Recommendation Engine: Paralympic Pods

Critics are looking at multiple shows covering the games

10:00 AM GMT+1 on August 28, 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

Short Cuts - “Short Cuts is made up of beautifully crafted and curated micro-documentaries, roughly 10 minutes apiece, which are bookended by the comic and writer Josie Long. Each episode contains three or so documentaries and the subject matter is wide-ranging, sometimes slippery and wholly impervious to the news cycle. Past episodes have featured themes such as quiet acts of resistance, the flow of water and the moments language cannot describe.”

Jude Rogers in the Observer

The Opinions - “Previously a subscriber-only service, now let loose into the world, its premise is simple: one voice, one idea, four times a week, in chunks of under 10 minutes. Imagine Thought for the Day a little longer, a lot more North American and without the higher powers.”
Grenfell: Building a Disaster - “Ahead of the publication of the inquiry report next month, this is a powerful, digestible way into the tireless work the BBC has done.”
Scripts - “The idea of chemical imbalances being corrected simply is filleted robustly, as is the rise in the concept of being ‘your best possible self at all times’ – a marketable ideal boosted by capitalism and social media.”

Clair Woodward in the Sunday Times

The Level Playing Field - “Covers a huge range of topics, including a headset that can bring blind fans closer to sport, disability access in women’s football and public transport to and from games.”
Conspiracy, She Wrote - “Tired of men spreading conspiracy theories? Then Cristen Conger’s new series is just for you, as it takes a look at women who have done it.”
Navigating Now - “Designed to help young people navigate life’s big issues.”

The Guardian’s Hear Here column recommends

#1 Dad - “Comedian Gary Vider hasn’t spoken to his con artist dad in 24 years... In this wild journey, he attempts to track him down.”
Scam Clinic - “ It’s a staggering listen, with the opening double bill featuring a jaw-dropping interview with the supposed mastermind behind a £100,000 theft – who seems to want to have a lovely chat about podcasting equipment.”
Head Number 7 - “When you donate your body to science, you’d think Harvard Medical School would look after it.”
Don’t Drink the Milk - “Heading to Scotland to investigate the history of a misogynistic medieval conspiracy.”
Rising Phoenix: What Does it Take? - “It’s a cliche to say that anything Paralympic-related is inspiring, but this podcast – full of grit and humour – really is.”

In the Guardian’s Guide newsletter

The Hollywood Hack - “In November 2014, Guardians of Peace, a hacker group suspected of having ties with North Korea, broke into Sony’s servers and leaked a tranche of films, personal data and some extremely embarrassing emails to the internet.”

Highlights from the Radio Times

Symptomatic - “Cunningly preys on some of our worst fears.”
Intersections: Detroit - “As the city rumbles by, a never-ending cast tell their stories.”
Vanishing Postcards - “Visits various locations around texas that are off the beaten track and speaks with food producers whose culinary roots lie far from the Lone Star State.”

Heat’s Top of the Pods

Scott Bryan in Great British Podcasts

Everything is Content - "Unpacks the week’s pop culture and celebrity talking points with a breezy, relatable style.”
Eras: Sting - “Taps into the BBC’s rich archive, cutting together interviews with the artist from different decades.”
The Story of Classical - “A fantastically detailed and informative series by Apple introducing you to the world of classical music.”
Extraordinary Stories of Britain - “From the life of Charles Dickens to the story of Britain’s sewage.”