Best podcasts of the weekPodcastsMissing Richard Simmons’s Dan Taberski returns with a new series about the ripple effects of the attacks which took place 20 years ago this week. Plus: Philippa Perry on sibling stresses
Picks of the week
9/12 (Available now on Wondery+ and Amazon Music, and widely from 8 September)
Unlike much of the current crop of 9/11 programming, which considers the event itself, this new series from Dan Taberski (Missing Richard Simmons) instead looks at the ripple effects, and the reality for different Americans on 12 September 2001. First up are Alan and Chris, participant and mastermind respectively of a reality show that saw them at sea at the time of the attack, with little information and the rare privilege of being able to separate themselves from the world-changing events that were unfolding.
Hannah J Davies
Philippa Perry’s Siblings in Session
“Are we who we are because of our siblings?” asks psychotherapist and Observer agony aunt Perry in this examination of real-life relationships. First up are Louise and Caroline, sisters who were living happily together until the youngest moved in with her partner. They talk candidly, with Louise seeing it as a “break-up” and Caroline feeling guilty for leaving. Perry approaches the topic with her trademark kindness, pulling out the issues that affect the sisters and sibling bonds more generally.
Hannah Verdier
Producer pick: Vent Documentaries
Chosen by Shivani Dave
Released last year, Vent Documentaries is a collaboration between VICE UK and Brent, the London Borough of Culture for 2020. While a lot of podcasts ‘for’ or ‘by’ young people miss the mark, this one feels authentic, touching on and investigating issues that have entered the youth zeitgeist in recent years.
From prison abolition to ‘the court of Twitter’, through to sex online and the importance of getting names right, there is no topic too big or too trivial for these young people to explore. Some of the stories are told through personal accounts, others are topics that young people in Brent have an interest in, but what all the episodes have in common is that they are deeply thought through and thoroughly investigated.
Occasionally some episodes saw a noticeable drop in interview quality, due to remote recording (we have all experienced it over the pandemic!). But it is forgiven by the sound design, with varied narration and punchy music to keep the story moving along.
Talking points
Spotify’s powerful podcast about the people behind the Black Lives Matter movement, Resistance, returned this week for an electrifying live episode, with host Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr teaming up with a poet, a comedian and a musician to pay tribute to people who “embody the word resistance in every way imaginable” via one-off performances.
Why not try: Hello Happiness | Crime Show | The Tidal Year
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