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I've just started Story Break (140 odd eps in), which is three screen writers taking various bits of inspiration to create a new (and, so far, always hilariously bad) film.
https://storybreak.simplecast.com/

A good entry ep is this, making a Disney Original movie marathon (five films) using only what the actual poster gives them:
https://storybreak.simplecast.com/episo ... 9-lZZob4HI

Science(ish) is pretty fun. A 40 minute or so look at a topic with a film or book providing the initial jumping off point, like using Silence of the Lambs to talk about cannibalism.

Early episodes analysed the science in a particular film, before taking the current broader approach.

Primarily for people like me who aren't especially scientifically minded, but wish they were. Depending on the area of discussion it can get fairly science-y or certainly sufficiently so that I get a bit lost.

https://play.acast.com/s/scienceish

I've been listening to Melvin Bragg's In Our Time: History.

https://open.spotify.com/show/1795Kl2MS ... ldP83e5SRw

Interesting range of topics

Revolutions podcast with Mike Duncan - he starts of with the English revolution and then makes his way through US, French, Haitian, Spanish America, etc with each revolution get a decent 50 odd episodes.

Dan Carlin Hardcore History has awesome series on various periods throughout history from Babylon, Caesar, genghis khan and the current one is a Japanese focused look at ww2.

30 for 30 from ESPN, has some hit and miss episodes about random sports stories

Infinite Monkey cage with Brian cox and Robin ince- they pick a scientific topic each episode, have 2-3 experts in that field discuss it along with the token entertainer/comedian. Some are really good, others you wonder why they let the comedian in the room.

The Boring Talks. People giving talks about subjects that most people find boring, but they find interesting. Some are incredibly dull, others are little gems.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05t3gr2

Oxbow wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 9:05 am The Boring Talks. People giving talks about subjects that most people find boring, but they find interesting. Some are incredibly dull, others are little gems.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05t3gr2

Sounds like The Dork Forest, where people talk to a comedian about the things they're 'dorky' about. She's pretty respectful of them (a dork herself), so asks more questions than makes jokes, but there's the odd joke in there. http://tdf.jackiekashian.com/ ... well over 500 eps! I can't say I know many shows that are that high. Rogan, of course...

Kermode and Mayo's film podcast would be up there if their pre-2015 library was available. For some reason everything prior to that's been scrubbed from the Beeb site.

Ones I've listened/listening to (and enjoyed) recently are:
How to invent a country (Interesting histories of countries up to WW1) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0683m ... /downloads
Hunting Warhead (bit grim at times, darkweb child abuse investigation) - https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcasts/hunting-warhead/
The Missing Crypto queen - (crypto-currency / pyramid scheme etc)- https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07nkd84
The Bomb - (Manhattan Project / moral question re: use etc) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08llv8n

mat the expat wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 1:06 am I've been listening to Melvin Bragg's In Our Time: History.

https://open.spotify.com/show/1795Kl2MS ... ldP83e5SRw

Interesting range of topics

I checked it out based on Floppykid's postings on the old bored.

It is very good.

Sometimes (not all the time, but sometimes) the old host on a grumpy day can be the weakest link.

dantedelew wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 12:57 pm Ones I've listened/listening to (and enjoyed) recently are:
How to invent a country (Interesting histories of countries up to WW1) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0683m ... /downloads
Hunting Warhead (bit grim at times, darkweb child abuse investigation) - https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcasts/hunting-warhead/
The Missing Crypto queen - (crypto-currency / pyramid scheme etc)- https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07nkd84
The Bomb - (Manhattan Project / moral question re: use etc) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08llv8n

I liked the first one on your list ... will give the others a try.

I've recently discovered "We Have Ways of Making You Talk". Al Murray and ww2 historian James Holland discuss lesser known people and actions in WW2 as well as taking questions from listeners. Really entertaining and quite a light hearted way to expand your knowledge.

Leadwasps is a podcast by a lad I served with. I think about half of his guests have so far been from my battalion. So it probably resonates more with me than the general listener.

Jock42 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 1:51 pm I've recently discovered "We Have Ways of Making You Talk". Al Murray and ww2 historian James Holland discuss lesser known people and actions in WW2 as well as taking questions from listeners. Really entertaining and quite a light hearted way to expand your knowledge.

Leadwasps is a podcast by a lad I served with. I think about half of his guests have so far been from my battalion. So it probably resonates more with me than the general listener.

Cheers, will check that out. Read a few of Holland's books (Fortress Malta and Battle of Britain) and thought they were very good, especially where giving it a bit of colour with individual stories and profiles.

On the second one, I'd imagine some fella doing a podcast interviewing guys he's worked with is considerably more interesting in that line of work than it would be for most of us.

Recommendation wise I've been listening to this a fair bit lately

Basically a drummer interviewing other drummers for the first 200 or so episodes before branching out into other missions when he ran out of drummers. It's well hosted (which usually makes or breaks a podcast) and some of the ones I've listened to have been pretty interesting.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... ysettling/

Margin__Walker wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 2:01 pm

Jock42 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 1:51 pm I've recently discovered "We Have Ways of Making You Talk". Al Murray and ww2 historian James Holland discuss lesser known people and actions in WW2 as well as taking questions from listeners. Really entertaining and quite a light hearted way to expand your knowledge.

Leadwasps is a podcast by a lad I served with. I think about half of his guests have so far been from my battalion. So it probably resonates more with me than the general listener.

Cheers, will check that out. Read a few of Holland's books (Fortress Malta and Battle of Britain) and thought they were very good, especially where giving it a bit of colour with individual stories and profiles.

On the second one, I'd imagine some fella doing a podcast interviewing guys he's worked with is considerably more interesting in that line of work than it would be for most of us.

Not long finished Burma '44 and on Fortress Malta at the minute, I got into them because of the pod. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Kiap wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 1:14 pm

mat the expat wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 1:06 am I've been listening to Melvin Bragg's In Our Time: History.

https://open.spotify.com/show/1795Kl2MS ... ldP83e5SRw

Interesting range of topics

I checked it out based on Floppykid's postings on the old bored.

It is very good.

Sometimes (not all the time, but sometimes) the old host on a grumpy day can be the weakest link.

I have the benefit of growing up with his Sunday night show - so am used to it

I hope this isn't geo-blocked, but the CBC show "Under the Influence" is back for a new season. It takes a lighthearted and well-sourced (with audio clips, and video on their page) look at issues in marketing, media, etc.

The new ep is having a look at racist imagery in ads, how they started and changed. He doesn't really editorialize either, unless he was involved or evaluates the effectiveness (he spent decades in the ad industry), just presents facts.

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/undertheinflue ... -1.5864445

Jock42 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 1:51 pm I've recently discovered "We Have Ways of Making You Talk". Al Murray and ww2 historian James Holland discuss lesser known people and actions in WW2 as well as taking questions from listeners. Really entertaining and quite a light hearted way to expand your knowledge.

Leadwasps is a podcast by a lad I served with. I think about half of his guests have so far been from my battalion. So it probably resonates more with me than the general listener.

Yes! Excellent listening in pretty much every episode. Their specials in Dunkirk week last year were particularly good.

Echo whoever recommended Carlin's 'Supernova in the East', and his series on WW1 was very good as well.

Jock42 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 2:11 pm

Margin__Walker wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 2:01 pm

Jock42 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 1:51 pm I've recently discovered "We Have Ways of Making You Talk". Al Murray and ww2 historian James Holland discuss lesser known people and actions in WW2 as well as taking questions from listeners. Really entertaining and quite a light hearted way to expand your knowledge.

Leadwasps is a podcast by a lad I served with. I think about half of his guests have so far been from my battalion. So it probably resonates more with me than the general listener.

Cheers, will check that out. Read a few of Holland's books (Fortress Malta and Battle of Britain) and thought they were very good, especially where giving it a bit of colour with individual stories and profiles.

On the second one, I'd imagine some fella doing a podcast interviewing guys he's worked with is considerably more interesting in that line of work than it would be for most of us.

Not long finished Burma '44 and on Fortress Malta at the minute, I got into them because of the pod. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Well I checked it now and before I knew it I'd listened to the majority of the episodes on there. Really good quality content and a good diversity of subjects/guests and they talk a lot of sense.

Picked up Normandy 44' as well off the back of it.

Edit - snap PB

Have read Burma '44 and Fortress Malta, highly recommend both. Will get his book on North Africa after a few I've got to get through first.

More or less podcast is good

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02nrs ... /downloads

It looks at some of the stats in that week’s news and tries to give a balanced, authoritative view on the truth.

Smith 'n' Sniff if you like two mates rambling about vaguely automotive drivel.

Stumbled upon Desert Island Dicks recently.

Comedians who discuss what they would bring onto the island that would make their life there as dreadful as possible. Quite funny.

For cricket fans, 'Middle Please, Umpire' with Miles Jupp and Mark Wood is enjoyable enough.

My dad wrote a porno is quite amusing.

Just listened to "How to Make a Country" which was very good.

How do you guys listen to these? Do you put time aside and just listen or is it on in the background while you work etc? I can't really justify sitting around listening to them at the moment and would probably prefer to read a book in the time I get anyway. But, I'm useless at doing two things at once and just don't seem to take it in if I'm doing something else.

When I'm out running, making dinner, if I'm in the car long enough and sometimes if there's any down time on nights.

Slick wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:52 am Just listened to "How to Make a Country" which was very good.

How do you guys listen to these? Do you put time aside and just listen or is it on in the background while you work etc? I can't really justify sitting around listening to them at the moment and would probably prefer to read a book in the time I get anyway. But, I'm useless at doing two things at once and just don't seem to take it in if I'm doing something else.

The commute to and from work is when I do it. Also when cooking.

Cooking sounds like the ideal time actually.

Yeah, I tend to listen whilst doing something I don't have to think too much about. (cooking, walking, DIY, commuting).

Try every now and then whilst working, but I can't concentrate on two things at once.

Slick wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:52 am Just listened to "How to Make a Country" which was very good.

How do you guys listen to these? Do you put time aside and just listen or is it on in the background while you work etc? I can't really justify sitting around listening to them at the moment and would probably prefer to read a book in the time I get anyway. But, I'm useless at doing two things at once and just don't seem to take it in if I'm doing something else.

Not a podcast person but quite into audiobooks and find they are good for commuting (back in the old days), running or doing things like cooking and pottering around the house. Can't do them at the same time as work at all though, as my job involves reading, writing and editing text and I can't process spoken information when I am doing this.

Slick wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:18 am Cooking sounds like the ideal time actually.

Probably the time I take less in

Yesterday's episode of History Hit featured Dan talking to his dad Peter Snow about the British attack on Washington in 1814 (pop wrote a book called "When Britain Burned the White House")

https://play.acast.com/s/dansnowshistor ... hpetersnow

assfly wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:59 am

Slick wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:52 am Just listened to "How to Make a Country" which was very good.

How do you guys listen to these? Do you put time aside and just listen or is it on in the background while you work etc? I can't really justify sitting around listening to them at the moment and would probably prefer to read a book in the time I get anyway. But, I'm useless at doing two things at once and just don't seem to take it in if I'm doing something else.

The commute to and from work is when I do it. Also when cooking.

Commuting, cooking, folding washing all a lot easier with a podcast running.

Especially the morning commute being able to avoid morning radio DJs

I tried Dan Carlin but I found him tedious in the extreme

mat the expat wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 4:20 am I tried Dan Carlin but I found him tedious in the extreme

Have you tried History Hit? I've not paid for the bigger content / videos, but the free podcasts are often (a few a week, I think) and usually between 25-45 mins. There's also BBC History Extra, which might be once or twice a week, usually an interview with an author or researcher about their work.

Niegs wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 11:54 am

mat the expat wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 4:20 am I tried Dan Carlin but I found him tedious in the extreme

Have you tried History Hit? I've not paid for the bigger content / videos, but the free podcasts are often (a few a week, I think) and usually between 25-45 mins. There's also BBC History Extra, which might be once or twice a week, usually an interview with an author or researcher about their work.

I'll give them a look

Storybreak is taking this whole season to hash out a Jar Jar movie script. Two eps in, it’s pretty funny but probably only for Star Wars nerds. The above is a bit a fan art made on the premise that they’ll be starting with Jar Jar’s role as a senator and being complicit in Palpatine’s Jedi execution order.

https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/story-break/

I just stumbled on a kind of 'ho hum' podcast about war movies, but this one has Al Murray as guest, talking about A Bridge Too Far / Market Garden. Lots of good trivia and analysis from him. fightingonfilm.podbean.com/e/abridgetoofar/

And the Storybreak lads finished their Jar Jar Binks tale, compiling each episodes script read into one looong three hour tale.

I haven't listened to the full thing yet, but I followed each development episode, which included the 'acted' scene they'd just hashed out, and I think they made a really enjoyable story! https://storybreak.simplecast.com/episo ... irst-draft

British Scandal is quite fun. The first season is all about the murder of Litvinenko which of course is not a fun subject but it's put together and presented by Matt Forde and Alice Levine, two comedians who have great chemistry and there are some genuine laugh out loud moments amongst the seriousness of the crime itself.

There's four seasons, current one is about Nick Leeson bringing down Barings.

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Wed Aug 18, 2021 9:02 pm British Scandal is quite fun. The first season is all about the murder of Litvinenko which of course is not a fun subject but it's put together and presented by Matt Forde and Alice Levine, two comedians who have great chemistry and there are some genuine laugh out loud moments amongst the seriousness of the crime itself.

There's four seasons, current one is about Nick Leeson bringing down Barings.

... mmm ... Alice Levine.