And welcome to the second of TWO festive specials, featuring the very best of audio that you can listen to over the Christmas period. If you are looking for some more festive podcasts, have a look at last week’s!

Here are our festive podcast picks for the week ahead

My Time CapsuleA simple concept but an effective one, where guests are asked what they would put in a time capsule, be that something physical or something abstract (such as an embarrassing memory). They have a two-part special with guests talking about what they would put into a Christmas time capsule. Guests include Robin Ince, Emma Kennedy, Les Dennis and Isy Suttie. 

French & Saunders: Titting About Christmas SpecialOut of all of the podcasts that conjured up during the first lockdown this series, by French and Saunders, was one of the best. The title of the podcast (‘Titting About’) is an accurate description. All of it consists of musings and anecdotes on all aspects of Christmas, from gift giving to the big meal. Think of it as a sort of big audio hug.

Just so you know, this podcast is only available if you are a subscriber to Audible. However, listening to this series does not use up one of your ‘credits.’

Creative CuppaIf you have been thinking about trying something new and creative in 2022, this podcast might be the one to help cause some inspiration. Presented by Gareth Davies, it features interviews with creatives who have made it in their field about how they managed to make it work, fit to burst with advice if you want to follow in their footsteps. Their Christmas special is just out now, featuring an interview with celebrated writer and poet Ian McMillan.

The Adam Buxton PodcastFans of Adam Buxton will be happy to hear that Joe Cornish is joining him in a Christmas special this year, therefore making The Adam and Joe Christmas Podcast! Featuring lots of witty contributions and anecdotes from listeners themselves, except a conversation brim full of nostalgia and something that will make longing for their BBC Radio 6 Music show.

Spotify Podcast of the Week: Welcome to Your Fantasy Looking back on 2021, we wanted to highlight this extraordinary show hosted by historian Natalia Petrzela, who exposes one of the great, sordid, unexamined stories in American culture. This is the story of how two men in the 1980’s transformed a seedy LA nightclub into a global phenomenon, and how greed turned Chippendales into a hotbed for drugs, corruption and murder. 

Through hours of archival footage, and sixty plus interviews with investigators, co-conspirators, former dancers and the women who loved them, Natalia delves deep into uncovering what happened. Produced by Pineapple Street Studios and Gimlet, all episodes are available now on Spotify.

Script ApartThis podcast delves into the first-drafts of some of the most popular and celebrated films, working out how the scripts developed on their way to the screen. Previous episodes have included a deep dive into Dead Poets Society and the modern classic Mitchells vs The Machines. For Christmas, Al Horner speaks to Shane Black, the writer and director behind the action Christmas film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Lethal Weapon.  

The Ancients – Last week we featured a history podcast with a Christmas special, but there’s always room for another. In the History Hit podcast Tristan Hughes delves into interesting historical events from our distant past and Christmas is no different. Festive specials look into the real story behind King Herod, as well as a look at the power and influence of Julius Caesar.

Fun Kids Book WormsThe Fun Kids radio show features interviews with famous authors who write for children, featuring the odd reading or two. For their festive special, Bex is joined by Anne Miller and Emily Jupitus from the show QI who dish out interesting facts, Ben Miller reads from his book How I Became A Dog Called Midnight and Serena Patel gives us a preview of her forthcoming book A Very Merry Murder Club, which she has written with Robin Stevens.

Yule Dead To MeInstead of You’re Dead To Me, the popular history podcast by Greg Jenner that tries to make history feel the least like a history lesson, there’s Yule Dead To Me! In this special episode, Jenner is joined by the comedian Miles Jupp and the historian Eleanor Janga to explore the rituals and customs of Christmas all the way back in Medieval Times.

That’s all for the podcast newsletter for this week.

Thanks for reading. We’ll be back next week with another edition!

Categories: Weekly Picks