Podcasting

Podcasts. Not something I've really gotten into as by the time I read, blog and do some writing of my own it's usually time to lie in bed and wait for the inevitable restless insomnia to take hold. However I've found a few recently that are fantastic and well worth a listen so I thought I'd recommend them here;

1) Homefront (BBC Radio 4 - also a podcast)
What a fantastic concept to commemorate and remind us of the horrors of WW1. Starting just a few weeks ago on 8th August, and playing every weekday, these 12-or-so minute segments will chronicle events exactly a century before. Set in Folkestone, each episode is set on the same day 100 years ago and follows the lives and loves of some of those people who lived through (and probably some that didn't) the Great War. 

I've only heard about 10 episodes so far but the characters are engaging, the setting is natural and organic and this really does have the feel of a winner. How it fares once we move further into the war, only time will tell. But this is scheduled to run for four years and I hope to be with it all the way!

2) A History of the World in 100 objects (British Museum and BBC Radio - podcast)
I started this some time ago but finally got around to finishing it and it is a complete treat. Neil Macgregor is the Director of the British Museum (one of THE finest museums in the world) and this series showcases human history through things. 100 things to be precise, starting with a stone cutting tool and finishing with a solar powered lamp. Macgregor takes us through 2 million years of human evolution over the course of 100 episodes of approximately 15 minutes each.

Each of the objects resides within the British Museum in London and each has been painstakingly selected to weave a fascinating and thorough history of our species and our ancestors. As far as human history goes, this is as good as it gets

3) Thrilling Adventure Hour (via iTunes)
This is billed as a "staged production in the style of old time radio". It is recorded monthly and is essentially "live audio theater". To quite TAH's own website;

Each show is unique, consisting of a selection of story segments, announcements from our fictional sponsors, musical numbers, and occasional one-off sketches

I can't really do it justice here but this is zany, off-the-wall and just downright hilarious. Featuring some pretty well known US TV stars such as Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle) and Linda Cardellini (ER) and some great recurring segments, this makes me laugh every single time.

There is also another cracker called The Bugle (starring comedians Andy Zaltzmann and John Oliver) but that is currently on hiatus due to Oliver's US TV work and so it won't be on as regularly this summer.

This is barely scratching the surface because there are simply millions of podcasts out there, there literally is something for everyone. And a lot of them are short so you can catch an episode while you are eating breakfast or in the car on the way to work. iTunes is probably the best place to start but the BBC has some crackers and your local friendly search engine will help you out too.

It is well worth the listen.
Till next time,
DT