Picks of the week
Mandela: The Lost Tapes
Audible, all episodes out now
In 1993, Richard Stengel recorded more than 60 hours of face-to-face interviews with Nelson Mandela. For the first time, this series sees him broadcast them. From the South African ANC leader confessing his willingness to embrace violence to Stengel realising that Mandela’s time in prison meant he had never heard a Beatles song, it makes for a vivid portrait of one of history’s political greats. Hollie Richardson
Book Chat With Pandora and Bobby
Widely available, episodes monthly
If the pressure of reading new books makes you feel tired, Pandora Sykes and Bobby Palmer’s proudly slow podcast is here to help. All of their picks are more than two years old, starting with Sarah Winman’s Tin Man and Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City, with the hosts’ easy and knowledgable chat making the titles very tempting. HV
Fit & Proper
Widely available, episodes weekly
Comedians Rhys James and Lloyd Griffith invite guests to run their beloved football clubs in their own way – but the hosts and a “supercomputer” judge their decisions and decide whether they’re fit enough to manage a club. Iain Stirling takes on Hibernian FC, while Emily Dean gets her hands on Arsenal. Hollie Richardson
The Cost of Happiness
Widely available, episodes weekly
Tech tycoon Tony Hsieh (above) ran Zappos shoes, known as “the world’s happiest company”. But behind a workplace filled with adult playgrounds and perky managers was a darker story waiting to be uncovered. Nastaran Tavakoli-Far does the job well, looking into Hsieh’s very particular mission and tragic death. HV
Stopping to Notice
Widely available, episodes twice weekly
Chirruping birds, intricately arranged sea shells, an incredibly chipper-looking dog: in this immersive podcast from Miranda Keeling, listeners join her on a walk while she takes the time to notice lovely details. Episodes are five minutes long, full of the swirling sounds of her environment, and thoroughly soothing. AD
There’s a podcast for that
This week, Charlie Lindlar chooses five of the best podcasts with massive archives, from a show diving deep into over 200 much-loved films to a frank relationships podcast with 16 years of back catalogue
The Rewatchables
You know those movies you can’t flick past when they’re on TV? The ones where you just have to wait for a particular scene, even though you’ve seen it 100 times before? How about spending two hours analysing those films through the prism of such hotly contested categories as “What’s aged the worst?” and “Who would you cast in a 2022 remake”? That’s the premise of The Rewatchables, which has seen Bill Simmons and friends pore over hundreds of films since 2015. Although some won’t mean much to you, you will surely find some of your favourites, too.
Where Should We Begin?
No stone is left unturned in this lo-fi thrill ride of a relationships podcast. Join psychotherapist Esther Perel as she sits down with real-life couples, delves into their troubles, and (hopefully) charts a course through their tough times. Each episode – a one-off session with Perel’s clients – works as a standalone episode, so there is nothing to lose by scanning back through the show’s five years’ worth of episodes, downloading the raunchiest or most relatable, and settling in. You never know what you may learn.
Savage Lovecast
Just a touch more edgy than Perel’s show is perhaps the original sex and relationships advice podcast, from the truly unfiltered Dan Savage. A spin-off from his Savage Love column, there are 16 years of history to dive into in this show’s back catalogue. Introverted couples who don’t know how to initiate? Advice on coming out as trans to your parents? The ethics of sharing your partner with others? If you can think it, Savage has helped someone through it in his trademark blunt but empathic (and, most importantly, shame-free) style.
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Dan Snow’s History Hit
A tour through “the most exciting and important things that have ever happened on the planet”, History Hit is a bite-sized, daily entry point to the bits of history you want to know more about, but maybe not read 500 pages on. Snow’s effortless versatility makes him a trusted voice on everything from the birth of the CIA to the death of Cleopatra, but it is his boundless enthusiasm for what the past can teach us about the present that has seen the popular podcast run to over 900 episodes.
99% Invisible
We may not see it, but every single thing on and around us has been designed to function, look and feel the way it does. But what goes into that “invisible” process? This remarkable podcast tells the story of basically everything you can imagine, from the complicated architecture of the sports bra to the underrated social importance of shade, asking how they came to be, how they work, and what we would lose without them. Created and hosted by Roman Mars, this award-winning pod has a 500-show deep archive to restore your wonder in everyday things.
Why not try …
The true story of the 00s love affair “that brought the Spanish royal family to its knees” in Corinna and the King.
An accessible guide to the wonders of space in Pale Blue Pod.
Fresh perspectives on life in the Middle East in People Like Us.
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