Episodes
| Episode | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | 20150828 | Francine Stock's history of the alluring yet elusive quality that is charisma. This omnibus edition of the first five episodes moves from St Paul's coining of the word in the 1st century of the Christian Era right up the contemporary era, when charisma continues to be a powerful influence, not always for the good, in the fields of politics, banking and terrorism. Along the way, she takes in early medieval mystics such as Margery Kempe and Joan of Arc; the Elizabethan belief in the so-called "Royal Touch" and its different manifestations today; the powerful healing claims of Franz Mesmer; and radical charismatic leaders from Garibaldi to Osama Bin Laden. Reader: Simon Russell Beale Producer : Beaty Rubens. |
| 02 | 20150904 | The second omnibus of Francine Stock's major history of the alluring yet elusive quality that is charisma. This edition brings the power and appeal of charisma up to date by exploring its role in theatre and film stars such as Sarah Bernhardt; self-made businessmen such as W.K.Kellogg, Henry Ford and Steve Jobs; totalitarian leaders including Hitler, and new forms of political extremism such as the so-called Islamic State; civil rights leaders, Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama; and the volatile world of contemporary banking. Francine Stock concludes the series by considering our continuing hunger for charisma, and signs off with this warning: "we get the charismatics we deserve." Producer: Beaty Rubens. Francine Stock's history of the alluring yet elusive quality that is charisma. |