TThere's a consensus on how many seasons a hit TV show should last. For comedies, two is probably sweet spot — think The Office (UK version), Fleabag, Fawlty Towers, etc. For dramas, it's probably more than five (Breaking Bad) or six (The Sopranos). There are long-running exceptions, like It's Sunny in Philadelphia and Curb Your Enthusiasm, but as a rule, they tend to taper off pretty quickly.
For podcasts, the template has yet to be established, and given how easy it is to make a great show with the right people and the right format, it's hard to see a mega-popular show ending in a way that a similar TV entertainment franchise can't manage (Bake Off lost popularity around the time it left the BBC in 2016, and even Taskmaster began to decline after Mike Wozniak left). I got hemorrhoids (7 seasons ago). The Guardian's “Comfort Eating With Grace Dent” just returned for Season 8 (the first episode was Rag'n'Bone Man). Off-menu Its success is so widespread that the Recycle Podcast, reviewed this week, now in its 11th episode, features a segment discussing its classic catchphrase, “Papadoms or bread?” Just released The third season on Spotify follows two on BBC and kicks off with a typically candid episode with former adult actor Mia Khalifa, while Shagged Married Avoid appears to have scrapped the season altogether. And the never ending march continues To the climax of time itself.
For podcast fans, this has interesting implications: there are only so many hours in a day. Most listened to Do shows tend to last a long time? How do podcasts prevent listeners from getting bored? And how long should we be expected to commit to our favorite series? Ten years? Twenty years? Thirty years?
Either way, there’s no shortage of great content. Speaking of which, read on for this week’s picks…
Alexi Duggins
Deputy TV Editor
This week's picks
Stevie's Wonder
Widely available, with weekly episodes
This podcast is a real treat for Stevie Wonder fans, with an impressive analysis of his golden age in the 1970s. Host Wesley Morris has an enviable guest list: Barack Obama reveals that Wonder's love of music was a touchstone in his relationship with Michelle, and Deniece Williams tells a great story about Wonder's rock n' roll tour with the Rolling Stones (yes, that included a night at the Playboy Mansion). Hannah Verdier
Slow Burn: The Rise of Fox News
Widely available, with weekly episodes
With input from people who worked there in the early 2000s, Josh Levin's slow-burn, forensic and accessible analysis examines how Fox News transformed from a channel on the brink of closure into a political and cultural force. Could anyone have stopped the rise of this “little warrior”? HV
Holly Byrne's Dream House
Widely available, with weekly episodes
Nick Helm wants to live in a fenced-in home “like a Scottish Jurassic Park”, Luke McQueen wants to build a five-a-side pitch in his house where people dressed as sumo wrestlers can play football, and in this hilarious new show from stand-up comedian Byrne, he interviews comedians about their dream homes, in a show that feels like an episode of Grand Designs that's too weird to air. Alexi Duggins
Talking nonsense
Widely available, with weekly episodes
This podcast with two recycling experts talking passionately about waste is compelling. A conscious look at how to handle waste eco-friendly, it touches on interesting and light-hearted topics like “Rubbish or Not?” (don't recycle receipts) and when brands plan to start funding local government recycling systems. It's eye-opening, but rarely boring. advertisement
Honestly speaking… Michelle Elman
Widely available, with weekly episodes
Within 24 hours, TV life coach Michelle Ellman announced her engagement on Instagram and then called it off after receiving messages about her fiancé's infidelity. How does she address this in public when her job is to coach people about boundaries? She tells us all in this brutally honest and helpful series. Holly Richardson
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There is a podcast
this week, Hannah Verdier Choose 5 The best podcasts about reality TVFrom a cautionary tale of exploitation to a quest to marry Prince Harry
Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera
Miriam Rivera's story has been covered in the tabloids and TV shows, but this sensitive podcast celebrates her for who she was, rather than portraying her as a victim. In 2004, reality TV was not a welcome territory for the transgender pioneer and New York socialite superstar, who was billed as a prize to be given to six men who wanted to date her. To them, she was a beautiful woman, but her “secret” was exposed like the punch line of a joke. It's especially interesting to hear interviews with the people who were involved in the production of the show and desperate for a hit.
Behind the Scenes: Behind the Scenes of X Factor
Tsitsit Izundu was an entertainment journalist when The X Factor was on TV, and looking back on the show 20 years later brings back good and bad memories. Did Simon Cowell think it was okay to tell someone they were too fat? What do you do if you're struggling to find work after just being on national TV? And why did a comedy contestant who made headlines end up being “montage fodder”? Even if you know The X Factor inside out and remember it fondly, you're bound to hear some shocking stories from applicants and staff.
Split Screen: Thrill Seekers
“I have no artistic integrity and I'll do anything for the money,” admits Steve, who wowed casting directors for a new reality show with a song about lemmings who pretend to be gay to avoid paying child support. He didn't know what he was getting into, and neither do listeners to this podcast, because the big reveal comes only after the first episode. So if you want to see how easily a group of hopefuls are persuaded to take part in a mystery reality show, just jump into the action like them.
Buckingham Palace Bachelorettes
Journalist Scott Bryan investigates the most ridiculous and entertaining setups from the reality TV show I Wanna Marry “Harry,” in which the carrot dangled in front of its American daters was a prince. Except, of course, this Harry was a lookalike, not the 2014 member of the royal family who recently flashed the crown jewels in Las Vegas. Viewing the show through the lens of 2024, Bryan mixes tongue-in-cheek commentary on the stunt with deeper analysis of its impact on the contestants. And the big question is: If it's so contrived, should it even be called reality TV?
Unreal: A Critical History of Reality Television
“The silliest genre of entertainment, or the one that tells us the most about ourselves?” Pandora Sykes and Guardian writer Shirin Kael ask in their 2022 podcast, which treats the art form with the gravitas it deserves. From the innocent days of Big Brother to the “influencer sausage factory” that is Love Island, they've also covered the Kardashians, Jade Goody and TOWIE cast members. It's refreshing to see the presenters are long-time fans rather than straight-up haters, and they use their insider perspective to share their concerns about ethics and what still needs to change in the genre today.
