What happens when a controversial real-life figure becomes the centre of one of the BBC’s most politically charged wartime dramas?

In this episode, we revisit The Monocled Mutineer (1986), Alan Bleasdale’s adaptation of the story of Percy Toplis — alleged ringleader of the 1917 Étaples mutiny. The four-part series drew huge audiences but quickly became a flashpoint in debates over historical accuracy, media bias, and the BBC’s role in shaping national memory.

We unpack the drama’s reception, the historical evidence (or lack thereof) behind Toplis’s role in the mutiny, and how the show explored themes of class, power, and military discipline in the First World War.

References:
Emma Hanna, The Great War on the Small Screen: Representing the First World War in Contemporary Britain (2009)
John Buchan, The 39 Steps (1915)
William Hussey, The Boy I loved (2025)
Boys from the Black Stuff (1982)
Dope Girls (2025)
The Crimson Field (2014)
Hornblower (1998-2003)
Masters of the Air (2024)
Sharpe (1993-2008)

What was the real story behind the BBC series Dope Girls?

In this episode of Oh What a Lovely Podcast, we dive into the world of Soho’s underground nightlife in the 1920s, as seen in the BBC’s new drama Dope Girls. The series takes inspiration from Marek Kohn’s book Dope Girls: The Birth of the British Drug Underground and brings to life the turbulent years after the First World War, when jazz clubs, crime, and vice flourished in London.

Joining us to separate fact from fiction is Professor Matthew Houlbrook, a leading historian of 20th-century Britain. We explore the real figures and stories behind Dope Girls, the shifting social landscape of post-war Britain, and how the show reflects the era’s struggles with gender, crime, and morality.

What happens when a late-twentieth-century detective novelist develops strong opinions about the First World War?

What do you do when a student brings you a collection of family papers in a Harrods tin?

This month, Chris, Angus and Jessica speak to Professor Ian Isherwood about his new book, The Battalion: Citizen Soldiers at War on the Western Front. Along the way, we discuss developing digital humanities projects, the involvement of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis in rambling and the proliferation of bad war poetry.

References:
Ian Isherwood, The Battalion: Citizen Soldiers at War on the Western Front
Ian Isherwood, The First World War Letters of H.J.C. Peirs
Michael Roper, Afterlives of War: A Descendant's History

How do you teach the FIrst World War?

This month we're joined by Dr Ann-Marie Einhaus and Prof Catriona Pennell to reflect on their 'First World War in the Classroom' project that explored the ways the conflict was taught in schools. Along the way we discuss the role of battlefield tours, the time constraints faced by teachers, and whether the centenary has changed the way the war is taught'

References:
The First World War in the Classroom: Teaching and the Construction of Cultural Memory

Can you turn the First World War into sketch comedy?

This month we talk to the public historian, podcaster, and author Greg Jenner. Along the way we discuss his work on the Horrible Histories television show, the difficulties of being funny about twentieth-century history, the different ways in which the public now consume history, and why Jessica might be considering changing career to become a comedian.

References:
Horrible Histories (2008-Present)
You're Dead to Me (2020-Present)