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Episodes
Join two amateur Grimmologists round the fire to read and discuss the tales of the Brothers Grimm.
Episodes
Sunday Apr 05, 2026
Sunday Apr 05, 2026
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Mendelssohn's Lieder ohne Wortev (performed by Benjamin Moser, piano) // Chopin's Valse No. 6 in D flat major, Op. 64, No. 1 ('Minute' Waltz)
Sunday Mar 22, 2026
Sunday Mar 22, 2026
Four animals negotiate their time on Earth with God. Who will emerge with the most years? And is there a twist awaiting the victor? Join us as we read the Grimm fairy tale, “The Duration Of Life”.
After the story, we discuss ideas of ‘the stages of life’ and ‘the ages of mankind’ from throughout history. Plus, we hear from a grumpy Sphinx and Matt reads his first Shakespeare soliloquy in a desperate attempt to win an Olivier Award.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Johannes Brahms' Op. 81 performed by Musopen Symphony // Johannes Brahms' Hungraian Dance No. 3 - Allegretto in F Major performed by Luis Sarro // Johannes Brahms' Hungraian Dance No. 7 - Allegretto in F Major performed by Andreas Pfaul
Sunday Mar 08, 2026
Sunday Mar 08, 2026
Join us as we read a most peculiar Grimm tale, before debuting a new segment, "Eye Stories of Ancient Religions," where we try to make sense of the Grimms annotations and see where this all started.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Beethoven's sonata No. 7 in C minor, Op. 30, No. 2 (Corey Cerovsek, violin; Paavali Jumppanen, piano) // Dvořák's Serenade for Strings Op.22 3 Scherzo // Maria Szymanowska's Polonaise No. 3 (Alexander Kostritsa, piano)
Sunday Feb 22, 2026
Sunday Feb 22, 2026
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Beethoven's Sonata no. 17 in D minor, Op. 31 no. 2 - III. Allegretto performed by Paul Pitman // Motzart's Sonata No. 13 In B Flat Major, K.333 - I. Allegro performed by Brendan Kinsella // Beethoven's 12 German Dances performed by Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
Sunday Feb 08, 2026
Sunday Feb 08, 2026
After an ill-advised street brawl, Death gets back on his feet thanks to a helping hand from a passing young man. As a reward, Death promises to send his messengers before claiming the man himself. Will this newfound freedom cause trouble? And what exactly are these messengers?
Yes, it's the return of the fan-favourite recurring character: Death! And as ever with Death, things are not quite as straightforward as they appear...
After the story, we chase the messengers of death around the world with the help of a centuries-old academic journal, and discover why this folktale has more to do with Buddhism than the German peasantry.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Camille Saint-Saëns' Danse Macabre, Op. 40 (Marika Fältskogh, Marc Soustrot, Malmö Symphony Orchestra) // Chopin's Nocturne in B flat minor, Op. 9 no. 1
Sunday Dec 21, 2025
Sunday Dec 21, 2025
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Tchaikovsky's "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy" & "The Magical Castle in the Kingdom of Sweets" from The Nutcracker Suite from the music.org European Archive
Sunday Dec 14, 2025
Sunday Dec 14, 2025
Has Christmas always been wholesome? What did Halloween steal from Christmas? And what happens when you bump into a Krampus?
Join us for a special interview episode, where we talk to Sarah Clegg, author of "The Dead of Winter: The Demons, Witches and Ghosts of Christmas".
We discuss her run-ins with Christmas monsters, learn about the surprisingly unruly history of Christmas celebrations, and hear why Jacob Grimm may have a lot to answer for...
From wassailing to ghostly walks, this is Christmas in a whole new light.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
Sunday Dec 07, 2025
Sunday Dec 07, 2025
An industrious woman dreams big, but how will her husband, Long Laurence react when she reveals her plans?
An unexpectedly brutal tale leads to an exploration of 'air castles', from Aesop to Leo Tolstoy, and a man getting a faceful of rice gruel...
This episode is Certified Grimm for adult themes and may not be suitable for all listeners.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Brahms' Piano Trio No.2, Op.87 performed by Edwin Fischer, Wolfgang Schneiderhan, & Enrico Mainardi // Brahms' String Quintet No.1, Op.88 performed by Musicians from Marlboro // Brahms' 7 Fantasien, Op.116 performed by Ivan Ilić
Sunday Nov 23, 2025
Sunday Nov 23, 2025
Evil wizards, crying stags, sharp-shooting damsels – prepare for a wild tale as the Grimms go full Indiana Jones with "The Glass Coffin".
A poor tailor seeks shelter from a storm in a forest cabin; little does he know his life is about to change forever. When a violent stag abducts him, the tailor finds himself in a mysterious cave complete with two glass boxes. What will he find? And why did the Edwardians go mad for glass caskets?
Find out all this and more in our latest episode.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Beethoven's Sonata, La major, Op.69 - I. Allegro ma non tanto.1 // Chopin's Fantasy-Impromptu No. 4 in C sharp minor, Op. 66
Sunday Nov 09, 2025
Sunday Nov 09, 2025
It’s a 2-4-1 deal at Grimm Castle today as we read TWO Brothers Grimm tales: “The Hurds” and “Looking For A Bride”.
What’s the correct way to choose your spouse? What does ‘hurd’ mean? And what’s the best way to prep cheese? All this and more will be revealed as we explore two short, sweet and sexist tales from the master storytellers.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Brahms' 2 Rhapsodies, Op.79 performed by Luis Kolodin // Brahms' Hungarian Dance No.2 in D minor performed by Caroline Goulding & Shuai Wang // Brahms' String Sextet No.1, Op.18 performed by Musicians from Marlboro
Sunday Oct 26, 2025
Sunday Oct 26, 2025
Things are getting spooky at Castle Grimm as we celebrate Halloween with the story “Koshchei the Deathless”, aka “Maria Morevna”.
Prepare to be whisked into a world of immortal evil wizards, battle-loving queens, and rivers of fire. There may even feature a brief cameo from an old friend…
Happy Halloween all!
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Aram Khachaturian's Masquerade Waltz // Liszt's Totentanz (Dance of the Dead) S. 126/2
Sunday Oct 12, 2025
Sunday Oct 12, 2025
We’re back for series 8!
Magic beds, secret raves, invisible soldiers - we kick things off with "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" aka "The Shoes That Were Danced To Pieces".
It’s a somewhat famous story and surprisingly magical and romantic for the Grimms, albeit overtly violent and deeply problematic.
So join us as we once more delve into the world of the Brothers Grimm, and chase this folk tale from ancient Babylon through Victorian England (via the story "Kate Crackernuts"), and ending unexpectedly at Barbie.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Strauss's Wiener Blut Op.354 Waltz // Tchaikovsky's Waltz in F sharp minor, no. 9 from Op. 40
Thursday Oct 02, 2025
Thursday Oct 02, 2025
The series is over, but were you listening? Join us for a live quiz where we ask questions on Series 7 trivia, and three lucky winners receive prizes.
Series 8 is coming on October 12th!
You can watch the live quiz on YouTube via this link.
Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Sunday Jun 01, 2025
Sunday Jun 01, 2025
Season 7 is in the bag! But which stories were the best and worst of the bunch?
We reveal the winners and losers of the series, share some porridge updates, hear what listeners have to say, and set up the start of series 8.
QUIZ! Saturday 28th June 7pm (BST)
Link to the Series 7 Live Quiz so you can subscribe and join in the fun.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Dvořák's String Quintet No. 3 in E-flat Major // Dvořák's Humoresque
Sunday May 11, 2025
Sunday May 11, 2025
Three friendly bachelor bears decide to take a walk while their porridge cools. Little do they suspect that an opportunistic young lady called Goldilocks will break in and help herself to breakfast.
Will the bears catch her in the act or will she get away? What’s the best way to have porridge? And where do Aristotle and Stephen Hawking fit into all this?
Join us for the series seven finale as we read Goldilocks and the Three Bears - and then share the history of how the story developed.
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Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko
Other Music: Dvorak's Legends, Op.59 - 2. Molto moderato (G major) // Beethoven's Piano Sonata no.15 in D major op.28 Pastoral - IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non tropp, performed by Karine Gilanyan