Picks of the week
Lifers with Ed Gamble
Ed Gamble, the very middle class comedian whose jokes often hinge on him being very middle class, already hosts a very successful podcast in the form of his desert island dinners show Off Menu with James Acaster. He may well have another hit on his hands with this warm, slightly bizarre new show for Spotify about his unlikely passion for heavy metal. In its first episode, he meets Diamond Head’s Brian Tatler, a cult figure of Midlands metal who inspired to none other than Metallica. Hannah J Davies
The BBC’s podcast about the lunar landing returns for a second season with a slight change of tone as this time it focuses on the Apollo 13 mission. Its atmospheric style is perfect to capture the tension as host Kevin Fong talks to eyewitnesses, including astronaut Jim Lovell and his family. Although the mission was beset with problems from before take-off, this is no doom-filled tale, but a story of how the teams worked together to avert disaster.
Hannah Verdier
Producer pick: This American Life
Chosen by Danielle Stephens (audio producer)
One of This American Life’s claims to fame is that the podcast can make several stories that seem completely unrelated fall under an overarching umbrella of a theme you never even knew connected them.
In this week’s episode, Ira Glass starts off by telling listeners about surgical masks being sold at extortionate prices online. As someone who wanted to escape Covid-19 talk, I almost turned off. But stick with it, because the episode segues surprisingly to various stories about The Low Hum of Menace.
Act One is about a woman who, seemingly in a vulnerable position, took on a dangerous man who could ruin everything she had worked for. A grainy tape recording, a conversation with the protagonist, and a story that unfolds in truly intense ways follow. For 23 minutes at least, it proves an ideal distraction in worrying times.
Talking points
What makes someone British? Singapore-born, London-based journalist Zing Tsjeng explores national identity in a new roadtrip podcast on BBC Sounds, United Zingdom.
Why not try: Even The Rich | The Magic Ingredient | Wow in the World
