The People vs McDonald’s (BBC Radio 4) - “The series reminded me that, like many journalists at the time, I went along to the McLibel trial for a day. It wasn’t thrilling – I remember Morris shuffling a lot of papers and saying “erm” a lot – but this series is riveting. Helen Steel, in particular, is hugely impressive; not in an egotistical way, but because of her refusal to back down.”
The Ballad of Big Mags (BBC Sounds) - “By the second episode, Mags puts you in mind of a mob boss, and by the third we discover that, yes, that’s not far off.”
The Second Map (BBC Radio 4) - “Puri is such a wonderful, old-school journalist: a sensitive interviewer, a thorough investigator, a clear presenter. These stories, though not entirely buried, have been ignored for many years, because, as The Second Map makes clear, they don’t sit well with the idea of Britain as ‘winning’ the war without ever being invaded.”

Fiona Sturges in the FT

What Happened to Counter-Culture (BBC Radio 4) - “Exploring the evolution and legacy of counterculture, Lee — a wryly engaging host — interrogates themes of sex, class, politics, protest and the avant-garde. Along for the ride are commentators John Harris and Jon Savage, author Olivia Laing, Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner and Brian Eno, the one-time Roxy Music synth wizard who has written extensively about art and culture.”

James Marriott in the Times

Acquired (J.P. Morgan) - “. I’ve been absorbed by the recent instalment about Google. It’s compulsive listening: thoughtful, lucid, deeply researched and witty in a mild, unobtrusive way (far from the rule among American podcasters).”

★★★★★

Gerard O’Donovan in the Daily Telegraph

Evil Animals (BBC Sounds) - “In last week’s opener, we learnt why hamsters really shouldn’t be seen as the innocuous child-friendly fluffballs we’ve always been told they are.”
Painting of the Week (ind.) - “Now on their sixth series, art expert Phil Grabsky and art amateur Laura Bentham each week chat about a painting that inspires and excites them.”