The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium
In 1768, the Fortitude, helmed by Lord Joseph Banks (Jemaine Clement) sets sail to find a plant known to be the very source of pleasure in the world: Heaven’s Clover.
Starring Jemaine Clement with original music by Lawrence Arabia
RNZ exclusive
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Cheese Dreams in the Gravy Isles
This podcast is only available on the RNZ website and apps, ad‑free and uninterrupted.
Cheese Dreams in the Gravy Isles
All episodes:
Episode 1
Episode 1
Lord Joseph Banks is an idle opportunity squandering squillionaire botanist. A chance encounter with a certified cheesemonger sets him off on a pathway to pleasure that will change history forever.
The Dangers of Pleasure
Episode 2
The Dangers of Pleasure
Episode 2
Lord Joseph Banks assembles a crew for a noble mission: to go to the very source of pleasure, in order to destroy it.
The Enemy of the Aristocracy
Episode 3
The Enemy of the Aristocracy
Episode 3
An ominous warbler brings news that the dreaded Anderlugians seek a rendezvous, but Lord Joseph Banks faces a greater enemy within his own ranks...
The Curse of the Shantyshucker
Episode 4
The Curse of the Shantyshucker
Episode 4
Lord Joseph Banks negotiates with the Anderlugians, ramping up tensions in the process. But his efforts at diplomacy are not appreciated by all.
The Miracle Admiral
Episode 5
The Miracle Admiral
Episode 5
Lord Joseph Banks makes the HMS Fortitude set course for a mountainous island for a highly important mission to catch a rare butterfly.
Consternation on Butterfly Island
Episode 6
Consternation on Butterfly Island
Episode 6
The weather turns foul and Lord Joseph Banks' mood turns even fouler when a higher authority threatens his chances of catching an Admiralis Mirabilis.
The Trial of the Monocle
Episode 7
The Trial of the Monocle
Episode 7
Lord Joseph Banks scours the port of Batavia in search of his Uncle Bertie. A clue leads him to Arthur C. Oldham Burroughs, an expatriate writer with controversial views on Lord Banks' mission.
The Disrespectful Expatriate
Episode 8
The Disrespectful Expatriate
Episode 8
Arthur C. Oldham Burroughs hosts Lord Joseph Banks to a night of reverie that leads to dangerous temptations and forces him to question the morality of his much-loved Uncle Bertie.
Sacrilege in Batavia
Episode 9
Sacrilege in Batavia
Episode 9
Lord Joseph Banks scours the port of Batavia in search of his Uncle Bertie. A clue leads him to Arthur C. Oldham Burroughs, an expatriate writer with controversial views on Lord Banks' mission.
Temptation in the Bubbles
Episode 10
Temptation in the Bubbles
Episode 10
Lord Joseph Banks and his crew bravely set forth for a journey that will probably result in certain death: traversing the treacherous Boiling Ocean.
Encounter with the Anderlugians
Episode 11
Encounter with the Anderlugians
Episode 11
As the Anderlugians host the crew of the Fortitude to an evening of glogg and salty pudding, Lord Joseph Banks has to contend with an insubordinate trouble-maker who has ideas above his station..
Revenge of the Towels
Episode 12
Revenge of the Towels
Episode 12
In this final episode of season one, tensions escalate when a dispute between Lord Joseph Banks and his Anderlugian hosts over a conical hat and some towels spirals out of control, with dramatic consequences.
Rat in the Ranks
Episode 13
Rat in the Ranks
Episode 13
The Fortitude visits the Sausage Islands where they are hosted to an insectarian feast. As Lord Banks searches for clues to the whereabouts of his Uncle Bertie, tensions boil elsewhere. A rebellion is building, and Banks' leadership is under threat.
The Sacred Coconut
Episode 14
The Sacred Coconut
Episode 14
Salty Jules is anointed the 'Chosen One' and holds the secrets of Uncle Bertie. To unlock the secrets Lord Banks and his entourage trek through the swamp of the gargling snakes to the Endless Forest in search of a sacred coconut that will guide them to pleasure.
Tears of the Amorphallus
Episode 15
Tears of the Amorphallus
Episode 15
A temptingly phallic plant lures Lord Banks and Solander to explore its mysteries, promising a pathway to pleasure. Julian Gooch revisits the past and the secrets of the Sausage Island sausages are devastatingly revealed.
The Transit of Sausage
Episode 16
The Transit of Sausage
Episode 16
As Venus casts its shadow on the Sausage Islands tensions build: Lord Joseph Banks has lost his pants and will go to any lengths to wreak vengeance, while a sinister uprising threatens to turn his world upside down.
Rise of the Pig
Episode 17
Rise of the Pig
Episode 17
A kayak of surviving Anderlugians are taken aboard the Fortitude and put on trial for an act of hideous depravity. As Lord Banks is about to punish his enemies a foe of a different kind causes pandemonium, tilting the balance of power.
Jelly Paradox
Episode 18
Jelly Paradox
Episode 18
Lord Banks comes to terms with being stripped of his captaincy as the Fortitude encounters a jelly paradise. A hidden danger lurks beneath the surface and a contagious madness spreads throughout the crew.
The Slanderous Butterfly
Episode 19
The Slanderous Butterfly
Episode 19
Lord Banks' prize butterfly taunts him, questioning his botanical credentials and forcing him to confront his past. Solander grapples to wrest control of the ship as he struggles to find a sane accomplice.
Brave Pig, Bad Botanist
Episode 20
Brave Pig, Bad Botanist
Episode 20
To save the ship from oblivion Solander and Staggers have to solve a cryptic poem. The butterfly takes Lord Banks back to a repressed memory; he seeks revenge with catastrophic consequences, as an unlikely hero emerges.
Peril on Pleasure Island
Episode 21
Peril on Pleasure Island
Episode 21
The crew trek into the unknown dangers of Pleasure Island as Lord Banks faces a crisis of confidence. A fateful dream leads to an epiphany and a false idol summons nature to attack those who are vulnerable to pleasure.
The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium: Ep 23 - Wisdom of the Bee
Episode 22
The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium: Ep 23 - Wisdom of the Bee
Episode 22
Lord Banks' elation at being reunited with Bertie is tempered by his concern for Bertie's heathen plant worship. A game of cricket leads to a discovery that challenges physics, geometry and biology, leaving Lord Banks at the crossroads of pleasure.
The Happening
Episode 22
The Happening
Episode 22
Lord Banks resumes responsibility by leading from behind. The pathway to pleasure brings them to a dangerously charismatic man-bee. Lord Banks confronts his foe as virtue and temptation come face to face.
The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium: Ep 24 - The Fate of Pleasure
Episode 24
The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium: Ep 24 - The Fate of Pleasure
Episode 24
Lord Banks is deep inside the pleasure he seeks to destroy. His mission places him at odds with those he loves, but destiny cannot be denied; the world as we know it is at stake.
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