This week's best podcasts reveal a lot of history and promise to take listeners on an immersive exploration.
1. 1984
Streaming platform: audible
Genre: art
This adaptation of George Orwell's 1984 (published in 1984) is a truly immersive listening experience.
BAFTA Award-winning director Destiny Ecalaga (Ted Lasso, F—ing World) and Olivier Award-nominated writer Joe White (Blackout Songs, Little Big Things) , and find award-winning composers on board. Ilan Eshkeri (BBC's A Perfect World, Ghost of Tsushima), who co-created the original score with Muse's Matthew Bellamy, was very involved in how he constructed the landscape for this Audible original podcast of his. I was particular about it.
With the help of a star-studded cast, 1984 reflects the true essence of Orwell's political dystopian classic, with players living in an oppressive society ruled by Big Brother (Tom). It's a cautionary tale about Winston Smith (Andrew Garfield), a rebellious worker who keeps a forbidden diary inside. Hardy), and has an affair with his colleague Julia (Cynthia Erivo).
I will always support innovation in storytelling.
(Written by Yolante Fawehinmi)
2. Myleik Teele Podcast
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: happiness
Myleik Teele posts something on social media from time to time to remind himself and others to always believe and improve themselves. In the latest episode of her self-titled Myleik Teele podcast, Myleik tells listeners what this is like for her.
Mailek recalls feeling confident for the first time as a child, and how it became the central foundation for believing in herself as an adult. Additionally, she lists a series of affirmations and mantras, such as “You don't need to know everything” and “Have a winner's mentality,” that speak directly to how she approaches personal development.
Mailek vowed early in her career to share her journey with others. It's no wonder, then, that her podcast feels like a heartfelt hug that wakes you up from your slumber and encourages listeners to wake up and focus on what really matters.
(Written by Yolante Fawehinmi)
3. Think carefully
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: finance
How receptive are you to other opinions? Do you know how to have a healthy discussion? Friends Beno Obano and Sam Tefera, who are also co-hosts of the new podcast Think Twice, give a good idea of how to do this. This is an example.
In the first episode, they did not shy away from the big issues, ideologies and structures that affect our lives today, but decided to dedicate it to capitalism and who profits from it.
“Is the pursuit of profit morally right?” Obano asked. “No,” Tefera quickly answered. “It's out of reach of the people who made it.”
I appreciate that many of their discussions are from an ethical and moral standpoint, and I can't wait to see what Think Twice tackles next. It's a learning way to listen.
4. American Dreamer: Who is Jay Gatsby?
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: history
Narrated by Joe Nocera, this eight-part series is a literary detective story that investigates the inspiration behind Jay Gatsby, the iconic character in F. Scott's Fitzgerald's 1925 masterpiece, The Great Gatsby .
It focuses on the life of German immigrant Max Gerlach (a bootlegger, con artist, and bootlegger), long rumored to be modeled after a flawed protagonist, and inspired by the First World. Set against the backdrop of the Great War, bootlegging, cocktail parties, and the mob during Prohibition.
The book's enduring success lies in its fascinating character, the novel's namesake: Gatsby, wealthy and charismatic, but whose past is shrouded in mystery.
“He wasn't always Gatsby, and he wasn't always great,” Nocera points out. She and producer Poppy Damon sought to determine whether Fitzgerald knew about Gerlach. Was Gerlach really a German spy? His ties to organized crime, his past as a juvenile delinquent, and how he came into contact with high society.
For decades, scholars have tried to pin down Jay Gatsby's real-life inspiration – Gerlach himself approached Fitzgerald scholars in the 1950s and claimed he was the man – And there are a lot of interesting parallels in this podcast that lead us to conclude that this is what he was talking about. truth. During the follow-up, Nocera speaks with authors and experts who weigh the evidence.
This is a great story, and whether you're a fan of The Great Gatsby or not, you'll want to keep listening to learn more about the lives of Max Gerlach and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
(Written by Caroline Duggan)
Spotlight…
5. Belgrano Diary
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: history
In the spring of 1982, Britain and Argentina went to war over a group of remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, with Britain over the Falkland Islands and Argentina over the Malvinas Islands.
The Belgrano Diaries, hosted by novelist Andrew O'Hagan, is a new six-part podcast series from the London Review of Books that investigates why the Argentine ship General Belgrano sank in 1982. It is something to do.
Using the diary of Lieutenant Narendra Sethia, a naval supply officer on board the Belgrano, fundamental contradictions in the government's account of the Thatcher government were revealed.
The podcast includes input from Sethia himself (which is truly fascinating), young conscript Santiago Veloso, who is also a shipwreck survivor, and former ministers including Lord Heseltine, who was Secretary of Defense from 1983 to 1986. Interviews are also included.
(Written by Yolante Fawehinmi)
6. National Trust Podcast
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: environment and history
Covering history, nature and adventure, the National Trust podcast does a fantastic job of getting to the heart of the story while taking listeners on uplifting adventures across the UK.
The eighth installment of the series, which has won numerous accolades including the British Podcast Award, begins with an episode in which host and curator James Grasby explores the life of a mysterious 1930s gang called the Fergusons Gang.
In most cases, their exploits were watched intently by the entire nation. But if you keep listening to the well-produced episode, it becomes clear that something was wrong.
Michelle Douglas, Senior Podcast Producer at the National Trust, said: “We hope our listeners will feel like they're with us in this rich and varied place.”
“We hear personal and passionate stories in places that are special to the individual. That gives us a really rich connection and helps us bring depth to our storytelling.”
(Written by Yolante Fawehinmi)
