Halloween took place on Tuesday this week, but although it was a work day, many in the podcasting world still found a way to participate in this spooky celebration. OneFinePlay took the opportunity to launch a new ‘horror’ series on the dark reality of the podcasting world, where many shows unfortunately meet their untimely demise.
Other launches and recommendations from this week span across multiple genres, from politics and sports to scripted fiction and business - a mix of shows that are both entertaining and can also make you learn something new over the weekend.
What’s in the industry’s ears?
Korrie Powell - Filmmaker, BBH and Black Sheep Studios
Two Guys on Your Head is how I like to start my mornings, enjoy my afternoons, and end my nights. As someone who is constantly craving knowledge on the most random of subjects co-hosts Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss and explain in deep scientific and philosophical thought conversations ranging from grief and writer's block to bullying. The best thing about this podcast is that they are only eight minutes long so you can get through them pretty easily and feel like you sat in one of the funniest and most informative lectures of your life.
Lucy Aston - Creative director, Fold7
I’ve been enjoying Derren Brown’s Boot Camp for Emotion on Audible. His straight-talking yet somehow kooky delivery with left-field analogies brings the topics to light in a performative way, making it feel like he’s on stage in your mind, just for you. Further enhanced by layers of Dolby Atmos sound design that may be completely superfluous, yet luxuriously enjoyable.
Nic Redman - Host, Voiceover Social Podcast
How [The Blindboy Podcast] weaves his unique humour with storytelling, strong opinions and political outlook is a masterpiece. One minute he’s telling you about forgetting his trousers in work, the next he’s sharing fascinating insights into Irish folklore and then you’re hearing how he would solve the Irish housing crisis. All in his hypnotic Limerick brogue. Listen for accidental learning and pure sonic joy.
Charles Parkinson - Co-founder, Unity and Motion
Our podcast was really inspired by How I Built This with Guy Raz. They share stories of how founders built their businesses, Airbnb, Instagram, VICE etc. They often share all the extreme challenges they faced. It's comforting to listen to, if you're going through a tough moment, to feel that you’re not the only one going through it.
Dominic Nicholls - Associate defence editor, The Telegraph
I’d recommend Heavyweight by Gimlet Media as my turn-to podcast to switch off from all the noise. The warm-hearted, deeply human, occasionally tragic but always mesmerising stories that spring from everyday experiences never fail to stop me in my tracks.
Freshly Dropped
Podcast Graveyard
OneFinePlay’s Podcast Graveyard is a new twist on the horror genre, looking at the dark side of the podcasting world where shows go to die. The podcast launched its first four episodes on Halloween this week and features host James Bishop speaking to a number of creators whose podcasts have ended about what they learned along the way.
How To Win An Election
Ahead of the 2024 elections, The Times has launched a new podcast on winning and losing elections featuring three political experts - Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie, and Daniel Finklestein - and host, journalist and stand-up comedian Matt Chorley. The first episode of the podcast, titled How To Win An Election, launched on Tuesday this week and will continue to be released weekly.
Amazing Sport Stories
Former professional ice hockey player, broadcaster and Olympic medallist Cassie Campbell-Pascall is the host of a new sports podcast for BBC World Service titled Amazing Sports Stories. The series, which launched on Monday this week, is an adaption of the BBC’s Sport Insight articles featuring in-depth stories about the world of sports across multiple mini-seasons.
Underwater
Warner Music Group’s podcast division Interval Presents has released the first two episodes of its highly-anticipated neo-noir romantic thriller podcast starring singer Jason Derulo and actress Alexandra Shipp. The eight-episode series titled Underwater launched on Tuesday this week and will continue to release every week.
Down Range
Tenderfoot TV has released the first episode of its latest narrative series Down Range, which tells true stories of American special forces who dedicated their lives to their jobs over the course of 10 episodes through immersive storytelling and first-person perspectives. The podcast officially launched on Thursday this week and will continue to release weekly.
