Filtered for spelunking the archives

14.44, Friday 30 Oct 2026

Back in February 2023 I launched Braggoscope, my unofficial spelunker for official best show ever, BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time (write-up here).

You can listen to all 1,000+ episodes online for free (and see all books in the online reading lists). i.e. there’s a lot so don’t miss the visual explorer to find the good stuff.

(“Spelunker” from George Oates’ use of the term: an interface to let you wander around a big dataset, and … to show relationships between things.)

1.

Notturnometer, late night classical music and opera:

every piece played since July 2008 on BBC Radio 3’s_Through the Night_, built from the BBC’s own programme data. Discover the most popular works, composers, and individual performances across 6,644 episodes.

Built by Nick Sweeney.

As a classical music newb (but I know what I like when I hear it) I would love this site as an overlay on Apple Music to help me navigate. Help me see the well-trafficked roads.

2.

The Gilbertoscope by Sameer Padania.

Need reading inspiration? Here are over 2,000 books chosen on BBC’s A Good Read presented by Harriett Gilbert.

Note to self: here are all the times books by Graham Greene have been recommended and I really need to pick up Brighton Rock.

3.

3books.net: books recommended on The Ezra Klein Show (New York Times).

1,680 books. More reading inspiration.

ALSO listening inspiration. e.g. here’s the record for Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino, which is a fave, and now I want to listen to the episode it is mentioned in.

Built by Michael Sippey.

4.

BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix: new DJ mixes every week since 1993, hosted by Pete Tong.

This is a genuine community labour of love, originally a massive spreadsheet: Essential Mix Index.

Mixes have a track listing, where available, and a link to a YouTube search.

I am delighted to discover this mix by Blu Peter from 1997. Music peaked with mid 90s trance.

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