How an IRA spy called ‘Stakeknife’ got away with playing both sides

Picks of the week

The optimistic project with Yara Shahidi
Widely available, weekly episodes.
Yara Shahidi is the award-winning actress of Black-ish and Grown-ish comedies, but she thinks she could include more optimism in her life, so she decided to make a podcast where she learns how to do just that. Shahidi talks to people like singer, actress and “professional self-affirmation writer” Janelle Monáe and Yale happiness expert Dr. Laurie Santos for mood-boosting talks, and invites you to join her optimism. Hollie Richardson

stake knife
BBC Sounds, weekly episodes
How was Freddie Scappaticci (codename: Stakeknife) allowed to lead a double life for so long? Mark Horgan investigates the complicated case of the man who tracked down IRA informants but acted as a double agent, beginning with his fury over the publication of a story naming him and his subsequent time in hiding. Hannah Verdier

Operation Seal Bay
BBC Sounds, weekly episodes
“This is the story of how a small Welsh community and a local police force came together to take on an international drugs network.” The initial summary of this new series is certainly a compelling sell. Watch a Danish millionaire attempt to take cannabis out of a Pembrokeshire fishing village in an evocative and charming style. Alex Duggins

SmartLess introduces ClueLess
Widely available, bi-weekly episodes
The excellent and huge show SmartLess features a quiz-based spin-off in which host Sean Hayes teams up with famous friends to answer trivia questions. It’s a strange listen, a bit like eavesdropping on a quiz team in a pub, happening too quickly to have any potential to play. But the banter, with SmartLess co-hosts Will Arnett and Jason Bateman in the first episode, is funny. ADVERTISEMENT

Lords of death
Widely available, weekly episodes.
This true crime podcast presents itself as an examination of the murder of Cindy Cozad, an Ohio sex worker, in the 1990s. But if you’re prepared for lurid descriptions, you can relax, because host Thrasher Banks unravels a personal and moving story involving his own mother, who crossed paths with the murderous gang of the Lords of Death. high voltage

There’s a podcast for that.

This week, Ammar Kalia choose five of the best podcasts for turn offfrom a comedian’s sleepy show to Jessie and Lennie Ware’s peaceful podcast

Adrift with Joe Pera
There is nothing as comforting as listening to a relaxing voice that helps you disconnect from your inner monologue and the stress of life. While shows like Sleep With Me use a soothing baritone to tell bedtime stories that become increasingly uninteresting in an effort to help you ease into the land of assent, it’s comedian Joe Pera’s Drifting Off podcast that takes advantage of his pacifying voice to create something more unique. Combining ASMR, comedy, and a distinctly meandering form of storytelling, Pera murmurs softly through the mundane, telling anecdotes about books he’s recently read or chatting with guests on the phone while composer Ryan Dann accompanies him with immersive soundscapes. Perfect to tune in and disconnect from.

Phoebe reads a mystery
If you want to tune out but stay awake, there are a number of specialized programs perfectly designed to keep your attention and still listen, but loosely enough so that you don’t become obsessed. The popular Nothing Much Happens is one such series, where host Kathryn Nicolai tells stories that walk the line between intrigue and quiet, while Phoebe Judge’s Phoebe Reads a Mystery takes the premise in a quieter but no less direction. attractive. In each episode, Judge reads a chapter from a mystery novel and follows the rhythm of his own audiobook narration to convey charming tales.

table manners
Sometimes, the best setting to disconnect is to be among the chatter of others. There’s no shortage of talking heads in the podcast world, willing to chat for hours about all sorts of topics, but the real appeal of a relaxing chat show is that the chat is interesting enough to avoid becoming annoying and frustrating. The immensely popular series Table Manners from singer Jessie Ware and her mother Lennie does just that: invite a new celebrity home each episode and chat over a home-cooked meal. An ideal listen for those who like to relax with the sound of laughter.

soul music
BBC Radio 4’s long-running audio montage series is a choice choice for relaxing to the sounds of some of modern music’s most enduring songs. Taking as the focus for each episode a song with a formidable legacy, we hear clips of the song in question interspersed with expert commentary on its importance and the history of its creation, ultimately producing 30-minute forays into musicology, composition and instrumental joy . Highlights include a deep dive into Elton John’s Tiny Dancer, the jazz history of George Gershwin’s Something to Watch Over Me, and the moving legacy of Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come.

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Unravel
Relaxing doesn’t necessarily mean not being able to learn something new. The Untangle mental health series provides fascinating information on meditation methods, ways to emotionally regulate, and expert analysis on wellness trends, along with weekly episodes of guided meditation, to produce a listening experience that artfully combines ways to relax with elements to reflect on your own development process and practice. Start with a guided Meditation Monday episode before diving into expert discussions about new research on stress reduction, ways to add better focus to your life when you’re not resting, and the impact of different sounds on your mental state.

Why not try it…?

• The trio of writers and influencers Beth McColl, Ruchira Sharma and Oenone Forbat guide the week in the “online zeitgeist”, Everything is content.

• Bryony’s life a shameless podcast that “dives headlong into the most complicated aspects of life” from confessional writer Bryony Gordon

• How to buy a football cluba BBC Sounds analysis of the rise and rise of Manchester City… and their possible downfall.

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