Talking points
Brexitcast, the BBC’s hugely popular podcast about you know what, is being turned into a late-night TV show. Replacing the Andrew Neil-fronted politics series This Week, the series will maintain many of the pod’s features as well as presenters Chris Mason, Laura Kuenssberg, Adam Fleming and Katya Adler. You can read our behind-the-scenes piece about the podcast here.
The first annual Windrush Day, celebrating the contribution made by the Windrush generation and its descendants, takes place this Saturday. To coincide with the event, legendary children’s TV presenter Baroness Floella Benjamin is releasing a new podcast mini-series that recounts her experience as one of those who made the long journey to Britain, and the hostility she faced when she arrived. The first episode of From the Heart with Floella Benjamin is available from Saturday.
The London Podcast Festival has unveiled the first wave of acts for its 2019 edition. Among those performing live this year are veteran podder Adam Buxton, actor and Trolled podcast presenter Tracy Ann Oberman and Years and Years actor Russell Tovey. There will also be live versions of Cariad Lloyd’s Griefcast, George the Poet’s Have You Heard George’s Podcast? and the surreal Beef and Dairy Network pod. Tickets for the festival , which runs from 6th-15th September at Kings Place, can be bought here. Gwilym Mumford
Picks of the week
“I’m back, baby!” Malcolm Gladwell returns with a new season of his popular podcast re-interpreting events from the past. In the opening episode, he’s taking a law school admissions test to see if he can beat his assistant’s score. With anxiety nightmares kicking in, he’ll need more than a clear plastic bag full of trail mix to get through it. Gladwell sounds like he’s messing about, but can’t hide his massive intelligence. Future episodes include a special about Jesuit thinking and the question of why Pat Boone isn’t in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Hannah Verdier
Any true-crime story is in safe hands with Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Paige St John, who narrates this podcast about the Golden State Killer. Even the trailer sets up the doom nicely, via a vignette about a teenager breaking off her engagement with a Vietnam war veteran who throws the ring away in a rage. Over the first few episodes, what starts out as the case of a 70s-style peeping tom or cat burglar soon takes a sinister turn and the crimes start to pile up. It’s properly chilling. HV
Guardian Pick: Brexit Means…
As the Tory leadership campaign heats up enough to make Rory Stewart remove his tie, Britain’s exit from the EU continues to play a starring role. But being front and centre doesn’t seem to be bringing any more clarity. Some of the contenders claim – despite the EU saying otherwise – that they can bring back a new deal, while others believe they can push through May’s thrice-failed offering. All of which sounds very machismo. But is there any chance that whoever succeeds May will be able to actually deliver Brexit? And if so, what will that look like? Jon Henley et al attempt to answer in this month’s episode of Brexit Means. Max Sanderson
