Griefcast
Cariad Lloyd
In trying to understand death, you might as well listen to the thoughts of people who make jokes for a living. Comedian Cariad Lloyd has been running this podcast since 2016—interviewing fellow comedians and writers, such as Robert Webb, David Baddiel and Sara Pascoe—all sharing their experiences of bereavement and thoughts on “the weirdness of death and dying.” It’s earned a large cult following, and the tone is reflective but never mawkish, often melancholy and rather beautiful.
Happy PlaceFearne Cotton
After all that grief, Happy Place is a nice complementary chaser. As a spin-off from broadcaster Fearne Cotton’s self-help books on positivity and mindfulness, the podcast is an interview series with an optimistic mental health angle and a warm atmosphere. Cotton talks in a relaxed, cosy style with guests including Kirsty Young, Stephen Fry, Tom Daley, Dawn French and Paloma Faith. The conversations tend to focus on the undulating nature of happiness, love, and relationships.
Slow BurnLeon Neyfakh for Slate
In the Trump era, it sometimes feels as if we’re living through another Watergate. But what did that scandal feel like at the time? Slow Burn tells the story in eight episodes as gripping as a psychological thriller. Though we know how it ends—with Nixon’s sensational resignation—by focusing on key “players” in the drama and the context of American life at the time, host Leon Neyfakh makes it seem as though anything could have happened.
