Ancestry launches brand new podcast series, ‘It’s About Time’

Consider yourself a bit of a history buff? Maybe you just love a good story that you can’t put down? Then we have a feeling you’ll enjoy our brand new podcast series, It’s About Time. And who better to help tell these true tales from the past than UK treasure and chief-storyteller, Sir Tony Robinson.

Can’t wait to start listening? Head over to the It’s About Time webpage to start streaming, or subscribe to It’s About Time on your preferred podcast app.

What is It’s About Time about?

The debut series of It’s About Time features lesser-known stories from the past, brought to life in the past. We have released three episodes already, with episodes 4 and 5 to be made available in the coming weeks.

In the first episode, Sir Tony tells the tale of the murder of 17-year-old Mary Ann Mason in Victorian Dudley – right at the heart of industrial Britain in the 1850s. Mary Ann was shot to death in a pub, and her killer was hanged for his crime, but the story behind the murder makes it all the more incredible.

The second episode of the series takes its inspiration from iconic Charlie Chaplin film The Immigrant. Sir Tony uses the comedy and satire of the film to bring to life the real hardships of immigrants to America in the early 1900s, when Chaplin himself made the trip to chase his American dream.

The Pankhurst sisters are the focus of the third episode, specifically the story of how a family so closely linked with the suffragette movement could end up so far apart.

As for episodes 4 and 5… you’ll have wait until Wednesday 14th September and Wednesday 21st September to find out! But if you enjoy Star Wars, or have an interest in science, we think you’ll enjoy them.

What is a podcast and how do I listen to It’s About Time?

A podcast is like a radio program that you can listen to through the internet. You can find podcasts about all different types of themes and subjects – there’s something to suit everyone and it’s very easy to access them. There’s a couple of different options for listening to It’s About Time.

Online – You can listen to It’s About Time on the It’s About Time webpage – simply click on the episode you’d like to listen to and then click the ‘Play’ arrow in the right-hand corner.

iTunes – You can play the episodes from It’s About Time in iTunes. Don’t have iTunes on your computer? You can download it for free here.

Go mobile – One of the best ways to listen to a podcast on your favourite device is on a podcast app. If you an iPhone you can download the ‘Podcast’ app in the App Store. If you have an Android, we suggest downloading the ‘Stitcher’ app in your Play Store. Then simply search for It’s About Time and hit ‘Subscribe’. You can then start listening to the episodes when you’re online, or even download them to your phone so you can listen to them offline.

Bit confused? We invited our friends John and Judy to show you just how easy it is to listen to It’s About Time.

Why should you listen? Take Sir Tony’s word for it.

“I absolutely loved telling these stories on It’s About Time. This isn’t just reading from a history book, rather we’re bringing stories from the past to life in the present for a modern audience. I hope that everyone who listens enjoys them as much as I enjoyed making them.” To find out more about It’s About Time, search for it now on iTunes or Stitcher, or visit the It’s About Time website.