Picks of the week
Dead musical geniuses are rich pickings with the loss of many stars in recent years, and this new podcast manages to cover their stories without exploiting them. In the first episode, hypnotic narrator Elroy “Spoonface” Powell describes Whitney Houston as “perfect” before delving into her backstory, her relationships and her very flexible rules around drugs on tour. It’s lovingly scandalous, with Powell allowing a moment of playfulness as he compares Clive Davis to Frank Butcher. Michael Hutchence, Keith Flint and Marvin Gaye feature in forthcoming episodes. Hannah Verdier
The Fault Line: Bush, Blair and Iraq
David Dimbleby traces events after 9/11 and how George W Bush and Tony Blair made the decision to go to war in Iraq, in this eight-episode podcast. It is, as Dimbleby says, the story of “two men who could have been enemies”, but instead held secret meetings without their advisers. Senior CIA officer Bill Murray failed to find so-called weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but troops invaded nevertheless. With contemporary interviews and eyewitness accounts, Dimbleby offers a particularly timely chance to examine how governments make decisions in moments of crisis. Hannah Verdier
Producer pick: Where is George Gibney?
Chosen by Max Sanderson
As the world of podcasting becomes ever more saturated and opportunities for commercial success increase, one can’t help but feel that things are becoming a little formulaic. Which is why the latest podcast from Second Captains (via BBC Sounds) is a very welcome breath of fresh air. As the name suggests, the podcast tries to track down a former Irish Olympic swimming coach, George Gibney, who was charged with 27 counts of indecent assault and unlawful carnal knowledge of young swimmers. Controversially, Gibney never stood trial and instead vanished to the US.
The series opens with a reporter, Mark Horgan, and his producer, Ciarán Cassidy, waiting in a car for a man they believe to be Gibney. From that moment on, it’s hard not to be hooked. It’s a perfect example of how the podcast effortlessly flits between past and present, meaning that the narrative never feels historical and instead benefits from hindsight. Unlike a lot of other true crime out there, the focus is skewed towards the survivors and their stories, which makes it feel a lot more valuable than some of the gore-centric entities in the genre.
Talking points
Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders have reunited for a new series of podcasts on Audible, French & Saunders Titting About. A more relaxed chat between the revered comedy duo, this is a change of pace from the sketches and film parodies for which they became famous, and includes ruminations on food and holidays, and a look back at their careers. “Titting about with Fatty is the best fun I’ve had without my incontinence pants on,” says French, while Saunders seems equally excited by the project. “I can’t imagine anything I’d rather be doing than titting about with Dawn. We both have tits after all.”
Why not try: The Frost Tapes | Unjust and Unsolved | Blindspot: The Road to 9/11
