Recommend a Podcast

[Trucker Paddy]

An Irishman abroad is very good for my fellow countrymen, usually listen to it on my long runs

[Beansonafryup]

Naive London girl phoaaar

[Stu Monty]

That Nightvale one sounds interesting.

 

Stuff I'm subscribed to that a lot of the GF would probably like:

 

The Bugle - Political comedy every week from John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman. It's very funny.

 

The Comedian's Comedian podcast - The guy who does them (a not very well known stand-up) interviews a different stand-up every week about the art of doing it, their history and their methods. Very good stuff with some great names on the list of interviewees.

 

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History - Superb stuff, especially the series he did about the Romans and the one about the Mongols.

 

The infinite monkey cage - Brian Cox and Robin Ince do science.

 

Friday night Radio 4 comedy podcast - The Newsquiz or the Nowshow. Either are usually decent, the latter more so than the former.

[Sugar Ape]

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/nov/08/serial-review-greatest-murder-mystery-ever-hear

 

Serial review – the greatest murder mystery you will ever hear
Sarah Koenig’s weekly podcast examining an old Baltimore homicide is long-form journalism at its most riveting

Are you listening to Serial yet? You have to start listening to Serial. Please. It’s a podcast from the makers of This American Life, it’s been going since October, there are seven episodes to catch up on (start from the beginning, listen in order) and… I’m obsessed. I need you all to start listening so that we can form some kind of Serial support group. There are already a few of these online – blogs and Reddit threads; also Slate magazine has a podcast about the Serial podcast – but I’m worried that, because these are American, they will put spoilers in. Maybe someone will start trawling through Baltimore newspapers, or go to Leakin Park and start poking around…

I’m getting ahead of myself. What is Serial? It’s a podcast that comes out in weekly instalments, hosted by Sarah Koenig, an experienced This American Life producer/journalist. For the past year, Koenig has been looking at an old, cold murder case. In 1999, in Baltimore, a young woman called Hae Min Lee went missing. After a few weeks, her body was found in Leakin Park. She had been strangled. Her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was charged with her murder, convicted and sent to prison for life plus 30 years. He has always protested his innocence.

I’m not going to tell you any more details about the case because, as I said, I want you all to listen. But Koenig has been talking to Syed over the prison phone and recording their conversations. She has been trawling through old evidence, interviewing people 15 years after the event. She has plotted out what the state said happened on that day, she has checked phone records, listened to old suspect interviews, gone over every detail of the case. And all the time she’s been doing this, she has been presenting what she has found to Syed, so we hear his reactions.

What is really intriguing about Serial – what drags you in and keeps you listening – is that it isn’t a straightforward case. You assume, when someone protests their innocence, that you will listen to the evidence and say: yes, he did it, or no, he didn’t. With Serial, nothing is quite so clear-cut. This is partly because, in real life, people don’t remember where they were six weeks ago, let alone 15 years back; partly because, in real life, people have their reasons to be shady about information. Koenig herself flip-flops between thinking that Syed did commit murder and being convinced that he didn’t (there’s a very interesting human moment at the end of episode six, where Syed asks her why she is continuing to bother with his case).

Koenig has carefully paced this series so that she gives us information in a particular order, so that we can work out the story with her. It’s a remarkable piece of long-form journalism because of this: we believe that we are walking alongside her as she works, but some of the programme was made a few months back. There’s a structure to this slow-drip storytelling.

And also – and this makes me very uneasy – she’s still working on the case. She was cutting episode five right up until broadcast. So… we don’t know if there is a proper end yet. Does Koenig discover that Syed is innocent? Does she discover that it was someone else, who is still at large?

We are so used to murder: on the news, in primetime drama, in true-life recreations. We are so used to murder when it’s all sewn up. What Serial does is remind us that murder and the investigation of it are human, messy, not simple, not clear. Extraordinary, bad things happen to ordinary, good people. We do not wish them on anyone. And yet, because of their extraordinariness, their awfulness, they are fascinating. They bring a thrill. We want to work out murder, order it, get the right villain… because we are scared. This is real life. This actually happened. Now you see why I need a Serial support group.

[Dr Nowt]

That sounds superb.

[Sugar Ape]

I'm just listening to the first one now as I'm stuck in work until four. 20 minutes in and I'm hooked.

[Chairman Meow]

Anyone else listen to the How Did This Get Made Podcasts?

 

It's the guys who playe Rafi and Andre from the League doing reviews of shit films. I've only listened to a few which are from films I've already seen, some of them are hilarious.

[Rico1304]

Anyone else on the Angelos Empithemiou podcast? It's fucking hilarious, thoroughly recommend it.

[PestiRed]

Just listened to that first episode of Serial whilst doing my Sunday night pottering around.

 

It's gripping, maddening, fascinating, strange. Going to have to listen to another.

 

If this doesn't have a definite ending, then I may kill Sugar for posting about it

[Sugar Ape]

Just listened to that first episode of Serial whilst doing my Sunday night pottering around.

 

It's gripping, maddening, fascinating, strange. Going to have to listen to another.

 

If this doesn't have a definite ending, then I may kill Sugar for posting about it

That thought struck me as I finished the first one. It's very good and completely drew me in, but I need to know how it ends goddamnit.

[PestiRed]

Yeah, the temptation to google the case is quite high but it will kill the experience

[Rocky Sullivan]

Bump

 

Radio 4 On Music, it seems to have stopped updating now but there's about 50 podcasts of music documentaries available. With subjects such as John Lennon to Zappa to a great episode about the Theramin. 

 

No Such Thing As A Fish, which is basically all the people who work behind the scenes at QI coming up with weird facts. 

 

I really like listening to The Empire Magazine podcast, good interviews and nerdy film discussion plus it's hosted by Chris Hewitt who supports a certain sports team that plays all in red. 

[Bobby Hundreds]

That seriel is some gripping shit. Ive listened to the 4th episode

 

 

POTENTIAL SPOILER POTENTIAL SPOILER alert. below don't read if not past episode 4. Bastard ipad won't give me nsfw tags.

 

I find it strange that adnan if innocent hasn't accused Jay so far, if you were innocent and heard his statement you would know instantly that he must be the murderer. But then adnan apparently in court called Jay pathetic which I find such a strange thing to say, it's something you'd say to a rat for ratting you out.

[Juniper]

It's a great podcast, I finished episode 8 this morning

 

Throws up a lot of interesting questions but my gut feeling is still that he did it, with Jay also involved.

[PestiRed]

Up to date with Serial now and no clearer at all. The only thing I'm reasonably certain of is that whatever happened, the actual details given in court are either wrong or do not tell the full story. Presume there is still a lot of information that they haven't released yet and they will drip feed us over the next few weeks

 

It's great narrative journalism, even if you do have to remind yourself every so often that these are real people

[Sugar Ape]

I'm halfway through episode four so avoiding Bobby's spoiler like the plague, but it is captivating. Good thing about it is that it will hopefully spawn quite a few other podcasts along the same lines which could be equally as good to listen to.

[Bobby Hundreds]

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT DO NOT READ IF NOT UP TO DATE.

 

After catching up it just feels clear cut that it was adnan with Jay being a bit more involved than he's letting on. One thing that can't be doubted one bit is jays involvement at some level, showing the police where the car was proves that. Maybe steph knows more than she lets on and he's protecting her.

 

I find it bizzare that so far adnan hasn't accused Jay of the murder, even if I was guilty I would of accused Jay say he asked to borrow my phone so I could call him to pick me later on as he didn't have a phone. He used the phone he dialed that girl. If I wasn't involved and someone accused me and then gifted the police evidence you'd know instantly they were the killer and point the finger. Still I think adnan is guilty as hell it's just the narrative of the journalist investigating that leads to bigger doubt to his guilt than what their really should be.

[PestiRed]

But then, there seem to be a fair few people who have seen all the evidence and who are saying Adnan is innocent, rather than just that he should never have been prosecuted on the evidence available.

 

Two things sticking out for me

Firstly, if he did it, is it ok that his prosecution was based on a very weak case because justice has been served? And if so....

Secondly, what exactly is the objective of the police - to get a prosecution based on what best fits their theory or to examine every detail of a case and get to the absolute truth wherever possible?

[Hades]

I don't think a refusal to accuse Jay means he did it. Adnan explained that he wants to be absolutely sure of all the evidence before slandering anyone, because of what happened to him. It's only suspicious if you treat it like a movie narrative, and not real life.

 

[PestiRed]

I read the Serial website and Rabia's blog, all good as it's promised that there are no spoilers on these sites.

 

I got bored and went on the subreddit. Fuck me, the general US public are a bunch of illiterate, thick-as-pigshit, conspiracy-obsessed nutcases. Some of them genuinely frighten me for the future of the world.

 

The internet should have an IQ-based entry system

[Bobby Hundreds]

I don't think a refusal to accuse Jay means he did it. Adnan explained that he wants to be absolutely sure of all the evidence before slandering anyone, because of what happened to him. It's only suspicious if you treat it like a movie narrative, and not real life.

SPOILERS POSSIBLY DEFINITELY

 

If i didn't do it then obvously I know I didn't do it, then someone accuses me and tells the police where to find her car and the area the body is I wouldn't need more evidence or be worried I'm falsely accusing them I'd say this fucker has accused me and I know I had nothing to do with it and he knows all the details... the fucker is guilty. No slander involved he's falsely accused me. I think they are both up to their neck in it based on what we have heard so far. But maybe new revelations will reveal themselves like Jay fucking Hae and didn't want his missus to find out.

[PestiRed]

SPOILERS POSSIBLY DEFINITELY

If i didn't do it then obvously I know I didn't do it, then someone accuses me and tells the police where to find her car and the area the body is I wouldn't need more evidence or be worried I'm falsely accusing them I'd say this fucker has accused me and I know I had nothing to do with it and he knows all the details... the fucker is guilty. No slander involved he's falsely accused me. I think they are both up to their neck in it based on what we have heard so far. But maybe new revelations will reveal themselves like Jay fucking Hae and didn't want his missus to find out.

Yeah but it's hard to know what effect 15 years in maximum security prison has on a person and their outlook on life. Plus you have to bear in mind that he's trying to make sure that Sarah believes he's innocent and worth fighting for, so he's careful in what he says. Plus you have to bear in mind that Sarah has played about 10 minutes of 30 hours of recorded conversation with him, and she's building a narrative that we've heard about half of so far

[Bobby Hundreds]

Yeah but we're talking about what we've heard so far and what we think so far. That's the intrigue of it or I could just google is adnan still in prison or something along those lines. After 8 episodes my gut feeling is adnan and Jay both did it and one other person probably a girl is involved too.

[PestiRed]

Yeah but we're talking about what we've heard so far and what we think so far. That's the intrigue of it or I could just google is adnan still in prison or something along those lines. After 8 episodes my gut feeling is adnan and Jay both did it and one other person probably a girl is involved too.

Got a feeling that the next episode will swing feeling towards Adnan being innocent. Seems to be the pattern so far and fits in with her hint at the end of the last episode

[Raymond Duck]

Just listened to that first episode of Serial whilst doing my Sunday night pottering around.

 

It's gripping, maddening, fascinating, strange. Going to have to listen to another.

 

If this doesn't have a definite ending, then I may kill Sugar for posting about it

I downloaded this on the strength of your post, cheers for that. It sounded a bit niche and interesting so gave it a go.

 

I mentioned to someone at work who advised me it's had millions of downloads. Felt like a I'd just told them I've just come across this little band from Liverpool called the Beatles, ive them a go!

 

Really good so far, the lady who present has a really relaxed delivery, I'd recommend it to anyone.