Picks of the week
A Positive Life: HIV from Terrence Higgins to Today
BBC Sounds, episodes weekly from 1 Jul
Sam Smith presents this series about the legacy of Terrence Higgins, one of the first people to die of Aids in the UK. The opening episodes tell the story of Terry, “the swashbuckler of life”, with London friends sharing their grief and confusion at his death. There’s optimism, too, as Smith hears from those who fought to make treatment available, and those living with HIV 40 years on. Hannah Verdier
The Last Bohemians
Widely available from 6 Jul
LA’s unsung heroines of rock’n’roll get their moment in the spotlight in the new series of Kate Hutchinson’s fierce female-applauding podcast. As always, the more offbeat characters are the best, starting with Angelyne, the “billboard queen” and hustler. Punk widow Linda Ramone and surrealist Penny Slinger are also coming up. HV
Dear Poetry
Audible, episodes weekly
Luisa Beck believes in the healing power of poetry and she’s spreading the love in a new podcast, with writers suggesting soothing texts to solve people’s problems. At one memorable point, author Luther Hughes gives a 21-year-old looking for love a poem with a powerful message: “You are that bitch – it’s gonna happen when it happens”. HV
Project Unabom
Apple Podcasts, episodes weekly
Notorious serial bomber Ted Kaczynski was the subject of an 18-year manhunt, and this podcast looks at what happened in that time. Host Eric Benson recalls Kacynski’s threats to stage more attacks if the Washington Post didn’t publish his manifesto, and shares interviews with a Dungeons and Dragons club that became the FBI’s initial suspects. HV
Algorithms
Audible, all episodes available
Comic Sadie Clark creates a podcast from her Edinburgh show – once called a “bisexual Bridget Jones for the online generation”. It opens with main character Brooke’s mum (Alison Steadman) spying explicit photos of her online. One breakup later and she’s using the dating app she writes the algorithm for, with pleasingly clumsy results. HV
There’s a podcast for that
This week, Hannah Verdier chooses five of the best TV companion podcasts, from Dolly Alderton’s Sex and the City show to a Scrubs rewatch with stars Zach Braff and Donald Faison.
Obsessed With …
The BBC’s companion series to talked-about shows including Killing Eve, Peaky Blinders and Normal People is always high quality. Line of Duty brought out the big guns with Craig Parkinson, Vicky McClure and Martin Compston all giving their theories ahead of the big reveal, while Sophie Duker secured Michaela Coel for the finale of I May Destroy You. But watchalongs don’t always need high drama, as Evanna Lynch and Riyadh Khalaf proved as they bravely tackled the slowly shifting quadrangle of Conversations with Friends.
Sentimental and the City
If you initially had problems with And Just Like That’s faux-wokery but then grew to love it like a Botoxed old friend, Caroline O’Donoghue and Dolly Alderton hear you. These are women who know their stuff, with O’Donaghue uttering the words: “I don’t like the look of Big on that Peloton and I’m worried” after seeing just the trailer. Their Sentimental Garbage miniseries on the Sex and the City sequel is a place where debate about the divisive depiction of ageing, sexuality and diversity sits perfectly with lighter moments, like giggling over Charlotte’s robot lines.
Squirrel Friends: The Official RuPaul’s Drag Race Podcast
There’s not exactly a shortage of RuPaul-related pods out there, but this one comes from inside the Drag Race community, with hosts Loni Love and Alec Mapa who’ve been there and done the guest judging. Cackling and spilling of the hottest tea comes as standard as they recap All Stars season seven, dissecting all the entrance looks, performances and personalities. Their love for RuPaul never waivers, as they dish out compliments, one-liners and behind-the-scenes gossip after every episode of the hit show.
The Stranger Things Podcast
All-American father-daughter duo Addi Darnell and Darrell Darnell gently mock each other while going into the intricacies of the disturbingly lovable drama in podcast episodes that are even longer than the latest instalments. Is “whet your appetite” a thing? What’s the difference between hellfire and heckfire? And why is Eddie still languishing in high school when his teachers must be so desperate to see the back of him? No fan question is left unanswered in the deepest dive out there.
Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald
With nine seasons of the US medical comedy-drama Scrubs settling into its new home on Disney+, it’s the ideal time to rewatch your favourite episodes – along with its two main stars . JD and Turk (Zach Braff and Donald Faison) are now six seasons into their recaps, screeching with laughter at on-set moments and fondly remembering the times they broke down and cried. Their friendship and unmistakable chemistry is as tight off-screen as on, but occasionally they stop nattering for long enough to welcome guests such as Heather Locklear and Seth Green.
Why not try …
The stranger than fiction story of “Ohio’s bear king”, complete with music from Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle in Beast Master.
A special dose of summer spookiness, with a trio of new episodes from Danny Robins’s Uncanny.
Emily Maitlis examines the legacy of the controversial former FBI director in The People vs J Edgar Hoover.
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