Each month, Podcast Review’s staff offers recommendations on the best new podcasts to listen to. Here are our favorites for January:
Goalhanger’s “The Rest is…” format is becoming a rather formidable franchise. After the success of The Rest is Politics, notably the most popular show in the UK, they have added a new podcast about TV to their repertoire. Well, it’s also about culture. But really, it’s about TV. The Rest is Entertainment is hosted by columnist Marina Hyde, known for her witty and incisive articles that draw thousands of readers to The Guardian every week. Her co-host is the television personality and author Richard Osmond. Together, they turn their clever minds to pop culture; from game shows to superhero movies, they ask: should you bother? Is it fun? So if you’re looking to explore more British media, or simply hear another perspective on that Taylor Swift ‘Person of the Year’ award, add this show to your rotation.
Launching January 11th, Ripple is an investigative podcast from APM Studios & Western Sound that explores the stories we were told had ended but haven’t. The first season examines the lasting effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by questioning the official narrative. How effective was the crisis response if local communities continue to suffer? In an age of recurring man-made disasters, Ripple provides essential insights into the environmental consequences of our thirst for endless energy.
Have You Heard George’s Podcast?
Another compelling British podcast to start your year. The award-winning show from George the Poet is back for a fourth season, “After Empire.” George has gathered fragments of the African and Caribbean independence struggles, including moving tales from previously unheard voices, and sets his verses over a soundtrack composed by his long-time collaborator Benbrick and the BBC Concert Orchestra in Abbey Road. In this complicated world, George the Poet will take you on a journey of strength, sacrifice — and, dare we say it, hope.
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