Recommendation Engine: To Catch a Scorpion

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:

• The Price of Paradise
• Deep Cover: The Nameless Man
• White Devil
• Life with Nat
• Exhibit A

Spotify New & 🔥

• Harry Hill’s Are We There Yet?
• Cold Tapes
• We Just Got Here
• The Tooney and Russo Show
• Lucy and Sam’s Perfect Brains

James Marriott in the Times

• The Rest Is Politics US - “Starting from opposite extremes of personality, they manage to converge on a common ground of vacuousness. Trump (on trial in New York at present) is ‘not a happy camper’. He can ‘say things nobody else can get away with’. ‘America has become dysfunctional’. These are not stunning insights.”

Fiona Sturges in the FT

• Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion - “Along with documenting the activities of traffickers who stand to make tens of thousands of pounds from each perilously overloaded boat, the series hears from the individuals and families who risk their lives to make the journey for the chance of a better life.”

Miranda Sawyer in the Observer

• Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion - “Mitchell is an engaging audio presence and an exceptional interviewer, who somehow gets people to warm to her while asking very direct questions.”
• Uncanny - “This time, Danny Robins is in the US, a place that always does things bigger and better, especially in the southern states, which are definitely scary. The whole story is kicked off by a Ouija board, and we quickly get lights failing, banging on remote doors, strange slender man-type figures at the window, and of course, this being America, guns.”

Patricia Nicol & Clair Woodward in the Sunday Times

• Harry Hill’s Are We There Yet? - “If your idea of a good time is listening to Alan Carr read a story about a dolphin with nits while Hill plays Amazing Grace on a nose flute then this is the comedy podcast for you.”
• Green Wing: Resuscitated - “Audible has rebooted the Channel 4 comedy, with the original cast and writers bringing us up to date with what the characters are up to now.”
• Full Chat - “Iwan Thomas and David Prutton, former sports stars, have launched a new motorbike podcast.”
• The Bachelor Of Buckingham Palace - “Podcasts are very good at investigating the dirty side of reality TV.”

The Guardian’s Hear Here column recommends

• Green Wing: Resuscitated - “The medics have aged disgracefully, making the trip back to East Hampton hospital worthwhile.”
• Exhibit A - “Abbey Clancy breaks free from The Therapy Crouch (and her co-host/husband Peter Crouch) for her own interview podcast.”
• Gloriously Unready - “Warm and wise: Josephine Hughes is the mum of two transgender daughters and wants to give other parents, partners and loved ones in the same situation a voice.”
• Harry Hill’s Are We There Yet? - “Seals, AI and surreal times: Harry Hill nails the meaning of wholesome on his new podcast designed as a companion to family car journeys.”
• The Tooney & Russo Show - “Vick Hope is here to keep some order, but they quickly jump between random topics, just like any other conversation between good pals.”

Highlights from the Radio Times

• Green Wing: Resuscitated - “Catches up with all the main characters in middle age.”
• Exhibit A - “Abbey Clancey is not presenting Question Time. She’s a mother of four who wants answers and advice on matters that affect us all.”
• Heroes & Humans of Football - “Simon Kuper and Mehreen Khan unpack a renowned figure in world football.”

Heat’s Top of the Pods

• The Red Carpet Treatment ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• The Bachelor of Buckingham Palace ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Scott Bryan in Great British Podcasts

• FFS! My Dad is Martin Kemp - “The idea behind the podcast is that by making the series, Roman will now be able to build an archive of conversations with his Dad that he will be able to keep long after Martin has gone (apparently).”
• Harry Hill’s Are We There Yet? - “The whole thing is completely silly and unpredictable.”
• We Are T1D : Type 1 Diabetes - “Each episode taps into their experiences and key learnings since their diagnosis.”
• Michael Spicer: No Room - “Satirical sketch shows are a hard thing to pull off, particularly in an age where real life feels like a surreal sketch show.”