glut of corn changed what America eats

Did A Handwritten Note Make Theresa May Prime Minister?

20211229

20220125 (R4)
20240228 (R4)

Jim Waterson investigates the circumstances surrounding the loss of a handwritten note from Boris Johnson caused his 2016 Conservative leadership campaign to collapse - and led to Theresa May becoming the prime minister tasked with negotiating Brexit.

Producer: Hannah Varrall

Executive Producer: Katherine Godfrey and Robbie MacInnes

Mixing: Alexis Adimora

Contributors: Anushka Asthana, Tim Shipman

A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Jim Waterson asks whether one single piece of paper put Theresa May in Downing Street.

Jim Waterson looks at how the loss of a handwritten note from Boris Johnson led to Theresa May becoming prime minister and changed the course of British history.

Did One Man From Iraq Make Norway Rich?

20211230

20220201 (R4)
20240229 (R4)

When Farouk Al-Kasim moved his young family from Iraq to Norway in the 1960s, it was to seek medical care for his son rather than for his own career prospects. But during a few serendipitous hours in Oslo, he got himself a job which would lead to Norway becoming one of the most successful oil producers - and one of the richest countries - in the world.

Producer: Hannah Varrall

Executive Producer: Katherine Godfrey and Robbie MacInnes

Mixing: Alexis Adimora

Contributors: Farouk Al-Kasim, John Hawksworth

A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Jim Waterson asks whether one Iraqi man turned Norway into an incredibly wealthy country.

Jim Waterson investigates whether one Iraqi man's decision to move his family to Norway led to the Scandinavian country becoming one of the richest nations in the world.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
		Did A Doomed West End Musical Shape Australia's Immigration Policy?	20220208	20240301 (R4)	When a 1960s pop star decided to write a musical based on the life of Leonardo Da Vinci, it's unlikely he thought about how it would come to impact immigration policy on the other side of the world. The tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be one of the richest countries on earth due to its natural resources but blew its cash in a series of disastrous investments, including funding a production of the musical in London's West End. With few other options to prop up its economy, it became an off-shore processing centre for Australia's asylum seekers. Producer: Hannah Varrall Executive Producer: Katherine Godfrey and Robbie MacInnes Mixing: Alexis Adimora Contributors: Tommy Moeller, Hal Fowler, Paul Farrell A Novel production for BBC Radio 4 Jim Waterson asks if a doomed West End musical left migrants living on a Pacific island. Jim Waterson investigates whether a doomed investment in a West End musical about Leonardo Da Vinci left the Pacific island nation of Nauru housing Australia's migrants.
01	01	Did A Drunken Headbutt Cause Brexit?	20190902		As the butterfly effect theory goes, a flap of an insect's wings can set off a chain of events that causes a tornado on the other side of the world. But what of political weather? Where are the butterfly effects that led to major shifts in global politics, society, and our everyday lives? The Guardian's Media Editor Jim Waterson explores how different the world would look were it not for the occasional, well-timed flap of a butterfly's wings. In episode one, Jim asks whether a Labour MP headbutting a fellow politician in the House of Commons led the UK to vote for Brexit. He traces the events that were set in motion by the fracas in 2012. Does the trail lead all the way to Britain's exit from the EU? Producer: Robbie MacInnes An SPG production for BBC Radio 4
01	02	Did The Black Panthers Change The Nra?	20190903	20220215 (R4)	The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was created to defend black communities in California from excessive force by the police. The Guardian's Media Editor Jim Waterson examines whether their armed shadowing of police officers inadvertently went on to change the USA in an unexpected way. Producer: Robbie MacInnes An SPG production for BBC Radio 4
01	03	Did An Engine Failure Fuel The Climate Crisis?	20190904	20220222 (R4)	When five-year-old Cuban Eliကn Gonzကlez arrived in the USA under tragic circumstances in 1999, he found himself at the centre of a political storm over whether he should be returned to his home nation. The decision over his fate would reverberate at the highest levels of US politics and around the globe for decades to come - with inadvertent consequences shaping how the world reacted to climate change. Producer: Robbie MacInnes An SPG production for BBC Radio 4
01	04	Did Bovril Keep Us Out Of The Euro?	20190905	20220301 (R4)	When James Goldmsith bought the parent company of meaty drink Bovril in 1971 he finally hit the big time. He described the deal as 'the most important of his career' and it made him a small fortune - which he would then use to build the early Eurosceptic movement. Jim Waterson takes us back to the start of James Goldsmith's singular career and follows a series of events that ends with New Labour ruling out the UK's membership of the single currency. Producer: Robbie MacInnes An SPG production for BBC Radio 4
01	05	Did Your Holiday Photos Spread Global Chaos?	20190906	20220308 (R4)	The arrival of Facebook's News Feed in 2016 didn't seem like much at first. Billed by Mark Zuckerberg simply as a way to make sure `you don't miss the photo album of your friend's trip to Nepal,` the News Feed went on to change the world in all sorts of ways. Jim Waterson explores the libertarian philosophy underlying its introduction - and how Facebook's quest for never-ending growth helped spread chaos throughout the world. Producer: Robbie MacInnes An SPG production for BBC Radio 4
02	01	Did Mr Blobby Upend Local Politics In Lancashire?	20211227	20220111 (R4) 20240226 (R4)	In 1994, a theme park based on Mr Blobby opened in the seaside resort of Morecambe, in the north west of England. Guardian Media editor Jim Waterson investigates the impact the park's failure had on local politics, and the legacy the town is left with today as it looks towards the future. Contributors: Steve Middlesbrough, Clive Portman, Erica Lewis Mixing: Alexis Adimora Producer: Hannah Varrall Executive Producers: Katherine Godfrey and Robbie MacInnes A Novel production for BBC Radio 4 Jim Waterson looks at how a doomed theme park investment caused chaos in a seaside resort. Jim Waterson investigates how a doomed theme park based on a 1990s TV character turned local politics in Morecambe upside down, with long-lasting effects.
02	02	Did The Vietnam War Break America's Food System?	20211228	20220118 (R4) 20240227 (R4)	Jim Waterson investigates how the politics of the Vietnam era changed agriculture in the US and pushed the country towards a national diet of highly processed foods. When Richard Nixon stood for re-election in 1972, he had two big problems - the Vietnam war, and food prices. He hired a man called Earl Butz, who made a decision that would shape what Americans eat today - helping to push the poorest citizens to eat highly processed, less nutritious foods. Contributors: Zellie Thomas, Tom Philpott, Dr Laura Schmidt Mixing: Alexis Adimora Producer: Hannah Varrall Executive Producer: Katherine Godfrey and Robbie MacInnes A Novel production for BBC Radio 4 Jim Waterson investigates how the Vietnam war and a glut of corn changed what America eats
02	03	Did A Handwritten Note Make Theresa May Prime Minister?	20211229	20220125 (R4) 20240228 (R4)	Jim Waterson investigates the circumstances surrounding the loss of a handwritten note from Boris Johnson caused his 2016 Conservative leadership campaign to collapse - and led to Theresa May becoming the prime minister tasked with negotiating Brexit. Producer: Hannah Varrall Executive Producer: Katherine Godfrey and Robbie MacInnes Mixing: Alexis Adimora Contributors: Anushka Asthana, Tim Shipman A Novel production for BBC Radio 4 Jim Waterson asks whether one single piece of paper put Theresa May in Downing Street. Jim Waterson looks at how the loss of a handwritten note from Boris Johnson led to Theresa May becoming prime minister and changed the course of British history.
02	04	Did One Man From Iraq Make Norway Rich?	20211230	20220201 (R4) 20240229 (R4)	When Farouk Al-Kasim moved his young family from Iraq to Norway in the 1960s, it was to seek medical care for his son rather than for his own career prospects. But during a few serendipitous hours in Oslo, he got himself a job which would lead to Norway becoming one of the most successful oil producers - and one of the richest countries - in the world. Producer: Hannah Varrall Executive Producer: Katherine Godfrey and Robbie MacInnes Mixing: Alexis Adimora Contributors: Farouk Al-Kasim, John Hawksworth A Novel production for BBC Radio 4 Jim Waterson asks whether one Iraqi man turned Norway into an incredibly wealthy country. Jim Waterson investigates whether one Iraqi man's decision to move his family to Norway led to the Scandinavian country becoming one of the richest nations in the world.