Jon Ronson On... When Small Talk Goes Wrong

Jon Ronson talks to Denis Fillion, who was behind one of the first major internet hoaxes.

Denis used to post threads and make small talk on a technical forum called Anandtech. Irritated by the misogyny he found on the site, he invented a female character to join in the chat. Soon he found himself flirting with his own character and weaving a tale so believable that the character took on an air of reality, even for him. As the relationship deepened, Denis was forced to take drastic action to get out of his own hoax.

With additional contributions from comedian Josie Long and Charlie Brooker.

Music

Philip Glass
"Vessel"
Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance

Philip Glass
"Prophecies"
Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance

Kraftwerk
"The Robots"
The Mix

Kraftwerk
"Pocket Calculator"
The Mix

Kraftwerk"
Computer Love"
The Mix

A Man Called Adam
"Estelle"
Café Del Mar

Florence and The Machine
"Cosmic Love"
Lungs

Jon Ronson On... Fear of Flying

Jon Ronson looks at one of our deepest fears.

When Vicky Coren realised her fear of flying was stopping her travelling, she sought help from a specialist councillor. He cured her - only to die a year later in an air crash. Mike Thexton tells Jon of his ordeal on board a hijacked plane, waiting for 12 hours to be shot. Comedian Danny Robins is terrified of death - so terrified that Jon decides to send him to a near death experience festival in Spain to try to cure his phobia. Finally, Jon finds a scientist who is working on finding an answer to eternal life.

Music

Chris O’Shaughnessy
"Altitude Strings"
specially composed

Philip Glass
"Sheba & Steven"
Notes on a Scandal, film score

Frank Sinatra
"Come Fly With Me"
Come Fly With Me

Frank Sinatra
"Theme from New York, New York"
Sinatra Reprise: The Very Good Years

Chris O’Shaughnessy

"Building Violas"
specially composed

Pepe Romero / Academy of St Martin In The Fields / Sir Neville Marriner
"Trois Petites Pieces: 1. Ya Se Van Los Pastores” by Joaquin Rodrigo"
Concierto De Aranjuez (Phillips)

Penguin Café Orchestra
"Nothing Really Blue"
Preludes Airs and Yodels

Jon Ronson On... Anything for Love

Jon explores the silly things we sometimes do to prove our devotion to loved ones.

He visits the perimeter fence at Stonehenge, which he once almost jumped over in an attempt to curry favour with his girlfriend. He talks to comic writer Jane Bussman about the time she decided to drop her well-paid job in the media to seek out a man who worked in Africa for a charity. Her story has some remarkable twists, not least that he never materialised.

Jon Ronson On... How to Stop Time

Jon Ronson wonders how we slow down or even stop time in a world which seems to be constantly accelerating. He talks to the scientist who claims to be developing a method of time travel and eventually hopes to visit the father who died in his childhood. He also talks to a man who holds the world record for staying awake the longest, thereby doubling his time. Guests include comedian Danny Robins.

Jon Ronson On... The Right Kind of Mental Illness (States of Mind)

Jon Ronson looks at how we view mental illness in society, the media and politics. He talks to former Labour spin doctor and psychoanalyst Derek Draper about sociopathic behaviour in parliament. He interviews a former Norwegian Prime Minister who resigned publicly, announcing that he was depressed, and later went on to be re-elected.

Plus an update on a story from the last series. Former MI5 officer David Shayler has announced that he is the Messiah.

Jon Ronson On... Being Fancy

Jon Ronson talks to Elliot Castro, who spent 5 years as a conman, living a 5-star life before his eventual capture. Castro talks about his early school years when he would try to convince his school friends that he had magic powers.

Other contributors include writer Charlie Brooker, who offers his thoughts on travelling first class, and wealth counsellor Theyer Willis, who advises rich people on how to cope with their huge wealth.

Jon Ronson On... Bad News

Jon Ronson looks at how we take bad tidings. He talks to a man who was told that he had terminal cancer and spent the last six months of his life living it up, only to find out that the doctors got it wrong. He also hears the story of William Lobdell, the LA Times religious correspondent who became an atheist.