Recommendation Engine: The English Disease

Plus Lupita Nyong'o and a Sheridan Smith drama

11:00 AM GMT+1 on October 9, 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

Mind Your Own (Lemonada) - “Not only does Mind Your Own avoid the navel-gazing that frequently blights celebrity-hosted series, it is also tightly edited and produced and has a clear objective: to be a repository of tales by and for the African diaspora.”

Miranda Sawyer in the Observer

The English Disease (Stak) - “Is this sort of aggro missed today, in these modern-game times of Saudi Arabian owners, made-for-concerts stadiums and never-ending match analysis? Well, yes and no. No, because kicking people’s faces in is obviously horrible. And yes, because an anything-can-happen atmosphere can bring cheap thrills into a dull life and even duller corporatism. In The English Disease, journalist Sam Diss allows both sides of the story to be told.”
Mag Hags (ind.) - “The first episode started off a little stiffly and poshly, but once Cookney and Douglas got stuck into analysing an actual issue, a 1982 edition of Cosmopolitan, it became richly interesting.”
Parents vs the Internet (Daily Mail) - “The discussion was smart and relevant, though I would like to hear a little more from Ghey herself.”

James Marriott in the Times

The Rest Is Politics US (Goalhanger) - “Improved since its chaotic first episode, but is still a bit incoherent.”
Americast (BBC) - “Because the BBC mandates impartiality, the presenters are compelled to find interesting things to say about Trump’s appeal to almost half of America rather than just ranting about him Scaramucci-style.”
Pod Save America (Crooked) - “Their analysis is insightful and their ability to be outraged all over again by every new Trumpian scandal is a useful fillip to jaded listeners who are tempted to stop caring.”
Hacks on Tap (ind.) - “The best podcast about American politics by miles.”

Clair Woodward in the Sunday Times

The Deserter (New York Times) - “It paints a vivid picture of the cruel and often disorganised army, as well as examining how the invasion has affected the lives of ordinary Russians far from the front line..”
My Life with Dementia (Dementia UK)- “ It is as moving as you would expect, with Andy, 52, revealing the anger he felt when he received an early-onset diagnosis, and Lizzie discussing the challenges of becoming a carer for her father when she was only in her twenties.”
The English Disease (Stak) - “For anyone who thought the days of organised football hooliganism were well in the past, the journalist Sam Diss delivers a nasty surprise.”

Emma Dibdin in the New York Times

The Allusionist (ind.) - “Guaranteed to teach you something new — like the vocabulary that was lost after the Berlin Wall fell, or the surprisingly complex linguistic history of the Eurovision Song Contest.”
Words Unravelled (ind.) - “Though the podcast has only been running since April, it already feels like an old favorite.”
The Vocal Fries Podcast (ind.) - “The hosts, Carrie Gillon and Megan Figueroa, are both linguistic researchers with deep knowledge and passion for their subject, and each episode sees them speaking to a different expert about the biases that inform how we hear language.”
A Way with Words (ind.) - “Barnette and Barrett take calls from listeners wondering about a bit of workplace jargon they’ve encountered, the etymology of a family saying and broader questions about linguistics.”
Lingthusiasm (ind.) - “Often as much about social habits as it is about language.”

The Guardian’s Hear Here column recommends

The Margate Murders (Audible) - “Sheridan Smith and Joanne Froggatt lead the cast of this dangerously bingeable untrue crime drama.”
Single Ladies in Your Area (Plosive) - “Brace yourself for infectious hysteria: this raucous gigglefest hears comedians Harriet Kemsley and Amy Gledhill wrestle with being single in their 30s.”
World of Secrets: Predator at Harrods (BBC) - “IThis Mohamed Al Fayed exposé series may have slightly stilted narration, but the astonishing testimony of the victims is a real gut-punch.”
From Now On (ind.) - “Part confessional, part interviews with guests – including former cult members – it veers from courageous soulbearing to deeply insightful psychological help book.”
Proper Tasty Pub Quiz (M&S Food/ Listen) - “Within 24 hours, TV life coach Michelle Elman announced her engagement on Instagram, received messages about her fiance’s infidelity and called it off.”

In the Guardian’s Guide newsletter

World of Secrets: Predator at Harrods (BBC) - “Plenty of journalists were thwarted in their attempts to bring his misconduct to light, while others saw their stories published but receive little attention at a time (the mid-90s) when Fayed enjoyed the halo glow of celebrity.”

Highlights from the Radio Times

Slow Burn: The Rise of Fox News (Slate) - “Channels used to cover elections, now they fight them.”
We Live Here Now (The Atlantic) - “A fine example of journalism.”
Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby (ind.) - “Her modern approach and feminist thinking make for entertaining but thought-provoking analysis.”

Heat’s Top of the Pods

Scott Bryan in Great British Podcasts

Legend: The Joni Mitchell Story (BBC Radio 4) - "A well-told, tightly produced series and weaved together with compelling sound design.”
It Can’t Just Be Me (Podimo/ Audio Always) - “Has a purpose of reducing stigma on a myriad of different issues and breaking taboos.”
Tortoise Investigates: Elon’s Spies (Tortoise) - “Opens the lid on a part of his life that has so far not had that much attention, but should.”
The Margate Murders (Audible) - “It’s an interesting form of narrative fiction that accurately reflects the true-crime genre, without your guilt.”