As much as I spend a lot of of time thinking about games, playing games, talking about games, and writing about games, I’m not currently listening to any podcasts about games.
I’ll go through stretches of listening to stuff like Happy Jack’s RPG Podcast, Shut Up & Sit Down, Mortal Realms, and the like.
Perhaps, as you go through the list of my current podcasts, you’ll also get a hint of the current political climate in this United Kingdom. A general election approaches, and although the overall result feels like something of a foregone conclusion, there’s still significant room for nuance; especially in my own little Caledonian corner of it. what a Fiasco that’s going to be…
Anyway, here are my current faves:
5. Friday Night Comedy
This isn’t really a dedicated podcast as such, but rather a recording of BBC Radio 4’s Friday Night Comedy Slot. These run on blocks of around 6 weeks, with each slot featuring a different programme. The most common three programmes are The Now Show, The News Quiz, and Dead Ringers. These are really solid shows and are all perennial favourites of mine. These see a lot of play. My only gripe is that to hear the latest episodes, you need to access it through BBC Sounds, rather than your typical podcast apps. The BBC, likely in an effort to promote the BBC Sounds app, introduced a 4 week lag in their episodes on other platforms. Not ideal for a topical news show, eh?
4. The Rest is Politics
If you’d told me this time last year that I would willingly consume any media put put by Alastair Campbell, I’d have laughed in your face and called you an apologist for a warmongering propagandist I still hold Campbell partially responsible for an illegal war, but I do still enjoy this show. He’s had a lot of experience (albeit in an unelected capacity) of government and has some good insights and a keen mind. He’s coupled with Rory Stewart, whom I have long liked as an author and of whom I approved when he was minister for prisons. The show is both thoughtful and thought-provoking, considerate, and interesting. I like that their interviews, even with powerful individuals, are not puff pieces, and participants are challenged on their views. This was very evident in their discussion with Bill Gates and Humza Yousaf.
3. The Rest is Entertainment
Coming from the same stable as The Rest is Politics, The Rest is Entertainment features Marina Hyde and Richard Osman discussing all things entertainment. The pair have quite wide interests and a broad knowledge base in the industry. I’ve found Marina’s experience of traditional journalism and Richard’s observations from his time at Endemol particularly interesting. The Q&A episodes (also a staple of The Rest is Politics) really good, as the discussions on these episodes feel more free-wheeling.
2. Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast
Private Eye is my favourite Magazine. Yes, even above White Dwarf and Wargames Illustrated! It’s the UK’s leading satirical magazine and it has a long history of investigating and campaigning journalism. It also has a proud history of puerile humour and comic strips. I’m not sure which of these traditions the editor, Ian Hislop, is more proud. Page 94 bridges the 2-week gaps between issues of the magazine with an entertaining and informative podcast that either expands on a key issue front the latest magazine, addresses stories that have arisen since publication, or explores something specific. I especially love the episodes on which Hislop appears. Helen Lewis has been a good addition to the podcast, too.
1. Politics Joe
Love podcasts, hate nonces; it’s the Politics Joe Podcast! Politics Joe is my favourite podcast at the moment. It’s truly fantastic, tackling the news with a mix of journalisn, opinion, wit, obscenities, and running gags. I absolutely love this show and I heartily recommend it both to fellow Brits who want to keep abreast of the current political issues, and foreign friends who want an idea of what’s going on in the UK. I really love it wheb they disappear down a rabbit hoke, with my favourite episode featuring a lot of references to Nunu from the Tellytubbies:
The only little niggle is that the feed isn’t just for the Politics Joe Podcast, but is actually for all of the video content put out by Politics Joe. This means there are also interviews, voxpops, news stories, and the like. Sometimes I think it would be easier if the feed just featured, say, the main podcast and the PMQ reactions. The PMQ reactions are really fantastic, and it’s a lot of fun go see then eviscerate the PM, LotO, and others. I enjoyed the recent PMQ reactions following the Diane Abbott controversy where she, despite being discussed in Parliament, was not given a chance to actually speak on her own behalf.
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