You already know it’s the best Christmas Carol adaptation, but we’re here with the facts to back it up. This week Kim and Alice cover The Muppet Christmas Carol; objectively Dickens’ favourite version of his classic Victorian novel (probably). We learn about the real political and social forces behind the story, how the film triumphed despite a series of sad events during production and demand Ryan Gosling in a fat suit.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Keith Nagle / Helen HamiltonProducer: Helen Hamilton

Who's seen a ghost? Who would kill a pheasant in self-defence? Plus smooch/marry/kill: the historical diseases edition. Get to know Kim and Alice in our lightning mini-episode.

This week we’re re-visiting Alice’s youthful bat phase as we cover the animated classic, Anastasia. Russian history is a bummer, but this film is super fun; there’s flirting on a boat, unhinged accent choices and we all find out that sorcerers don’t react well to being fired.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Keith Nagle / Helen HamiltonProducer: Helen Hamilton

In this episode, Kim and Alice are discussing one of the least historically accurate, but most tear-inducing blockbusters: The Imitation Game. We’re discussing dentures, Kim’s love of montages and the real story of Alan Turing - a beautiful human being who sucked at crossword puzzles. This episode is brought to you by all-beef meatballs.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Keith Nagle / Helen HamiltonProducer: Helen Hamilton

Kim and Alice interrupt their hamster funerals to bring you Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the campy 90s classic with award-winning rat costumes. We’re redefining ugly crying, discussing the frankly unreasonable number of nipples and Kim sounds off about Vlad the Impaler: the original Asian mum.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Helen Hamilton / Keith NagleProducer: Helen Hamilton

It’s Historical Horror Month at Fetch the Smelling Salts HQ and this week we’re covering the first series of Joseon-era Korean zombie drama - Kingdom. Get ready our little blood ravioli as we eat the rich and explore some hat-based hierarchies.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Helen Hamilton / Keith NagleProducer: Helen Hamilton

Indian history: it’s full of stuff! And in the case of Padmaavat, it’s full of incredible dance numbers, situationships and history’s hottest battle. Kim and Alice try to sort the historical fact from the fiction, pay tribute to a bisexual icon and provide you with the world’s worst fire-starting advice.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Keith Nagle / Helen HamiltonProducer: Helen Hamilton

Do you enjoy eating tiny spoonfuls of jam in the kitchen of a stately home? Are you unnerved by pheasants being murdered on a frankly alarming scale? Then allow us to introduce you to the under-appreciated, classic, murder-mystery; Gosford Park. Kim and Alice discuss the intricacies of 1930s upstairs / downstairs relationships and the layers of storylines in this precursor to Downtown Abbey.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Keith Nagle / Helen HamiltonProducer: Helen Hamilton

Welcome, gentle listener, to The Fainting Couch. In this special episode, we take a break from covering a specific drama, and instead elegantly repose whilst we discuss a more general period drama talking point.In this episode, Kim and Alice take it back to basics and ask ‘What is a period drama?’’Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Keith NagleProducer: Helen Hamilton

Is it a mop? Is it a broom? No, it’s Weightman in the corner of your room. This week Kim and Alice are continuing to share their love of all things Bronte with the historical fan service movie, Emily. Stop giving letters to your drunk brother and join us as we talk about historical maladies, the truly remarkable Bronte family and basic Branwell tattoos.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Keith Nagle / Helen HamiltonProducer: Helen Hamilton

It's an exciting one this week as Kim and Alice cover the drama, the passion, and of course, the harpsichord solos of Wuthering Heights. It might not be our ideal (all sheep) version but it’s a classic for a reason, and that reason is: ruining your relationship expectations for at least a decade.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Helen HamiltonProducer: Helen Hamilton

What up sportsball fans? This week Kim and Alice are covering alternative WW2 flick, A League of Their Own. We’re off to Chicagoland to learn about wool costumes, real on-set injuries and do some light dunking on Tom Hanks.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Keith NagleProducer: Helen Hamilton

In this episode, Kim and Alice take a look at everyone’s favourite VHS in the family cabinet: Blackadder the Third. It’s a delightful historical mishmash but one with some interesting tidbits for history nerds. And of course, we cover Hugh Laurie’s controlled sexy flailing, turnip #lifegoals and whether Blackadder exists in the Bridgerton universe.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Keith NagleProducer: Helen Hamilton

Join us as we re-write the 2022 film adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover (mostly adding biscuits and heat lamps) - a classic story of relationship miscommunication, miner strikes and mommy-girlfriends. Kim and Alice reconvene the Man-Butt Appreciation Society and discuss some bad women’s anatomy in this infamous tale.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Helen HamiltonProducer: Helen Hamilton

Grab your embroidery, it’s time to party as we cover the 2020 mini-series ‘The Ghost Bride’. It’s the Colonial Malacca drama that has it all; eyebrow wigs, ghosts on Segways and outfits to literally die for.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Keith NagleProducer: Helen Hamilton

Lock up your uncles, this week Kim and Alice are covering ‘Catherine Called Birdy’. Another example of a contemporary lens on a historical drama, we’re covering what they got right (casting, historically accurate flatulence) and wrong (most other things) in Lena Dunham’s adaptation of this medieval coming-of-age tale.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Helen HamiltonProducer: HelenHamilton

It’s all poppin’ off (mostly heads) in our first animated period drama: Princess Mononoke. Kim and Alice discuss the darker output of studio Ghibli, how the production approached the depiction of an indigenous culture with scant historical references, and whether they’d spit tree bark into each others’ mouths. This episode is brought to you by sake in a Friends mug and Ice Age 5.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Keith NagleProducer: Helen Hamilton

Arrrrrgh! It’s a gear shift from the last episode, as Kim and Alice cover the sweet, funny and surprisingly historically accurate ‘Our Flag Means Death’. We’re talking non-binary representation, the true history of the golden age of piracy, and bringing a grieving seagull to a cannonball fight.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Helen HamiltonProducer: Helen Hamilton

Content Warning: In this episode we discuss 2002 movie The Magdalene Sisters, which features scenes of sexual violence, and physical / emotional abuse. We won’t be going into the details, but we will be discussing historical instances of abuse in Irish institutions in general terms. On this episode, we’re joined by our very first guest: the anthropologist, author and serial period drama extra, Dr Hugh Turpin. And he’s joined us for a heavy one; 2002’s The Magdalene Sisters. How did the release of the film fit in with the growing secularisation of Irish society? And what is the lingering influence of scandals such as Magdalene laundries on modern Irish Catholic identity?Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Keith NagleProducer: Helen Hamilton

Bring out your flute, settle down for a foot massage and stay away from the rooftop murder hut; this week Alice and Kim are talking about Raise the Red Lantern. A perfect example of the tension between great storytelling and beautiful cinematography, and possibly the only film that is better watched with ad breaks.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Helen HamiltonProducer: Helen Hamilton