UPDATED: History For You is NOW LIVE!

Listen to the first ten episodes and follow History For You on social media right here!

Hello world.

Ben a bit off grid for a while on here. No real reason. But here I am with monstrously exciting news that I shall we rounding out 2023 with the launch of a brand new comedy podcast about history.

History for You with Douglas and Hugh is a collaboration with my old chum and writing partner, the wonderfully talented writer James Devonshire. We go back years from our time together at Comedy Central, and about a decade ago we had a sitcom pilot optioned by ABC Studios in the US and Warren Littlefield, the former President of NBC. When the man who had a hand in Seinfeld picks up your script, you know something’s working.

I flew out to LA for an incredibly intimidating meeting at Disney Studios to discuss what happens next – which was nothing. Of course, the pilot never got made but it was a tantalising glimpse into the big leagues, we were both grateful for the experience and knew that we should collaborate more in the future.

After life getting in the way – marriages, kids, me moving to Denmark – we’ve not worked together on anything since, but me and James always stayed in touch and this led to what is about to be coming in your ears this autumn.

The podcast is an affectionate send up of the hugely popular history podcast The Rest is History which me and James both love. We also love our history in general and so we thought it would be a lot of fun to dive into various key moments from the past and make up something silly and entertaining but rooted in fact.

Expect surreal flights of fancy as your two hosts, historians Douglas Wrattle and Hugh Canard take you through fascinating topics such as pirates, William the Conqueror, Henry VIII, Boudicca, The Great Fire of London, The Gunpowder Plot, highwaymen and ghosts!

We really enjoyed recording this first season – we laughed a LOT – and I can’t wait for you to hear it.

History for You with Douglas and Hugh will be released some time in September on all major podcast platforms.

For all updates, you can follow the podcast on X (but we all know I mean twitter) @History4UPod and on Facebook. Links to new episodes will be included here as and when.

As you were.