Whew. What a week.

If you’re looking for a new documentary series to keep yourself distracted, you’re in luck. Two years in the making, Transmissions tells the story of the iconic bands Joy Division and New Order, capturing the band’s meteoric rise and persistence through tragedy. The eight part series consists of exclusive interviews with its surviving members of the band, as well as snippets from their rich archive of recordings.

It’s fascinating to hear a band’s distinctive sound slowly coming together, knowing that it would one day influence an entire generation of music and culture. You can listen to the first couple of episodes now, with a new episode out every Thursday.

GUESTS ON PODCASTS THIS WEEK:

If you have heard an interesting guest lately, let us know by filling in this form.

Here are our podcast picks for the week ahead

If you want your podcast featured, or you have a great recommendation, all you need to do is fill in this simple form.

The Sink: A Sleep AidWhilst the start of this series sounds like one of those meditation podcasts that have become popular over the last few months, do not be fooled. It’s actually a dark and addictive little thriller, laced with dark humour, created by Natasha Hodgson (from Beef And Dairy Network). You’re guided by a narrator through your most recent dreams and nightmares, reassured that hearing them back will help you wash them out of your system. 

“Breathe in … breathe out,” you’re constantly reminded. You will be, but not in a relaxing way that’s for sure.

Dion’s Gaffer TapesDion Dublin, the football manager, has got a new podcast where he speaks to other managers about how they managed to handle one of the most stressful jobs in sport. Several episodes are already available, including ones with John Gregory and Gordon Strachan. I got sucked into an interview with Glenn Hoddle, who spoke frankly about having a heart attack whilst working at BT Sport in 2018: “I was gone. If it wasn’t for Simon Daniels [a sound supervisor] that morning, when I was in at BT, I was gone. Without his CPR and him reacting and keeping calm, I wouldn’t be here, sitting here talking to you.”

“I’m glad that you are but you still owe me a tenner from the England match,” responded Dion.

Spotify Podcast of the Week: Wrighty’s House – Some genuinely exciting news from The Ringer – Ian Wright has officially joined the Ringer FC podcast family for a new weekly show called Wrighty’s House. The former Arsenal and England striker will be joined by a rotating panel of guests (including Stadio’s Ryan Hunn & Musa Okwonga, Carl Anka from The Athletic and athlete Jeanette Kwakye) to discuss football (of course!), but also touch on issues affecting the world more broadly. You can also expect to hear plenty of anecdotes from Ian’s time as a player (and more recently, a pundit). The first episode dropped last week and includes a belter of a story about Dennis Bergkamp. You can listen here, exclusively on Spotify.

This City with Clara AmfoThere’s a lot to enjoy in this interview series presented by the BBC Radio 1 DJ (and 2020 Strictly dancer) Clara Amfo. In each episode her guest talks about their relationship with the Capital: from growing up in it or arriving in it for the first time, to all the places and experiences that changed their lives.

You might be a bit frustrated after first to hear another podcast putting London at the centre of the entire universe, but the city is not so much of a focus as you might expect. The discussions for the most part end up being a lot broader than you might expect, examining how the places you grew up or settled in your youth can leave an impact on you years after you leave. Their conversations are reminders too that our cities are usually beating, thriving places and will be one day again soon. The first guest in the new series is athlete and broadcaster Alex Scott.

The Rest Is HistoryFinally, a new and well-researched history podcast presented by Tom Holland (no, not that one) and Dominic Sandbrook. Both historians of different eras, they look at themes within our history that you might not have considered before, starting with a discussion on Greatness, and what makes a person ‘a Great.’

It’s lively and engaging, without being too geeky for those who aren’t already well versed in the topics they are discussing. It’s one to keep an eye on.

Finally, lockdown means even more opportunities to hang out with our dogs (they are positively thrilled by your presence, I’m sure), so here’s some good podcasts celebrating them.

In One Of The Family, the BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Nicky Campbell looks into the many ways dogs help to improve our lives. A recent episode looked into medical detection dogs, dogs that can ‘smell’ disease and predict upcoming seizures. A Dog’s Best Friend, hosted by dog trainer and behaviourist Oli Juste, is full of dog tips and tricks. There’s also Dogcast with Clare Balding, which earlier in the year looked into how the pandemic is affecting owners and those who look after them.

Categories: Weekly Picks