Uncanny (BBC Radio 4) - “It’s the structure of Uncanny that makes the episodes work so well. You reach an interesting point, and the show cuts away – to introduce an expert, or a sceptic – and keeps you hanging.”

Fiona Sturges in the FT

Becoming Meg Dashwood (Audible) - “There is little doubt that Becoming Meg Dashwood, with its fiery women and occasional Bridgerton vibes, will send fans aflutter among Austen purists. But where Bridgerton dials up the camp, this series has a more contemplative streak that is grounded in Thompson’s engaging narration.”

Charlotte Ivers in the Sunday Times

Assume Nothing: Creation of a Teenage Satanist (BBC Sounds) - “Palmer has found a story at the sharp end of two of the great anxieties of our age: the decision of many disillusioned young men to drop out of society and retreat behind computer screens, and the radicalising, all-consuming effect the internet can have. For all its flaws, it’s a deeply compelling story.”
Gear (ind.) - “There is something deeply satisfying about a podcast that takes a theme — fashion — that many would scoff at, and uses it to tell a grand, sweeping story about who we are, what we value and how we project those values to the outside world.”

James Marriott in the Times

This Life of Mine with James Corden (Listen/SiriusXM) - “Look, I didn’t want to like it. Nobody presses play on a new celebrity podcast with greater feelings of hostility and general mulish unwillingness than me… There is professionalism and skill beneath the annoying bonhomie. You have to — however reluctantly — hand it to him. ★★★★☆

Gerard O’Donovan in the Daily Telegraph

Table Manners (ind.) - “Presented by Steve Lamacq and Gina Birch, and capturing the anger and disillusionment that gave rise to punk in the mid-1970s, it features a mix of new and archive contributions from band members.”
Charlene: Somebody Knows Something (Daily Mail) - “Gathering thematically linked stories from passers-by, musicians, activists and artists on subjects such as leaving home, becoming a parent or rebuilding your life after disaster.”

Lucy White in the Irish Independent

Unearthed with Cate Blanchett (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) - “Blanchett seems right at home here, whether chatting with the seed bank’s botanists and conservationists and with its patron King Charles.”
The Sleeping Forecast (BBC Radio 6 Music) - “In particular the recent special episode hosted by Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker… his dulcet Sheffield tones alternating reading out The Shipping Forecast and sharing his own chill-out playlist.”
House Warming (SEAI) - “House Warming may have started in September, but as daylight recedes and temperatures tumble, better late than never to learn how to create a cosier, more energy efficient home.”