Picks of the week
Raj!
Meera Syal and Jennifer Saunders give standout performances in Audible’s new pod drama, spoofing life in British-controlled India. Ineffectual governor Henry arrives in a rural province, “allergic to emotions”, part of an unwieldy bureaucratic structure, and unwilling to acclimatise. As well as the lines you might see coming (“can’t imagine the British ever going for Indian food!”), there is plenty you might not, in this tale of blustering Brits, and Syal’s Rajmata side-eyeing and sticking it to the man.
Hannah J Davies
GunPlot
Another tense narrative podcast from Irish national broadcaster RTÉ, whose hit series The Nobody Zone unpicked the decades-old story of a serial killer who targeted the homeless. This time around, the subject is a major political scandal which took place in Ireland in the 70s as the Troubles were mounting, with government ministers accused of importing arms into the country. There is much detail for the uninitiated to get to grips with, but it is a pod that’s well worth persevering with. HJD
Producer pick: Unearthed
Chosen by Tiffany Cassidy
I started listening to this podcast made by Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, as research while producing an age of extinction podcast episode on orchid trafficking. As the podcast quickly taught me, illegal trade is only one part of the crazy, unseen intensity of the plant world. The podcast also includes stories of plant analysis leading to criminal convictions, and the incredible medicinal properties of different flora. Kew also isn’t afraid to address its own legacy, and has an episode on the colonial history of plant collections, and the problems of inequality in horticulture today.
I understand the challenges of producing podcasts during the pandemic and appreciate that the producers were still able to create this narrative-style show. The team creatively uses sound effects and music, while telling the gripping stories of plant heists, forensics and more.
Talking points
Nashville fans assemble: a recently launched series from the US website Taste of Country explores The Secret History of Country Music, featuring tales such as the “disappearing act” of Fancy hitmaker Bobbie Gentry.
Why not try: Sound Heap | Phil Wang Hates Horror | Digging Deep with Robert Plant
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