Hear all the music on our rolling playlist : https://bit.ly/CultBunk As Yard Act Overload us with new tunes, Jim Butler and Linda Marric join us to unpack the post-punk rockers’ latest album. Disney’s charming animation, Encanto , has Alex Andreou in a spell, but what will the panel make of it? Plus, Linda shares her top films of 2022, and we unpack Netflix’s new Japanese newsroom thriller, The Journalist . “Nightmare Alley is del Toro's best film since Pan's Labyrinth.” - Linda Marric “If you c...
Jan 22, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 500
As the Arab Spring rippled across the Middle East, many looked to the relative calm of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates for a roadmap to stability. But how much of a moderniser is Mohammed bin Zayed, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and president of the UAE? Matthew Hedges was arrested, interrogated and sentenced to life imprisonment whilst studying for his PhD in the UAE. He tells Arthur Snell about his harrowing experience, and new book, Reinvented the Sheikhdom , on MBZ’s authoritarian regime and ...
Jan 20, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 499
Hungary’s election on April 3rd is seen by many as the last chance to rid the country of autocratic leader Viktor Orbán, and to reverse the democratic backsliding seen during his time in office. Péter Krekó , senior researcher for the Center for European Policy Analysis , and Dávid Dorozs , Atlantic Council fellow and former MP, join Yasmeen Serhan to discuss Orban’s eroding of democracy, and the opposition alliance seeking to usurp him. “ We are into the last minute before midnight for Hungaria...
Jan 19, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 498
What will be sacrificed to protect self-designated Big Dog Boris Johnson: the BBC, migrants, a swathe of civil servants or our God-given right to get drunk at work? On the anniversary of Joe Biden’s accession to the US Presidency, has he already blown it? And is Russia really going to invade Ukraine? Special guest and legend of investigative journalism John Sweeney – of Panorama , Newsnight and the Hunting Ghislaine podcast fame – explains it all… and tells us about the time he ate kebabs in a m...
Jan 18, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 497
So much for Veganuary. It’s Red Meat Week , apparently, as the Government throws the BBC, migrants and their own staff under a hard right bus in order to save Boris Johnson’s flea-bitten skin. Can you pull a workable plan to slash the BBC’s funding out of Nadine Dorries’ ear and expect it to work? Will Red Wall and Blue Shires alike see through Johnson’s desperate pandering? Alex Andreou sets up the week ahead. “Once the Emperor is naked, it’s very hard to clothe him again.” “The Conservative Pa...
Jan 17, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 496
Robots make our cars, deliver our food, and soon they’ll be commonplace in our homes and at work, but what will this future look like? How will the robot-human dynamic play out? MIT researcher, expert on robot ethics and author of The New Breed Dr Kate Darling talks to Andrew Harrison about the emotional connection between human beings and life-life machines, if we’re going to face a robot rebellion, and why robots will need rights, just like animals… “People tend to treat robots as if they’re a...
Jan 16, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 495
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist : https://bit.ly/CultBunk Guitar hero, super-producer and long-suffering Arsenal fan Bernard Butler tells us about updating his People Move On album and the secret of producing bands. And TV’s Katie Puckrik joins us to talk over the BBC’s marathon Andy Warhol documentary, Years And Years’ bid for the big pop moment, and internet shaming in the remarkable Indonesian movie Photocopier . “Football managers’ fashion sense has gone rapidly downhill…” — Berna...
Jan 15, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 494
Politicians don’t always give us what we want. So why do they get their decision-making so wrong? Polly Mackenzie is the Chief Executive of Demos and former Director of Policy to Deputy PM Nick Clegg. She talks to Ros Taylor about her report, The Humble Policy Maker, why we always think we’re right, how citizens can participate without dull consultations…and how a mouldy orange reveals what’s wrong with the technocracy today. “If you tell people not to act in their self-interest, you'll end up w...
Jan 13, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 493
Rare, endangered animals are under attack from rich, powerful people who operate above the law. But this isn’t a story about illegal poaching in Africa, nor animals being hunted for Chinese medicines. This is happening in the UK. Arthur Snell talks to environmental activist Mark Avery , former RSPB conservation director, co-founder of Wild Justice, and author of Inglorious, about grouse shooting, who really owns our moorland, and ending the persecution of raptors. “These grouse moors are wildlif...
Jan 12, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 492
Why is the NHS struggling so badly if Omicron is less severe than previous COVID wave? And how come the Government wants to tear up COVID testing and mass vaccination when hospitals are on the verge of being overwhelmed? Health commentator Roy Lilley joins us for a situation report on the pandemic. Plus, can Suella Braverman successfully turn the acquittal of the Colston Four into Culture War fuel? What are we giving up for January? And Michael Gove stars in Die Hard In A Lift . “The NHS is runn...
Jan 11, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 491
The Government toys with pulling free lateral flow tests and mass vaccination. Are they giving in to the hard right CRG without a fight? Plus Liz Truss gets her first threat to trigger Article 16 in early, the horrific costs of Zero COVID in Xi’an in China, and auf wiedersehen to trial by jury. Naomi Smith and Justin Quirk set up the week ahead. “Johnson being a liar and rule-breaker is completely baked in with voters.” “The simple fact is, Boris Johnson has lost his power over Cabinet.” “The st...
Jan 10, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 490
Warning! Major spoilers! DO NOT listen unless you’ve already finished Sweet Bobby. How well do you know the person you love? The huge hit podcast Sweet Bobby charts a barely believable story of catfishing and psychological manipulation, in which a British woman called Kirat Assi discovers that her online romance is not what she thought. In a treat for all Bobby-heads, journalist and presenter Alexi Mostrous talks to Naomi Smith about uncovering this astonishing story. How did THAT PERSON do THAT...
Jan 09, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 489
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Comedian and actor Omid Djalili joins us to talk about the joy of returning to touring ( tickets available now !), taking Iranian visitors to see Chelsea FC when he was only six, and life as TV’s go-to Middle Eastern everyman. Screenwriter Kevin Sampson gives us the story behind his devastating Hillsborough drama Anne , about a mother’s fight for justice for her son. Plus the lost Bowie album Toy, The Tourist on BBC1 and much mo...
Jan 08, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 488
How would you behave as the dictator of Turkmenistan? Are bad people the only ones who get power - or does power make people worse? Host of the Power Corrupts podcast – and friend of ours! – Professor Brian Klaas talks to Alex Andreou about their latest book, Corruptible, learning from ski lessons with the likes of Paul Bremer…and what’s wrong with police recruitment videos. “Serial killers are not successful psychopaths, because they couldn't hide it. They're the ones in the boardroom and the o...
Jan 06, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 487
In the UK the country’s falling out of love with Johnson, the economy’s in crisis and the Conservative government is falling apart. Around the world there are crunch elections in France, Brazil and Hungary… the threat of a nuclear Iran… and in the USA, a battle for the very existence of democracy. Arthur Snell , Justin Quirk and special guest Antonia Jennings from the Centre for Local Economic Strategies join Andrew Harrison to open the Pandora’s Box that is 2022. Hear our new series DOOMSDAY WA...
Jan 05, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 486
What does 2022 have in store? It’s crunch year for three massive British institutions that have defined our lives: the BBC, the NHS and the Monarchy. Putin seems determined to exploit the West’s disarray to invade Ukraine. And if Donald Trump makes a comeback, could American democracy itself fall? Ros Taylor and Gavin Esler look ahead to a nerve-wracking year. • “The challenge for BBC News is, how do you balance people who simply won’t tell the truth?” • “Russia and Ukraine could mean a ground w...
Jan 04, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 485
From 1970s Westminster, to the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? scandal, James Graham is one of the UK’s most successful playwrights today. As Best of Enemies opens at the Young Vic, he talks to Dorian Lynskey about dramatising the brutal Buckley vs. Vidal debates of the 1968 US presidential elections, how art engages audiences and tackles polarization, composing playlists in the pub after rehearsals …and why COVID-threatened theatres have to work even harder to “drag people” away from TV, Netflix...
Dec 22, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 484
Anyone for cheese and whine? The noble Lord Frost scuttles away from his Brexit mess as it emerges that real hardworking meetings require a chilled Chablis and an agreeable Comte in an exclusive garden. Plus, as 2021 staggers to its ignominious end, we pinpoint the lasting images and a few rays of hope in a year of misgovernance – and highlight what to look out for in 2022. Marie le Conte, Ahir Shah and Gavin Esler are your panel. Have a fantastic Christmas and thanks for your support. We’ll be ...
Dec 21, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 483
It’s going to be a cold Christmas at No 10, as Lord Frost resigns as Brexit Minister, Simon Case recuses himself over Christmas party investigations - and Nadine Dorries gets booted out of WhatsApp chats. Is jetsetter Liz Truss ready to take up her new position? And what will all this mean for popular compliance with new COVID rules? Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou look at the week ahead, in the last SYW of 2021. “Is this what purgatory feels like?” - Naomi Smith “The bookies still have Sunak as fa...
Dec 20, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 482
A festive homage to the fromage… Nothing says Christmas like cheese, so in a sequel to Ros’s insect-eating special she goes for something a little more festive. Cheesemonger Ned Palmer of the Cheese Tasting Company joins her in the studio to chew over Britain’s long history of dairy production, what constituted the “metropolitan elite” cheeses of the 18th century, why a little blue mould goes a long way… plus a live tasting from his festive dinner table. “We've been making cheese for 6,000 years...
Dec 19, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 481
Hear all the music on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk We round off 2021 with more picks of the best of the year. Entertainment journalists Laura Barton of The Guardian and Ted Kessler of indispensable music newsletter The New Cue join Siân and Andrew to choose the best albums, TV, films, tracks and ones that got away. Produced and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (J...
Dec 18, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 480
We treat TV as the most disposable art form – but for decades it has shaped our world more than we know. From Big Brother to Shameless to Little Britain and Benefit Street , television chose the winners and losers of consumer capitalism, made it OK to sneer at the underclass, and then allowed that underclass a token comeback or two. Author Phil Harrison explores television’s innate cruelty, class dynamics and political subtext in The Age Of Static: How TV Explains Modern Britain . Has TV made ou...
Dec 16, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 479
We’ve all heard of the placebo effect, but what about the Expectation Effect? What we think will happen can change what does happen. David Robson , science journalist and author of The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World , talks to Alex Andreou about how our way of thinking shapes our everyday lives. Does believing stress is beneficial make you more creative under pressure? And can associating ageing with wisdom really add seven years to your life? “There’s a lot of pseudo...
Dec 15, 2021•30 min
As the leaks about illicit parties and quizzes pile up, and the Tory right wing fly into a rage about COVID passports, is Boris Johnson finally running out of road? And is the Torysphere getting bored with their boy? Plus we talk to Jolyon Maugham of the Good Law Project about the many deep-running scandals behind the day-to-day headlines. And what’s worse, the pressure to be happy all the time – or performative negativity from professional cynics? Hear our new series DOOMSDAY WATCH here: https:...
Dec 14, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 478
It’s Crunch Week (again) for Boris Johnson as he tries to get Plan B Corona restrictions past a mob of increasingly rebellious and COVID-sceptic Tory MPs. Meanwhile the party-that-wasn’t and the world’s most unwise Christmas quiz continue to dog our unfortunate PM. Oh, and there’s the North Shropshire by-election on Thursday too. New PM by Christmas? Ros Taylor alerts you to what’s coming in the week ahead. • “Johnson can’t bring himself to cancel Christmas – even though for lots of people, Chri...
Dec 13, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 477
Our world is no longer governed by international coordination, with superpowers instead promoting ‘Enduring Disorder’. Jason Pack , non-resident fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of Libya and the Global Enduring Disorder, talks to Arthur Snell about why the West has stopped collaborating internationally, and why Libya’s Civil War constitutes the ideal microcosm in which to view today’s geopolitics. “I see the 21st century world order as characterised by disorder.” “Were there not th...
Dec 12, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 476
Hear all the music on our podcasts in full on our rolling playlist : https://bit.ly/CultBunk The holidays are almost upon us, and we’ve got a gift of a guest – doyenne of the dinner party, Navratilova of the pavlova, NIGELLA LAWSON. As we wait for the final episode of Succession Series 3, we discuss Nigella’s favourite music, books, TV and culture of 2021 – plus what we should be giving each other for Christmas. “It's A Sin was one of the most wonderful series of the year.” - Nigella Lawson “Ale...
Dec 11, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 475
Nearly a quarter of the world’s population is Muslim, so if we are to fully understand the modern world, we need to know about Islam. Dr Fitzroy Morrissey , Examination Fellow at All Souls College, University of Oxford, talks to Alex Andreou about his book A Short History of Islamic Thought, which traces through fourteen centuries of Islamic history to discuss questions of interpretation, legacy, the lives of Muslims and how they relate to others. https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast https://heado...
Dec 09, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 474
Last week far-right TV pundit Eric Zemmour announced he was running in next year’s French Presidential election, but who is he? And what does his candidacy mean for Macron and Marine Le Pen? Normandy-based journalist John Lichfield gives Ros Taylor the lowdown on France’s new far-right contender, as well as Valérie Pécresse of the centre-right, the woman who could take down Macron. “ Zemmour is a convicted racist and he rewrites French history to suit his own agenda.” “ Zemmour argued that Franc...
Dec 08, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 473
The Government announces a performative war on middle class drug users just as cocaine traces are discovered in the Commons buildings. Coincidence? Plus, can tennis really stand up to China over the whereabouts of missing player Peng Shuai. Boris Johnson puts off a decision on Christmas to the very last minute, again. And why do we still put up with people winging it in positions of power? Hear our new series DOOMSDAY WATCH here: https://kite.link/doomsday • “Cocaine at work is a much bigger pro...
Dec 07, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 472
