{"podcast":{"title":"You're Dead to Me","slug":"you-re-dead-to-me-646788","podcast_index_feed_id":646788,"rss_url":"https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p07mdbhg.rss","website_url":"http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07mdbhg","image_url":"http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/3000x3000/p0nr577g.jpg","author":"BBC","episode_count":282,"summary":"The comedy podcast that takes history seriously. In each episode of You’re Dead to Me from BBC Radio 4, Greg Jenner is joined by a comedian and an expert historian to learn and laugh about the past. History isn’t just about dates and textbooks – it’s about extraordinary characters, amazing stories, and some very questionable fashion choices. How long did it take to build an Egyptian pyramid? What does the Bayeux Tapestry reveal about medieval life? Why did it take nearly half a millennium for Joan of Arc to become a saint? And was Catherine the Great really all that great? Whether you want to explore ancient landmarks like Stonehenge and Machu Picchu, dance through the history of Broadway and Bollywood, or find out how the Tudors rose to power, Greg and his guests promise to teach you something new that you won’t have heard in history lessons. Previous episodes of You’re Dead To Me have covered everything from royals to revolutionaries, actors to activists and divas to dictators. Take a stroll through the history of high-heeled shoes or get the scoop on the history of ice cream. Maybe you’d like to paint like the cave artists of the Palaeolithic era, work out like a Victorian body…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-31T14:21:46.443481+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/you-re-dead-to-me-646788"},"episode":{"title":"Geoffrey Chaucer: the medieval father of English literature","slug":"geoffrey-chaucer-the-medieval-father-of-english-literature","published_at":"2026-02-27T06:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/you-re-dead-to-me-646788/geoffrey-chaucer-the-medieval-father-of-english-literature","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/you-re-dead-to-me-646788","url":"http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002qrb6","audio_url":"http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download-rss/proto/http/vpid/p0n3c0z6.mp3","summary":"Greg Jenner is joined in medieval England by Professor Marion Turner and comedian Mike Wozniak to learn all about Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the Canterbury Tales. Since the fifteenth century, Chaucer has been referred to as the father of English literature. He was one of the first authors to champion the use of Middle English for poetry instead of Latin, and after the invention of the printing press, his works became the foundation of the English literary canon – long before Shakespeare ever put quill to parchment. But Chaucer’s life was as extraordinary as his legacy, living as he did through the Black Death, the Hundred Years’ War between England and France, and the Peasants’ Revolt. In this episode, Greg and his guests explore Chaucer’s dramatic biography: growing up the son of a wine merchant in fourteenth-century London, his work for the royal court and long career as a medieval civil servant, his relationship with John of Gaunt through his mistress Katherine Swynford, and his travels throughout Europe. They also examine the poets that influenced him – including Petrarch, Bocaccio and Dante – and take a deep dive into the famous Canterbury Tales. If you’re a fan of medieval literature, historical courtroom dramas, and the tumult of fourteenth-century England, you’ll love our episode on Geoffrey Chaucer. If you want more literary history with Mike Wozniak, listen to our episodes on Charles Dickens at Christmas and the Legends of King Arthur. And for more fourteenth-century lives, check out our episode on medieval Muslim traveller Ibn Battuta. You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past. Hosted by: Greg Jenner Research by: Rosa…","meta_description":"Greg Jenner is joined in medieval England by Professor Marion Turner and comedian Mike Wozniak to learn all about Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the Canterbu…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3530,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/you-re-dead-to-me-646788/episodes/geoffrey-chaucer-the-medieval-father-of-english-literature/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/you-re-dead-to-me-646788/geoffrey-chaucer-the-medieval-father-of-english-literature.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}