Recommendation Engine: Breaking Down the Bible?

Plus Reggie Yates, Owen Wilson and Brian Cox (the acting one)

10:00 AM GMT+1 on August 14, 2024

Welcome to this week's Recommendation Engine from Podcast Rex, rounding up the week in podcast reviews. Get this in an email each week by signing up to be a supporter of Podcast Rex from £3.99.

Apple Podcasts New & Noteworthy:

Spotify New & 🔥

Fiona Sturges in the FT

Tom Slick: Mystery Hunter - “The soundscaping is excellent: ambitiously multi-layered and noisy in a way that is entirely fitting for a rollicking and bingeable action-adventure series.”
Unsinkable - “The sound design is impressive — this is a pod best heard on headphones — and the cast acquit themselves well. But the series is hamstrung by a script full of clichés and maddening exposition.”

Miranda Sawyer in the Observer

Dream Space - “ It’s yet another interviews-of-famous-people show, but Gemma Cairney’s upbeat sweetness makes it a lovely listen.”
Sing it Pink - “I loved hearing about the origins of the choir, and the descriptions of ye olde Brixton scene.”

Emma Dibdin in the New York Times

ICYMI - “Wide-ranging conversations about what’s trending in every corner of the internet.”
This Blew Up - “Exploring the unregulated industry that has sprung up around influencers in Los Angeles, the opportunists who exploit their hunger for fame, and the emotional cost of turning your life into content.”
Never Post - “A distinctly different listening experience from most tech-focused talk shows, featuring atmospheric layers of sound design that interweave aural reporting, a musical score and interstitial clips from online videos.”

James Marriott in the Times

Misquoting Jesus - “The real joy of podcasts is not tuning into the latest hyped-up celebrity-fronted show from Goalhanger, but stumbling across the brilliant world expert or spare bedroom enthusiast broadcasting his or her knowledge to the world. You’ll soon find that when you’ve dug into the life of the historical Jesus you’ll be hooked on more and more questions. Did Judas exist? Where does the idea of Mary’s virginity come from? I eventually ended up down a rabbit hole of episodes about Gnostic gospels, early Christian sects and St Paul’s relationship with other early Christians. This is all knowledge I never knew I wanted. I have no idea what on earth I’m going to do with it. But Ehrman’s genius is to pull you in anyway.”

Clair Woodward in the Sunday Times

Eras: Sting - “There’s archive material and new interviews with friends, fans and collaborators.”
Where’s Dia? - “Lucy Sherriff unpacks the story of the millionaire widow Dia Adams, who disappeared from her ranch home in Idyllwild, California, in 2020 and hasn’t been seen since.”
Don’t Do That - “Julia Webster debunks some of the wildest myths that are circulating on the internet and social media, alongside a panel of experts.”

The Guardian’s Hear Here column recommends

Paranormal Activity: True Tales of Possession - “Fifteen years after Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat terrified a generation in the film Paranormal Activity, they’re back to do the same in podcast form.”
The Burden: Empire on Blood - “A rerelease of the classic true-crime pod – with additional material.”
Dream Space - “Haçienda royalty DJ Paulette delivers daydreams of waterfalls that merge into “chunky, jacking techno” in her dose of meditative escapism.”
Borough Talks - “Like a wander around London’s Borough Market.”
In the Dark - “Madeleine Baran has spent four years investigating the killing of 24 civilians in Haditha, Iraq, by US Marines.”

In the Guardian’s Guide newsletter

Hysterical - “Podcaster Dan Taberski has made a name for himself with offbeat investigative series that tell us something about the mood of America at various points its recent history.”

Highlights from the Radio Times

The Rest is History: The French Revolution - “It seems perfectly cut out for one of Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook’s breezy recapitulations.”
The Upshot - “Analysis of scurrilous antics they boast ‘the BBC and Sky wouldn’t touch with a bargepole.”
How to Write a Book - “This experienced, knowledgeable trio take us through the trials and tribulations of writing.”

Heat’s Top of the Pods

Scott Bryan in Great British Podcasts

Good Bad Billionaire - "The chemistry between Tsjeng and Jack is great, and it feels like they have spent a considerable amount of time collating the research on each billionaire.”
The Body Coach: Extraordinary People - “He interviews inspirational people who have changed their life from fitness or nutrition, but these stories are not from influencer types, but everyday folk like you and I.”
Tom Dean Medal Machine - “Tom is a fabulous interviewer, asking not too technical questions that alienate casual viewers, but providing insights about the sport that brings you into it too.”
The Rabbit Hole Detectives - “There’s great chemistry between them and the whole thing is essentially a delightful celebration of being a bit of a geek.”