Beyond Today

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Is it still ok to listen to Michael Jackson? Mar 01, 2019

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Michael Jackson is perhaps the biggest pop star there’s ever been. He’s still thought of as a legend, despite years of allegations regarding his relationships with young boys. Jackson was found not guilty at a court case in 2005, but now one of the men who testified in Jackson’s defence in that case has appeared in a documentary to say, alongside another man, that the singer did regularly sexually abuse him. Michael Jackson’s family has rejected the claims and say there is "not one piece of evidence" to back up the allegations. But at a time when we tend to more easily believe victims, might Michael Jackson’s music now be off-limits? “Leaving Neverland” is on Channel 4 next week, and its director Dan Reed talks to us, alongside the BBC’s Peter Bowes, and Scott Bryan from the Must Watch podcast.

Producers: Harriet Noble, Duncan Barber and Philly Beaumont Mixed by Weidong Lin Editor: John Shields

Why does Kashmir matter to people here? Feb 28, 2019

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As tensions mount between India and Pakistan, Matthew Price goes behind the scenes of Qasa Alom’s show on the BBC Asian Network to find out why it is such an emotive subject for different generations of British Asians. He also speaks to World Service presenter Anu Anand, whose family fled Kashmir, about how the conflict continues to impact her identity and that of many others outside South Asia.

Producers: Duncan Barber and Philly Beaumont Editor: John Shields Mixed by Weidong Lin

Why are car companies now tech firms? Feb 27, 2019

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What you drive has always said a lot about who you are – and car-making has defined the identity of whole towns and cities in the UK. But this is only partly an episode about cars. It’s also about what the changes in the car industry tell us about the massive disruptions that are happening all over the place, shifts that are changing the way things are made, the jobs we can get, and the way business works – the future essentially. BBC Business Correspondent Joe Miller prepares us for what’s next.

Producer: Harriet Noble Mixed by Weidong Lin Editor: John Shields

Where should we learn about sex? Feb 26, 2019

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Yesterday the government announced updates to the 20 year-old sex education curriculum in England. It will now include lessons on sharing private photos and explicit content. We hear from a group of female students on their experiences of sex education and the influence of porn. The discussion is very graphic. We also speak to Sadie Lune and Poppy Sanchez from the Sex School Hub in Berlin, which makes explicit educational videos.

Producers: Duncan Barber and Lucy Hancock Editor: John Shields Mixed by Weidong Lin

Warning: Strong language in this episode.

Why does it matter if Jussie Smollett staged his own attack? Feb 25, 2019

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The Empire actor Jussie Smollett has been all over the media and internet after allegations that he falsely claimed that he was the victim of a hate crime. The 36-year-old is accused of filing a fake police report claiming he was the victim of a homophobic and racist assault. Police say he staged the attack because he was “dissatisfied” with his salary: Smollett maintains he’s innocent. The BBC’s North America correspondent Aleem Maqbool has been in Chicago covering this case and takes us through the timeline of events. And Zac Beauchamp, a senior correspondent with Vox covering the far right, tells us about the wider implications of this so-called hoax hate crime.

Producers: Philly Beaumont and Jaja Muhammad Mixed by Weidong Lin Editor: Lucy Hancock

Grayson Perry: what are the liberal elite afraid of? Feb 22, 2019

Show notes

Grayson Perry is an award-winning artist and documentary maker who has spent most of his career teasing the establishment. He likes to tackle the big subjects like class, gender and how we deal with death. Perry makes ceramic vases and tapestries, cross-dresses and is now so famous he’s on the national curriculum. We went to see him at his pottery studio in a wealthy part of North London, where he swore about the liberal elite and moaned about well-educated remoaners.

Producers: Philly Beaumont and Lucy Hancock Mixed by Weidong Lin Editor: Harriet Noble

Warning: Strong language in this episode.

Who are the new drug barons? Feb 21, 2019

Show notes

Who do you think of when you think about an opiate dealer? Probably not a young woman in China, who dreamed of being an English teacher. This is the story of one woman in her 20s who’s made a career out of sending fentanyl through the post. The BBC’s Danny Vincent takes us to meet the new generation of drug kingpins, who Jeremy Douglas from the UN says are disrupting the drugs market just like Uber did for transport.

Producers: Heidi Pett, Lucy Hancock, Georgia Coan and Jaja Muhammad Mixed by Weidong Lin Editor: Philly Beaumont This episode discusses drug use. If drug use is a problem for you, support is available here: https://bbc.in/2DZvBvW

Oscars: what do you really have to do to win? Feb 20, 2019

Show notes

It’s the Oscars on Sunday, the pinnacle of awards season. Every year hundreds of films and performances are eligible, so what exactly is it that means some win and others don’t? It’s not enough to just be the best, there are a whole host of other factors that determine who takes home a gong. From prosthetic noses to silly dances and branded pillows, Oscar veteran and BBC Entertainment Correspondent Colin Paterson tells us the secrets to awards season success.

Producers: Harriet Noble and Jaja Muhammad Mixed by Weidong Lin Editor: Philly Beaumont

What do we get wrong about female terrorists? Feb 19, 2019

Show notes

Four years ago, at the age of 15, Shamima Begum ran away from home in East London to marry an Islamic State fighter in Syria. Now she’s 19, has just given birth in a refugee camp - and wants to come home. There has been huge interest in the story, but are we missing out on a bigger and more complex picture when it comes to understanding the role of women in IS? In the second of this series on IS we hear from the BBC’s Daniel De Simone about other foiled terrorist plots and the role women played in hatching them. And academics Joana Cooke and Gina Vale tell us what people get wrong about radicalised women.

Producers: Lucy Hancock and Georgia Coan Mixed by Weidong Lin Editor: Philly Beaumont

Is the Islamic State really defeated? Feb 18, 2019

Show notes

When the British teenager Shamima Begum ran away from East London to join IS, the caliphate was at the peak of its powers. It waged war with the West by beheading hostages and carrying out deadly attacks on European soil, while establishing a sophisticated state infrastructure in Syria and Iraq. IS at one point controlled an area the size of Britain. But now, as Shamima Begum waits in a Syrian refugee camp to see if she’ll be allowed home, IS is on the brink of military defeat. Does that mean that the threat is over? In the first of two special episodes, the BBC’s Quentin Sommerville takes us through the rise and fall of IS.

Producers: Harriet Noble and Duncan Barber Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Editor: John Shields

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