Broadcast Programmes

The Open University works with broadcasters such as the BBC to produce television and radio series such as 'Frozen Planet', 'Wartime Farm' and 'Child of Our Time'. The archive collection of these broadcasts includes the programmes and related documentation, such as transcripts, where available. The OU Digital Archive collection of broadcast programmes includes a small sample of the archive. The collection will grow as more content is added.

Image of Broadcast Programmes
Thumbnail Title Description Date
audio record of The educators 5 : Paul Howard-JonesMost parents will have witnessed the magnetic effect of computer games on children. The combination...
audio record of More or less : Numbers of the year 2014Tim Harford and guests look back at some of the weird and wonderful numbers of 2014. Featuring...
audio record of Inside science : Scottish GM ban, Earth's magnetic field, OCD, birth of a new galaxyAs Scotland announces its ban on GM crops and with the current post of chief scientific adviser for...
audio record of Breaking science : Darwin, evolution and natural selection...In the final programme of the series, the Naked Scientists bring you a Darwin bicentenary special...
audio record of More or less : Numbers of the year 2014 (short version)Tim Harford and guests look back at some of the weird and wonderful numbers of 2014. Featuring...
audio record of Inside science : Therapeutic hypothermia ; Cameras on Gaia ; Methane ; Wine microbiotaTherapeutic hypothermia is standard treatment for cardiac arrest patients to protect against the...
audio record of More or less, 22, Programme 1. Austerity, Thatcher, Mozart and dead birdsAusterity: a spreadsheet error? Tim Harford tells the story of the student who uncovered a mistake...
audio record of Inside science : Moon dust ; Elecro-ceuticals ; Soil and climate change ; Dogs' tailsA NASA spacecraft the size of a sofa is currently orbiting the Moon, gathering information about...
audio record of A history of ideas. 18, Astronomer Carole Mundell on the Big BangWhat put the Bang in the Big Bang?On the 7th of November 1919 an announcement was made to the great...
audio record of Inside science : Chemical weapons ; Crowd-sourcing weather ; Fingerprint ID ; Dino drillAs Syria agrees to destroying its chemical weapon stocks, Adam Rutherford looks at how you solve a...
audio record of Inside science : Higgs Boson; Neutrinos; Antarctic echo locator; Rainforest fungi; Alabama rothe Higgs boson has been discovered, providing the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle for the Standard...
audio record of All in the mind : series 54 episode 8 - Physical exercise ; Nurses ; BBC Stress TestClaudia Hammond finds out why your exercise regime could be hindered if you have been taxing your...
audio record of Inside science : Whales from space; Flood emails; SUYI JET Lasers; CERN's new tunnel; Discoveries...Whales from Space. Scientists have demonstrated how new satellite technology can be used to count...
audio record of More or less, 22, Programme 2. The true age of your dog, and how much does the EU cost?The UK Independence Party (UKIP) made substantial gains in recent local elections.It's best known...
audio record of The bottom line : series 19 episode 3 - GoldIt's soft, shiny and rare. A symbol of love, of power, of wealth - gold has been prized for...
audio record of All in the mind : series 54 episode 9 - Physical restraint ; Mind wandering ; Starting a businessClaudia Hammond asks whether the use of physical restraint in mental health services should be...
audio record of More or less, 22, Programme 6. AandE, and the chances of having twinsThe news has been awash with headlines about the crisis in AandE departments. More people are using...
audio record of More or less, 21, Programme 5. Fact-checking US gun crime statisticsThe recent massacre at a school in the United States has re-opened the debate on gun ownership in...
audio record of More or less, 20, Programme 1. Who are the Libor losers?"Libor losers How much damage did messing with Libor really do to the financial system? After all,...
audio record of More or less, 23, Programme 4. Do free school meals work?All pupils at infant schools in England are to get free school lunches from next September, the...
audio record of More or less, 21, Programme 3. Royal twins and the Autumn statementIn light of the Royal pregnancy Tim Harford asks what severe morning sickness tells us about the...
audio record of More or less, 20, Programme 6. The great playing field sell off?"Playing the fields. The Olympics were supposed to inspire a generation to take up sport. No...
audio record of More or less, 23, Programme 6. An army of drunk children?Are hundreds of young children visiting A and E because of alcohol? Plus, an update on the...
audio record of A history of ideas. 14, Lawyer Harry Potter on morality and the lawCriminal Barrister Harry Potter asks whether the law should enforce morals, and if so, which...
audio record of Thinking allowed: Post-Katrina New Orleans / Capitalist personalityPost-Katrina New Orleans: how disaster recovery became a lucrative business.
audio record of Thinking allowed: Elite graduates in UK and France / Surnames and social mobilitySurnames and social mobility - How much of our fate is tied to the status of our parents and...
audio record of The bottom line : series 18 episode 1 - The saviour returnsThe best person for the job? Evan Davis hears from four bosses who took back control of the...
audio record of All in the mind : series 54 episode 3 - Special Anniversary programmeIn this special anniversary programme Claudia Hammond looks at developments in neuroscience and how...
audio record of The bottom line : series 18 episode 6 - Live long and prosperVery few companies survive for centuries. Evan Davis hears from a luxury jeweller, a removals firm...
audio record of Thinking allowed: History of surfing / Coffee shop and idlenessSurfing - a political history. Laurie Taylor looks beyond the tanned bodies, crashing waves and...
audio record of The bottom line : series 17 episode 3 - Sex and drugsThe view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion,...
audio record of The bottom line : series 15 episode 4 - Who's the boss?The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion,...
audio record of A history of ideas. 9, Historian Simon Schaffer on beauty and evolutionHistorian of science Simon Schaffer is interested in the purpose of beauty within evolutionary...
audio record of The bottom line : series 17 episode 6 - Mental healthThe view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion,...
audio record of The bottom line : series 17 episode 2 - BitcoinThe view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion,...
audio record of A history of ideas. 5, Neuroscientist Paul Broks on free will and the brainPaul Broks tackles an age-old philosophical argument over whether humans have free will or whether...
audio record of All in the mind : series 54 episode 2 - 25th Anniversary programme (2)The first ever edition of All in the Mind was broadcast 25 years ago. In the second of three...
audio record of A history of ideas. 15, Philosopher Angie Hobbs on the value of consciencePhilosopher Angie Hobbs examines the concept of conscience or moral intuition and asks whether it...
audio record of A history of ideas. 3, Lawyer Harry Potter on individual freedom and the stateHarry Potter is a criminal barrister and watches people being let off and locked up for a living....
audio record of Thinking allowed: The great indoors / The BathroomThe Great Indoors. Laurie Taylor talks to cultural theorist Ben Highmore about his history of the...
audio record of A history of ideas. 32, Philosopher Jules Evans on Aristotle and flourishingPhilosopher Jules Evans wants to prove there's been a revival of Aristotle's ideas about...
audio record of Inside science : International Year of SoilsThis year is the Food and Agriculture Organisation's International Year of Soils. Adam Rutherford,...
audio record of The bottom line : series 19 episode 8 - Football's billionsPremier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore joins Evan Davis and guests to discuss the...
audio record of Inside science : Earth's core; What can chemistry do for us?; Ocean acidification; Darwin DayAdam Rutherford explores new insights into what lies at the very centre of the Earth. New research...
audio record of Thinking allowed: Free will exploredFree will explored. Laurie Taylor talks to Julian Baggini, writer and Founding Editor of The...
audio record of More or less, 27, Programme 5 Cameron's 1000 jobsDavid Cameron says that the Conservatives have created 1000 jobs for every day they've been in...
audio record of The Philosopher's Arms : series 3 episode 3 - Free willMatthew Sweet is in the pub, discussing a knotty conundrum with an invited audience and a panel of...
audio record of More or less, 27, Programme 3. How big are the Conservatives' planned cuts?The Conservatives' plans to achieve a budget surplus by 2019-20 have led to near universal...
audio record of The truth about mental health : episode 6 - HikikomoriIn Japan hundreds of thousands of young people withdraw from society for years or even decades....
audio record of More or less, 28, Programme 3 Strokes, teachers, confused computersThe news headlines this week suggested there has been an increase in the number of strokes among...