Why we make these shows

Thanks for wanting to know a little more about our podcasts.

We started History's Not Boring because we ran out of shows we loved. The ones we listened to together, in the car and at bedtime - were amazing.

Our kids loved them because the hosts treated them as intelligent, curious young minds, fascinated by how the world works. Many of those shows had brilliant young hosts; but young hosts have busy lives, they grow up, and eventually the shows stopped.

Much of what remained either had low production quality or talked down to children - simplifying facts and ideas to the point where they lost their power. So, along with my then six-year-old son, we took up the challenge of making the show we wished existed: one that wouldn't skip the hard stuff, that would meet kids where they are and treat them intelligently.

We wanted a show voiced by kids, covering fun topics, hard topics, forgotten topics and everything in between. To make it so we could listen daily, with the quality we wanted, we used AI - and so Mira and Finn were born: two curious young minds, each with their own character, bringing to life the myriad stories of our world.

It turned out parents across the globe were craving the same thing, so we expanded - first Science, then Philosophy - always holding on to what we ourselves wanted as listeners: meaningful explanations of the world around us, told in a way that was memorable and entertaining. We've made plenty of mistakes along the way, we've had loads of constructive feedback, and we keep trying to make the shows as good as they can be.

Today the podcasts are downloaded nearly half a million times a month, across 160+ countries and 7,500+ cities, and we receive hundreds of emails a week. The most common thing we hear is that parents, grandparents, nannies and children all listen together - on the drive to school or camp, or at bedtime.

It's amazing to know that so many people share the same curiousity and excitement about our shared histories, ideas and questions. Thank you for helping us, in a small way, to nurture that.

We read every piece of feedback, we love all of it, and we hope you enjoy the shows.

Thank you for listening.