August marks a change of pace: slowing down after a summer of travel, and looking ahead to the new school year. This month, we've seen attention shift away from sports toward a renewed interest in cinema, thanks to the release of Obsession and The Odyssey. We picked three new podcast seasons that reflect interest in history and film adaptations, as well as a pivot to cinema for one of our favorite food podcasts.
It Was a Book First
Book to movie adaptations are nothing new. But with the recent controversy surrounding Christopher Nolan's take on The Odyssey, thousands are rushing to share their thoughts on the blockbuster's faithfulness to the original epic poem. It Was a Book First, a weekly book review podcast that launched back in June, is perfectly primed to answer the question.
Hosted by culture reporters and former colleagues Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg, the podcast covers new releases like The Sheep Detectives and Project Hail Mary, and will appeal to bibliophiles with a Mubi subscription.
You're Dead to Me
The beloved BBC history podcast returns for a new series. You're Dead to Me has nearly two hundred episodes in its back catalog, covering historical topics like female pirates in the 18th century, the weird stories of medieval saints, Pharaoh Akhenaten's doomed religious rebrand, and even why one of history's most influential scientists nearly drowned when trying to read a newspaper underwater.
When I asked host Greg Jenner about the show's return, his enthusiasm was palpable.
As a historian who loves comedy, hosting You're Dead To Me for the past seven years has been a dream job. I get to sit in a studio with top academic historians and hilarious comedians, all of whom I greatly admire, and then we romp around word history, exploring fascinating subjects and biographies. Of course, there are loads of history podcasts out there, but YDTM provides a unique balance of expert insights, deep research, and huge laughs.
On the new series, comedian Vic Michaelis and I had a blast trying on authentic corsets for our episode on the history of underwear.
Listen to the back catalog now, and subscribe to catch the new series.
Recipe Club
We've been fans of The Ringer's Recipe Club since it launched during the pandemic. The original premise, hosted by chef Dave Chang and producer Chris Ying, involved challenging a rotating roster of guests to make a "perfect" version of a recipe, from lasagne and chicken parm to picnic food. The results were often frustrating and hilarious in equal measurements.
The latest iteration of the show incorporates cinema into the mix, and sees Ying and new guests explore food memories from their favorite films, like Ratatouille and The Joy Luck Club. We expect to see a Studio Ghibli flick in there soon.
