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A comedy history podcast looking at the forgotten side of the past. The jokes are silly, the accents are terrible, and the history will amaze you.
Episodes
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
I don't believe it! This week we're looking at things that never happened.
Tom kicks us off with a look at some of the ridiculous flying saints in the Catholic church; some more recent than you might think, and all especially stupid. Or possibly just epileptic.
Next, Sam takes a look at English As She Is Spoke by Pedro Carolino - a very real phrase book from someone who was only pretending to be able to speak English. With hilarious results.
Next week is a patron exclusive all about alcohol! Join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks!
Our next public episode in two weeks is all about 'civil wars'.
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Wednesday Sep 16, 2020
Wednesday Sep 16, 2020
Boom, we're back with a shot across the bow for ships week!
Tom kicks us off with the story of the collision between the HMS Victoria and the HMS Camperdown in 1893, where a badly timed order and a test of loyalty had disastrous consequences.
Next, Sam takes a look at the Battle of Fimreite in 1184, in which the Norwegian King Magnus Erlingsonn and rebel leader Sverre Sigurdsson fought a truly stupid naval battle.
Next week is a patron exclusive all about sides (dishes, battles, of a triangle maybe...)! Join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks!
Our next public episode in two weeks is all about 'things that never happened'.
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Thursday Aug 20, 2020
Thursday Aug 20, 2020
Sorry for the very late episode, but we've got some news! Listen on to find out more. This episode was originally a patron exclusive, but given we've taken August off for Sam to get used to *insert news here*, we thought we'd share it around to give you something to listen to.
A podcast all about pictures. I'm sure this'll work...
Sam starts us off with the Cottingley Fairies, one of the greatest photographic hoaxes of all time, perpetrated by two young girls as a way of getting more time to play outside, which eventually tricked none other than Arthur Conan Doyle.
Next, Tom looks at Mappa Mundi, the great medieval maps of the world. Bought to you by people who had very little idea of what the world actually looked like, but a lot of imagination.
Our next episode, out in a couple of weeks, is going to be all about the navy!
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Thursday Jul 30, 2020
Thursday Jul 30, 2020
It's the Sultans of Swing themselves, yes, Tom and Sam are back to talk all things bands!
Tom kicks us off with a look at the history behind Robin Hood's Band of Merry Men, including a story about Maid Marian and Friar Tuck that reads like bad Twilight fan fiction.
Next, Sam takes a look at the fascinating story of Eric Vogel and the Ghetto Swingers, the concentration camp jazz band forced to play for their lives, and the SS's pleasure.
Next week is a patron exclusive all about pictures! Join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks!
Our next public episode in two weeks is all about the navy and battleships.
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Wednesday Jul 15, 2020
Wednesday Jul 15, 2020
Teenagers, eh? This week is all about errant youth through the ages.
Tom kicks us off with a look at public (what we in the UK call private) school rebellions, in which posh kids rose up against their teachers.
Next, Sam takes a look at the Gottorp Fury, the summer in which a young King Charles XII of Sweden let loose in a booze-fuelled summer rampage that nearly lost him his kingdom.
Next week is a patron exclusive all about the Olympics! Join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks! Our next public episode in two weeks is all about bands - musical and otherwise!
https://www.patreon.com/thatwasgenius
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
To the left to the left, everything you hold in the hand to the left. Yes, it's left handed week!
Sam, our resident Southpaw, kicks us off this week with a look at the odd Russian folk tale of Cross-eyed Lefty from Tula and the Steel Flea - a pre-revolutionary story about a poor but very skilled craftsman and a very, very small flea.
Next, Tom takes a look at some of the ancient lefties, and how they had a bit of an unfair advantage when it came to sports and fighting...
Next week is a patron exclusive all about orgies! Join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks!
https://www.patreon.com/thatwasgenius
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Wednesday Jun 17, 2020
Wednesday Jun 17, 2020
It's all about trusted advisors and sidekicks this week from your two favourite right-hand men.
Tom kicks us off with some of the stories of Raja Birbal (or just Birbal), the 16th Century advisor to Mughal Emperor, Akbar. Witty, petty and sometimes a bit rude, his stories have become the stuff of fairytale!
Next, Sam takes to the high seas for a look at Anne Bonny and Mary Reade, two 18th Century pirates who dragged up and dressed as men to loot and pillage their way across the Caribbean as the closest advisors (and occasional lovers) of Captain 'Calico' Jack Rackham.
Next week is a patron exclusive all about lost lands, join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks!
https://www.patreon.com/thatwasgenius
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Wednesday Jun 03, 2020
Wednesday Jun 03, 2020
Is listening to podcasts a hobby? Well here's some more. Only these ones are a bit odd. And rude.
Sam kicks us off this week with a look at James 'Jemmy' Hurst, the mad, animal-training Yorkshireman from the 18th century, who rode around on a bull with a pack of hunting pigs, whilst wearing a technicolour dream coat and a 9 foot wide hat.
Next, Tom takes a look at some of the... ruder... discoveries by amateur archaeologists in the Portable Antiquities Scheme. A *what* jug!?
Next week is a patron exclusive, join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks!
https://www.patreon.com/thatwasgenius
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Wednesday May 20, 2020
Wednesday May 20, 2020
A happy marriage of history and 'comedy'*? It must be weddings week! *in the loosest sense.
Sam starts us off this week with a look at the bizarre and ridiculous marriage of Elisabeth Pallier and Pierre Houlbronne, two 16th Century lovebirds who were married once happily, married once by force (including a jail sentence), and after all that, divorced by Pierre's parents against the not-so-happy couples will.
Next, Tom takes a look at the equally unromantic and slightly barbarous marriage practices of ancient Sparta. It turns out they weren't just tough on their enemies; wives and bachelors got a rough deal too.
Next week is a patron exclusive, join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks!
https://www.patreon.com/thatwasgenius
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!
Wednesday May 06, 2020
Wednesday May 06, 2020
Eey By Gum, it's accents week!
Tom kicks us off with a look at the fascinating (and very short) history of two classic stereotypical accents - the west country pirate we all know and love (but who didn't exist until the 1950s) and the dashing (and very posh) WW2 RAF pilot - who turned out to be a bit more working class in reality!
Next, Sam takes a look at Polari, the secret language which began with puppet shows and ended up being a safe haven for Britian's gay community from the 17th Century until the 1960s.
Next week is a patron exclusive, join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks!
https://www.patreon.com/thatwasgenius
Subscribe and listen to us! Apple Music // Podbean // Overcast // Stitcher // TuneIn // Spotify
Welcome to That Was Genius: Two blokes. An immature sense of humour. And 10,000 years of human civilisation. A weekly podcast looking at the weirder side of history.
Join Sam Datta-Paulin (he likes history and lives in Britain) and Tom Berry (he also likes history and used to live in New Zealand but is now in the UK as well), for a weekly reflection on the bold, the brilliant... And the downright strange.
From bizarre events and stories to equally odd inventions, barely a day goes by without something incredible (or incredibly stupid) happening around the world.
We upload new episodes every Wednesday night/Thursday morning (UK time).
Become a Member of the Order of the Bathroom and join our Patreon for access to all episodes, special songs, medals and more amazing perks! https://www.patreon.com/thatwasgenius
Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and via our website, and please do subscribe to us and leave us a review if you like what you hear!