Oh! What a lovely podcast

Can a computer game really recreate the experience of the First World War?
 
In this episode, we look at Gallipoli, the latest First World War game from BlackMill Games, taking players to the Gallipoli peninsula and Mesopotamia. As it happens Chris, is the game's historical advisor. We discuss how history is translated into a computer game, what can be simulated, and where historical accuracy meets the demands of gameplay.
 
References:
BlackMill Games (2026) Gallipoli: The Ottoman Front.
Weir, P. (dir.) (1981) Gallipoli.
Infinity Ward (2003) Call of Duty. Computer game. Activision.
DICE (2016) Battlefield 1. Electronic Arts.
Mendes, S. (2019) 1917.
Kempshall, C. (2026) Star Wars Star Pilots: A History of Space Combat. DK.

What happens when a futuristic soldier finds himself in the trenches of the First World War?
Rogue Trooper first appeared in 2000 AD in 1981, a genetically engineered soldier fighting an apparently endless war on the poisoned planet of Nu Earth. In Blighty Valley, written by Garth Ennis and drawn by Patrick Goddard, Rogue is transported back to March 1918, where he finds himself alongside a British platoon caught up in the German Spring Offensive. Drawing on the traditions of British war comics, including Charley's War, the story explores comradeship, class, conscientious objection and the experience of ordinary soldiers.
References:
Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time (2017) Directed by Rachel Talalay. Written by Steven Moffat. [Television program].
Sherriff, R.C. (1928) Journey's End.
Joyeux Noël (2005) Directed by Christian Carion. [Film].
Ennis, G. (2024) Rogue Trooper: Blighty Valley. Illustrated by P. Goddard. Oxford: 2000 AD.

Can a conscientious objector be a hero?
Branded is widely regarded as one of the finest episodes of Dad's Army, combining comedy with a thoughtful exploration of courage, duty, and prejudice.
When Captain Mainwaring discovers that the gentle Private Godfrey was a conscientious objector during the First World War, the platoon quickly brands him a coward. But the truth is far more complicated.
In this episode, Angus, Jessica and Chris discuss how accurately Branded portrays conscientious objection, what it reveals about attitudes to the First World War, and why this remarkable episode remains one of Dad's Army's most powerful, while never losing the humour that makes it such a classic.
 
References
Perry, J. and Croft, D. (1969) Branded. Dad's Army. Series 3, Episode 11. Directed by Harold Snoad. BBC1, 20 November.
Curtis, R. and Elton, B. (1983–1989) Blackadder. Television series. BBC.
McKibbin, R. (1998) Classes and Cultures: England 1918–1951. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Philpott, W. (2009) Bloody Victory: The Sacrifice on the Somme and the Making of the Twentieth Century. London: Little, Brown.
Hammett, J. (2022) Creating the People's War: Civil Defence Communities in Second World War Britain. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Can a crime novel help us understand the long shadow cast by the First World War?
In this episode of Oh! What a Lovely Podcast, we explore Christina Koning's acclaimed Blind Detective series. The novels follow Frederick Rowlands, a veteran who lost his sight at Ypres and must navigate the challenges of postwar Britain using his memory, hearing, and sharp intuition.
Set against the backdrop of the 1920s and 1930s, the series combines engaging mystery stories with a rich portrayal of a nation living with the social, cultural, and personal consequences of the Great War.
Jessica, Chris, and Angus are joined by Christina Koning to discuss the inspiration behind Frederick Rowlands, the realities of blindness in the interwar years, and perhaps how crime fiction can illuminate the lasting legacy of the First World War.
 
References:
Koning, C. (2023) Blind Detective. London: Allison & Busby.
Faulks, S. (1993) Birdsong. London: Hutchinson.
Barker, P. (1991) Regeneration. London: Viking.
Barker, P. (1993) The Eye in the Door. London: Viking.
Barker, P. (1995) The Ghost Road. London: Viking.
Light, A. (1991) Forever England: Femininity, Literature and Conservatism between the Wars. London: Routledge.
Chesterton, G. K. (1911) The Innocence of Father Brown. London: Cassell.
Sayers, D. L. (1923) Whose Body?. London: T. Fisher Unwin.
Winspear, J. (2004) Maisie Dobbs. London: John Murray.

What happens when a classic Agatha Christie story is reimagined with the memory of war lingering behind it?
In the latest episode of Oh! What a Lovely Podcast, Jessica, Chris and Angus are joined by Kemper Donovan, author and host of All About Agatha, to discuss Agatha Christie's The Seven Dials Mystery and its recent Netflix adaptation.
Unlike the familiar worlds of Poirot and Miss Marple, The Seven Dials Mystery blends mystery, comedy and espionage into a lighter and more adventurous story. The new adaptation embraces that spirit while reworking elements of the narrative for modern audiences, including giving the First World War a much greater role than it plays in the original novel.
 
References:
Christie, A. (1929) The Seven Dials Mystery. London: William Collins Sons & Co.
Chibnall, C. (2026) Agatha Christie's Seven Dials. Netflix.
Wharmby, T. (dir.) (1981) The Seven Dials Mystery. London Weekend Television (ITV).
Cannadine, D. (1990) The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy. New Haven: Yale University Press.