For listeners looking for a new podcast to enjoy on your way home for the holidays, here are some podcast suggestions for you to explore, that aren’t This American Life or Serial. There are a lot of fantastic radio shows covering all sorts of topics and formats. This is a short list of some of my favorites. Happy Listening!
That’s Deep Bro
Comedian Christina Pazsitzky sits down every week to tackle big questions. You may know her from Your Mom’s House, co-hosted by fellow comedian and husband, Tom Segura. In That’s Deep Bro, Christina uses her BA in Philosophy and her extensive career as a comedy writer and standup to ask “serious questions for silly people.” That’s Deep Bro is not about complexity; rather, it is a down to earth approach to humanity’s biggest struggles and curiosities. Christina’s honesty and relatable approach will make you feel like you are chatting with a close friend, and leave you with a big dose of perspective.
Limetown
Limetown is a new fictional podcast series that launched over the summer. Over ten years ago, a research facility mysteriously disappeared without a trace. American Public Radio journalist Lia Haddack investigates the disappearance of hundred of men, woman, and children, through a series of interviews and unforeseen events. Dedicated to finding out the truth, Haddack risks her life to revive the bizarre and unpredictable story of Limetown.
Criminal
For those of you who are obsessed with Serial, Criminal is your next guilty pleasure. In each episode, host Phoebe Judge dives into eerie stories that are sure to give you goosebumps. Episodes vary from strange to gruesome, but they seem to play with suspense rather than horror. Using a documentary style, Criminal gives an inside look into not only crime, but also the surrounding people and events, incorporating a social and emotional appeal.
Radio Diaries
This podcast sticks to a pretty simple format. The producers give recorders to many different people to document their own lives. This podcast started in the 90s, capturing the lives of five teenagers from diverse backgrounds. Sixteen years later, the producers reconnected with these now adults and had them listen to their teenage angst for a whole new diary. Since that project, Radio Diaries continues to provide extraordinary stories from ordinary places, as well oral American histories.
Love + Radio
Producer Nick van der Kolk features unique interviews covering a variety of subjects that range from taboo to outrageous. Love + Radio is a proactive podcast that gives us a look into a world of beautiful misfits, their quirks, lifestyles and secrets. The individuals featured in this podcast live in the worlds that we would only dare to enter in our most secret fantasies, or fearful nightmares. Think This American Life…but with more sex and swearing. These stories are complex, suggestive and sure to pull at your heartstrings.
Strangers
In this podcast, real people tell stories of their lives. Ranging from hilarious to heartbreaking, host Lea Thou brings to life the stories of people that we meet. Thou illuminate kindness, heartbreak, struggle and the resilience of humanity. Strangers show us that sometimes we aren’t the people we thought we were.