Radio
Sweet nothings
Our hosts are Lauren and Drew and they want to talk about Karl Ove Knausgaard. Or rather, they want to…
Star trek
Now that all of the billionaires are going into space, the night sky holds a special new kind of allure.…
Title deeds
The best thing on the radio last week was, without question, Kind Hearts and Coronets. You may have missed it…
No yelling necessary
It’s interesting that we have decided shaming and yelling are the easiest ways to change people’s minds. Which is not…
Big hooks but no mackerel
The narrative podcast remains a form in search of a genre. The template set by the hit show Serial —…
Inside stories
Prison-based podcast Banged Up, now in its second series, is far more uplifting — and less soapy — than its…
Dumber and dumber
Truly we are living in the golden age of the grifter. From Fyre Fest to the WeWork empire to Theranos…
Soul-dead crypto world
Some things are explained so many times that they become unexplainable: we can only relate to them as something complicated…
Sins of the father
I’d forgotten what a rich and deep and characterful voice John le Carré had. Listening to author and lawyer Philippe…
Terrifying divas and lesbian separatists
The promise of the internet was supposed to be thus: you could be your own bizarre, inappropriate self, and you…
Intelligent design
In Our Time is the best thing on Radio 4, possibly the best thing on the radio full stop. It…
Barack and the Boss
Barack Obama wants the world to know how much he loves singing. In his new podcast, which takes the form…
Lightbulb moments
Last Saturday on Radio 2 Claudia Winkleman was inaugurated as the host of what was formerly Graham Norton’s mid-morning spot.…
Terrific little romps
Everything is too long these days, isn’t it? Every series is at least two episodes too long, podcasts go on…
From worst to best
It was something a friend said to me about The Revenant, Leonardo diCaprio’s bloody-minded and brutal Oscar vehicle: ‘The problem…
From Downton to Dudley
The Duchess of Rutland, Emma Manners (née Watkins), grew up on a farm in the Welsh Borders before becoming proprietress…
They had it coming
This year marks three decades since Robert Maxwell fell naked to his death from the deck of his yacht, The…
Sitting pretty
With the arts world still largely in hibernation, the launch of a big podcast is as close as we get…
King of chat
In my parents’ house, the radio is always tuned to one of two stations: Magic FM and LBC. When Magic…
Englishness vs California dreaming
On Archewell Audio, Harry and Meghan’s new podcast, ‘love wins’, ‘change really is possible’, and ‘the courage and the creativity…
Fright night
Good evening! Come shivering on in through the garden side door, my friends, and distance yourselves in a semi-legal fashion…
The Midas touch
It’s well known that you should never meet your heroes because they will only disappoint you. Less commonly said, but…
Spotted dick and custard
I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue has just been voted the greatest radio comedy of all time by Radio Times,…
A salmagundi of tedium
The White Pube started life as an influential art blog, written by Zarina Muhammad and Gabrielle de la Puente. The…
No more Mr Nasty
‘I used to be Mr Nasty! That was good! Mr Nasty was easy!’ Jeremy Paxman bellows at Michael Palin on…
