The Retrievals (Serial Productions & The New York Times) - “The Retrievals, Season 2 takes the central injustice of the first season – women were not listened to when they said they were in pain – and discovers it somewhere else: childbirth. Reporter Susan Burton – careful, calm – tells the tale as if we were watching a medical drama, describing the camera moving in and out, and introducing the characters, who work at a Chicago hospital.”

Shadow World: The Grave Robbers (BBC Radio 4) - “In Shadow World: The Grave Robbers investigative reporter Sue Mitchell unearthed another scam. Again, it’s to do with elderly people, but this time round, the person in question – Christine, the aunt of two sisters – has died, supposedly leaving her home to a ‘friend’ who nobody seems to know. Seemingly, Christine signed over her house to this friend, even though at the time the will was dated, her husband was still alive and was her main carer.”
The Crime Agents (Global) - “A new offering from Global, The Crime Agents, sounds more exciting than it is. Its first episode brought a journalistic coup – the unsettling revelation that 540 people convicted of terrorism offences are now out of jail and living in the UK. Our hosts are the investigative journalist Andy Hughes and the former Metropolitan police assistant commissioner Neil Basu, both likeable.”

Fiona Sturges in the FT

Flesh and Code (Wondery) - “When Travis, a fortysomething man from Denver, met the woman of his dreams, he couldn’t wait to introduce her to his family. His new amour had pink hair, a kindly manner and rarely left his side. This was because Lily Rose, as Travis named her, is a generative AI chatbot created on the app Replika. He recalls his parents looking nonplussed when he held up his phone to introduce her at Christmas. Little wonder, since he already has a living, breathing wife called Jackie who is apparently fine with her husband’s digital dalliance.”

Nicholas Quah in Vulture

The Retrievals (Serial Productions & The New York Times) - “Not everything about the season lands. It’s hard not to leave the four episodes wishing for a little more insight into the day-to-day realities and institutional cultures that shape obstetric practice. Still, The Retrievals continues to be the rare narrative podcast that doubles as a case for why the format should exist.”

Flesh and Code (Wondery) - “It’s easy to scoff, but as Maguire and Bala suggest, for some people AI offers the nearest simulacrum of human comfort they will get. For the badly disabled and emotionally damaged, human relationships may not be a realistic option. Social and romantic life is not at all easy for some people. The ethical answer to that question is not easy. Flesh and Code doesn’t push listeners either way. This is an entertaining and thought-provoking listen.” ★★★★☆