Pick of the Podcasts
OK, let’s talk podcasts. If you don’t know what a podcast is, I shouldn’t blame you because podcasting is still a relatively new concept. That being said, I am going to blame you anyway, because podcasts are brilliant and the exposure that they’ve received has been so unmissable that if you are someone who has missed the melee surrounding podcasts, I can only assume you browse the internet wearing a blindfold and by mashing your keyboard with your palm and hoping something good happens.
I’d like to take this opportunity to let you know which podcasts I’m currently subscribed to. I say “currently”, as the list changes often. My attention span is limited when it comes to podcasts and my tolerance of bad shows is almost non-existent. So the shows listed below are the ones that have stood the test of time and haven’t been callously deleted and as such, by default, must be pretty good.
- Best of Moyles Enhanced
I don’t know why I download the enhanced version of this podcasts as it takes longer to download and I never look at the pictures. That being said, this 30 minute weekly podcast from the BBC always gets listened to and is about as much of Moyles that I can stand per week. - Johnny Vaughan’s Capital Breakfast
The audio quality is normally appalling, but it’s a good show. Johnny Vaughan’s is a good host and seems a genuinely nice fella. - Chris Evan’s Best Bits
I like this one not only for Chris, who is one of the best radio talents in the country, but also because the show contains a lot of listener participation, which I like. - CitizenReporter.org with Bicyclemark
Mark is the citizen reporter and tries to unearth the news stories that don’t make the main news networks. His interviews and comments are always insightful and always add a different slant on world news events - Digital Flotsam
P.W. Fenton’s production values are second to none. Each show is a look back at past events in his life. His voice and ability to tell stories is incredibly inviting and the stories themselves are great. - Euronews - No Comment
I’m not really a fan of video podcasts. However, this one is fantastic. Each download contains footage from locations all over the world that are currently featuring in the news. There’s no commentary or captions. It’s just the pictures and sounds that are making the news. Each show is only a few minutes long, but is incredibly powerful. - Iain Lee Bitesize
I can’t pick up LBC on my radio, so the only way I can listen is via these ten minutes daily downloads. Iain’s interactions with his enthusiastic listeners are always hilarious. - Russell Brand
Previously on BBC 6 Music, now on BBC Radio 2, self-obsessed Russell and down-to-earth childhood friend and colleague Matt Morgan produce a great hour’s entertainment that normally takes me a week to listen to, by which time the next one’s out. This show changed my opinion of Russell. While he does talk about himself an awful lot, he clearly realises he does and allows Matt to take the mick out of him for doing so. Russell even joins in. His ability to not take himself as seriously as most people seem to think he does should change even the most avid Russell Brand hater.
As well as these shows, I also have archived podcasts from Dom Joly (love everything this guy does) and of course, the brilliant Ricky Gervais.
I hope you’ll find something worth listening to from this selection. If not, please take a look through the thousands of available programmes that are waiting to be downloaded. All of them are free and while a lot are rubbish, you’ll be sure to find something you’ll enjoy.
