Howzat? 4.8 / 6

When it comes to the ‘listen you cretin, this is serious history right here’ genre of podcasts, Noiser – the producers of Curious History of Your Home – have cornered the market. Their USP (Ultra Specific Patter) is that they make you feel like you’re living the history they’re talking about; whether it be ruthless dictators, cunning outlaws, or Adolf Hitler (yikes!). 

And this is no different. Presenter and sexy-voiced domestic historian Ruth Goodman lays it on thick with the scene setting throughout… 

“Under their watchful gaze, he extends a hand and carefully raises a cup to his lips… the room falls silent as the Holy Father takes his first sip”. 

Oh do go oooon!

As with all historic writing in the present tense, it requires the listener to take some leaps of faith. I mean, even though this is meant to be bonafide historical fodder, do we actually know that Pope Clement VIII was actually musing on the wonderful attributes of coffee instead of the theological controversy between the Dominican Order and the Jesuits concerning the respective role of efficacious grace and free will (pun intended)? 

Probably not – he was more likely in terrible pain because of some incurable ailment – but that doesn’t matter here because that’s not the point. Ruth even admits as much that this could all be utter conjecture. 

So what is the point? 

Well, the point is that this episode (and series, probably) achieves what all good documentary making is meant to do, namely: it makes learning about something enjoyable and leaves you wanting more. 

Where it falls flat is straight-up history bits, outside of the layered sound design and scene setting. Goodman is a great narrator but it’s still one voice throughout and the length falls just short of tiring. 

However, now I know much more about coffee than I did before. It turns out that the devil is not in the minutiae detail of the coffee bean but in the storytelling.

SM