Table of Contents
Picks of the week
The place of the sun
Widely available, weekly episodes.
“It was a nightmare and I felt like an animal.” Valerie was one of the American teenagers who claim they were forced into Straight Inc’s drug rehab program in the 1980s and were abused, tortured and brainwashed. In a podcast from Robert Downey Jr and Susan Downey’s production company, Valerie speaks with host Cyndy Etler – who was also on the “tough love” project – for a series that uncovers what really happened. Hollie Richardson
Not fit for service
Widely available, weekly episodes.
When Randy Taylor joined the US military, it was the era of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” so he had to keep his sexuality a secret. In this timely podcast, Making Gay History’s Eric Marcus slowly and sensitively exposes this hateful policy. It’s a difficult listen, with Taylor trying to balance life as a gay man with service to his country. Hannah Verdier
The bunny trap
Widely available, weekly episodes.
Ellie Flynn has spent four years investigating the inappropriate behavior of a self-described “Playboy photographer,” with the help of models who have spoken out. Flynn finds “a world full of smoke and mirrors, where exploitation abounds.” It’s eye-opening to learn how the industry works and inspiring to hear from the brave women fighting for justice. high voltage
The cotton club murder
Wondery+, all episodes now available
Dramatic voiceovers to the point of parody and a lurid determination not to skimp on lurid details abound in this new season of the anthology series Hollywood & Crime. Why did showbiz promoter Roy Radin end up dead in a Los Angeles canyon? And how does it relate to his attempt to break into film with a well-known cocaine trafficker? Alex Duggins
strangers on a bench
Widely available, weekly episodes.
What happens if you start talking to a random person in a public bank? This charming series of rambling chats aims to find out, with actor Tom Rosenthal speaking to a father who left everything to cycle to India, then returned home and survived cancer. There is also a young man who was imprisoned after assaulting someone and now wants to spend his life spreading love. ADVERTISEMENT
There’s a podcast for that.
This week, Hannah Verdier choose five of the best 90s Podcasts, from the essential songs of the decade to a fond football memory.
My 90s playlist
According to Tracy Clayton and Akoto Ofori-Atta, you only need eight songs on your ’90s playlist. And with selections including TLC’s No Scrubs, Can I Kick It? by A Tribe Called Quest. and I Want It That Way by the Backstreet Boys, the smart, funny and enthusiastic duo might be right. Her love for Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On is real – “she recorded this great song in one take” – and so is her research. Another great thing about this podcast: it’s not just another dissection of ’90s white male guitar bands.
60 songs that explain the 90s
Jay-Z’s Hard Knock Life, Michael Jackson’s Black or White, Los Del Rio’s Macarena: just three of the songs Rob Harvilla believes give a glimpse of the glorious decade. The podcast is at its best when the guests arrive; an example is the uneditable Courtney Love, who breaks loose to talk about Nirvana’s success and being “brothers” with Dave Grohl, before delivering her own guttural version of In Bloom. .
Quickly Kevin; Will he score? The 90s football show
Euro 96, Gazza in the tabloids and Des Lynam on the microphone: it’s no wonder football fans remember this decade so fondly. And while Josh Widdicombe, Chris Scull and Michael Marden said “Robbie Slater, see you later” on their podcast earlier this year, there’s a back catalog of over 300 episodes to sift through. It’s not just the games they talk about, but all the trappings, including the fantasy football boom, the influence of Loaded magazine and the World Cup mascots. Their nerdy love of the game helped them attract all the essential guests of the era, including Glenn Hoddle, Les Ferdinand and Barry Fry.
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In fashion: the 1990s
Before the Disney+ documentary came this podcast that delighted fashion geeks about style, influences and, of course, the iconic Vogue covers. Without the images, you’ll find yourself Googling Linda Evangelista’s hair color and Tom Ford’s Gucci debut. It shows the ’90s as a simpler time, when Victoria Beckham’s job description was Spice Girl and supermodels were otherworldly beings in George Michael’s Freedom. Video from ’90. The biggest names in fashion, including Stella McCartney, Anya Hindmarch and Sienna Miller, gather to talk about the evolution of style throughout the decade and take in the arrival of the It-girl and the advancement of the London designers.
Upside down: surviving the year 2000
Remember the millennium bug? The glitch was intended to destroy computers, shoot down planes in mid-flight, and cause chaos around the world as the year 2000 dawned. Nearly 25 years later, it seems like something of a retro joke, but as the year 2000 approached it became a a real concern. Missing Richard Simmons’ Dan Taberski talks to people who were stockpiling to prepare for the apocalypse, tells the stories of the first babies of the year 2000, and discusses where the phrase Y2K really came from. What makes the story more powerful is his memory of how his own life began to fall apart around that time.
Why not try it…?
screen rotin which comedians Jacob Hawley and Jake Farrell discuss the “weirdest and worst” things that show up in their social media algorithms.
A Times investigation into the multibillion-dollar borderless cocaine industry Cocaine Inc..
Reduce the boxin which Nemone Metaxas and Ben Bailey Smith place TV characters, from Tyrion Lannister to Carrie Bradshaw, on the couch for a moment of psychotherapy.
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