Map Men

The series is created, written, and presented by Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones. Mark Cooper-Jones is a former geography teacher, and the pair met at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where both were performing in 2009 or 2010.{{cite web |last1=Foreman |first1=Jay |date=13 September 2021 |title=Mark Cooper-Jones an… |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/JayForeman/comments/pkfnqa/comment/hco3dq0/ |access-date=18 June 2025 |website=reddit.com |via=Reddit}}{{Bsn|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS).|date=June 2025}} The series started in 2016, and has aired for four series. The episodes are a mix of comedy and geography, with each episode answering a short geographical question, often involving maps. The style has been compared to Horrible Histories and the pair cite their inspiration as Monty Python. The videos feature deadpan, split-second visual gags, and comic sketches.{{Cite web |last=Fitch |first=Chris |date=9 August 2016 |title=Map Men: teaching geography through comedy |url=https://geographical.co.uk/places/mapping/item/1859-map-men-teaching-geography-through-comedy |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516091706/https://geographical.co.uk/places/mapping/item/1859-map-men-teaching-geography-through-comedy |archive-date=16 May 2022 |access-date=6 April 2024 |website=Geographical Magazine}}

The pair have claimed the show's success to be due to the growing redundancy of maps as an everyday item, leaving them to be "geeky". They also cite the mix of comedy and geography as the unique element behind the series, leading to its success compared to other more education-based alternatives. In 2021, the series was nominated under the "learning and education" category for the 11th Streamy Awards, losing to Veritasium.{{Cite web |title=11th Annual Streamy Nominees |url=https://www.streamys.org/nominees-winners/11th-annual-nominees/ |access-date=2024-04-06 |website=The Streamy Awards |language=en}} In 2024, an edited version of the video about why some British place-names are hard to pronounce won 'Video of the Year' in the inaugural UK and Ireland TikTok Awards.{{Cite news |last=Rufo |first=Yasmin |date=3 December 2024 |title=Social media stars crowned in first UK and Ireland TikTok awards |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cgrwjzrq0ppt?post=asset%3Af81b40e0-78e9-40d8-b7a6-553475679d07#post |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241205150921/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cgrwjzrq0ppt |archive-date=5 December 2024 |access-date=5 January 2025 |work=BBC News}}

The fourth series finished on 13 October 2024, after eight episodes.{{Cite web |last=Foreman |first=Jay |date=23 June 2023 |title=Jay Foreman on X |url=https://x.com/jayforeman/status/1672257996259307521 |access-date=9 May 2025 |website=X}}{{better source needed|date=May 2025}}

{{Series overview

| infoA = Average viewership - YouTube
(in millions)

| link1 = #Series 1

| color1 = 32CD32

| episodes1 = 6

| start1 = {{Start date|2016|5|4|df=y}}

| end1 = {{End date|2016|8|7|df=y}}

| infoA1 = 3.85

| color2 = FFC0CB

| link2 = #Series 2

| episodes2 = 5

| start2 = {{Start date|2019|4|15|df=y}}

| end2 = {{End date|2019|9|2|df=y}}

| infoA2 = 4.16

| color3 = ADD8E6

| link3 = #Series 3

| episodes3 = 11

| start3 = {{Start date|2020|11|16|df=y}}

| end3 = {{End date|2021|9|13|df=y}}

| infoA3 = 3.74

| color4 = FFD700

| link4 = #Series 4

| episodes4 = 10

| start4 = {{Start date|2023|7|10|df=y}}

| end4 = {{End date|2024|10|13|df=y}}

| infoA4 = 2.43

}}

{{Episode table |background=32CD32 |total_width=auto |overall= |series= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |viewers=10 |country= |titleR= |directorR= |writerR= |airdateR= |viewersR= |episodes={{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 1

|EpisodeNumber2 = 1

|Title = Bir Tawil – the land that nobody wants

|DirectedBy = Paul Kendler

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2016|05|04|df=y}}

|Viewers = 4.2

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 2

|EpisodeNumber2 = 2

|Title = Mappa Mundi – the worst world map?

|DirectedBy = Paul Kendler

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2016|05|25|df=y}}

|Viewers = 2.8

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 3

|EpisodeNumber2 = 3

|Title = Where is the north/south divide?

|DirectedBy = Paul Kendler

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2016|06|10|df=y}}

|Viewers = 5.3

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 4

|EpisodeNumber2 = 4

|Title = India/Bangladesh - The world's worst border

|DirectedBy = Paul Kendler

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2016|07|08|df=y}}

|Viewers = 4.8

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 5

|EpisodeNumber2 = 5

|Title = Berlin Wall – Maps With Gaps{{Efn|Renamed to "Why is there a BLANK space in this map of East Berlin?" after airing.}}

|DirectedBy = Paul Kendler

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2016|08|04|df=y}}

|Viewers = 3.3

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 6

|EpisodeNumber2 = 6

|Title = Who Owns the South China Sea?

|DirectedBy = Paul Kendler

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2016|08|07|df=y}}

|Viewers = 2.7

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

}}

{{Episode table |background=FFC0CB |total_width=auto |overall= |series= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |viewers=10 |country= |titleR= |directorR= |writerR= |airdateR= |viewersR= |episodes={{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 7

|EpisodeNumber2 = 1

|Title = The world's oldest border?

|DirectedBy = Unknown

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|04|15|df=y}}

|Viewers = 4.1

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 8

|EpisodeNumber2 = 2

|Title = Can you spot a map trap?{{Efn|Renamed to "Why do maps show places that don't exist?" after airing.}}

|DirectedBy = Unknown

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|05|14|df=y}}

|Viewers = 3.4

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 9

|EpisodeNumber2 = 3

|Title = Why every world map is wrong

|DirectedBy = Unknown

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|06|20|df=y}}

|Viewers = 4.4

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 10

|EpisodeNumber2 = 4

|Title = How did triangles shrink France?

|DirectedBy = Unknown

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|08|7|df=y}}

|Viewers = 4

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 11

|EpisodeNumber2 = 5

|Title = The world's silliest time zones

|DirectedBy = Unknown

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|09|2|df=y}}

|Viewers = 4.9

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

}}

{{Episode table |background=ADD8E6 |total_width=auto |overall= |series= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |viewers=10 |country= |titleR= |directorR= |writerR= |airdateR= |viewersR= |episodes={{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 12

|EpisodeNumber2 = 1

|Title = The map that saved the most lives

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|11|15|df=y}}

|Viewers = 2.3

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 13

|EpisodeNumber2 = 2

|Title = Why are British place names so hard to pronounce?

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|12|14|df=y}}

|Viewers = 5.9

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 14

|EpisodeNumber2 = 3

|Title = Why does Russia have the best maps of Britain?

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|1|11|df=y}}

|Viewers = 3.8

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 15

|EpisodeNumber2 = 4

|Title = What will the world look like in 250 million years?

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|2|15|df=y}}

|Viewers = 3.8

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 16

|EpisodeNumber2 = 5

|Title = Who Owns Antarctica?

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|3|15|df=y}}

|Viewers = 3

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 17

|EpisodeNumber2 = 6

|Title = The mystery of the squarest country

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|4|12|df=y}}

|Viewers = 4.4

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 18

|EpisodeNumber2 = 7

|Title = Where is America?

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|4|26|df=y}}

|Viewers = 3

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 19

|EpisodeNumber2 = 8

|Title = How do you start a new country?

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|5|31|df=y}}

|Viewers = 3.3

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 20

|EpisodeNumber2 = 9

|Title = How many continents are there?

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|6|28|df=y}}

|Viewers = 3.7

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 21

|EpisodeNumber2 = 10

|Title = How to read a map with a clock{{Efn|Renamed to "The longitude problem: history's deadliest riddle" after airing.}}

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|11|15|df=y}}

|Viewers = 2.5

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 22

|EpisodeNumber2 = 11

|Title = English counties explained

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|9|13|df=y}}

|Viewers = 5.4

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

}}

{{Episode table |background=FFD700 |total_width=auto |overall= |series= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |viewers=10 |country= |titleR= |directorR= |writerR= |airdateR= |viewersR= |episodes={{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 23

|EpisodeNumber2 = 1

|Title = Why is North up?

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|7|10|df=y}}

|Viewers = 3

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 24

|EpisodeNumber2 = 2

|Title = Why British cities make no sense

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|8|28|df=y}}

|Viewers = 3.6

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 25

|EpisodeNumber2 = 3

|Title = Internet Vs Ocean: the essential wires we never think about

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|9|29|df=y}}

|Viewers = 2.6

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 26

|EpisodeNumber2 = 4

|Title = You'll never guess the most popular internet country code

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|12|6|df=y}}

|Viewers = 2.3

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 27

|EpisodeNumber2 = 5

|Title = The Phantom Island of Google Maps

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|4|24|df=y}}

|Viewers = 2.3

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 28

|EpisodeNumber2 = 6

|Title = There are NOT 195 countries

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|6|23|df=y}}

|Viewers = 2.6

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 29

|EpisodeNumber2 = 7

|Title = How bad maps win elections - Gerrymandering explained

|DirectedBy = Jade Nagi

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|8|31|df=y}}

|Viewers = 1.5

|LineColor = #C38884

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 30

|EpisodeNumber2 = 8

|Title = Map Men vs. Geoguessr

|DirectedBy =

|WrittenBy = Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|10|13|df=y}}

|Viewers = 1.5

|LineColor = #FFA500

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 31

|EpisodeNumber2 = 9

|Title = We met Britain's best map makers (short)

|DirectedBy =

|WrittenBy =

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|06|23|df=y}}

|Viewers = 1.2

|LineColor = #FFA500

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 32

|EpisodeNumber2 = 10

|Title = Ordnance Survey let us change the map of Britain (short)

|DirectedBy =

|WrittenBy =

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|06|30|df=y}}

|Viewers = 0.8

|LineColor = #FFA500

}}

}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2010s comedy television series

Category:2016 British television series debuts

Category:2016 web series debuts

Category:2020s comedy television series

Category:British comedy web series

Category:British educational television series

Category:Geography education in the United Kingdom

Category:YouTube channels