Podcasts Just Don't Understand🎶
+Serial, Real Ghosts! +Just Added and Top of the Pods
Hey Poddy People,
Welcome to all the new subs! I hope you enjoy your stay here at Casa de Great Pods. There is a lot to do here. Do you have a favorite podcast at this moment? Comment below!
I’m heading to a live Lovett or Leave It show tonight at the Sirius XM Garage tonight. Tickets for that tour can be found here. Writer, producer, comedian, and podcaster, Jamie Loftus is one of the guests. More on that next week.
Let’s GOOO!!!
The Round-Up
Podcast To TV: The Girlfriends from Novel and iHeartPodcast struck a deal with the powerhouse that is A24 (Everything Everywhere All At Once, Euphoria) Read more here.
Well, Well, Well. Hot off that news, this was tweeted this morning from Novel:
If you have a story to submit, find out more here.
Friend of GP, The award-winning South Asian podcast based in the UK, Masala Podcast: The South Asian Feminist Podcast has made its US debut with a slew of US South Asian guests. Season 5 is out now.
Dr. Suess: With the recent release of The Cat In The Hat Cast, The Grinch is making his audio debut with a talk show from Wondery. ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Talk Show stars SNL cast member and comedian James Austin Johnson.
Speaking of Wondery, they are trying out some podcast channels on FreeVee (An Amazon Company), and why not? They might as well test out different verticals to see where listening can happen.
Disclosure: Today has a couple of Wondery-produced podcasts. We aren’t sponsored by them, it’s just a coincidence with timing and reviews.
A couple of new TenderfootTV podcasts are out and coming soon. The Vanishing Point (out now) and Down Range (launching next week)
If you have a podcast, The Podcast Academy’s application for The Ambie Awards nominations is closing soon. Apply here.
New York: Descript and Podstream Studios are hosting a happy hour on December 4th. RSVP here.
On Air Fest Annex is in LA next week. Tickets are available for the public days which include Paul F. Tompkins, Glynn Washington, Felicia Day, and more. Check it out here.
On to my picks this week…
Podcast: Class of ‘88
Genre: Music History
Publisher: Audible, Wondery
About: In the US, hip hop reigns as the genre that influences every aspect of our culture. From fashion to film, the dominance of this prolific sound can be traced back to one year - 1988. From Public Enemy to The Fresh Prince, these twelve months gave rise to the superstars and styles that still resonate in songs released today. Through the unique perspective and personal experiences of Will Smith, Class of ’88 reveals the milestone moments, albums and artists that inspired a sonic evolution and secured 1988 as hip hop’s most important year. Rich with archival material, new interviews with hip-hop’s biggest stars, and personal recollections from Will himself, Class of ’88 delivers fresh untold stories from the year that hip hop overcame the forces that were hell bent on blocking its rise.
This series features interviews and stories from the revolutionary Artists that impacted that year and many more afterwards, including: Queen Latifah, Jazzy Jeff, DMC, Salt-N-Pepa, Chuck D, Fab Five Freddy, Rakim, and DJ Red Alert.
To hear the Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff talk about 1988 and their breakout is such a delight. My genuine reaction to hearing Jazzy Jeff about the DJ competition in New York City, all with the archival sounds of that competition and drama, was like, “This is cool!” Then we have Run DMC and Queen Latifah microphoned up to share their stories. Will does a nice job narrating. If you’ve seen his Disney+ show, Welcome To Earth, there’s that calm narrative style he’s grown into.
Gregg Stockdale • The Podcast Geek
“From Chuck D telling the story of the Public Enemy gig at Rikers Island prison, to Will Smith’s failed attempt to woo Sandra “Pepa” Denton...The stories are as interesting as they are varied.”
Podcast: The Kids of Rutherford County
Genre: True Crime, Society
Publisher: Serial Productions, The New York Times, ProPublica, Nashville Public Radio
About: For over a decade, one Tennessee county arrested and illegally jailed hundreds, maybe thousands, of children. A four-part narrative series reveals how this came to be, the adults responsible for it, and the two lawyers, former juvenile delinquents themselves, who try to do something about it.
Did you arrest KIDS based on a THEORY? NOT LAW? You’re going to put a kid in solitary confinement that is outlawed?! Speechless. Is page-turning a thing for podcasts? Because that’s what I’m going to say. This is a page-turner.
Keelin • Mentally? A Magpie.
“Set in a courthouse with a “feudalistic feel” that had a history of over-incarceration of minors, this story is shocking. Paced and produced as you would expect…this will be heart wrenching, and infuriating, and might not even come to a resolution.”
Podcast: Ghost Story
Genre: True Crime, Horror
Publisher: Wondery, Pineapple Street Studios
About: Host Tristan Redman is a seasoned journalist who doesn’t believe in ghosts. But weird things happened in the bedroom he lived in as a teenager. When he discovers years later that subsequent occupants of the same house have been visited by the ghost of a faceless woman, he’s curious. Because it just so happens that Tristan’s childhood home is right next door to the house where his wife’s great grandmother, Naomi Dancy, was murdered in 1937 – killed by two gunshots to the face. Could there be a connection between the ghost and the murder? Tristan decides to investigate and soon finds himself going where no son-in-law should go, deep into his wife’s family history, asking questions no one wants answered.
“Did we end up married because this ghost wants me to solve a murder…” Uh. Ya! That lightheartedness coming from the first episode is something I enjoyed after hearing the description of the murder within the episode. Investigate the haunt right before Halloween.
Nicholas Quah • Vulture
“The story is a conceptual turducken: a secret family history stuffed into a murder mystery stuffed into the titular ghost story, all tied together by a deliberate annunciator with a British accent...the central narrative thrust is pretty delicious, enough to keep propelling you down the next rabbit hole.”
Is it Thanksgiving yet?
Side note: More thrilling podcasts before Halloween? Check them out here.
Ghost Story - Wondery, Pineapple Street Studios
My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin - Simon Parkin
Underwater - Interval Presents, Warner Music Group
Class of '88 with Will Smith - Wondery, Audible
The Kids of Rutherford County - Serial Productions, The New York Times
The Shell Lake Massacre - Rawlco Radio Ltd.
Young Again - BBC
Plan Cuscatlán: de las Pandillas al Bitcoin - Mantel
The Lovecraft Investigations (Series/Season 4) - BBC
Stirring it up with Andi and Miquita Oliver - OffScript
Crime Story - CBC
Keys to the Kingdom - Amanda Lund, Matt Gourley
The Laughs of Your Life with Doireann Garrihy - Doireann Garrihy
Changes with Annie Macmanus - Annie Macmanus
The Director's Cut - A DGA Podcast - Directors Guild of America
Classic Movie Musts - Classic Movie Musts
Black on Black Cinema - Black Film Reviews - TNP Studios
Groovy Movies - Groovy Movies
The Microbudget Indie Filmmakers Podcast - Zanah Thirus
'Top of the Pods' from the past week on GP
5. New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce - Wave Sports + Entertainment
4. From The Oasthouse - Audible UK
3. The Riddler: Secrets In The Dark - Spotify Podcasts
2. Case 63 - Spotify Podcasts
1. MrBallen's Medical Mysteries - Ballen Studios, Wondery (NEW)
Did I miss a professional review to be added? Submit it here.
Did you want to add YOUR podcast to the database, especially for a new podcast or season? Submit it here.
Hang in there, drink water, and take a breath!
Listening with you,
Captain Ron
Great Pods is your best friend in podcast discovery. Get immersed in engaging critic reviews and ratings to help you decide on your next podcast listen. Tell a friend!