Talking points
Last week the Guardian counted down the top 20 podcasts of the year, from scammer sagas and the most agonising agony aunts around, to Dolly Parton and Desert Island Discs for foodies. Did your favourite make the list?
Picks of the week
In Search of Black History with Bonnie Greer
Taking a fresh look at black history in a new eight-part podcast, Bonnie Greer says she wants to blindside her listeners. She does it in a calm and astute way every time, starting her investigation at the British Museum. “I look for the different arc, I look for the lost tale, the bold statement, the contrary,” she says. In early episodes, she stresses the importance of getting African archaeologists to tell their own stories and examines the life of activist Pauli Murray. Hannah Verdier
With fictional podcasts still gaining ground, the BBC has expanded the HP Lovecraft-inspired universe it began with last year’s The Case of Charles Dexter Ward – served up once again in podcast-within-a-podcast form. This time, Heawood (Barnaby Kay) and Fisher (Jana Carpenter) return as the two hosts of the Mystery Machine show, investigating the case of a missing, folklore-obsessed man in a dramatised, true crime-style thriller that’s just as good as the real thing. Hannah J Davies
Spotify’s podcast about “incredible people whose grandiose lives were matched only by their shocking deaths” combines true crime, fame and conspiracy theories. Vanessa Richardson and Carter Roy are scandalous storytellers, bringing slick production values and in-depth research to their subjects. The podcasts drop in groups of five each week, focusing on Hollywood icons, influential women and music legends. John Candy, Marilyn Monroe and James Dean are in the first batch. HV
The Dream
The first series of this podcast from This American Life alum Jane Marie was all about multi-level marketing, and the overlap with the classic, yet still popular, pyramid scheme. Season two looks at an equally nefarious trend: the increasingly commercialised wellness industry, where toxins are the enemy, HIV is instantly curable, and unproven remedies are all around. Is it an industry of unregulated scams (“Hogwash,” as Marie opines) or something to cling on to in a world of stress and uncertainty? HJD
