Picks of the week
Growing Old Disgracefully
Sniggering at an older dominatrix or bodybuilder is a popular theme in many a voyeuristic TV show, but Miriam Margolyes is having none of that. As she speaks to over-70s ripping up the rulebook, she handles their stories sensibly and sensitively. First up is Sherry, billed as a dominatrix, but she’s so much more – a woman whose career change was fuelled by the end of a marriage blighted by her husband’s affairs and financial fraud. These are stories of strength, innovation and the will to enjoy life. Hannah Verdier
Human Resources
Journalist Moya Lothian-McLean has a keen eye for highlighting stories on social injustice and political unrest. This new podcast series, launched in late April, sees her consider her own background as a descendant of both black African slaves and white slave owners or overseers, and investigate how the slave trade interacts with the nation’s institutions, law and more besides. She begins her journey in Herefordshire, assessing the links between her sleepy home county and Britain’s first trafficker of slaves, John Hawkins.
Hannah J Davies
Producer pick: Drifter’s Sympathy
Chosen by Noah Payne-Frank
If you’re familiar with Emil Amos’ musical output (Holy Sons, Om, Grails, Lilacs & Champagne) you won’t be surprised by his introspective and eclectic approach to podcasting. There are two alternating threads at play: odd-numbered episodes are stories from - and reflections on - his life, while even-numbered episodes are cleverly curated DJ sets on niche musical themes (Loner Legends, Rare soundtracks etc).
Like Amos, I grew up obsessed by American post-hardcore and lo-fi bands in the 90s, swept up in the home-recording revolution. Not everyone is going to get the same kick out of the shared moment you first heard Sebadoh or saw Fugazi play, but set the music aside and there’s plenty more going on here.
The odd-numbered episodes are filled with jaw-dropping stories of a drug-fuelled youth that play out like scenes from a movie. They’re good stories in their own right, but they’re there to paint a bigger picture of the years Amos spent in periods of deep depression and isolation, and how he found his way out of the mire.
His stoner drawl and homespun philosophy won’t be for everyone, but the candour of his confessions and the old fashioned DIY spirit is a rare thing. It’s a portal to a pre-internet age, where you had to work hard to discover what the world had to offer, and you had to work even harder to find your place in it.
Talking points
Fans of podcast dramas with young, starry casts assemble: this week sees the launch of not one but two. Paul Mescal of Normal People fame helms Black Alley (released on 1 Jun), a new crime anthology show described by its makers as “Pulp Fiction meets In Bruges”. Elsewhere, the BBC’s new series The System – available from today – sees the likes of Sienna Kelly (Adult Material) star in “a nail biting, cult-ish adventure”.
Why not try: The Offcuts Drawer | Cheat | The Black and Irish Podcast
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