Picks of the week
The Godmother
Widely available, episodes weekly
It’s 1936 New York in Nichole Perkins’ latest podcast and mobster Lucky Luciano is on trial, but there’s a far more intriguing story in the background: that of lawyer Eunice Carter. Described as “the spark that started the fire”, it’s about time Carter, the first Black woman to act as prosecutor in America, got her props. Perkins paints a picture of the straight-talking lawyer who brought Luciano to trial, but was sidelined and kept out of the spotlight by the rules of her time. Hannah Verdier
Making Sense of Social Housing
Tortoise Media, episodes weekly from Wed
In this infuriating miniseries that crunches the housing crisis, one housing association says that a person on a low income applying for an affordable home can be waiting eight to 10 years on a waiting list with 800 others. Jeevan Vasagar speaks to people who rely on social housing, and those who work in the system, to show exactly how bad the situation is. Hollie Richardson
Hollywood Exiles
BBC Sounds, episodes weekly
Game of Thrones’s Oona Chaplin is your host for this podcast about how her grandfather Charlie was forced out of Hollywood during a campaign against communism. From living in a Lambeth workhouse to owning a Hollywood studio, Chaplin lived the American dream until the FBI zeroed in on him. HV
Ghost in the Machine
Widely available, episodes weekly
When 19-year-old Belgian cyclist Femke Van den Driessche was found to have a motor in her bike, it caused uproar. But was she a cheat or a victim? Chris Marshall-Bell tells the very weird tale with enthusiasm, chronicling death threats, incredible allegations involving doped pigeons and anger from competitors. HV
Exposed: The Ashley Madison Hack
Widely available, all episodes out Wed
When no-strings dating website Ashley Madison was hacked, cheaters were horrified as their personal details and desires were exposed. This series tells the story of the elaborate hack with sensitivity and even a little romance, as users describe the connections they made and the terror they felt in the face of moral judgment. HV
There’s a podcast for that
This week, Hannah Verdier picks five of the best podcasts that ended too soon, from Starlee Kine’s weird and wonderful investigations to a comedy masterpiece from Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams
Mystery Show
Starlee Kine’s quirky investigations were the perfect antidote to true crime’s domination of the podcast landscape in 2015. Kine’s storytelling is pitch perfect, but her podcast ended after six sweet episodes due to what Gimlet mysteriously described as “business reasons”. Big questions were asked in that one season, from: “How tall is Jake Gyllenhaal?” to even more complex matters, such as why Britney Spears was photographed carrying an obscure self-help book by Andrea Seigel. There’s also a treasured belt buckle, a disappearing video store and the search for a lunchbox.
The Butterfly Effect
Jon Ronson’s swift dive into the free porn industry ran for only one season, but charted its rise with sensitivity and a distinct lack of titillation. In each three-minute episode, he traces Fabian Thylmann’s journey from a teenage entrepreneur to the king of adult internet streaming. With full access to Thylmann’s art, Ronson explores the consequences of making porn so freely available, the negative impact on the actors who rely on the industry and how technology played a part in the revolution. The landscape has changed even more since 2017, so a new season would be welcome.
First Day Back
Tally Abecassis’ podcast about people coming back from challenging moments in their lives ran for three seasons. Although the premise is simple, so much is covered in the stories featured. Abecassis’ own struggle to get back to work after having a baby kicks the podcast off, with a discussion of gender roles and the power of Patti Smith. Season two focuses on Lucie Paquette, who served seven years for manslaughter of her partner. The final season follows Baltimore comedian Jason Weems, whose heart stopped when he had an asthma attack on stage – and it’s gripping.
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2 Dope Queens
Ground breaking BFF podcasters Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams (above) brought their frankly dope style to the medium in the days when it was mostly just gentle-voiced beardy white men talking about stuff. Sadly, they became too popular, thanks to funny and honest discussions with guests including Queen Latifah, Michelle Obama and Tig Notaro. HBO specials and too many new projects beckoned, but their musings on boob sweat, Richard Gere and how many times it’s possible to watch Purple Rain are still out there and never forgotten.
A Very Fatal Murder
True crime podcasts about small-town murders were ripe for the spoofing in 2018 and Onion Public Radio (OPR) did it brilliantly. “What elevates a murder from a regular ho-hum killing to a crime so gruesome and compelling it deserves its own podcast?” asks earnest reporter David Pascall, before unleashing short and sharply observed episodes that parody the obsession with cold cases. Particularly those involving “a really hot white girl” that can be easily sensationalised. It’s so dry that casual listeners might think they’ve stumbled on the new Serial, but it only lasted for six cutting episodes.
Why not try …
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From 19 January, Jonathan Freedland will be reporting from New Hampshire, a 2024 battleground state, for a special edition of Politics Weekly America.
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Dive into Ten Thousand Things about modern-day artifacts of Asian American life, hosted by poet and museologist Shin Yu Pai.
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In The ii Family Money Show Gabby Logan speaks with familiar faces about their relationship with money, the financial lessons they’ve learnt on the road to success, and how they’re investing for their family’s future.
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