• Rhett and Link star in “a supernatural noir comedy set on the mean streets of LA about a 9-1-1 phone jockey.”

Wastelanders: Old Man Star-Lord (June 1)

• Quill and Rocket “discover the Earth isn’t what it used to be…when they crash land 30 years after all the world’s super villains seized control.”

Life Out Loud with LZ Granderson (June 1)

• The journalist “draws from his own lived experience as a gay, Black father to host thought-provoking, poignant and engaging conversations.”

Sound Heap (June 1)

Now & Then (June 1)

• Historians Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman “use their encyclopedic knowledge of US history to bring the past to life.”

Not Past It (June 2)

• Each week Simone Polanen “picks a moment from that week in history to explore how it shapes our world today.”

Blind Guy Travels (June 2)

• Matthew Shifrin “experiences a Marx Brothers comedy, creates an online dating profile, collaborates with LEGO to develop instructions for blind builders, and prepares for college graduation.”

After the Revolution (June 2)

• The fiction pod is “based on the new novel ‘After the Revolution’ by Robert Evans.”

Science of Grief (June 2)

• It’s “by and for young adults who are exploring their grief and mental health to share stories, science and solutions.”

That Thing I Do (June 2)

• Este Haim and Darren Criss “discuss their mutual love of music and pop culture, and take deep dives into the funny, weird quirks of successful people.”

Dark History (June 2)

• Bailey Sarian adapts her YouTube series Murder, Mystery & Makeup for Podland.

PEOPLE in the ’90s (June 3)

• PEOPLE Magazine goes back to the ’90s with “exclusive celebrity interviews, deep dives into cultural touchstones, and long overdue revisits to overlooked, overhyped, or underrated pop culture gold from the best decade ever.”

Nappy Boy Radio (June 3)

• T-Pain hosts “a fun, crazy, and in your face conversation among friends and guests of the legendary artist as he unleashes his rolodex of musicians, actors, athletes and few other ‘extracurricular’ associates he’s had the pleasure of knowing throughout his career.”

Be Antiracist with Ibram X. Kendi (June 9)

What If? The Len Bias Story (June 9)

Hawk vs Wolf (June 14)

Alive Again (June 15)

• It’s the “story of Trey Anastasio’s solo career, from the Trey Anastasio Band to The Beacon Jams and beyond.”

The Times (May 3)

• The Los Angeles Times daily pod “will take listeners beyond the headlines, with our West Coast outlook on the world.”

I Am All In (May 3)

• Scott Patterson, aka Luke from “Gilmore Girls” launches a rewatch pod of the beloved TV show.

Impostors: The Spy (May 3)

• The Spotify pod asks: Is Wayne Simmons a former CIA guy? Or is he a fraud?

Get In, Loser (May 3)

• Imari Stuart, Zach Clayton, and Tara Harris “guide us through internet drama, early 20’s indoctrination, and everyday life’s hurdles.”

A Life’s Story (May 3)

• The pod “shines a light on the lives of special octogenarians, nonagenarians, and centenarians who have done, and are still doing astonishing things.”

Mystery Mixtape (May 3)

• The music trivia podcast “gives you a five-song playlist, with each song containing a clue that will direct you toward the answer to the puzzle.”

My World with Jeff Jarrett (May 4)

• The pod follows Jarrett’s career “as an in-the ring, main-event professional wrestler, to a promoter and company owner.”

The Kelly Osbourne and Jeff Beacher Show (May 4)

Badlands (May 5)

• Jake Brennan “explores the true crimes and scandalous careers of Hollywood’s most infamous stars.”

HypochondriActor (May 5)

• Dr. Priyanka Wali and Sean Hayes “bring on a guest with an incredible medical story and discuss the outcome.”

A Total Switch Show (May 6)

• The scripted body-swap comedy pod from Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco stars Zoey Deutch and Lea Thompson.

No One is Coming to Save Us (May 6)

• The Lemonada Media pod zooms in on “America’s childcare crisis and the people crushed by it.”

Dear Chelsea (May 6)

• Chelsea Handler answers listener questions.

Either Side Eaters (May 6)

• Jen Phanomrat and Katie Quinn explore “food culture and social norms from either side of the Atlantic.”

All the Hacks (May 8)

The FADER Uncovered (May 9)

• Mark Ronson hosts “in-depth conversations with the world’s most impactful musicians.”

Pee Wee Gaskins Was Not My Friend (May 9)

• The iHeartRadio pod focuses on the story of “South Carolina’s most notorious mass murderer.”

Exit Scam (May 10)

• The true crimer tells the tale of Gerald Cotten, the founder of Canada’s biggest Bitcoin exchange, who “died under mysterious circumstances during a honeymoon trip to India.”
• The crux: “His customers were told that the $215 million they’d deposited on the exchange was lost forever — because Gerry had forgotten to leave behind his passwords. But here’s the thing: Not everyone believes he’s dead.”

The Gloom (May 10)

• The horror podcast follows an investigative journalist who “uncovers clues surrounding a decades-old cold case, where she eventually learns the horrifying truth about a systemic cover-up tied to her own past.”

Absolutely Mental (May 10)

• Ricky Gervais and Sam Harris “contemplate the wonders of science and the chaos of modern life while having many good laughs.”

We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle (May 11)

• The “Untamed” author and her sister Amanda aim to “[h]elp each other carry the hard so we can all live a little bit lighter and braver, more free and less alone.”

The Midnight Miracle (May 11)

• The pod “blends the salon and variety show traditions while providing a glimpse into the inner lives of hosts Talib Kweli, yasiin bey, and Dave Chappelle.”

Live in Love with Lauren Akins (May 11)

• The author of “Live in Love” joins Annie F. Downs and “has meaningful conversations with multiple guests around the most loved topics in the book.”

The Suburban Woman Problem (May 12)

• Rachel Vindman, Jasmine Clark, and Amanda Weinstein “chat with women across America about how politics affects their lives, their families, and how to become a part of the growing ‘suburban women problem.’”

Gates McFadden Investigates: who do you think you are? (May 12)

• The actress “hosts this light-hearted and intimate sit-down conversational series featuring close friends and former co-stars reminiscing on careers, personal life and more.”

Rush Limbaugh: The Man Behind The Golden EIB Microphone (May 12)

• Limbaugh’s “official show observer” Bo Snerdley hosts the 12-episode series.

Murder in Alliance (May 13)

• The true-crime pod investigates the 1999 murder of 26-year-old Yvonne Layne in Ohio.

NO SKIPS with Jinx and Shea (May 13)

• Shea Serrano and Brandon “Jinx” Jenkins “[c]elebrate hip-hop’s most iconic and unskippable albums.”

Here Comes The Break (May 13)

• The pod from Def Jam Recordings and Double Elvis “combines a fictional scripted narrative with real artist interviews and exclusive music releases as it explores life and music through the mind of a young creator hustling to find an audience.”

Thinking is Cool (May 16)

Distractible (May 17)

Tech Tech Boom (May 17)

• It’s “a technology review spoof show from the BBC where.. presenters review and try out absurd and sinister new innovations.”

Finding Natasha (May 18)

The Vaping Fix (May 18)

• The Wondery pod tells the “inside story of the rise of Juul and the making of a crisis.”

Alan Cumming’s Shelves (May 18)

Unaccountable (May 18)

The Delivery Room (May 18)

The Friendship Onion (May 18)

Systemic (May 19)

Bring Birds Back (May 19)

Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter (May 19)

Ridiculous Romance (May 19)

4D with Demi Lovato (May 19)

A Slight Change of Plans (May 20)

On Our Watch (May 20)

70 over 70 (May 20)

Missing On 9/11 (May 20)

Color Lines: From Phillip to Floyd (May 20)

One Click (May 20)

• Elle Fanning and Jessica Wapner investigate “how the chemical DNP (originally used for munitions and artillery shells) found its way into diet pills and bodybuilding aids on the internet.”

Endangered: Short Tales for The Nearly Forgotten (May 21)

• The pod puts a spotlight on “lesser known endangered and critically endangered species.”

Hit Different (May 23)

• Mikey Cahill, Marcus Teague, and Sose Fuamoli “talk all things music culture.”

Trading Secrets (May 24)

• Jason Tartick “breaks into the vault of secrets behind all things [m]oney and careers.”

Reasonably Shady (May 24)

• “Real Housewives of Potomac” stars Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon “team up for …conversations about being fearless women.”

Good Risings (May 24)

Humble and Hungry with Natalie Puche (May 24)

Cheat (May 24)

• The Somethin’ Else pod “tells the inside stories behind some of the biggest scandals in contemporary history and the flawed protagonists at their heart.”

The Trials of Frank Carson (May 25)

• The Los Angeles Times pod tells a “story of power, politics and the law in California’s Central Valley.”
• It’s from the makers of Dirty John.

Frank Film Club with Maisie Williams (May 25)

• It’s “[f]our women who work in film, talking about films.”

We Will Rise: National Parks and Civil Rights (May 25)

• The National Park Service pod features “Park Rangers, researchers, authors, and activists [discussing] what liberty and justice for all means on our public lands.”

Sidebar (May 25)

• The Courthouse News pod “tackles the stories you need to know from the legal world.”

A Death in Cryptoland (May 25)

• The CBC pod investigates the story of Gerald Cotten, “the young CEO of Canada’s largest cryptocurrency exchange [who] is reported to have died while honeymooning in India.”
• Exit Scam, which debuted May 10, covers the same story.

DoYouEven Influence? (May 25)

ARTchitects (May 26)

• Taj Critchlow, Director X, and Karena Evans go “inside the minds of the world’s best directors, musicians, actors, and more.”

Alligator Candy (May 26)

• The true crime “follows the mysterious 1973 disappearance of writer and producer David Kushner’s older brother, Jon, who at 11 years old biked through a suburban Florida forest to the convenience store for candy, and never returned.”

Day X (May 27)

• In the New York Times pod, “[w]hat starts with a mysterious gun in an airport bathroom and a fake refugee identity opens the door to a nationwide network of far-right extremists inside Germany’s military and police.”

The Culture (May 27)

To the Moon (May 30)

• The five-part podcast “goes inside the GameStop saga,” where investors send the video game store’s stock soaring.

Telling our Twisted Histories (May 31)

• Kaniehtiio Horn brings us together to decolonize our minds– one word, one concept, one story at a time.

Dark Air with Terry Carnation (April 1)

• Rainn Wilson stars in a “fictional darkly comedic podcast that explores the on and off-air life of Terry Carnation – a late-night talk-radio show host who deals with bizarre topics, outrageous callers.”

The Sketch Factor (April 1)

• The scripted sketch comedy podcast series stars Fred Armisen.

Crushed (April 1)

• Joan Niesen revisit’s baseball’s “steroid era to untangle the truth from its many myths and search for answers.”

A.I. Nation (April 1)

• The WHYY and Princeton University pod “reveals how artificial intelligence is operating in the background, and sometimes foreground, of every major story, trend, and event in our modern lives.”

There She Goes (April 1)

• The pod features “travel stories told by the women who wrote them.”

Retire Sooner with Wes Moss (April 1)

The Impromptu Game Pla‪n‬ (April 1)

Good Assassins: Hunting the Butcher (April 2)

• Stephen Talty tells the “untold story of an Israeli spy’s epic journey to bring a savage Nazi murderer to justice.”

Strange and Unexplained with Daisy Eagan (April 2)

• It promises “a journey into the uncomfortable and the unknowable that will leave you both laughing and sleeping with the lights on.”

Ja’miezin‪g‬ (April 3)

The Case (April 5)

• Barstool Sports’ first ever true crime podcast focuses on the 1989 disappearance of 16-year-old Jennifer Fay in Brockton, Massachusetts.

New York, New York with John Jastremski (April 5)

• The New York sports talk host “gives his unique take on all the big stories in the Big Apple and beyond including interesting guest conversations, gambling picks and reactions from you, the listener.”

Money Rehab (April 5)

• Nicole Lapin “is here to rehab your wallet, so you can get your financial life together once and for all.”

Soul of a Nation: Tulsa’s Buried Truth (April 6)

• The ABC pod covers “one of the most violent attacks in American history,” when “an angry white mob descended upon a thriving community known as Black Wall Street” in 1921.

The Line (April 6)

• The pod explores “the impact of the forever wars on the U.S. Navy SEALs through the lens of the Eddie Gallagher case.”

Shattered: Hope, Heartbreak and the New York Knicks (April 6)

• Chuck D. hosts the eight-part podcast series about “the Knicks’ past 20 years of chaos and controversy under team owner James Dolan.”

The Jim Brockmire Podcast (April 7)

• Drunken baseball disgrace Jim Brockmire — played by Hank Azaria — and his cohost Sheena Datt “will urinate all over every sports cathedral.”

Crazy Stupid Fangirl‪s‬ (April 7)

• Elle Mills and Michelle Platti “chat about their crazy fangirl stories, debate on pop culture topics, discuss current pop culture events, and chat with some exciting guests from the industry.”

Bear Grease (April 7)

• Clay Newcomb “delivers compelling storytelling through documentary-style episodes exploring the culture, traditions, and history of rural America.”

Unascertained (April 7)

Lightning Bugs: Conversations with Ben Folds (April 8)

• The musician will be “celebrating and commiserating with some of the world’s foremost creatives about their endlessly various artistic processes.”

Never Surrender (April 8)

• Jack Herrguth and Stephen Kramer Glickman “sit down with the most successful people in entertainment and hear about their greatest setbacks and failures.”

After Trump (April 8)

• Virginia Heffernan, Jack Goldsmith, and Bob Bauer “outline their proposal of reform to our government in the fallout of the Trump Administration.”

Vanishing Postcards (April 8)

Brixton: Flames on the Frontline (April 9)

Table Flipping (April 9)

• Taylor Misiak and writer Alyssa Litman investigate “the way women are portrayed on reality TV and gush about the characters, fashion choices and iconic blowups that occupy (probably) too much space in our brains.”

Found (April 9)

• The TechCrunch pod is “about founders, and company-building, featuring people actually doing the work.”

Wanna Be on Top? (April 12)

• Shea Couleé breaks down “the critically beloved, culturally essential, and massively popular world of America’s Next Top Model.”

GOATS: On the Bump (April 12)

• Major League Baseball pitcher Ross Stripling “gathers up current pitchers from around the league to discuss pitchers from the past, and how the game of baseball has changed.”

Sudhir Breaks the Internet (April 12)

• Columbia University sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh interviews “the people who are building and running the digital world, and those who are using it in a signal way, digging deep into their motivations and challenging their priorities.”
• It’s a Freaknomics pod.

Internet Urban Legends (April 13)

• Loey Lane and Snitchery “bring you the freakiest stories from across the web, spinning each episode with the clues, conspiracies, and conundrums that make internet urban legends so mesmerizing.”

The Improvement Association (April 13)

• In the latest from the makers of Serial, Zoe Chace “travels to Bladen County, N.C., to investigate the power of election fraud allegations — even when they’re not substantiated.”

Secret Sauce (April 13)

• The Wondery pod asks: “How do certain companies succeed where others have failed?”

Killer Role (April 13)

• The NBC Dateline pod goes like this: “An actress playing a killer in a horror film is so good, you’d almost think she’d done it in real life. Turns out she had.”

Stay Away from Matthew Magill (April 13)

• Matthew MaGill died and “left behind a box filled with the artifacts of an incredible life.” When Eric Mennel comes upon the box he goes “on a five-year search to understand the truth about its owner.”

Death of a Film Star (April 13)

• The pod will “delve into the stories of incredible stars whose performances moved us, and whose work and legacies live on in generations of fans.”

In Fact with Chelsea Clinto‪n‬ (April 13)

• She “sits down with experts, activists and a few surprising guests who share Chelsea’s passion for science, evidence and yes, facts.”

Mission: Commissio‪n‬ (April 13)

• Three composers — Marcos Balter, Courtney Bryan, and Augusta Read Thomas — “talk about their creative journey.”

American Prodigy: The Kid (April 13)

Howie Mandel Does Stuff (April 13)

• The comedian “infiltrates the podcasting space with his cohost (and daughter!) Jackelyn Shultz.”

Bachelors in the City (April 14)

The Cost of Care (April 15)

• David Smith dives deep into “how we ended up with one of the most expensive, worst-performing health care systems in the world and provide[s] solutions on how to fix it.”

Trail Weigh‪t‬ (April 15)

The Universal Title – Muhammad Ali’s Spiritual Journey (April 16)

• The six-episode special follows “Muhammad Ali’s spiritual journey from Christianity to Islam.”

Everyday Drinking (April 19)

The Lazarus Heist (April 19)

• The BBC pod tells the story of the Sony hack allegedly committed by North Korea.

Under the Hood (April 19)

• Robinhood CEO and co-founder Vlad Tenev looks under “the hood on the world of investing—one conversation at a time.

In God We Lust (April 20)

• Wondery’s six-part series focuses on “the pool boy” scandal involving Jerry Falwell Jr.

Beautiful Garbage (April 20)

• The Osiris Media pod “traces the development of punk rock from American garages and bars to England and back in the mid-to-late 1970s.”

Snacks (April 20)

• USWNT teammates Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams cover “life, soccer, and everything in between,” offering “unprecedented insight into two of soccer’s biggest stars.”

Works for Us with Rachel Zoe and Rodger Berman (April 20)

• The couple “will celebrate the chaos of working together, raising kids together, and maintaining a happy marriage by sharing with listeners what works for them…and what doesn’t.”

Good Inside with Dr. Becky (April 20)

• The clinical psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy “takes on tough parenting questions and delivers actionable guidance—all in under 30-minute episodes.”

Roaring Earth (April 20)

Slow Burn: The Road to the Iraq War (April 21)

• The fifth season of Slate’s Slow Burn “explores the people and ideas that propelled the country into the Iraq War, and the institutions that failed to stop it.”
• Noreen Malone hosts.

The Perimeter with Adam Morrison (April 21)

Behind the Desk: The Story of Late Night (April 22)

• Bill Carter “takes us on a journey through late night television’s most memorable moments with first-hand, behind-the-scenes accounts from some of the most notable names in late night history.”

Galaxy Brains (April 22)

• Dave Schilling and Jonah Ray “answer the questions raised by the movies or TV shows everyone is talking about, then ask a few more.”

Dear Gabby (April 26)

• Gabby Bernstein “offers up real-time coaching, straight talk and BIG LOVE.”

Lipstick on the Rim (April 26)

• Molly Sims and Emese Gormley talk to health and beauty experts and their industry friends to “get the scoop on the latest trends, which products and procedures to try, and which to run from.”

May I Elaborate? Daily Wisdom from JB Smoove (April 26)

• Each day JB Smoove “reads a new quote from an inspirational calendar to try and squeeze even more wisdom and motivation out of it.”

Shipworm (April 26)

• In the fiction pod, “Wallace Conway wakes up to find he’s been implanted with an untraceable earpiece while sleeping. So long as he does everything the voice on the other end tells him, he and his family will live.”

Did I Ever Tell You The One About… (April 26)

• Big Daddy Kane and MC Serch take a “deep dive into the lives of your favorite artists told by the artists, family, friends, and other artists.”

British Scandal (April 27)

• The Wonder pod tells “the stories of the murkier side of the British elite, from Phone Hacking to Saville to Profumo who show us the reality of power, the price of pride and the failings of the great and good.”

Camp Hell: Anneewakee (April 27)

• The true crime pod focuses on abuses that took place at the Anneewakee Treatment Center for Emotionally Disturbed Youth in Douglasville, Georgia.

Always Hungry (April 27)

• Bobby Flay and his daughter Sophie “cook meals, walk through recipes, chat at the dinner table, and share their perspectives on life, family and food.”

Welcome to the OC, Bitches! (April 27)

• Another rewatch pod! Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke “take you back to a particular episode, share behind-the-scenes scoop, and interview guests who were part of the OC experience.”

Life Jolt (April 27)

• The CBC pod “examines the lives of women navigating Canada’s correctional system.”

Hi Jinks! (April 28)

• Winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Jinkx Monsoon “brings her unique brand of talk to the podcast airwaves through thoughtful, hilarious, and even probing conversations with your favorite celebrities, comedians, and artists.”

Fate of Fact (April 28)

• Jon Meacham explores “the question of how fear conquered truth, the history and origins of the strong grip misinformation and disinformation have on our politics, and how we got here today.”

The Deep Dive with Jessica St. Clair and June Diane Raphael (April 28)

• The hosts “take a ‘deep dive’ into a wide range of topics such as, motherhood and family, to feminism, Meghan Markle, sh*t they put on their faces, and whether or not to buy a crystal because it’s on sale.”

In Plain Sight: Lady Bird Johnson (March 1)

• The ABC pod “reveals how one vastly underestimated woman navigated the politics and polarization of her era to become one of the most influential members of the Johnson administration, even if we never knew it.”

Stolen: The Search for Jermain (March 1)

• The true-crime pod from Gimlet focuses on “a young Indigenous mother named Jermain Charlo [who] left a bar in Missoula, Montana, and was never seen again.”

Money Confidential (March 1)

• Stefanie O’Connell Rodriguez hosts “real conversations about money—with solutions that actually work.”

The Real Question (March 1)

• Vanessa Zoltan and Casper ter Kuile address “life’s questions through a surprising mix of pop culture and academic insight.”

21st Century Football (March 1)

• It “celebrates the best of the world’s most beautiful game, but only if it happened after the year 2000.”

Yeah No, I’m Not Okay (March 1)

• Diane Guerrero hosts a mental health podcast that “will explore issues that youth face all over the world (addiction, depression, anxiety, suicide, radical self love, and much much more) through conversations with friends, colleagues, activists, artists and health care professionals.”

The Chris Rose Rotation (March 1)

• The former host of MLB Network’s “Intentional Talk” sits with “Trevor May, Steven Brault, Miguel Rojas, Tyler Glasnow, Lucas Giolito and Archie Bradley discussing everything that is happening across Major League Baseball and what they are getting into off the field.”

My Warped Life (March 1)

• Founder of the Vans Warped Tour Kevin Lyman “shares the untold stories, backstage shenanigans, and narrowly-avoided disasters of the world’s longest running punk rock festival.”

A Little Bit Culty (March 1)

• Sarah Edmondson and Anthony Ames “talk about things that are…a little bit culty.”

OMG Hi! (March 1)

• George Lopez’s pod features “surprise celebrity guests, listener call-ins, stories of George’s haunted house, hot takes, and more.”

Spinsters (March 2)

• Haley O’Shaughnessy and Jordan Ligons cover “the NBA with candid conversations, featured interviews, and original storytelling.”

Good Sex (March 2)

• The Lemonada Media pod offers “first-person takes on everything you’ve thought about but never asked.”

Don’t Tell My Mother (March 2)

• The pod asks “icons from TV, sports, music and comedy tell true stories they’d NEVER want their moms to know.”

MAKE COOL SH!T (March 2)

• The “hilarious non-fiction podcast captures all the grit and nuance of filmmaking in the modern age.”

MODASUCKA (March 2)

Astray (March 3)

• The iHeart true crime pod “investigates those who pay the ultimate cost in search of spiritual awakening.”

The Followers: House of Prayer (Mar. 3)

• Leila Day and Beth Karas report on “a year-long investigation into a cult, the disappearance of a child and a murder.”

Tom Morello’s Maximum Firepower (March 3)

• The former Rage Against the Machine guitarist speaks about “the music, the moments, and the movements that have shaped [his] worldview and left an indelible mark on him as an artist and activist.”

Double Date with Marlo Thomas & Phil Donahu‪e‬ (March 3)

• Eavesdrop as the long-standing couple “visit the homes of famous long-marrieds for intimate conversations about enduring love and all its challenges: family, career, conflict, addiction, illness, jealousy — everything that binds couples together or can break them apart.”

Simplified (March 4)

• Emily Ley “shares stories and tips that’ll empower you to simplify your home, work, and everything in between.”

The Bianca Del Rio Podcast (March 4)

• She “cackles through an uncensored dialogue with people that matter…but do they matter?”

I Love a Lifetime Movi‪e‬ (March 4)

• Comedians Naomi Ekperigin and Megan Gailey “recap a different Lifetime movie beat-by-beat” each episode.

The WorkSmart Podcast With Morgan DeBau‪n‬ (March 4)

• DeBaun “takes you inside real-life advising sessions and behind-the-scenes interviews with CEOs talking about how they overcame challenges and grew as business owners.”

Just Getting Started with Rich Eisen (March 5)

Again From the Top (March 8)

• Brendon Stimson and Jack Sippel “offer goofy banter and behind the scenes stories featuring special guests who have created some of Broadway’s biggest hits.”

Deeply Huma‪n‬ (March 8)

• In the BBC World Service and American Public Media coproduction, Dessa “takes a deeply personal look at what lies behind our thoughts and behavior.”

Unexplainable (March 10)

• The Vox pod looks at “the most fascinating unanswered questions in science and the mind-bending ways scientists are trying to answer them. Noam Hassenfeld hosts.

Modern Finance (March 10)

• Kevin Rose “interviews experts and the entrepreneurs building modern finance tools.”

Spout Podcas‪t‬ (March 10)

• Here’s where “famous people spout off about more than they’re famous for.”

Learning Lots (March 11)

• Brie Larson and Jessie Ennis talk about “pop-culture, trending topics, and some of life’s deepest questions.”

The Rock Podcast with Denny Somac‪h‬ (March 11)

• The rock historian curates “the greatest stories of rock from the artists themselves – in their own voices.”
• First episode: John Bonham.

Spotify: A Product Story (March 11)

• The Spotify pod about itself offers “a glimpse into the decisions that have guided Spotify’s product evolution.”

The Atlas Obscura Podcast (March 15)

• It’s an “audio guide to the world’s strange, incredible, and wondrous places.”

LPN Deep Dives: Dunecast (March 15)

• It’s “a 12-part weekly journey down the sandy wormhole of Frank Herbert’s beloved Sci Fi masterpiece.”

Burners and Basketball‪‬ (March 15)

• The pod focuses on “the week’s hot NBA topics, both on and off the court.”

Daily Wager (March 15)

• It’s the “companion podcast to ESPN’s television show of the same name.”

Takelin‪e‬ (March 16)

• Jason Concepcion and Renee Montgomery offer “a fast-paced exploration of the NBA and world of sports and culture” for Crooked Media.

Lost Hills (March 16)

• Pushkin’s eight-part series hosted by Dana Goodyear focuses on the 2018 murder of scientist Tristan Beaudette in California’s Malibu Creek State Park.

The Rex Chapman Show (March 16)

• The former NBA player hosts an interview show with actor Josh Hopkins.

The Ringer-Verse (March 16)

• The Ringer pod covers “all things superheroes and nerd culture entertainment.”

The Doodler (March 16)

• The true-crime pod from the San Francisco Chronicle chars “the search to unveil the infamous serial killer who terrorized San Francisco’s LGBTQ community in the 1970s.”

Murf Meyer is Self-Medicated (March 16)

• The comedian aims to “lift the stigma surrounding people who use drugs, help minimize the negative consequences associated with America’s punitive drug policies, and offer affected communities a little light at the end of the tunnel.”

Adulting with Teala & Nia (March 17)

• The two friends “confess how they’re really handling adulthood, sharing stories of what they’re learning, who they’re leaning on, and how they’re getting it right… or not.”

I Hate Myself (March 17)

• Fall Out Boy co-founder Joe Trohman talks to “celebrities, creators, and other ‘successful-types,’ discussing how mental health has impacted their lives.”

MANslaughter (March 17)

• The Wondery pod “tells intertwining stories about how one gunshot on a cold Wisconsin night in 1970 dramatically changed multiple lives.”

Danger Close with Jack Carr (March 17)

• The author “takes fans beyond the books with conversations from real-life warriors, tactical experts and fellow writers about the world of the Terminal List, real conflicts, gear and a ton more.”

Soft Voice (March 17)

• The QCODE dark comedy follows a 25-year-old estate agent who hears a voice inside her head. Then the voice disappears

Some Place Under Neith (March 17)

• Natalie Jean and Amber Nelson take “a deep-dive exploration into cases of missing women.”

Roy’s Job Fair (March 17)

• The comedian “explores the human condition every week through the prism of employment.”

Operation Midnight Climax (March 17)

Pass the Peas with Panama Jackson (March 20)

• The co-founder of VerySmartBrothas.com “shares stories, discusses pop culture and engages in conversations about culture with a who’s who of folks.”

Before the Brea‪k‬ (March 22)

• Tommy Beardmore and Adam DeCarlo sit down with working actors to “discuss the ups, the downs, the trials, and tribulations of the journey that led them to their big break.”

Strongma‪n‬ (March 22)

• Hind Hassan hosts a “series of intimate narratives from across the globe, about power and control.” It’s from Vice.

The Truth with Lisa Boothe (March 22)

Naked with Cari Champion (March 22)

• The pod asks sports personalities about the “life-altering circumstances and events that helped shape” them.

Mission: Interplanetar‪y‬ (March 23)

• Astronaut Cady Coleman and scientist/author Andrew Maynard “explore the unique visions of those working to take us to new worlds.”

Residents of Proserpina Park (March 23)

The Matador Revisionist History Podcast (March 24)

• The indie record label’s pod features its artists talking about their work.

ICYMI (March 24)

• Madison Malone Kircher and Rachelle Hampton “gaze deep into the online abyss—and tell you what’s gazing back.” It’s a Slate podcast.

Minnie Questions with Minnie Drive‪r‬ (March 24)

• The actor “asks trailblazers across disciplines the same seven mini questions, but the truths that they uncover are hardly small.”

Fever Dreams (March 24)

• The Daily Beast looks at “the right’s push to retake power, from the conspiracy-slingers to the MAGA acolytes to the straight-up grifters.”

Politics of Foo‪d‬ (March 24)

• It’s a look “into the intentional politicization, economics and community impact of food on a global scale.”

In Front of Our Eyes (March 24)

• Minnesota Public Radio covers the trial of the killer of George Floyd.

Nosy Neighbors (March 25)

• Chinedu Unaka and Candice Thompson “highlight the wildest neighbor stories of the week.”

Climbing Gold (March 26)

Spy Affair (March 28)

Relative Fiction (March 29)

Bad Vibes (March 29)

O.C. Swingers (March 29)

• Justine Harman “pulls back the curtain on one of the most sordid sex crimes cases in Orange County history.”

Zombiemum (March 29)

Depresh Mode (March 29)

• John Moe hosts “[h]onest, humane, and even funny conversations about common mental disorders like depression, anxiety, addiction, OCD, PTSD and more.”

My Fugitive (March 30)

News Items Podcast with John Ellis (March 30)

COVID-19 Immunity in Our Community (March 31)

Death at the Wing (March 31)

• Adam McKay “examines the shocking number of promising basketball stars who lost their lives in the 80’s and early 90’s.”

The Crisis (March 31)

PEOPLE Every Day (Feb. 1)

• People magazine’s Janine Rubenstein “[takes] you inside our newsroom each weekday for the latest in news, entertainment, lifestyle, and pop culture.”

Radical Musings with Rosanna Arquett‪e‬ (Feb. 1)

• She hosts “intimate chats and insightful interviews with today’s newsmakers of politics, entertainment and social justice.”

Brass Taxes (Feb. 1)

• Nick Turner conducts “conversations about work and money with artists, freelancers and other nice people.”

Criminal Couples (Feb. 1)

• The Spotify exclusive covers “[h]istory’s most infamous couples.”

Band of Mothers (Feb. 2)

• Shayna Ferm and Tracey Tee “explore women’s lifestyle subjects and expert opinions, oftentimes with compelling guests, and always with honest, raw, charmingly irreverent conversations and hilarious games.”

Flutie FlakesCast (Feb. 2)

• Former football player Doug Flutie’s SiriusXM pod will “cover the full range of his passions, including music, baseball, and even surfing.”

The Paula Faris Podcast (Feb. 2)

• The former co-anchor of “Good Morning America” weekend edition launches “a weekly podcast that will champion you to be your best self.”

Your Hometown (Feb. 2)

• Kevin M. Burke aims “to discover where we’re from and when we’re from and how that unique crossroads in our coming of age years shapes us forever. One guest. One interview. One hometown at a time.”

Undermine (Feb. 3)

• Osiris Media will combine three podcasts into a weekly show that “will excavate the deep history” of Phish.

In Focus (Feb. 3)

• Photographer David Yarrow “invites you to follow the stories behind the shots.”

Don’t Call Me Resilient (Feb. 3)

• Vinita Srivastava “takes you deep into conversations with scholars and activists who view the world through an anti-racist lens.”

Politicology (Feb. 3)

• Former Lincoln Project podcast host “hosts academics, behavioral economists, social psychologists, politicos, philosophers, anthropologists, journalists, poets, and storytellers—and more—to discuss America’s political present and future and dive into the deeper problems we face as a nation.”

Duchess (Feb. 3)

• The Duchess of Rutland “explores the historic homes of Great Britain, and meets the inspiring women who lead them today.”

Under the Influence (Feb. 4)

• Jo Piazza hosts “a deep dive into the Mom Internet, a place haunted by aspirational marketing where it feels like every other mom is a social media influencer.”

Why Am I Telling You This? (Feb. 4)

• Former President Bill Clinton talks to “some of the most fascinating people of our time—to explore where we’ve been, but more importantly, where we’re going.

The Food That Built America‬ (Feb. 4)

• The pod “tells the extraordinary true stories of industry titans like Henry Heinz, Milton Hershey, the Kellogg brothers and Ray Kroc, who revolutionized the food industry and transformed American life and culture in the process.”

The Experiment (Feb. 4)

• The Atlantic and WNYC Studios team to “examine the myths and ideas at the heart of the American experiment and the way powerful forces of history collide with our everyday lives.” Julia Longoria hosts.

The Laverne Cox Show (Feb. 4)

• The actress hosts “intimate conversations with folks who help me to see and think differently so that maybe I can act differently.”

Black Girl Songbook (Feb. 4)

• Author and former Vibe editor-in-chief Danyel Smith “celebrates and uplifts the talents of Black women in the music industry.”

Cancel Me, Daddy (Feb. 4)

• Katelyn Burns and Oliver-Ash Kleine address “cancel culture” and “censorship” for what they believe it is: “a grift.”

Divided by Design (Feb. 5)

• In a seven-part series, Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu “breaks down how we are divided by design.”

This is Good For You (Feb. 5)

• Nichole Perkins “explores something that people love—whether it’s needlepoint, watching bad movies with friends, or cowgirl exercise classes—and asks experts and devotees why it makes them happy.”

Chris Distefano Presents: Chrissy Chao‪s‬ (Feb. 2)

• The comedian “will be dragging you into CHAOS!”

Curious Questions with Ricky Williams (Feb. 2)

• The former NFL running back “discusses astrology, sports, and the benefits of medical marijuana with a special guest every week.”

Suave (Feb. 8)

• It’s about “juveniles sentenced to die in prison told through one man’s journey”: David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez, who was 17-years-old when he was found guilty of first-degree homicide.

The Washies (Feb. 8)

• In the fiction pod, “a TV producer finds and promotes five millennials who happen to be direct descendants of George Washington. The three women and two men participate in a reality TV show that catapults them to both fame and infamy.”

Dead Writer Drama (Feb. 8)

• Jennifer Keishin Armstrong and Zakiya Dalila Harris “discuss the professional feuds, sex scandals, messy public breakups, and controversial legacies of history’s literary legends.”

Third Degree (Feb. 8)

• Elie Honig “gives you everything you need to know about the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.”

The Office Deep Dive with Brian Baumgartner (Feb. 9)

• Brian Baumgartner is releasing the “full-length, in-depth conversations” that fueled his other “The Office” podcast, “An Oral History of The Office.”

Tomorrow’s Monsters (Feb. 9)

• John Boyega “stars as Jack Locke, a mysterious conman with a vendetta who infiltrates NextCorp, a Silicon Valley body hacking startup run by enigmatic CEO Max Fuller, played by Emmy winner Darren Criss.”

Good Words with Kirk Frankli‪n‬ (Feb. 9)

• Franklin “welcomes people from every cross section of life seeking inspiration and empowerment.”

Naked Stranger Podcas‪t‬ (Feb. 9)

• The pod features an interview with a stranger with “only two rules: We know absolutely nothing about them before they come on and they agree no question off limits.”

Sideways (Feb. 10)

• In the BBC pod, Matthew Syed “explores the ideas that shape our lives with stories of seeing the world differently.”

The Table is Ours (Feb. 10)

• Kirby Dixon and Amira Lewally look at “how Black identity has informed, empowered and fortified the lives and careers of our Black faves.”

Welcome to Your Fantasy (Feb. 10)

• The Gimlet and Pineapple Street Studios pod chronicles “the dark and sordid history of global phenomenon Chippendales.
• Historian Natalia Petrzela hosts.

The Table is Ours (Feb. 10)

• Kirby Dixon and Amira Lewally focus on “how Black identity has informed, empowered and fortified the lives and careers of our Black faves.”

Spectacle (Feb. 10)

• Mariah Smith “dissects the history of [reality television] one show at a time, revealing how it’s shaped our culture and how our culture shaped it.”

Bandsplain (Feb. 11)

• Yasi Salek “invites experts to explain cult bands and iconic artists—and why people love them—using a curated playlist to help you understand the hype.”

The Panic Years (Feb. 11)

• Nell Frizzell “talks to some of her favourite people about The Panic Years – the period between carelessness and matching crockery, between your friends passing out on the dancefloor and those same people becoming parents.”

Judas and the Black Messiah Podcas‪t‬ (Feb. 12)

• The pod dives into “the true story behind the events portrayed in the new film Judas and the Black Messiah.”

Tame Impala – The Slow Rush: A Deep Dive with Kevin Parker (Feb. 14)

• The Tame Impala leader analyzes the songs from “The Slow Rush” album.

The Lavender Tavern (Feb. 14)

• It’s a series of original gay fairytales.

Rootsland (Feb. 15)

• The Consequence of Sound series “explores the story of two friends who take a musical and spiritual journey from the suburbs of Long Island to the streets of Kingston, Jamaica.”

Counterjam (Feb. 15)

• Peter Kim hosts “an auditory feast of songs and interviews with musicians, chefs, and celebrities.”

The Jab (Feb. 15)

• The Economist pod “unlocks the science, data and politics behind the most ambitious inoculation programme the world has ever seen.”

That New Mom Life (Feb. 16)

• The Parents Magazine podcast “is here to hold your hand through those first bleary-eyed, isolating months of parenthood, when you’re not even sure what day it is.”

New York Gritty (Feb. 16)

• Steve Kastenbaum “explores the resiliency of New Yorkers in a time of crisis.”

Mommy Doomsday (Feb. 16)

• Dateline NBC true crimer covers the “disappearance of two of Lori Vallow’s children in Rexburg, Idaho in September 2019,” a crime that “would expose a bizarre trail of death, devotion and Doomsday beliefs that captivated the nation.”

Nurture vs. Nurture (Feb. 16)

• Each week Dr. Wendy Mogel “sits down with a different set of parents for a therapy session.”
• It’s from the producers of Armchair Expert.

Blood Bath (Feb. 16)

• The comedy pod’s hosted by Annie Lederman, Esther Povitsky and Khalyla Kuhn.

The Opportunist (Feb. 16)

• The true crimer “tells true stories of regular people who turn sinister simply by being opportunistic.”

Not Over It (Feb. 16)

• POPSUGAR’s Becky Kirsch and Zareen Siddiqui “break down the biggest moments in celebrity and entertainment news, providing the kind of in-depth analysis, banter, and theories that take over your group texts and happy-hour conversations.”

1 in ‪5‬ (Feb. 16)

• The Ascend at Aspen Institute pod features “profiles of outstanding individuals among the 22% of college students who are also parents.”

The Artist and The Athlete (Feb. 16)

• Lindsay Czarniak “pairs an iconic sports figure alongside a renowned musician for an intimate, wide-ranging conversation that explores their path to success, their process, and their passions when away from the big stage.”

Calm Down with Erin and Charissa (Feb. 17)

• Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson are “all about the conversations you would have with your friends when you think others aren’t listening.”

Unsolved Mysteries (Feb. 17)

• It’s the “the official Unsolved Mysteries podcast from the original creators of the iconic television series.”

Duet (Feb. 18)

• Two musicians “take turns sharing the tracks that have shaped them — and the memories behind the music.”

You Heard Me Write (Feb. 18)

• The podcast “features artists collaborating on a multi-media group project without having any knowledge about the identities of their counterparts.”

For All Mankind (Feb. 18)

• The companion pod to the Apple TV+ series talks to “space experts and former astronauts about what really goes down beyond our atmosphere.”

Reparations: The Big Payback (Feb. 18)

• Erika Alexander and Whitney Dow “explore the argument for and against the controversial topic of reparations for Black Americans.

Things You Don’t Need to Know (Feb. 18)

• Ari Cagan, “self-taught ambassador of useless information,” shares information about defusing a bomb and other topics you don’t really need to know.

Black Cowboys (Feb. 18)

• The pod puts a spotlight on Black cowboys, whose stories “tell a bigger, braver, more honest history of America.”

Say My Mem‪e‬ (Feb. 19)

• The pod “literally describes the world’s most #relevant memes, bringing the blind and sighted people together through laughter and the power of visual description.”

Girl, I Guess (Jan. 21)

• Karen Civil and Ming Lee talk “business, love, life and everything in between.”

Ian Wright’s Everyday People (Feb. 22)

• In each episode the host “meets someone with an incredible story of bravery, resilience or transformation.”

Renegades: Born in the USA (Feb. 22)

• President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen talk “about their lives, music, and enduring love of America—despite all its challenges.”

Your Magic (Feb. 22)

• Michelle Tea “explores mystical notions with humor and heart — inviting you to tap into intuition with tarot readings, celebrity interviews and forays into contemporary spiritual practices from around the world.”

This is Paris (Feb. 22)

• Paris Hilton “speaks candidly with her friends and family, the hottest in movies, music, and television, innovators, creators, newsmakers, and icons.”

The Gargle (Feb. 22)

• The makers of The Bugle take “a sideways glance at the nonsense contained within the culture, celebrity, tech, science and advice sections of the news.” Alice Fraser hosts.

If/Then (Feb. 23)

• Actors Gillian Jacobs and Diona Reasonover “step off set to go on tangents with real-life astronauts, astrophysicists, science artists, mathematician-types and other really smart people that investigate what seems impossible.”

Against the Odds (Feb. 23)

• Mike Corey and Cassie De Pecol “share thrilling stories of survival” in the Wondery pod.

Not Another Parenting Podcas‪t‬ (Feb. 23)

• Sarah McGilvray and Cathrine Mahoney offer “a safe place for any parent who gets to the end of the week thinking ‘How did I keep my children alive?’”

Macrodosing (Feb. 23)

• For Barstool, Arian Foster and PFT Commenter “explore conspiracies, conundrums, and the dark corners of the deep web.”

Marc & Heidi – The Other D’Amelio‪s‬ (Feb. 23)

• The parents of Dixie and Charli D’Amelio “share it all; from life before fame, to how they got here and the exciting adventures yet to come.”

Unwanted (Feb. 23)

• In the comedy fiction pod from QCODE, “two slackers… attempt to catch an escaped convicted murderer.”

Telling Storie‪s‬ (Feb. 23)

• Phoebe McIndoe and Redzi Bernard “speak with a well-known storyteller to receive their golden insights and advice.”

Cold Case Crime Cut‪s‬ (Feb. 23)

• The comedy pod “delves into some of the coldest, truest crimes ever committed, using a brand new, unique investigative technique known as a ‘podcast.’”

La Brega (Feb. 24)

• The series of stories about the Puerto Rican experience dropped all seven episodes at once.

Bridgerton: The Official Podcast (Feb. 25)

• The official pod will “gossip about how the show was created and have conversations around Bridgerton’s storyline, music, the costumes and sets, the historical context of the era and so much more.”

Vegan Life Magazine Podcast (Feb. 25)

• Jake Yapp and guests talk vegan turkey and vegetables, among other things

Desafíos Globales (Feb. 26)

A Word … With Jason Johnson (Feb. 26)

• Slate’s new pod promises “REAL conversations about race—ones that shine a light on the facts, the history, and the reality of how race plays out in our politics and society.”

See more: March 2021 podcasts and beyond.

Clearly it’s time for a newsletter dedicated to music-related podcasts. Every week I’ll curate musical deep dives, artist guest appearances and interviews, new podcasts on the scene and other musical podcast goodness. Please subscribe and tell your friends.

Other things of interest to podcasters this week: Murder, God, Tom Cruise, grandmothers, and “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”

The counts: 41 notable guests, 19 new podcasts, four deep dives and one spinoff newsletter. Subscribe to my music-related podcasts spin-off that launches tomorrow.

Pod Take of the Week

“They hang out in chat rooms and they call themselves things like sveltepants and protomoleucular. We don’t know who they are. They could be chipmunks, for all we know.”

Listen: The Indicator from Planet Money: GameStop and the Short Squeeze (6:13)

• That’s Paddy Hirsch, who, like a lot of people this week, is just trying to figure out what the hell’s going on with the rocketing GameStop stock and the Reddit forum partly responsible for shaking things up.
• Hirsh and The Indicator offer a short but solid overview. Also worth your listening time:
• Bloomburg’s Odd Lots has a much longer deep dive.
• Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly runs three good pods on different aspects of the situation.
• Endless Thread talks to a Redditor about his GameStop experience.

• “Billions” co-creator Brian Koppelman offers a pop culture perspective on Pardon My Take.

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Go Deep

1) “We Didn’t Start the Fire”

Listen: We Didn’t Start the Fire

• Katie Puckrik and Tom Fordyce launch a pod that breaks down Billy Joel’s song line by line.
• Every episode examines a different topic from the song, starting with Harry Truman.

2) Bonnie and Clyde

Listen: Infamous America

• The pod’s two episodes through a multi-episode dive into the lives and crimes of the criminals and folk heroes.

3) “Infinity War”

Listen: Binge Mode

• Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion’s deep, deep dive into the Marvel Cinematic Universe reaches “Infinity War,” which they tackle in a two-parter.
• Binge time: 4 hours, 59 minutes

4) The Great Chicago Fire

Listen: American History Tellers

• A multi-part dive into the 1871 blaze that destroyed the city begins.

Guest Appearances By…

Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem Kickass News

Berkley Lauren, Elizabeth Anna Faris is Unqualified

Birbiglia, Mike Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Bird, Sue Road Trippin’

Bovingdon, Jethro Armchair Expert

Brosnahan, Rachel The Envelope

Chopra Jonas, Priyanka The Rachel Hollis Podcast, Your Fave’s Faves

Cooper, Sarah You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes

Corddry, Rob Armchair Expert

Dennings, Kat Keep It!

Ellin, Doug Berning in Hell

Fogel, Bryan The Gist

Gibb, Barry The Zane Lowe Interview Series

Givhan, Robin It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

Glassman, Rick WTF with Marc Maron

Grody, Kathryn Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!

Haim, Alana Talkhouse

HAIM Song Exploder

Harris, Sam SmartLess

Huebel, Rob Too Long; Didn’t Watch

Jobrani, Maz The Adam Carolla Show

Kidman, Nicole The Big Ticket

Lebowitz, Fran Bullseye, The Treatment, Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Lurie, John The Three Questions with Andy Richter

Macchio, Ralph Life is Short with Justin Long

McConaughey, Matthew Red Table Talk, The Table with Anthony ONeal

Morril, Sam The Last Laugh

Mortensen, Viggo Creative Conversation

Nanjiani, Kumail Lovett or Leave It

Nealon, Kevin Literally! With Rob Lowe

Oz, Frank Mike Birbiglia’s Working it Out

Patinkin, Mandy Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!

Rowe, Mike Pardon My Take

Sackhoff, Katee Inside of You

Seyfried, Amanda The Big Picture

Steinem, Gloria What’s Her Story

Timberlake, Justin Armchair Expert

Trufelman, Avery Follow Friday

Wallace, George WTF with Marc Maron

White, Verdine Broken Record

Wilson, John Bullseye

Notable New Podcasts

1) The Ezra Klein Show (Jan. 26)

• The former VOXer moves to The New York Times and “invites you into a conversation on something that matters.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 11.

2) Unraveled: Long Island Serial Killer (Jan. 27)

• The Investigation Discovery pod “is a search for answers in one of the biggest murder mysteries in American history.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 14.

3) Anything Better? (Jan. 23)

• The new comedy pod’s from Bill Burr and Paul Virzi.

4) We Didn’t Start the Fire (Jan. 24)

• Katie Puckrik and Tom Fordyce break down Billy Joel’s song line by line. Every episode examines a different topic from the song.

5) The Daily Crime (Jan 25)

• Will Johnson and Reed Redmond host Vault Studios’ five-day-a-week look at various crimes.

6) Evil By Design (Jan. 25)

• The CBC Podcasts’ true crimer investigates “Canada’s Jeffrey Epstein,” fast-fashion mogul Peter Nygard.

7) Objections: With Adam Klasfeld (Jan. 25)

• The senior investigative reporter and editor for Law & Crime “navigates listeners through the top legal stories of the week with experts in a straightforward, analytical and factual manner.”

8) Joyride with Jools Holland and Jim Moir (Jan. 26)

• Every week the hosts “take a trip with a special showbiz guest: sharing stories, revelations and memories on this tribute to transport.”

9) Longshot: Return Man (Jan. 26)

• It’s “an investigation into the life and mysterious death of the only Super Bowl champion from Lancaster, S.C.,” Jim Duncan of the Baltimore Colts.

10) Meeting Tom Cruise (Jan. 26)

• Jeff Meachum and Joel Johnstone interview celebrities about their encounters with the actor.

11) Doing Justice (Jan. 27)

• Former federal prosecutor Preet Bharara “explores the key elements of a case from the unique perspective of the prosecutor.”

12) Godcast (Jan. 27)

• The pod’s based on the “universe’s most popular unverified Twitter account, @TheTweetOfGod.”

13) Inside Jokes with Kevin Hart (Jan. 27) 

• The comedian “will pair with comedic tastemakers for “ear-opening” dialogue that takes listeners on a wild and crazy ride through some of the world’s top comedic minds.”

14) Out for Blood: The Story of Carrie the Musical (Jan. 27)

• Chris Adams and Holly Morgan tell “the surprising story behind the show’s creation and its infamously disastrous run.”

15) Call Your Grandmother (Jan. 28)

• The pod features “less-than traditional Jewish grandmothers and the unbreakable bond they have with their favorite grandchildren.”

16) Sports Card Nonsense (Jan. 28)

• The Ringer pod looks at the hot sports card market “and how to make money with this hobby.”

17) The History of Sketch Comedy (Jan. 28)

• The Audible original comes from Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key.

18) New Jersey Is The World (Jan. 28)

• It’s “a loose, hilarious, loving exploration of America’s greatest and strangest state.” Ha. It’s “spearheaded” by comedian Chris Gethard.

19) Follow Friday (Jan. 29)

• It’s a “podcast about the best people on the internet.”

For eight more podcasts that launched this week, plus upcoming debuts, visit the This Week in Podcasts website.

The counts: 43 notable guests, seven new podcasts, six deep dives and one malarkey-free new president.

Pod Take of the Week

“If I choose not to speak out of fear, then there’s no one that my silence is standing for.”

Listen: Ted Talks Daily: Using your voice is a political choice (2:07)

• That’s National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, whose reading of her poem “The Hill We Climb” transfixed the U.S. at Wednesday’s inauguration of President Joe Biden.
• Gorman explains the power of poetry in her Ted Talk: “Poetry has never been the language of barriers. It’s always been the language of bridges.”

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Go Deep

1) President Joe Biden

Listen: The Daily, Pod Save America, FiveThirtyEight, Checks and Balance

• Yes it really happened and podcasters are on it. A few highlights:

• The Daily took the temperature of Biden supporters. The overwhelming sentiment: Relief.
• Pod Save America breaks down Biden’s inauguration ceremony and his first day in office.
• The Economist’s Checks and Balance asks, “How will the new administration reboot Washington?” while FiveThirtyEight wonders if Biden’s vision of unity is even possible.

2) Was Donald Trump Good for Comedy?

Listen: Good One

• Six comedians — Anthony Atamanuik, Sarah Cooper, Roy Wood Jr., Ayo Edebiri, Jenny Hagel and Hayes Davenport — wrestle with the question for 1 hour, 29 minutes.

3) Junk Food

Listen: Doughboys, A Hot Dog Is a Sandwich, Stuff You Should Know

• Three shows for the stress eaters in Podland:
• Doughboys visits Popeyes with Phil Rosenthal.
• A Hot Dog Is a Sandwich asks: Is deep dish pizza really a casserole?
• Stuff You Should Know investigates the “most disgusting candy on the planet”: Necco Wafers.

4) The Beer Hall Putsch

Listen: Behind the Bastards

• The two-parter looks at Adolf Hitler’s failed 1923 coup in Munich.

5) Mission to Mars

Listen: American Innovations

• The multi-part series looks at the efforts to reach the red planet.

6) The Eagles Feuds

Listen: Rivals

• The series on the many, many feuds among the band’s members and with others in the music biz spans three parts.
• Binge time: 2 hours, 57 minutes.

Guest Appearances By…

Allende, Isabel Spark & Fire

Anderson, Anthony Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Bettany, Paul You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes

Brennan, John The Jordan Harbinger Show

Bridgers, Phoebe Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!

Brown, Samantha Women Who Travel

Burr, Bill Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson

Carlson, Gretchen Your Fave’s Faves

Common Armchair Expert

Cooper, Sarah The Last Laugh

Couric, Katie Life is Short with Justin Long

Cranston, Bryan Sway

Gates, Melinda Unlocking Us with Brené Brown, What’s Her Story with Sam & Amy

Glazer, Ilana Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls

• She reads a bio of new U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

Hackett, Grant The Tim Ferriss Show

Hudson, Ernie Inside of You

Kesha Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know

• It’s UFOs. UFOs and paranormal activity, according to the singer.

Kimmel, Jimmy The Bill Simmons Podcast

Knox, Amanda Good For You

• The second of a two-parter with the exoneree and journalist.

Lanois, Daniel WTF with Marc Maron

Lee, Tommy Walking the Floor

Lethem, Jonathan Working

Longoria, Eva Table Manners with Jessie Ware

Lopez, George Literally! With Rob Lowe

Louis-Dreyfus, Julia SmartLess

Madden, Steve The Jordan Harbinger Show

Mattel, Trixie Las Culturistas

McConaughey, Matthew Talks at Google

Mosseri, Adam Decoder with Nilay Patel

Myles, Eileen Bookworm

Nanjiani, Kumail Too Long; Didn’t Watch

Nas Broken Record

Pelosi, Nancy You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton

Phelps, Michael The Tim Ferriss Show

Scheer, Paul The Three Questions with Andy Richter

Schreck, Heidi All Ears with Abigail Disney

Schumer, Amy Anna Faris is Unqualified 

Sharapova, Maria Skimm’d From the Couch

Shue, Elisabeth ID10T

Sorkin, Aaron The Treatment

Springer, Jerry The Adam Carolla Show

Tweedy, Jeff Sodajerker on Songwriting

Zaltzman, Andy WTF with Marc Maron

Notable New Podcasts

1) The Apology Line (Jan. 19)

• Marisa Bridge hosts the Wondery show, which recalls the “groundbreaking conceptual art project developed and operated by Allan Bridge from 1981 to 1995. Using repurposed telephone answering machines not long after they first introduced to the market, Allan recorded messages from anonymous callers.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 1.
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 4.

2) How It Happened (Jan. 18)

• Axios political reporter Jonathan Swan “reveals the inside story of Donald Trump’s last few months in office.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 5.
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 8.

3) The Kennedys (Jan. 19)

• The pod marks the 60th anniversary of JFK’s inauguration with “some of the most important moments in the Kennedy dynasty.”
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 2.

4) Race to 270 (Jan. 20)

• The podcast/game show spinoff from Armchair Expert features two friends “on a race to see who can reach 270 pounds first. Aaron starts out the competition at 306 pounds and has 36 pounds to lose. Charlie starts at 230 pounds and has 40 pounds to gain.”

5) First Take, Her Take (Jan. 21)

• Charly Arnolt, Kimberley Martin and Chiney Ogwumike “discuss and debate the biggest sports stories while also providing insight into their personalities as the three women delve into other topics about their lives and culture in the First Take style.”

6) Life Skills (Jan. 21)

• Tavi Gevinson’s Audible pod “dives into difficult situations with nuance and specificity, defying platitudes and embracing the expertise of the writers featured,” according to Teen Vogue.

7) Facing Forward (Jan. 22)

• Margaret Brennan “asks the tough questions of key business and political leaders, CEOs, and economists to get answers about how the fallout and recovery affects you, your family, and your future.”

For five more podcasts that launched this week, plus upcoming debuts, visit the This Week in Podcasts website.

Covering that and much more this week. Let’s get to it.

The counts: 47 notable guests, 10 new podcasts, seven deep dives and one actor with some thoughts about “Gossip Girl.”

Pod Take of the Week

“The definition of mental health — and if we could leave the pandemic with this intact I would be so grateful — it’s that you have the right feeling at the right time, and the capacity to weather it.”

Listen: Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction: What Kids Want and Need Right Now (13:06)

• That’s psychologist and author Lisa Damour, attempting to reclaim the definition of mental health from the wellness industry as the Covid-19 pandemic rages.
• She says: “We came into the pandemic…with the wrong definition of mental health. And this was a definition that was handed to us by the wellness industry. And that definition was, ‘You know you’re mentally healthy if you feel calm and relaxed all the time.’ Okay, this is total nonsense. That’s not a human possibility.”

Go Deep

1) The U.S. Capitol Insurrection and President Trump, Continued

Listen: Trump, Inc., Common Sense with Dan Carlin, Reply All

• We’re learning more about the insurrection every day, and more thoughtful voices are weighing in about the events of Jan. 6 and the aftermath. Here are a few:
• The Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold and 1100 Pennsylvania’s Zach Everson look at the state of Trump’s businesses and what the future might bring for them.
• Common Sense’s Dan Carlin “examines the damage caused by the iceberg we recently hit when Americans stormed the U.S. Capitol and tries to suggest how we might avoid hitting another one.”
• Reply All explains Twitter’s ban of Trump.

2) Sleep

Listen: What I’ve Learned, with Arianna Huffington

• The HuffPost founder launches a four-part series with celebs talking about getting a good night’s sleep.
• Those celebs: Lisa Kudrow, Melinda Gates, Lindsey Stirling and Charli XCX.

3) SpaceX vs. Blue Origin 

Listen: Business Wars

• The Wondery pod begins a series on the rivalry between the two space travel pioneers.

4) The O.J. Simpson Trial

Listen: You’re Wrong About

• The pod continues its sporadic ongoing series on the trial of the ‘90s.
• They’re now 12 episodes deep into their O.J. coverage.

5) The Birth of Disney World

Listen: Business Movers

• Another Wondery pod launches with a four-part series on Walt Disney’s vision and development of Disney World.

6) The James Harden Trade

Listen: All the Smoke, No Dunks, The Bill Simmons Podcast

• A few deep dives into the deal that shook up the NBA, shipping the superstar out of Houston to Brooklyn.

7) “The Royal Tenenbaums” 

Listen: The Rewatchables

• The Ringer pod goes 1 hour, 40 minutes on the Wes Anderson classic.

Guest Appearances By…

Ahmed, Riz Keep It, Grounded with Louis Theroux

Armisen, Fred Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Bell, Kristen Here’s the Thing

Berninger, Matt People Have the Power

Bloom, Rachel Why Mommy Drinks, Mike Birbiglia’s Working it Out

Brie, Alison Too Long; Didn’t Watch

Carey, Mariah Questlove Supreme

• The two-part conversation goes 3 hours, 11 minutes.

Chuck D Hip Hop Raised Me

Cook, Dane You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes

Corcoran, Barbara The GaryVee Audio Experience

Corddry, Rob Life is Short with Justin Long

Cranston, Bryan SmartLess

Flannery, Kate Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig

Gadsby, Hannah Sue Perkins: An hour or so with…

Grant, Hugh The Envelope

Hamm, Jon Too Long; Didn’t Watch

• The actor watches the first and last episode of “Gossip Girl.”

Jackson, Randy Armchair Expert

Khosrowshahi, Dara Sway

• The Uber exec talks about restaurants, the “menace economy.”

Kidman, Nicole WTF with Marc Maron

Knox, Amanda Good For You

• Part one of a two-parter. Knox’s current Twitter bio says she’s an exoneree and a journalist.

Krakauer, Jon The Press Box

• The author of “Into the Wild” reflects on the book on its 25th anniversary.

Kudrow, Lisa Literally! With Rob Lowe

Mann, Aimee I Said No Gifts!

McConaughey, Matthew The Jordan Harbinger Show, The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, Danica Patrick Pretty Intense

Morgan, Alex TRAINED

Moynihan, Bobby Good One

Ninja Your Fave’s Faves

O’Brien, Conan Why Don’t You Date Me?

Olsen, Elizabeth Table Manners with Jessie Ware

Parker, Candace The School of Greatness

Partridge, Andy The Vinyl Guide

Quinn, Colin The Last Laugh

Rae, Corinne Bailey Toure Show

Reichl, Ruth Green Eggs and Dan

Robinson, Lisa Broken Record

Rowe, Mike Kickass News

Rush, Bobby Joe Bonamassa’s Live from Nerdville

Saunders, George The Maris Review

Sharapova, Maria Just B with Bethenny Frankel

Stefani, Gwen And the Writer Is…

Tweedy, Jeff Wheels Off

Warren, Diane Rolling Stone Music Now

will.i.am The Zane Lowe Interview Series

Winslet, Kate WTF with Marc Maron

Winter, Alex I’m So Obsessed

Yusuf Song Exploder

• The artist formerly known as Cat Stevens breaks down a new recording his song “Father and Son.”

Zappa, Ahmet I’m So Obsessed

Notable New Podcasts

1) Power: The Maxwells (Jan. 11) 

• The pitch: “Everyone’s heard of Ghislaine Maxwell (Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged partner in crime). But there’s a shadowy figure who hangs above her who you likely don’t know: her father, media tycoon Robert Maxwell.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 3.

2) RELAX! with Colleen Ballinger & Erik Stocklin (Jan. 13)

• Colleen Ballinger and Erik Stocklin spend “an hour each week discussing anything, everything and sometimes nothing at all.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 10.

3) Norco ’80 (Jan. 11)

• LAist Studios and Antonia Cereijido tell “the unbelievable true story about God, guns, survivalism and the bank robbery that changed policing in America forever.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 88.

4) How To Be a Better Human (Jan. 11) 

• In the TED podcast, comedian Chris Duffy talks with guests and past TED speakers “as they uncover sharp insights and give clear takeaways on how YOU can be a better human.”

5) Bialik’s Breakdown (Jan. 12)

• Mayim Bialik’s upcoming pod will take “a holistic approach in discussing mental health.”

6) Too Long; Didn’t Watch (Jan. 12)

• TV critic Alan Sepinwall talks with “a celebrity guest who has never seen an extremely popular and groundbreaking television series. Together Alan and his guest watch the pilot and the finale episodes of a series- and nothing in between.”

7) Anything for Selena (Jan. 12)

• WBUR and Futuro Media launch a pod to explore “what the legacy of slain Mexican American pop star Selena Quintanilla shows us about identity and belonging.”

8) Hip Hop Raised Me (Jan. 13)

• DJ Semtex launches “a celebration of the culture that continues to shake the room, move the needle, and change the world.”

9) Business Movers (Jan. 14) 

• Lindsay Graham hosts the new Wondery show “that brings you the true stories of the brilliant but all-too-human businesspeople who risked it all.”

10) Behind the Insurrections (Jan. 14)

• “In the wake of the January 6th insurrection in D.C., Robert Evans and co-host Propaganda take a look at fascist insurrections throughout history.”

For 11 more podcasts that launched this week, plus upcoming debuts, visit the This Week in Podcasts website.

Remember: I keep a longer, evolving list of new and upcoming podcasts, and you can sign up now for the upcoming spinoff newsletter, This Week in Music Podcasts.

This week’s counts: 43 notable guests, 11 new podcasts, four deep dives and one healthy book club.

Pod Take of the Week

“It’s 9/11, if they had told you 9/11 was going to happen and you didn’t prepare for it.”

Listen: Pod Save America: “Two Americas” (8:53)

• That’s Dan Pfeiffer, on Wednesday’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and the “absolute failure where we lost control of the home of one of our three branches of government.”

Go Deep

1) The U.S. Capitol Insurrection

Listen: The Daily, The Gist, Post Reports, Global News Podcast, CBC’s Front Burner

• Pod Save America was one of many podcasts that chronicled and tried to make sense of Wednesday’s events. A few worthy listens:
• The Daily had reporters on the scene and pieced together the outlines of what transpired.
• The Gist spoke with U.S Rep. Dan Kildee, who shared “his experience of what it was like inside the chambers before and after the electoral vote count had been certified.”
• Post Reports also covered the events, and followed with a forward-looking “What happens after an insurrection?” episode.
• The BBC’s Global News Podcast and the CBC’s Front Burner are among the international news pods covering the events.

2) Dave Chappelle’s 2000 HBO special “Killin’ Them Softly”

Listen: Good One

• The Vulture pod previews a spinoff where Jesse David Fox, Dave Schilling and Jessamine Molli watch “a noteworthy stand-up special from the history of comedy and have as much fun as possible analyzing it as deeply as they can.”
• Listen time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.

3) “Bridesmaids”

Listen: The Rewatchables

• Mallory Rubin and Mina Kimes join Bill Simmons for a 1 hour, 55 minute dive into the 2011 comedy.

4) Life After 60

Listen: Death, Sex & Money

• The WNYC pod asked its “listeners to get real about getting older.”
• Why? “We don’t talk enough about getting older in our society, and when we do, we don’t often do it well.”
• The episode’s paired with a live, national call-in radio show next Wednesday.

Guest Appearances By…

Adlon, Pamela It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

Arie, India Toure Show

Albright, Madeleine Kickass News

Armisen, Fred Life is Short with Justin Long

Blanchard, Terence The Backstory with Jason Bentley

• The jazz musician talks with the “Soul” co-director about how human experience affects creativity.

Brooks, James L. You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes

Brown, Brené Red Table Talk

Cohen, Michael The New Abnormal

Collins, Bootsy Talkhouse

Crowe, Cameron Sound Opinions

Daniels, Jeff The Treatment

Elias, Marc Inside the Hive

• The lawyer who defended the U.S. election results talks about the last two months of litigation.

Eminem The Zane Lowe Interview Series

Fauci, Anthony The Joe Budden Podcast

Fennell, Emerald Anna Faris is Unqualified

Folds, Ben Broken Record

Frampton, Peter Good Life Project

Fry, Stephen The Rest is History

Gibb, Barry World Cafe

Gupta, Sanjay Armchair Expert

Howard, Ron The Moment with Brian Koppelman

Ice Cube Red Table Talk

Lil Nas X Zach Sang: Just the Interviews

Jobrani, Maz Bald Talk

Johnson, Jake Hollywood Handbook

Loftus, Jamie The Three Questions with Andy Richter

Mizrahi, Isaac Just B with Bethenny Frankel

Mulligan, Carey Anna Faris is Unqualified

Orlean, Susan Spark & Fire

Patinkin, Mandy WTF with Marc Maron

Powers, Kemp The Envelope, The Backstory with Jason Bentley, Spark & Fire

• The “Soul” co-director makes the pod rounds.

Reagan, Ron Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Rundgren, Todd The Bob Lefsetz Podcast

Saunders, George Otherppl with Brad Listi

Schneider, Fred Turned Out a Punk

Short, Martin SmartLess

Slate, Jenny Literally! With Rob Lowe

Smoove, JB Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Stone, Oliver Grounded with Louis Theroux

Thundercat WTF with Marc Maron

Tohn, Jackie Armchair Expert

Valentine, Kathy Wheels Off

Williams, Lucinda Sodajerker on Songwriting

Notable New Podcasts

1) Chicano Squad (Jan. 5)

• The pod tells the story of five police officers in Houston 40 years ago who “were placed in an audacious experiment: A new all-Latino homicide squad, with little training and few resources, assigned to solve the city’s most vicious crimes.”
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 5.

2) Because We Got High (Jan. 7)

• The Barstool Sports pod promises a “dive deep into every topic that surrounds daily life, A-Z.”
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 11.

3) Morning Announcements (Jan. 4)

• Betches co-founder Sami Sage “gives you quick daily updates with the most important info you need to know about politics and current events.”

4) Late Edition: Crime Beat Chronicles (Jan. 4)

• It’s “a collection of limited anthology style episodes exploring true stories as told by journalists from regional newspapers around America.”

5) To Catch a Hacker (Jan. 4)

• It’s a “series about cybercrime, what really happens, how we find the people behind the crimes, and how they are brought to justice.”

6) Salute the Songbird with Maggie Rose (Jan. 5)

• The musician “hosts candid conversations with her female musical heroes about their lives in and out of music, and a lot more.”

7) Spark & Fire (Jan. 5)

• The pod from WaitWhat promises to follow the “hero’s journey behind the world’s most iconic creations.”

8) The Messenger (Jan. 5)

• Ugandan pop star Bobi Wine leads a movement to overthrow corrupt revolutionary leader Yoweri Museveni.

9) Broccoli Book Club (Jan. 6)

• The pod focuses on “books which we believe push us to be inquisitive and give us a better understanding of society today.”

10) 94 & More (Jan. 6)

• It’s a “love-letter” to basketball, from Bristol Studio.

11) Food Network Obsessed (Jan. 8)

• Jaymee Sire talks to Food Network favorites “and nothing will be off the menu as they dish on their road to success, their go-to guilty pleasures, and the trends they’re watching closely.”

• It’s an “oral history of Caveh Zahedi by Caveh Zahedi.”

The Show Show (Jan. 1)

• An exploration of the “A-Z and the 1,2,3 of musicals.”

The Bible in a Year (Jan. 1)

Fantastic! With Dana Carvey (Jan. 2)

Morning Announcements (Jan. 4)

• Betches co-founder Sami Sage “gives you quick daily updates with the most important info you need to know about politics and current events.”

Late Edition: Crime Beat Chronicles (Jan. 4)

• It’s “a collection of limited anthology style episodes exploring true stories as told by journalists from regional newspapers around America.”

To Catch a Hacker (Jan. 4)

• It’s a “series about cybercrime, what really happens, how we find the people behind the crimes, and how they are brought to justice.”

Chicano Squad (Jan. 5)

• The pod tells the story of five police officers in Houston 40 years ago who “were placed in an audacious experiment: A new all-Latino homicide squad, with little training and few resources, assigned to solve the city’s most vicious crimes.”

Salute the Songbird with Maggie Rose (Jan. 5)

• The musician “hosts candid conversations with her female musical heroes about their lives in and out of music, and a lot more.”

Spark & Fire (Jan. 5)

• The pod from WaitWhat promises to follow the “hero’s journey behind the world’s most iconic creations.”

The Messenger (Jan. 5)

• Ugandan pop star Bobi Wine leads a movement to overthrow corrupt revolutionary leader Yoweri Museveni.

Broccoli Book Club (Jan. 6)

• The pod focuses on “books which we believe push us to be inquisitive and give us a better understanding of society today.”

94 & More (Jan. 6)

• It’s a “love-letter” to basketball, from Bristol Studio.

Lightweights (Jan. 6)

• Comedy podcasters Joe Vulpis and Ilya Feddy say they “literally have no idea what we’re doing.”

Because We Got High (Jan. 7)

• The Barstool Sports pod promises a “dive deep into every topic that surrounds daily life, A-Z.”

Food Network Obsessed (Jan. 8)

• Jaymee Sire talks to Food Network favorites “and nothing will be off the menu as they dish on their road to success, their go-to guilty pleasures, and the trends they’re watching closely.”

Word Wild Web (Jan. 10)

• The comedy pod claims to be “the world’s first Artificial Intelligence to host a podcast.”

Into The Grey Zone (Jan. 10)

• Sky News’s Deborah Haynes explores the grey zone, “where anything can be – and is – used as a weapon and anyone, anywhere can be a target.”

Norco ’80 (Jan. 11)

• LAist Studios and Antonia Cereijido tell “the unbelievable true story about God, guns, survivalism and the bank robbery that changed policing in America forever.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 88.

Power: The Maxwells (Jan. 11)

• The pitch: “Everyone’s heard of Ghislaine Maxwell (Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged partner in crime). But there’s a shadowy figure who hangs above her who you likely don’t know: her father, media tycoon Robert Maxwell.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 3.

Alone Together (Jan. 11)

• Peg Fong isn’t “here to solve loneliness. But to add one voice to another so that we are alone together.”

How To Be a Better Human (Jan. 11)

• In the TED podcast, comedian Chris Duffy talks with guests and past TED speakers “as they uncover sharp insights and give clear takeaways on how YOU can be a better human.”

Talking it Out (Jan. 11)

• Bachelor Nation favorites Mike Johnson and Dr. Bryan Abasolo “give advice, get advice, and most importantly, push you outside your comfort zone.”

The Dinesh D’Souza Podcast (Jan. 11)

Talking Body (Jan. 11)

• Amy Porterfield hosts a pod that’s “all about unlearning the ways we’ve been taught to shame, restrict, and reduce ourselves in the name of some elusive idea of beauty.”

FIFA PlayOn (Jan. 12)

• Liam Payne and Jaydee Dyer “chat to one of the world’s most exciting footballers and recording artists, unpacking a playlist of songs which soundtrack their inspirational lives.”

Bialik’s Breakdown (Jan. 12)

• Mayim Bialik’s upcoming pod will take “a holistic approach in discussing mental health.”

Kam and Kary Do Dallas (Jan. 12)

• Kameron Westcott and Kary Brittingham of “Real Housewives of Dallas” “team up for a new weekly entertainment podcast.”

The Long Shot (Jan. 12)

• NBAer Duncan Robinson provides “an inside look into the NBA season while showcasing stories of those that have overcome the odds and achieved success.”

Hey, Stranger! (Jan. 12)

• Thoraya Maronesy shares her encounters with strangers “with you, an audience of other strangers, in hopes that one day we won’t feel so ‘strange’ to one another anymore.”

Too Long; Didn’t Watch (Jan. 12)

• TV critic Alan Sepinwall talks with “a celebrity guest who has never seen an extremely popular and groundbreaking television series. Together Alan and his guest watch the pilot and the finale episodes of a series- and nothing in between.”

Anything for Selena (Jan. 12)

• WBUR and Futuro Media launch a pod to explore “what the legacy of slain Mexican American pop star Selena Quintanilla shows us about identity and belonging.”

Two Guys From Hollywood (Jan. 12)

• Hollywood natives Alan Nevins and Joey Santos offer “a dose of pop culture,  a little drinking, a lot of food, and plenty of celebrity friends they’ve made along the way” for the Dan Patrick Podcast Network.

Object of Sound (Jan. 12)

Hip Hop Raised Me (Jan. 13)

• DJ Semtex launches “a celebration of the culture that continues to shake the room, move the needle, and change the world.”

RELAX! with Colleen Ballinger & Erik Stocklin (Jan. 13)

• Colleen Ballinger and Erik Stocklin spend “an hour each week discussing anything, everything and sometimes nothing at all.”

Celebrity Book Club with Steven & Lily (Jan. 13)

• Steven Phillips-Horst and Lily Marotta “rifle through the diaries of drug-addled starlets, oddly obsessive restaurateurs, brass-knuckled female realtors, and boring gay politicians’ even more boring gay husbands, finding fertile ground for searing cultural insights and juicy gossip.”

Business Movers (Jan. 14)

• Lindsay Graham hosts the new Wondery show “that brings you the true stories of the brilliant but all-too-human businesspeople who risked it all.”

Behind the Insurrections (Jan. 14)

• “In the wake of the January 6th insurrection in D.C., Robert Evans and co-host Propaganda take a look at fascist insurrections throughout history.”

Now We’re Talking with Drew Gasparini (Jan. 15)

• The Broadway composer “invites his show biz friends to discuss things about them you can’t find on Google.”

Tellybox (Jan. 17)

• Emma Doran and Jen Hatton share “the good, the bad and the scarlet of what’s on your telly each week.”

How It Happened (Jan. 18)

• Axios political reporter Jonathan Swan “reveals the inside story of Donald Trump’s last few months in office.”

Linda Marigliano’s Tough Love (Jan. 18)

Great! News with Kevin and Mike (Jan. 18)

• KROQ radio vets Kevin Ryder and Mike Catherwood “bring you a podcast packed with ONLY Great News.”

The Apology Line (Jan. 19)

• Marisa Bridge hosts the Wondery show, which recalls the “groundbreaking conceptual art project developed and operated by Allan Bridge from 1981 to 1995. Using repurposed telephone answering machines not long after they first introduced to the market, Allan recorded messages from anonymous callers.”

The Kennedys (Jan. 19)

• The pod marks the 60th anniversary of JFK’s inauguration with “some of the most important moments in the Kennedy dynasty.”

Our Voices — in the NHS (Jan. 19)

Dog Edition (Jan. 19)

• James Jacobson hosts “a modest attempt to rectify that imbalance with news, in-depth reporting, analysis, features, and interviews.”

Brown Baby (Jan. 19)

• The “parents of brown babies – writers, musicians, chefs, comedians, actors and more – to talk about their parenting journeys and the highs and lows they’ve experienced along the way.”

Beyond the Fairway (Jan. 19)

• Will Lowery and Doug Smith “talk about relatable and entertaining topics from the world of golf, plus interview celebrities, athletes, and golf influencers.”

Race to 270 (Jan. 20)

• The podcast/game show spinoff from Armchair Expert features two friends “on a race to see who can reach 270 pounds first. Aaron starts out the competition at 306 pounds and has 36 pounds to lose. Charlie starts at 230 pounds and has 40 pounds to gain.”

Carefully Reckless (Jan. 20)

• Jess Hilarious ”will be talking all the topics nobody DARES to speak about!”

Cleanup on Aisle 45 (Jan. 20)

• A look at President Joe Biden’s “Department of Justice and Intelligence Agencies as we rebuild the damage caused by Trump, work to apply equal justice under law, and hold the Trump administration accountable.”

First Take, Her Take (Jan. 21)

• Charly Arnolt, Kimberley Martin and Chiney Ogwumike “discuss and debate the biggest sports stories while also providing insight into their personalities as the three women delve into other topics about their lives and culture in the First Take style.”

Life Skills (Jan. 21)

• Tavi Gevinson’s Audible pod “dives into difficult situations with nuance and specificity, defying platitudes and embracing the expertise of the writers featured,” according to Teen Vogue.

We Talk Back (Jan. 21)

Facing Forward (Jan. 22)

• Margaret Brennan “asks the tough questions of key business and political leaders, CEOs, and economists to get answers about how the fallout and recovery affects you, your family, and your future.”

Cheers, Brother! (Jan. 22)

• Sarah Baska and Caitlyn Rae “like to get a little too loose and overshare the insanity that life throws at them week after week.”

Anything Better? (Jan. 23)

• The new comedy pod’s from Bill Burr and Paul Virzi.

Sh!t Trips (Jan. 24)

• Jill Starley-Grainger and Alessia Horwich “share tales of the world’s most overhyped sights.”

We Didn’t Start the Fire (Jan. 24)

• Katie Puckrik and Tom Fordyce break down Billy Joel’s song line by line. Every episode examines a different topic from the song.

The Pop Test (Jan. 24)

• Scientists and comedians team for a quiz show.

The Daily Crime (Jan 25)

• Will Johnson and Reed Redmond host Vault Studios’ five-day-a-week look at various crimes.

Evil By Design (Jan. 25)

• The CBC Podcasts true crimer investigates “Canada’s Jeffrey Epstein,” fast-fashion mogul Peter Nygard.

Objections: With Adam Klasfeld (Jan. 25)

• The senior investigative reporter and editor for Law & Crime “navigates listeners through the top legal stories of the week with experts in a straightforward, analytical and factual manner.”

Adventures in Coffee (Jan. 25)

• The Caffeine Magazine pod “dives deep into your morning brew.”

Joyride with Jools Holland and Jim Moir (Jan. 26)

• Every week the hosts “take a trip with a special showbiz guest: sharing stories, revelations and memories on this tribute to transport.”

This Being Human (Jan. 26)

• Abdul-Rehman Malik “interviews an incredible person at the top of their game on Muslim art, culture, history, and society” for the Aga Khan Museum pod.

The Ezra Klein Show (Jan. 26)

• The former VOXer moves to The New York Times and “invites you into a conversation on something that matters.”

Longshot: Return Man (Jan. 26)

• It’s “an investigation into the life and mysterious death of the only Super Bowl champion from Lancaster, S.C.,” Jim Duncan of the Baltimore Colts.

Think About It with Victoria Azarenka (Jan. 26)

• The tennis player “hosts intimate and honest conversations with inspiring high level guests from various walks of life and business.”

No F*cks Given (Jan. 26)

• Author Sarah Knight offers her “hilarious, practical, no-nonsense advice in podcast form.”

Wild with Sarah Wilson (Jan. 26)

Meeting Tom Cruise (Jan. 26)

• Jeff Meachum and Joel Johnstone interview celebrities about their encounters with the actor.

Unraveled: Long Island Serial Killer (Jan. 27)

• The Investigation Discovery pod “is a search for answers in one of the biggest murder mysteries in American history.”

Doing Justice (Jan. 27)

• Former federal prosecutor Preet Bharara “explores the key elements of a case from the unique perspective of the prosecutor.”

Godcast (Jan. 27)

• The pod’s based on the “universe’s most popular unverified Twitter account, @TheTweetOfGod.”

Real Sports Podcast (Jan. 27)

• Real Sports producer Max Gershberg “offers an insider look at stories from the latest episode of the show” from HBO.

Comedy Gold Minds (Jan. 27)

• Comedian Kevin hart “will pair with comedic tastemakers for “ear-opening” dialogue that takes listeners on a wild and crazy ride through some of the world’s top comedic minds.”

Out for Blood: The Story of Carrie the Musical (Jan. 27)

• Chris Adams and Holly Morgan tell “the surprising story behind the show’s creation and its infamously disastrous run.”

Unraveled: Long Island Serial Killer (Jan. 27)

• The opening season of the anthology show from Investigation Discovery focuses on “eleven bodies [that] were found on the coast of Long Island.”

On Love (Jan. 27)

• Comedian Jacob Hawley “explores the world of love, sex and intimacy – and the people that make money from it.”

Pillows and Beer (Jan. 27)

• Craig Conover and Austen Kroll “discuss their lives outside of reality TV and show who they are behind the camera.”

TikTok For You (Jan. 28)

• Brittany Broski hosts the official pod of TikTok, discussing “everything TikTok with the creators who have turned the platform into a global community and cultural phenomenon.”

Through the Cracks (Jan. 28)

• The true crime pod from WAMU in Washington, D.C. “investigates gaps in our society and the people who fall through them.”
• First season: The disappearance of 8-year-old Relisha Rudd from a homeless shelter.

Call Your Grandmother (Jan. 28)

• The pod features “less-than traditional Jewish grandmothers and the unbreakable bond they have with their favorite grandchildren.”

Sports Card Nonsense (Jan. 28)

• The Ringer pod looks at the hot sports card market “and how to make money with this hobby.”

The History of Sketch Comedy (Jan. 28)

• The Audible original comes from Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key.

New Jersey Is The World (Jan. 28)

• It’s “a loose, hilarious, loving exploration of America’s greatest and strangest state.” Ha.
• It’s “spearheaded” by comedian Chris Gethard.

Screen Watching (Jan. 28)

• Dan Barrett and Simon Foster “offer reviews, industry news, and recommendations of great things to check out” on your TV and film screens.

Follow Friday  (Jan. 29)

• It’s “A podcast about the best people on the internet.”

I Spent a Day With… (Jan. 29)

• It’s the podcast spinoff of Anthony Padilla’s YouTube series.

That Will Never Work (Jan. 30)

• Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph “works directly with entrepreneurs who have been told ‘that will never work,’ helping them turn their nascent or struggling businesses into sustainable companies.”

• It’s the end of the beloved, pandemic-inspired pod Home Cooking.
• The New York Times says its podcast Caliphate was “not sufficiently rigorous” and several episodes failed to meet its editorial standards.
• More end-of-the-year lists came out, including Discover Pods’ 71 Best Podcasts of 2020, the CBC’s 12 Hidden Gem Podcasts You Don’t Want to Miss and Vulture’s 10 Best Comedy Podcasts of 2020.

And ICYMI, here’s This Week in Podcasts’ list of 21 Essential Podcast Episodes of 2020.

This is the final newsletter of the year. I’ll still be tweeting and updating my list of new and upcoming podcasts over the holidays, though. I’m also developing a spin-off newsletter, This Week in Music Podcasts. Sign up now.

Thanks so much for reading this year! Hit me up with any suggestions or feedback for 2021.

On to this week’s counts: 56 notable guests, 10 new podcasts, five deep dives and one killer clown.

Pod Take of the Week

“I like to say it was Facebook before there was Facebook.”

Listen: It’s a Wonderful Lie: “Bathing Suit & A Smile” (3:31)

• That’s Ashley Flowers, on the phenomenon of braggy, over-the-top holiday letters.
• Flowers, best known for hosting true crime pod Crime Junkie, teams with comedians Holly Laurent and Greg Hess on a pop-up pod to skewer the “wonderful and extravagant and beautiful” and “chock full of BS” letters that mark the holiday season for many.
• The trio reads letters — names and locations changed — and tries to sleuth out the truth amid the suspected lies.
• It’s this week’s highest-ranking debut on Apple Podcasts (No. 3).

Go Deep

1) Taylor Swift’s “evermore” (and More)

Listen: Popcast, Pop Culture Happy Hour, Switched on Pop, Ringer Dish, The Zane Lowe Interview Series

• Taylor Swift’s surprise sister album to her surprise quarantine release “folklore” received at least four deep dives.
• And she talks about it with Zane Lowe.
• For more about “folklore”: The Sound and the Story released another deep dive on that Grammy-nominated album.

2) Christmas Villains

Listen: We Got This!

• Mark Gagliardi and Hal Lublin rank the worst of the Christmas-season baddies.

3) George Mallory’s Everest Expeditions  

Listen: The Explorers Podcast

• The pod’s three episodes deep into a series on the British mountaineer’s efforts to climb Mount Everest.

4) Reconciliation in Rwanda

Listen: Ideas

• The CBC pod begins a three-part series on “genocide, truth, and reconciliation looking at how Rwandans collectively decided to move forward and rebuild their society after the 1994 genocide.”

5) The Unabomber 

Listen: American Scandal

• The Wondery pod goes deep with a multi-part series on domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski and his 17 years of attacks.

Guest Appearances By…

Ahmed, Riz The Treatment, Fresh Air

Alexander, Jason Angry Americans

Andrés, José The Journal.

Astley, Rick Ad Age Ad Lib

Ball, LaVar The ETCs with Kevin Durant

Bautista, Dave Life is Short with Justin Long

Bell, Kristen The Backstory

Blake, James Broken Record

Brennan, John O. Armchair Expert, Conversations with Tyler

Bridgers, Phoebe It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

Brown, Brené Sway

Chieng, Ronny Black Frasier

Chung, Connie The Originals

Clinton, Hillary The Deciding Decade with Pete Buttigieg

Cohen, Michael Inside the Hive 

Collins, Bootsy WTF with Marc Maron

Common Song Exploder

• The artist breaks down his track “A Riot in My Mind.”

Cotter, Andrew The Gist

Cuban, Mark The Bill Simmons Podcast

Cuoco, Kaley Good for You, Anna Faris is Unqualified, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Delaney, Rob The Brian Butterfield Pod-Pod-Podcast

Diaz, Cameron Second Life

Dorsey, Jack Distributed

Dyson, Michael Eric Kickass News

Esmail, Sam The Watch

Ferriss, Tim Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

Fleming, Renée PORTRAITS

• The soprano talks about the space in our brains dedicated to music.

Fox, Michael J. Literally! With Rob Lowe

Glass, Ira Mike Birbiglia’s Working it Out

Glenn, Scott WTF with Marc Maron

Graham, Ashley Creative Conversation

Hamm, Jon Kickass News

Handler, Chelsea The Bob Lefsetz Podcast, Just B with Bethenny Frankel

Howard, Raon SmartLess

James, Jim Broken Record

Mantzoukas, Jason The Last Laugh

Marsalis, Branford Questlove Supreme

Mendes, Shawn Armchair Expert

Nancherla, Aparna I Said No Gifts!

Obama, Barack The Bill Simmons Podcast

Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria The Axe Files

Odom Jr., Leslie Your Fave’s Faves

• He shares his favorite Christmas songs.

Offerman, Nick Talkhouse

• In conversation with Jeff Tweedy.

Philipps, Busy U Talkin’ Talking Heads 2 My Talking Head

• She helps break down the Talking Heads’ album “Naked.”

Plaza, Aubrey The Envelope

Pollan, Michael The Ezra Klein Show

Saget, Bob expediTIously

Shepard, Dax Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

Snoop Dogg Red Table Talk

Thiessen, Tiffany Pardon My Take

Thompson, Tessa FANTI

Tweedy, Jeff Talkhouse

• In conversation with Nick Offerman.

Walter, Jess The Maris Review

Williams, Pharrell The goop Podcast

Williams, Robbie Table Manners

Zaltzman, Helen Home Cooking

Notable New Podcasts

1) Gaining Ground: The New Georgia (Dec. 17)

• Against the backdrop of the two Senate seats up for grabs in Georgia, Rembert Browne and Jewel Wicker “detail what made this historic moment possible and talk to the key organizers, strategists, and voters who are hoping to see years of hard work change the South forever.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 79.

2) It’s a Wonderful Lie (Dec. 14)

• The 12-part comedy pod “imagines the hilarious ‘truth’ hidden in your holiday newsletters.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 3.
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 7.

3) Our Thing (Dec. 16)

• The pod chronicles the life of Sammy “the Bull” Gravano, “an American gangster who became the underboss of the Gambino crime family.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 66.

4) Disgusting Hawk with Jessica Kirson (Dec. 14)

• The comedian “presents a variety podcast featuring a series of eccentric characters.”

5) The Ladies Room (Dec. 14)

• Jane McManus and Julie DiCaro “take a deep dive into issues surrounding women and sports, with lots of laughs along the way.”
• It’s from Deadspin.

6) The Clown and the Candyman (Dec. 15)

• A true crimer about two serial killers: Dean Corll and John Wayne Gacy.

7) The Backstory (Dec. 15)

• Jason Bentley teams with Soho House to “pair innovators and creators together to unlock the secrets of their creative DNA.”

8) Parental Advisory Podcast (Dec. 15)

• Jack Gilinsky, Jack Johnson, Sammy Wilk and Brant Carter “talk about how their impulsive decisions have led to crazy experiences.”

9) Soul Stories (Dec. 16)

• The Spotify exclusive’s a companion to the upcoming Pixar movie “Soul.”

10) HGTV Obsessed (Dec. 17)

• Influencers and HGTV superfans Kat and Mike Stickler “dive deep into all things HGTV—interviews, episode recaps, games, inside scoop, and more.”

And Two to Look Forward to Next Week: 

From Now (Dec. 21)

• The QCODE sci-fi show tracks a lost spaceship that “returns to Earth after vanishing thirty-five years prior. The lone survivor disembarks mysteriously​ looking the exact same age as when he left​.”

Checking In with Michelle Williams (Dec. 22)

• Former Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams and “her famous friends let it all out as they reveal their intimate experiences with depression, anxiety and their mental health journeys.”

Reminder: I’ve contracted and expanded coverage of new podcasts. The newsletter includes a curated list of the most notable and best new podcasts of the previous seven days.

Broader coverage now resides at weekinpodcasts.com, where I’ll show my work with an evolving list of new and upcoming podcasts. Know of any podcasts that should be included? Reply and let me know.

This year’s list of essential episodes showcases the breadth of great 2020 podcasts across genres. I’ve (mostly) avoided episodes from narrative series, and I’ve limited episodes to one per show. A few podcasters and friends of the newsletter also contributed picks.

You’ll notice several music-related episodes. I love the inventive, vibrant work being done by podcasters in the space. So much so that I’ll be spinning off a newsletter focused on music-related podcasts in 2021. Subscribe here.

Now scroll on for some of the best podcast episodes of 2020, presented in order of release date.

“Closing Time,” Song Exploder

January 15

Dan Wilson, the artist behind Semisonic’s massive hit, breaks down the tune and shares the heart-wrenching personal experiences that inspired it. You’ll never hear the song the same way again.

The Case of the Missing Hit, Reply All

March 5

P.J. Vogt investigates the plight of Tyler Gillett, a man haunted by a song he remembers vividly from more than 20 years ago. The problem: The song doesn’t seem to exist.

To figure out whether it really exists Vogt talks to rock critics and therapists, and takes a cross-country trip to re-create the song from Gillett’s memory.

Facebook Terms of Service, Ts&Zzz

March 31

Scott Elchison’s sleep podcast consists of him reading the most boring text on the internet, in this case Facebook’s Terms of Service. Clever, with some much-needed levity.

Wonderland, Rabbit Hole

April 16

Pick by Melanie Wynne

In the opening episode of a six-part podcast series, New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose attempts to answer the question: “What is the internet doing to us?”

Roose traces Caleb Cain’s YouTube viewing history of more than four years, which encompasses more than 12,000 videos, showing how YouTube’s algorithm shaped what Cain saw — and how he saw the world.

Roose elaborates to Fast Company: “So it felt like there was this huge, looming question in my mind. If I were to try to explain the entire internet, how it works, how it pushes and pulls people, could we actually do that in audio format? And could that draw together these threads I’d been tugging on for the last few years? So we just decided to try.”

The Natural Experiment, 99% Invisible

May 5

Scientists around the world discuss the unique scientific opportunities the COVID-19 pandemic has provided.

Says Michelle Fournet, acoustic ecologist at Cornell University, of her studies of whales and other sea life in Glacier Bay, Alaska: “This is the first time in human history that we’ve been able to listen to truly quiet behavior.”

Remembering Lynn Shelton, WTF with Marc Maron

May 18

Marc Maron’s “creative collaborator and romantic partner” Lynn Shelton died two days before this episode was released. It’s a raw, intimate and heartbreaking tribute to her and their love.

Genie Chance and the Great Alaska Earthquake, The Daily

May 22

Pick by Sarah Bowen Shea, host of the Another Mother Runner podcast

The New York Times pod, featuring author Jon Mooallem, looks back to the 1964 Alaska quake and the woman whose “voice that held the state together.”

You’ll Never Walk Alone and Jerzy Dudek, The Anthropocene Reviewed

May 28

John Green finds solace during the COVID-19 pandemic in unknown but sure-to-be-wonderful future events.

Green arrives at this optimistic spot via a life-affirming review of goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek’s performance in the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, where his spectacular late-game saves helped Liverpool win the title.

Green beautifully ties the moment together with Liverpool’s adopted anthem, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

What Science Says About Police, Pod Save the People

June 9

DeRay Mckesson talks to John Rappaport, a law professor and research scholar at the University of Chicago who studies criminal procedures in the justice system. Posted during the high-tension moment after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, this episode takes a sober, scientific look at police behavior.

Why Now, White People? Code Switch

June 16

Apple Podcasts’ Show of the Year was the touchstone podcast in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25. This episode explores why.

Specifically, Shereen Marisol Meraji and Gene Demby ask some “very fired-up white people” about why they’re now interested in a podcast about race, and why they’re reading books about race and protesting on the streets in unprecedented numbers.

“Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen),” Switched on Pop

June 23

Charlie Harding leads a 52-minute deep dive into the unlikely success of the 1999 hit song with an unusual provenance. He talks to the main people responsible for the song — Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich, filmmaker Baz Luhrmann — as he unpacks “one of the internet’s first conspiracy theories that turned into Billboard’s greatest outlier.”

Hedwig’s Lost Van Gogh, Revisionist History

June 25

Malcolm Gladwell’s pod explores “the long journey of a Van Gogh still life — and what it says about the real value of the things we treasure.”

White Fra-chili-ty, Home Cooking

July 8

Pick by Andy Murdock, co-founder of The Statesider

Hrishikesh Hirway and Samin Nosrat return for episode five of a four-part miniseries they’d launched amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The joy of their reunion — and their loving camaraderie — marks a 2020 bright spot. Andy warns this one could make you cry-laugh.

The Karen, Decoder Ring

July 13

Pick by Melanie Wynne

The Karen phenomenon had a moment in 2020, and Decoder Ring’s Willa Paskin covered it and put it in historical context as well as anyone in Podland.

Optimism, The Cut

August 19

Avery Trufelman makes her much-anticipated debut as host of The Cut, and she looks back at the beginning of the pandemic when many of us were optimistic we might “learn Spanish or bake bread or read ‘War and Peace’ or get into beekeeping.” She goes on to explore what it really means to be an optimist in 2020.

Druid Like Me, Into the Zone

September 3

The first episode of Hari Kunzru’s “podcast about opposites, and how borders are never as clear as we think” descends on Stonehenge and investigates “the gray zone between being a native and a migrant.”

Curtis Flowers, In the Dark

October 14

Sarah Bowen Shea, host of the Another Mother Runner podcast

Curtis Flowers “endured six trials for the same crime and survived nearly two decades on death row at the infamous Mississippi State Penitentiary,” and In the Dark chronicled his story and the case against him that fell apart.

In this episode, he sits for an in-person interview with Madeleine Baran, revealing what it feels like to be released from prison after almost 20 years.

Vivian, Heavyweight

October 15

Twenty-five years after her uncle died of AIDS, Vivian attempts to track down the man who cared for him during his last days.

‘Waiter, There’s a Fly in Our Bubble,’ Still Processing

October 29 

Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris manage to find some optimism in 2020, chronicling “moments that point us beyond the present, to be our best and greatest selves.”

Jeff Tweedy’s Songwriting Masterclass, Broken Record

December 1

The leader of Wilco and the author of “How to Write One Song” just wants to help everyone make something. It’s a shot of inspiration for creators.

Any Episode of Any Podcast Featuring Anthony Fauci

From Pardon My Take in March to Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction last week, he was all over Podland this year. We needed him.

Thanks to everyone for subscribing and reading This Week in Podcasts this year. Make sure you subscribe to Another Mother Runner and The Statesider, too!

• Marie Claire’s 55 True Crime Podcasts We’ve Been Hooked On This Year
• Mashable’s The Best New Podcasts of 2020
• The New Yorker’s The Best Podcasts of 2020
• Teen Vogue’s Best Podcasts of 2020
• Vulture’s The Best Podcasts of 2020

I’ve also posted This Week in Podcasts’ 22 Essential Podcast Episodes of 2020. Have a read and let me know what you think.

Quick note on the TWIP schedule. The last newsletter of 2020 (good riddance!) goes out Dec. 18. Then a holiday break. Then the next newsletter: Jan. 8, 2021.

On to this week’s counts: 62 notable guests, nine new podcasts, six deep dives and one more very popular true crime podcast debuts.

Pod Take of the Week

“The majority is not the goal. I’m not gonna be proud that 94 percent of families know what’s going on right now. I want 100 percent of families.” 

Listen: Every Little Thing: Essential Workers (16:39)

• That’s Tamasha Emedi, assistant principal at an elementary school outside of Seattle, on the gap in internet connectivity and access to online school among students.
• Emedi says 94 percent of students have internet, but anything except 100 percent access means too many kids fall through the cracks.
• Emedi’s one of several essential workers ELT spoke with for the second time about their work during the pandemic — the first was in April.
• My take: A sobering, honest, on-the-ground look at the still-raging pandemic.

Go Deep

1) “The 12 Most Important Dates in Culture History”

Listen: Las Culturistas 

• Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang are two episodes into their offbeat “seasonal” countdown.
• How offbeat? The day McDonald’s opened its doors makes the cut. So does the emergence of Mary M. Cosby of “Real Housewives.”

2) Secrets of the Founding Fathers

Listen: Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know

• A two-part dive into “some of the strangest, most obscure alleged secrets of the founding fathers.”

3) Mariah Carey

Listen: Pop Culture Happy Hour, The Zane Lowe Interview Series, The Journal.

• One of the most enduring pop stars, as Pop Culture Happy Hour describes her, continues her holiday season high-profile.
• PCHH looks at her career and staying power.
• On Zane Lowe’s show, Carey shares her fave holiday songs.
• On The Journal she traces the rise of her Christmas anthem, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

4) Holiday Movies 

Listen: The PosCast with Joe Posnanski & Michael Schur

• The pod’s annual holiday draft goes after the best holiday movies.
• Drafters include Nick Offerman, Linda Holmes and Jason Kander.

5) “Hiroshima” 

Listen: Writ Large

• A deep-dive into John Hersey’s famed chronicle of Hiroshima, which MIT Professor Christopher Capozzola says every American should read.

6) Roy Cohn

Listen: Behind the Bastards

• A two-part look at the notorious political fixer, aka “the man who made Donald Trump.”

Guest Appearances By…

($L) = Luminary, behind a paywall. (S) = Spotify exclusive. ($A) = Audible, behind a paywall.

Andersen, Kurt This Day in Esoteric Political History

Bell, Lake Life is Short with Justin Long

Bloom, Rachel The Adam Buxton Podcast

Braff, Zach WTF with Marc Maron

Brie, Alison Keep It, Good for You

Buteau, Michelle The Maris Review, Bananas

Byer, Nicole Green Eggs and Dan

Carey, Mariah The Zane Lowe Interview Series

Cleese, John Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Cook, Tim Outside Podcast

Crawford, Cindy Skimm’d From the Couch

Fauci, Anthony Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction

Ferriss, Tim You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes

Fillion, Nathan Inside of You

Galanis, Steve Sway

• Convo with the founder of Cameo.

Garten, Ina Homemade

George, Paul All the Smoke

Gervais, Ricky SmartLess

Gladwell, Malcolm Book of Basketball 2.0

Godin, Seth The Jordan Harbinger Show

Grace, Laura Jane The Moment with Brian Koppelman

Green, Seth Anna Faris is Unqualified

Hall, Carla Your Fave’s Faves

Hamilton, Laird The Rich Roll Podcast

Hamm, Jon The Bill Simmons Podcast

Hardstark, Georgia I Said No Gifts!

Hough, Julianne Danica Patrick Pretty Intense

Jones, Norah Talkhouse

Judd, Wynona Biscuits & Jam

Kid Cudi The Zane Lowe Interview Series

Kilar, Jason Sway

• The CEO of WarnerMedia talks about releasing Warner Bros. 2021 films on HBO Max and whether it’s the “final death blow” for theaters.

Kirson, Jessica The Last Laugh

Lyonne, Natasha Mike Birbiglia’s Working it Out

McCartney, Paul The Adam Buxton Podcast

McDormand, Frances The Kitchen Sisters Present

McQueen, Steve The New Yorker Radio Hour

Melanie C Homo Sapiens

• A two-parter with the former Spice Girl.

Morgan, Leanne Why Mommy Drinks

Mosley, Walter Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Oates, John Eric Krasno Plus One

Obama, Barack Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

O’Hara, Catherine Literally! With Rob Lowe

Portman, Natalie Armchair Expert

Samberg, Andy The Envelope

Sedaris, David Good One

Seinfeld, Jerry The Tim Ferriss Show

Shriver, Maria Just B with Bethenny Frankel

Sia Grounded with Louis Theroux

Slate, Jenny The Three Questions with Andy Richter

Soderbergh, Steven The Big Picture

Sterling, Gabriel The Daily

• The Republican official from Georgia who said enough to President Donald Trump tells his story.

Taylor-Joy, Anya The Envelope

Thompson, Wright Longform Podcast

Tweedy, Jeff Talkhouse

Vonn, Lindsey Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!

Wallace, Bubba Talks at Google

Warwick, Dionne Toure Show

Watts, Shannon What’s Her Story 

Williams, Brad WTF with Marc Maron

Williams, Pharrell Broken Record

Wilson, Russell Pardon My Take

Winslet, Kate Fresh Air

Notable New Podcasts

1) Death of a Starlet (Dec. 8)

• Another Wondery true crimer. This one focuses on the August 1980 death of Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten.
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 4.

2) Catfish: The Podcast (Dec. 9)

• Nev Schulman revisits “shocking episodes” of the MTV series.
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 12.

3) MTV’s Official Challenge Podcast (Dec. 10)

• The pod recaps the new season of “The Challenge.”

• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 23.

4) That’s Messed Up: An SVU Podcast (Dec. 8)

• Liza Treyger and Kara Klenk “break down episodes of “Law & Order: SVU,” deep dive into the true crimes they’re based on, and interview on-screen talent.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 38.

5) OTHERtone with Pharrell, Scott, and Fam-Lay (Dec. 7)

• Pharrell Williams co-hosts “a glimpse into the minds of our culture’s unicorns, and how they think about life, art, and everything in between.”

6) LEGO Bits N’ Bricks (Dec. 9)

• The LEGO Games podcast explores “some of the many fascinating stories and lessons learned from a quarter century of game development.”

7) Where the Internet Lives (Dec. 9)

• The Google podcast dives into “the unseen world of data centers.”

8) The Envelope (Dec. 9)

• The Los Angeles Times unveils its awards-season pod.

9) Cadaver Gals (Dec. 9)

• Three friends “discuss all the fun and flirty ways people die to cope with their own mortality.” FWIW, it’s listed as a comedy.

Reminder: I’ve contracted and expanded coverage of new podcasts. The newsletter includes a curated list of the most notable and best new podcasts of the previous seven days.

Broader coverage now resides at weekinpodcasts.com, where I’ll show my work with an evolving list of new and upcoming podcasts. Know of any podcasts that should be included? Reply and let me know.

• Apple’s Show of the Year (Spoiler: It’s Code Switch)
• Apple’s Favorites of the Year
• Bello Collective’s 100 Outstanding Podcasts From 2020
• CNET’s Best Podcasts of 2020
• Pocket Casts’ Top 100 of 2020
• Shondaland’s Best Podcasts of 2020
• Spotify’s 2020 Podcast Hall of Fame

More best-of lists next week for sure, including This Week in Podcasts’ essential episodes of 2020. Any I should consider? Hit me up.

This week’s counts: 68 notable guests, 10 new podcasts, five deep dives and one hot show about “real-life American Psychos.”

Pod Take of the Week

“There’s no failed experiment if you’re paying attention to the world.”

Listen Broken Record: Jeff Tweedy’s Songwriting Master Class (49:48)

• That’s Tweedy, on the lack of downside to simply noticing what’s going on around you.
• The leader of the band Wilco and the author of “How to Write One Song” adds: “I am aware that my brain wants to make sense of stuff, and I give it an opportunity to make sense of stuff.”
• My take: A shot of inspiration for creators.

Go Deep

1) “All I Want for Christmas is You”

Listen: 60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s

• The Spotify-exclusive pod goes 40 minutes on Mariah Carey’s modern Christmas classic that you now can’t get out of your head. ‘Tis the season!

2) America’s Homelessness Crisis 

Listen: 99% Invisible

• Katie Mingle spent “two years trying to understand how we’re helping the hundreds of thousands of people living without adequate shelter in America today.”
• The result: A five-part series, According to Need.

3) TikTok vs. Instagram

Listen: Business Wars

• The Wondery pod’s two episodes into a series on the battle between the social media giants.

4) The Lives of Seniors

Listen: Everyday Decisions with Jo Firestone

• The comedian, who teaches comedy to seniors, talks to her students about how they spend their mornings.
• It’s a three-part series. Total listen time: 3 hours, 7 minutes.

5) Hacking Schools

Listen: What Next, The Journal.

• The Slate and Wall Street Journal pods investigate what’s driving ransomware attacks on school.

Guest Appearances By…

($L) = Luminary, behind a paywall. (S) = Spotify exclusive. ($A) = Audible, behind a paywall.

21 Savage expediTIously

Acho, Emmanuel Armchair Expert

Baldwin, Alec The New Abnormal

Belushi, Jim Literally! With Rob Lowe

Berninger, Matt Mike Birbiglia’s Working it Out

Bodden, Alonzo Green Eggs and Dan

Boreanaz, David The Big Ticket

Brand, Russell The Jordan Harbinger Show

Bridgers, Phoebe The Three Questions with Andy Richter

Brockovich, Erin I Don’t Know About That, Useful Idiots

Brosh, Allie You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton

Burke, Kareem The ETCs with Kevin Durant

• Convo with the Roc-a-Fella Records co-founder.

Burton, Levar The Sporkful

Caan, James WTF with Marc Maron

Carlos, John I’m So Obsessed

Catmull, Ed The goop Podcasts

• The Pixar co-founder tells Gwyneth Paltrow about creating company culture and effective leadership.
• He says: “One of the rules for the powerful people is they’re supposed to shut the hell up for the first ten or fifteen minutes.”

Chang, David The Bill Simmons Podcast

Chenowith, Kristin Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Clinton, Hillary Armchair Expert

Coel, Michaela Grounded with Louis Theroux

Corgan, Billy The Zane Lowe Interview Series

Cranston, Bryan Pardon My Take

Cross, David Life is Short with Justin Long

Densmore, John WTF with Marc Maron

DiFranco, Ani Bullseye

Ek, Daniel The Tim Ferriss Show

Feimster, Fortune Do You Need a Ride?

Godin, Seth Design Matters

Goldsmith, Taylor Never Not Funny 

Heller, Marielle Sway

Higgins, John Michael The Last Laugh

Holland, Mary Las Culturistas

• Thank you for “Happiest Season,” Mary.

Hollis, Rachel Danica Patrick Pretty Intense

Jackson, Randy At Home with Linda & Drew Scott

James, LeBron Road Trippin’

• Part one of a two-parter with the basketball superstar.

Jewel Song Exploder

• She breaks down her hit “You Were Meant For Me.”
• Spoiler: That’s Flea on bass.

Kelly, Scott Armchair Expert

Kerman Langston Why Won’t You Date Me?

Kesha Good For You

Kimmel, Jimmy The Dave Chang Show

Klebold, Sue Nobody Told Me!

Kornheiser, Tony The Bill Simmons Podcast

Kroll, Nick Impaulsive

Kwapis, Ken Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Lapkus, Lauren Bananas

Lee, Dr. Sandra What’s Her Story with Sam & Amy

• Dr. Pimple Popper talks about the community of “pop-aholics.”

Louis-Dreyfus, Julia The New Abnormal

Martindale, Margo Maltin on Movies

McConaughey, Matthew Kickass News

• He’s been a podcast guest six of the last seven weeks!

McDonald, Audra You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton

McHale, Joel Anna Faris is Unqualified

Murphy, Ryan Just B with Bethenny Frankel

Ndegeocello, Meshell Switched on Pop

Nielsen, Rick Rockin’ the Suburbs

• The Cheap Trick guitarist sits for the pod’s 1,000th episode.

Nuñez, Oscar You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes

Oluo, Ijeoma The Cut

Palamides, Natalie Good One

Parton, Dolly Table Manners

Peretti, Chelsea Doughboys

• She and the Doughboys review Peet’s Coffee.

Royce Da 5’9 Cannon’s Class

Silverman, Sarah SmartLess

Smith, Stephen A. expediTIously

Sullivan, Andrew The Megyn Kelly Show

Symon, Michael Beyond the Plate

Taylor, Shelli Decoder

• The CEO of Alamo Drafthouse talks about reopening theaters, streaming.

Trainor, Meghan Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness

Tweedy, Jeff Broken Record

Watts, Reggie Eric Krasno Plus One

Notable New Podcasts

1) Red Collar (Dec. 1)

• Catherine Townsend “dives into the minds of…real-life American Psychos.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 1.
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 4.

2) The Mismatch (Dec. 4)

• In the Ringer pod Kevin O’Connor and Chris Vernon “discuss all the news, trends, and transactions happening in the NBA.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 18.

3) Duck Call Room (Dec. 3)

• Si Robertson and Justin Martin “share hilarious stories, tall tales, hunting adventures, pop culture commentary, and all the antics and escapades you know and love.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 24.

4) Little Stories Everywhere (Dec. 1) 

• Virginia Madsen and Robbie Daymond read classic children’s books.
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 168.

5) Say Yas to the Guest (Nov. 30)

• Patrick Starrr and “friends chat about how they met, how they got success and how they overcame the status quo.”

6) American Coyote (Dec. 1) 

• It’s a 10-part story “of a legendary man and unlikely hero, Elden Kidd, who supported his family of five as a Coyoté and gave countless others a chance at a better life.”

7) About a Girl (Nov. 29)

• The scripted narrative anthology series “brings to light the stories of women who inspired some of the most celebrated and enduring music of the modern age.” Eleanor Wells hosts.

8) Half-Forgotten History (Dec. 2)

• Former ESPNer Trey Wingo’s pod features “Super Bowl Champs, Hall of Famers, and stories you won’t want to miss.”

9) What They Don’t Tell You With Jordyn Jones (Dec. 3)

• The singer/actress/influencer shares “how to stay true to yourself while on your life path”.

10) Podland (Dec. 3)

• James Cridland and Sam Sethi “analyse the news from the world of podcasting and interview some of the biggest names that matter in Podland.”

Reminder: I’ve contracted and expanded coverage of new podcasts. The newsletter includes a curated list of the most notable and best new podcasts of the previous seven days.

Broader coverage now resides at weekinpodcasts.com, where I’ll show my work with an evolving list of new and upcoming podcasts. Know of any podcasts that should be included? Reply and let me know.

The counts: 59 notable guests, 12 new podcasts, four deep dives and one re-evaluation of “Lolita.”

Pod Take of the Week

“[He] strutted brilliantly, a spectacularly squat, impudent, omnipotent part urchin, part prince.” 

Listen: Men in Blazers: Diego Maradona Emergency Pod (4:03)

• That’s Roger Bennett, recalling the contradictory pinnacle of the life and career of the late Diego Maradona.
• MIB and other sports pods paid tribute to the Argentine footballer, a global firestarter who passed away this week at age 60.
• Adds Bennett: “He was a footballing wonder. He was also a human cautionary tale.”
• Here’s a taste of the remembrances from top English-language sports pods:

• Football Weekly’s tribute includes an interview with Asif Kapadia, director of the documentary “Diego Maradona,” and Marcela Mora y Araujo highlights the reaction in Argentina.

• Ringer FC interviews Ian Wright and discusses Maradona’s greatest goals.

Go Deep

1) Thanksgiving

Listen: All My Relations, Code Switch, Everything Everywhere, A Hot Dog Is a Sandwich, We Got This!, This American Life

• U.S. Thanksgiving got solid play in Podcastland this week, including these thoughtful takes:
• All My Relations investigates “the real story of Thanksgiving and the complex history undergirding this event in relation to Indigenous people.”
• Code Switch revisits a previous episode about Thanksgiving, asking, “How do you deal with family members who have really, really different political beliefs than you?”
• A Hot Dog Is a Sandwich asks: “Does turkey kinda suck?”
• Everything Everywhere provides a quick overview of the history of the holiday.
• We Got This! debates the best potato food.
• And Ira Glass picked seven more This American Life episodes from the archive for Thanksgiving weekend listening.

2) Cabbage Patch Kids

Listen: Decoder Ring

• Willa Paskin goes deep on the “soft bodied, plastic headed dolls with eyes that are just a little bit too close together.”
• Context: During a two-year period in the ‘80s, “Americans would buy 20 million of them, worth one point two billion dollars, and the dolls would become known as a quintessential American toy craze, a well chronicled moment when we lost our minds over something we should not have.”

3) Racing Video Games

Listen: Past Gas

• The pod wraps up a three-episode series on the history and influence of racing video games.
• Total listen time: 2 hours, 50 minutes.

4) Garth Brooks 

Listen: Hit Parade

• Chris Molanphy goes deep into the hitmaker’s country and pop careers over two episodes.

Guest Appearances By…

($L) = Luminary, behind a paywall. (S) = Spotify exclusive. ($A) = Audible, behind a paywall.

Adejuyigbe, Demi Punch Up the Jam

• The comedian returns to the pod he once co-hosted to take on Weezer’s “Beverly Hills.”

Andres, Jose You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton

Armisen, Fred The A24 Podcast

Bridgers, Phoebe Talkhouse

Brie, Alison The Playlist Podcast Network

Buress, Hannibal Good One

Campbell, Mike WTF with Marc Maron

Cenac, Wyatt Wheels Off

Cross, David Bullseye

Cyrus, Miley The Zane Lowe Interview Series

David, Susan Armchair Expert

• The Harvard Medical School psychologist addresses “the dangerous narrative that success equals happiness.”

DeFazio, Rocco You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton

Densmore, John The Rhino Podcast

Flynn, Johnny WTF with Marc Maron

Friedlander, Judah Fake the Nation

Gadsby, Hannah You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes

Goodall, Jane Sway

Grant, Hugh The Watch

Hart, Kevin Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Hirway, Hrishikesh Servant of Pod

Holland, Mary The Three Questions with Andy Richter, The Last Laugh

Jewel Armchair Expert

Judge, Mike The Joe Rogan Experience

Kelly, Scott Kickass News

Koch, Charles The Jordan Harbinger Show

Koy, Jo Literally! With Rob Lowe

Knox, Amanda Tig and Cheryl: True Story

Lapkus, Lauren Green Eggs and Dan

LaVette, Bettye Talkhouse

Lin, Jeremy ESPN Daily

• The basketball player who bequeathed us Linsanity talks about his efforts to return to the NBA.

Mackey, John The Joe Rogan Experience

Mara, Kate Anna Faris is Unqualified

Mars, Roman Extra Spicy

McBride, James It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

McCartney, Paul SmartLess

McConaughey, Matthew Good Life Project

• The man continues his incredible guesting presence. He’s been out there for five of the last six weeks.

Mochrie, Colin Bald Talk

Moore, Demi Red Table Talk

Morris, Errol The Big Picture

Nosrat, Samin You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton, Servant of Pod

Obama, Barack Inside the Hive

Odom Jr., Leslie Broken Record, Talks at Google

Parker, Priya Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

Paulson, Sarah Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!

Reilly, John C. The A24 Podcast

Rinella, Steven The Tim Ferriss Show

Robinson, Smokey Rolling Stone Music Now

Rowland, Kelly Pretty Big Deal

Ruffin, Amber Las Culturistas

Smart, Elizabeth Nobody Told Me!

Spencer, Phil Decoder

• The guy in charge of Xbox talks about how gaming has become a dominant part of mainstream culture.

Trainor, Meghan Table Manners with Jessie Ware

Vardalos, Nia Busy Philipps is Doing Her Best

Wade, Dwyane Road Trippin’

Willie D The Joe Rogan Experience

Wilson, John The Last Laugh

Wilson, Mara Night Call

Winter, Alex The Treatment

Youssef, Ramy Mike Birbiglia’s Working it Out

Notable New Podcasts

1) Tenfold More Wicked (Nov. 23)

• The true crimer offers “a gruesome trip through history with chilling campfire stories of true crime.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 27.
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 16.

2) Lolita Podcast (Nov. 23)

• Jamie Loftus “traces Lolita — the person, Dolores Haze — from her literary origin to current status as a doomed icon.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 96.
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 23.

3) The Ringer Music Show (Nov. 22)

• Charles Holmes “digs deep into the stories that are driving the conversation in the music world, drawing on reporting, expert discussions, and his own sharp analysis.”
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 9.

4) Big Man on Basketball (Nov. 23)

• It’s Barstool Sports’s “all encompassing basketball betting podcast.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 93.

5) Uprising: A Guide From Portland (Nov. 23)

• The iHeartRadio pod offers “[b]ackground and breakdown on 100 days of Portland insurrection” in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis.
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank:  No. 24.

6) Oral Sessions with Renée Paquette (Nov. 24)

• “Uncensored, unscripted, in-depth conversations” from the WWE personality.
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 20.

7) The Shattered Window (Nov. 22) 

• An “investigative true crime series” that “dissects a case that has polarized and puzzled the minds of those who know it”: The disappearance of 7-year-old Jaclyn Dowaliby from her bedroom in the middle of the night.

8) Ghost Gate Road (Nov. 23)

• A true crimer about Australian serial killer Vince O’Dempsey.

9) I’m Not a Monster (Nov. 23)

• The FRONTLINE and BBC Panorama production attempts “to uncover the truth about an American family’s journey from Indiana to the Islamic State group’s caliphate and back.”

10) Temporary (Nov. 25)

• The Guardian’s eight-part series “showcases stories from those seeking asylum in Australia.”

11) Surviving Life with Les Stroud (Nov. 26)

• The “Survivorman” aims to “pull deep and inspiring life stories from artists and motivated individuals who continue to forge new pathways while surviving life itself.”

12) Shaking Out the Numb (Nov. 22)

• The experimental pod from Sylvan Esso “weaves together found sounds from nature, conversations, memories, and songs” from the band’s new album.

Reminder: I’ve contracted and expanded coverage of new podcasts. The newsletter includes a curated list of the most notable and best new podcasts of the previous seven days.

Broader coverage now resides at weekinpodcasts.com, where I’ll show my work with an evolving list of new and upcoming podcasts. Know of any podcasts that should be included? Reply and let me know.

This is my staging ground, a longer, evolving list of new and upcoming podcasts for 2021.

I’ll include details about each podcast when I can. Sometimes, though, you’ll find just a title, or even a snippet of information about a podcast in development. It’s a living page and I’ll update it regularly.

Last Update: June3, 11:04 p.m.

New Podcasts: January 2021

New Podcasts: February 2021

New Podcasts: March 2021

New Podcasts: April 2021

New Podcasts: May 2021

New Podcasts: June 2021

Written Off (July)

The Grand Scheme: Snatching Sinatra (July 27)

The Flame (Summer)

Let Genius Burn (Summer)

• The pod “examines the life of Louisa May Alcott from many angles.”

Toxic: The Britney Spears Story (Summer)

Sugar Maple (October)

Gates McFadden InvestiGAtes: who do you think you are? (TBD)

All the Hacks (TBD)

The Midnight Miracle (TBD)

Glamour Jungle (TBD)

Alive Again (TBD)

• It’s the “story of Trey Anastasio’s solo career, from the Trey Anastasio Band to The Beacon Jams and beyond.”

The Friendship Onion (TBD)

Ava DuVernay/Spotify Law Enforcement Accountability Project

Deliver Us From Ervil

The Assault on America

Slow Burn: The 1992 Los Angeles Riots

Absolutely Mental (TBD)

Demi Lovato pod TBD

One Click

• Elle Fanning and Jessica Wapner will investigate “how the chemical DNP (originally used for munitions and artillery shells) found its way into diet pills and bodybuilding aids on the internet.”

Sponsor

• The scripted comedy “follows the Golden family as patriarch Sam attempts his road to recovery. If getting sober wasn’t hard enough, he’s paired with an unusual sponsor: the ghost of his recently departed mother, Mia.”

Mama Says

• The Wondery pod’s hosted by Barbara Weber, mother of Peter Weber of “The Bachelor.”

RIP: G.I. Joe

• Another Wondery show. This one’s a follow-up to Over My Dead Body.

Here Comes the Break

• It’s a serialized hip-hop podcast from Double Elvis and Def Jam.

The Battle For L.A.

• The pod from the upcoming Dan Patrick Podcast Network “will focus on the history and rivalry of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, both currently among the top teams in the NBA.”

Michael Bolton’s Big Sexy Podcast

• Another pod from Will Ferrell’s Big Money Players Network features singer Bolton “as a sincerely self-obsessed show host serving up outlandish questions and requests to his wide range of unsuspecting celebrity guests.”

The Case of Adirondack Rose

• A scripted true crime comedy from Paul Feig’s production company. It’s a Spotify exclusive.

Prisoner

• Journalist Jason Rezaian focuses on his time in an Iranian prison in a Crooked Media podcast.

Podcrushed 

• The project from Penn Badgley promises to take “the sting out of rejection—one crushing middle school story at a time.”

This is Tulsi Gabbard

• The former congresswoman promises to be: “Honest. Independent. Unafraid. Always with aloha.”

Korn Presents: The Nothing

This Duckburg Life

Batman Unburied

Soul Mates

No Drink Min

Sonic Leap

Michele Norris Podcast TBD

Zachary Quinto Podcast TBD

Bianca Del Rio Podcast TBD

Burn

Dark Art

The Playboy Interview

Coleman’s Finest

American Coup

Electric Easy

Bigger props to Dolly Parton. The legend made a large donation to help fund coronavirus vaccine research. Learn more about her awesomeness in Dolly Parton’s America, which, though it released last year, rose to No. 62 on the chart yesterday. She also guested on at least three pods this week.

The rest of the counts: 61 notable guests, 17 new podcasts, seven deep dives and one spectacular ad for a Welsh trailer company.

Pod Take of the Week

“A lot of people will tell me, ‘That’s not a taco. My grandmother, my abuela, made real tacos. She made real Mexican food and everything else is not Mexican food.’ Well, what if your grandmother’s a bad cook?”

Listen: The Sporkful: Hitting the Texas Taco with José Ralat (11:07)

• That’s Ralat, Texas Monthly’s taco editor, on his Abuelita Principle.
• Ralat talks about the world of Texas tacos and his ongoing debate with purists about what makes for an authentic taco.
• Mexican food, he says, is always evolving and efforts to “control this living cuisine” undermine our understanding and enjoyment of it.
  

  Go Deep

   

  1) The Stakes of the Upcoming Joe Biden Presidency

  Listen: The Weeds

  • The Vox podcast’s two episodes into an eight-episode dive into “the likely consequences of the election and the challenges facing the incoming Biden administration.”

  2) Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney Take Over Welsh Football Club Wrexham AFC

  Listen: Final Whistle

  • A two-hour deep dive into how two actors came to acquire the third-oldest professional football club in the world — and won Twitter with their pitch for Ifor Williams trailers.

  3) “Did the CIA Plant a Virus in Cuba?”

  Listen: Science Vs. 

  • The Gimlet pod’s multi-parter investigates “a conspiracy theory that involves the CIA, Cuba and a whole bunch of dead pigs.”

  4) Pink Lemonade 

  Listen: Ridiculous History

  • A two-parter on the “surprisingly ancient origins” of the drink, as well as the “dubious series of events that may have led to what we call pink lemonade today.”
  • Binge time: 1 hour, 4 minutes.

  5) The Rise of Giannis Antetokounmpo

  Listen: The Woj Pod

  • ESPN’s NBA guru Adrian Wojnarowski delivers a three-part series on how the Greek Freak came to be scouted by the league and drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks.
  • Binge time: 1 hour, 56 minutes.

  6) “Home Alone” 

  Listen: The Rewatchables

  • The Ringer’s Chris Ryan and Sean Fennessey, and ESPN’s Mina Kimes, go 1 hour, 37 minutes on the holiday classic.

  7) The Britney Spears Saga

  Listen: Popcast, Rivals

  • The New York Times Popcast dives deep into the musician’s struggle with the courts and her father to end the conservatorship that oversees her affairs, while Rivals goes 59 minutes on her long-ago musical beef with Christina Aguilera.

  Guest Appearances By…

   

  ($L) = Luminary, behind a paywall. (S) = Spotify exclusive. ($A) = Audible, behind a paywall.

  Andre, Eric Literally! With Rob Lowe

  Bakkedahl, Dan Bald Talk

  Behrs, Beth Anna Faris is Unqualified

  Belfort, Jordan Nobody Told Me!

  Bell, Kristen Your Fave’s Faves

  Berninger, Matt You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes

  Bieber, Hailey Pretty Big Deal

  Birbiglia, Mike Self-Helpless

  Bloom, Rachel Keep It, Ask Me Another

  • The actress and writer says she does not discuss “The Crown.”

  Bon Jovi, Jon Talks at Google

  Boyega, John The Big Ticket

  Campbell, Mike Broken Record

  Chang, David SmartLess

  Chappelle, Dave The Joe Rogan Experience

  Chuck D Angry Americans

  Close, Glenn WTF with Marc Maron

  Cross, David The Last Laugh

  Eilish, Billie Song Exploder

  • The artist breaks down her song “everything i wanted.”

  Fallon, Brian Walking the Floor

  • Convo with former leader of Gaslight Anthem, whose second album made Rockin’ the Suburbs’ great sophomore albums pod.

  Feig, Paul I’m So Obsessed

  Folds, Ben Conversations

  Fox, Michael J. The Originals, WTF with Marc Maron

  Green, Tom The Joe Rogan Experience

  Halsey Armchair Expert

  Harper, Ben People Have the Power

  Howard, Brittany Points South

  Inspectah Deck People’s Party with Talib Kweli

  Jacobson, Abbi Mike Birbiglia’s Working it Out

  Khan, Sal Decoder

  Kine, Starlee Blank Check

  Koenig, Ezra U Talkin’ Talking Heads 2 My Talking Head

  Lakshmi, Padma Green Eggs and Dan

  Law, Jude Talkhouse

  Leguizamo, John Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

  Letterman, David Bullseye

  • A critic’s take: “This interview with Letterman is so very good,” NPR’s Linda Holmes tweets. “It really … rests with the discomfort of Letterman acknowledging that he did a lot of shitty things, and he doesn’t really … expect to be absolved? It’s really interesting.”

  Martling, Jackie The Bob Lefsetz Podcast

  McConaughey, Matthew Your Fave’s Faves

  McQueen, Steve Kickass News

  Mendes, Shawn The Zane Lowe Interview Series

  Notaro, Tig Dads: The Podcast

  Nwodim, Ego The Step

  Obama, Barack Fresh Air

  • The former president says, “I try to remind myself that history does not just go forward. It goes sideways. It goes backwards sometimes. The path of progress is bumpy and there are going to be setbacks.”

  Odom Jr., Leslie The Rachel Hollis Podcast

  Parton, Dolly Biscuits & Jam, Unlocking Us with Brené Brown, For the Record

  Peretti, Chelsea Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!

  Quinn, Colin Good One

  Ralat, José The Sporkful

  Rapinoe, Megan Pod Save the People

  Rawlings, Donnell The Joe Rogan Experience

  Shepard, Dax The Tim Ferriss Show

  Silverman, Sarah The Gist

  Smith, Maggie Wheels Off

  Taylor-Joy, Anya The Watch

  • Convo with the star of the Netflix show of the moment, “The Queen’s Gambit.”

  Tedder, Ryan The GaryVee Audio Experience

  Tegan and Sara Black Frasier

  Trainor, Meghan Good For You

  Undertaker, The Sports Illustrated Media Podcast

  Vaughn, Vince Life is Short with Justin Long

  Waters, Roger Useful Idiots

  • The Pink Floyd musician talks U.S. foreign policy.

  Whitmer, Gretchen You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton

  Zimmern, Andrew The Upgrade

Notable New Podcasts

Reminder: I’ve contracted and expanded coverage of new podcasts. The newsletter includes a curated list of the most notable and best new podcasts of the previous seven days.

Broader coverage now resides at weekinpodcasts.com, where I’ll show my work with an evolving list of new and upcoming podcasts. Know of any podcasts that should be included? Reply and let me know.

1) Bill Gates and Rashida Jones Ask Big Questions (Nov. 16)

• The business mogul/philanthropist and the actress/writer “tackle some of the biggest questions facing us today: Is it too late to solve climate change? Does everybody lie? Is inequality inevitable?”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 1.
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 9.

2) Sweet Boys (Nov. 18)

• YouTubers Garrett Watts and Andrew Siwicki conduct “a blissfully chaotic and curious conversation about what it means to live in this beautiful, crazy, and confusing modern world.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 35.
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 2.

3) Gamblers (Nov. 18)

• David Hill hosts the Ringer pod about the lives of six professional gamblers.
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 87.
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 15.

4) Recipe Club (Nov. 17) 

• David Chang and Chris Ying “are joined by a rotating cast of culinary experts to prepare, eat, and judge three different recipes of the same dish.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 99.

5) Jacked: The Rise of New Jack Swing (Nov. 17)

• Taraji P. Henson hosts the Wondery podcast about the sound that “dominated the pop music charts” in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.

6) American Prodigy (Nov. 17)

• Former Sports Illustrated soccer reporter Grant Wahl tells the story of former American soccer prodigy Freddy Adu.

7) Stuff the British Stole (Nov. 20)

• The British Empire “stole a lot of stuff. Today those objects are housed in genteel institutions across the UK and the world. They usually come with polite plaques. This is a series about the not-so-polite history behind those objects.”
• Marc Fennell hosts.

8) Add to Cart (Nov. 17)

• Kulap Vilaysack and SuChin Pak take “funny-but-meaningful looks at modern consumerism and anything we ‘buy into,’ such as products, philosophies, lifestyles, and entertainment choices.”

9) POOG with Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak (Nov. 17)

• The hosts go on an “obsessive quest through the highs and the lows of the healing world” for Will Ferrell’s Big Money Players Network of comedy podcasts.

10) The Agitators: The Story of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass (Nov. 18)

• The pod tells the story of “the enduring but tempestuous friendship of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass.”

11) Jill Scott Presents: J.ill the Podcast (Nov. 18)

• The singer says her pod “is like chilling with that friend who says what everyone wants to say but is too afraid to – times three.”

12) Your Fave’s Faves (Nov. 18)

• Rachel Hollis “sits down with celeb guests to get real about their ultimate ‘Top Five,’ in any category they want.”

13) Greetings from Somewhere (Nov. 18)

• Zach Mack hosts a “documentary-style travel podcast that explores and celebrates unique places.”

14) Hunting Ghislaine (Nov. 19)

• John Sweeney investigates Jeffrey Epstein’s partner Ghislaine Maxwell, telling “a fairy story which happens the wrong way round, of how a princess ends up accused of being the monster and no-one at all ends up happily ever after.”

15) Kesha and the Creepies (Nov. 20)

• The pop star “explores supernatural subjects and alternative lifestyles with today’s most exciting pop culture guests & supernatural experts.”

16) [X] on [Y] (Nov. 20)

• Artists invite listeners “on a deep dive into a musician and catalogue that has influenced their artistry.”

17) Curveball (Nov. 17)

• Kellie Riordan “tracks down our boldest and brightest leaders and asks them to reveal the tips, tricks and hacks that help them tackle life’s toughest moments.”

For 10 more new podcasts plus upcoming debuts, visit the This Week in Podcasts website.

This week’s counts: 45 notable guests, 12 new podcasts, five deep dives and one president-elect who believes in math.

Pod Take of the Week

“You can’t litigate math. Math doesn’t respond well to your opinions.”

Listen: Sway: Math Lessons from Pennsylvania (11:31)

• That’s John Fetterman, Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania and breakout social media star, on the granite foundational fact of the results of the U.S presidential election in the Keystone State and, of course, everywhere else.
• Reminder: Despite all the shouting, math says Joe Biden won Pennsylvania and the presidency.
• Says Fetterman: “This was all designed to look chaotic when, in fact, there was no chaos.”

Go Deep

1) Anthems

Listen: Switched on Pop

• The SOP guys are three episodes through a four-part series breaking down pop music anthems, examining “what makes a song the one that a whole stadium or arena can sing as one, a song that soundtracks our public life.”
• The first three songs: Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” 2 Unlimited’s “Get Ready for This” and Smash Mouth’s “All Star.” Missy Elliot’s “Work It” rounds out the series next week.

2) The State of the Coronavirus and COVID-19

Listen: Public Health on Call, Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction, Checks and Balance

• A good news/horrible news week on the COVID-19 front:
• Good news: Pfizer reported “encouraging early results from Phase III” of its vaccine clinical trials. Public Health on Call discusses what might happen next.
• Also good news: President-elect Biden has plans to address the pandemic in the U.S. Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction and The Economist’s Checks and Balance investigate what difference the Biden administration might make.
• Horrible news: Case numbers are rising — skyrocketing, in some countries like the U.S. It’s a humanitarian crisis. Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction analyzes what that could mean.

3) The Death of James Le Mesurier

Listen: Intrigue

• The BBC podcast dropped a 10-part series investigating the “tangle of truths and lies about [Le Mesurier’s] involvement with the White Helmets first responders in Syria.”
• Le Mesurier helped pull survivors from bombed out buildings in rebel-held areas of Syria. His detractors believe him to be a British secret agent.
• Le Mesurier fell to his death in Istanbul in 2019.

4) “A Day in the Life” 

Listen: Strong Songs

• A 58-minute breakdown of the Beatles’ masterpiece.

5) The Science of “Children of Men”

Listen: Bad Science

• A 35-minute breakdown of Alfonso Cuarón’s dystopian masterpiece through the lens of science.

Guest Appearances By…

($L) = Luminary, behind a paywall. (S) = Spotify exclusive. ($A) = Audible, behind a paywall.

Abrams, Stacey You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton, Pod Save America

• The politician and voting rights advocate continues her push to change Georgia’s political representation.
• Correction: Sorry about the missing e in your name last week, Stacey!

Adejuyigbe, Demi Home Cooking

• The comedian talks quarantine cooking. About his baking he says, “I love to be called ignorant in a nice way for once.”

Armisen, Fred The Last Laugh

Bird, Sue Bananas

Black, Rebecca Terrible, Thanks for Asking

Brockovich, Erin How To! with Charles Duhigg

Bruckheimer, Jerry Literally! With Rob Lowe

Cuban, Mark Decoder

Cuoco, Kaley Armchair Expert

DMX People’s Party with Talib Kweli

Fetterman, John Sway, Lovett or Leave It

Fleck, Béla Eric Krasno Plus One

• Convo with the with legendary banjo player.

Gladwell, Malcolm Anna Faris is Unqualified

Groban, Josh Off Menu

Halford, Rob Bullseye

Hamm, Jon Black Frasier

Healy, Fran The Adam Buxton Podcast

Heidecker, Tim The Last Laugh

Hinchcliffe, Tony The Joe Rogan Experience

Karr, Mary The Tim Ferriss Show

• The writer says, the “solution to fear is curiosity and presence. I can’t be terrified and curious at the same time.”

Keys, Alicia Red Table Talk

Killam, Taran Life is Short with Justin Long

Kravitz, Lenny Broken Record

Kreischer, Bert Good One

Langella, Frank WTF with Marc Maron

Melua, Katie Sodajerker on Songwriting

Moby You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes

O’Brien, Conan SmartLess

Porter, Katie Hysteria

Reilly, John C. The Last Laugh

Retta The Three Questions with Andy Richter

Rivera, Gabby Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

• Convo with the first Latina to write for Marvel Comics.

Robinson, Phoebe Pretty Big Deal

Rosenthal, Phil Green Eggs and Dan

Roth, Eric Scriptnotes

Rubin, Gretchen Nobody Told Me!

Sedaris, David Kickass News

Seehorn, Rhea WTF with Marc Maron

Serrano, Shea Throwing Fits

Simpson, Sturgill Broken Record

Steinem, Gloria TED Talks Daily

Thompson, Wright Gangrey: The Podcast

Vaynerchuk, Gary Just B with Bethenny Frankel

Wambach, Abby The goop Podcast

Yang, Bowen Mike Birbiglia’s Working it Out

• The SNLer discusses conversion therapy and Googling yourself.

Notable New Podcasts

Reminder: I’ve contracted and expanded coverage of new podcasts. The newsletter includes a curated list of the most notable and best new podcasts of the previous seven days.

Broader coverage now resides at weekinpodcasts.com, where I’ll show my work with an evolving list of new and upcoming podcasts. Know of any podcasts that should be included? Reply and let me know.

1) Do No Harm (Nov. 10) 

• The Wondery and NBC News co-production focuses on “a medical and legal system so focused on protecting children from abuse, it has targeted innocent parents.”
• Mike Hixenbaugh hosts.
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 2.
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 5.

2) A New Untold Story (Nov. 12)

• Another rambling pod from Barstool Sports.
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 65.
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 9.

3) The Oyster (Nov. 13)

• A sci-fi pod about an uninhabitable future earth and an underground shelter.
• Carla Gugino and Giancarlo Esposito are among the stars.
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 111.

4) I Saw What You Did (Nov. 10)

• Millie De Chirico and Danielle Henderson “program a double-feature of their favorite movies with a different wild theme every week,” and they “dissect the films and explore the weird ways we respond to and learn to love movies.”
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 157.

5) 90210MG (Nov. 9)

• “90210” cast members Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth join the TV show recap pod gold rush.
• Apple Podcasts rank: No. 170.

6) Thin Black Line (Nov. 7)

• The true crimer from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation investigates the “1993 death of Daniel Yock [that] sparked a wildfire of anger fuelled by decades of bad blood between police and the Aboriginal community.”

7) Good Influence with Gemma Styles (Nov. 8)

• Each week features “a guest who’ll help us pay attention to something we should know about, but maybe don’t.”
• Spotify Trending Podcasts rank: No. 4.

8) 13 Hours Inside the Nova Scotia Massacre (Nov. 9)

• Sarah Ritchie leads a 13-part series that “will try to piece together exactly what happened and what could or should have been done to prevent it.”

9) Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums (Nov. 10)

• The Amazon-exclusive pod tells the “stories behind some of the most essential albums of all time, told by the artists who made them and Rolling Stone’s writers and editors.”

10) Decoder (Nov. 10)

• The show from The Verge is “about big ideas — and other problems.”
• Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel hosts.

11) Under Construction (Nov. 11)

• Tamar Braxton “gives you a glimpse into her life, by sharing her experiences as she navigates relationships, motherhood and her career.”

12) Constantly Evolving (Nov. 12)

• Musician Eve hosts the BBC pod about “how to get the most out of life.”

For 13 more new podcasts plus upcoming debuts, visit the This Week in Podcasts website.