I listen to lots of podcasts. Whenever I find a good one, I binge and, if this isn’t possible, I wait impatiently for each new episode. And I tend to forget the good ones, especially if they are not an ongoing series, they end up at the back of my podcast player and I forget about them. This is why I thought I share a list of the podcasts I loved listening to this year.
At first, I thought I’d make a list with my favourite podcasts, but then I realised that there are more categories: those that I loved at first and then hated, those by authors that I usually love, but that were disappointing, those that I was surprised to like and so on, you get the picture.
So, here is my 2023 mixed-bag podcast list, in no particular order.
EXPECTANT
Poignant and profound, beautifully crafted
This is a bit of a punch in the gut, in a good way. I don’t want to tell you too much because it’d be a shame to spoil it but suffice it to say that it is a brilliant production (and mind you, I am very picky and judgmental when it comes to production value) that succeeds in mixing documentarist materials with fictional and fictionalised reality, bringing out the best of both. Expectant gives you raw, poignant data that brings you to reflect on subjects you didn’t realise were relevant for you, no matter where you find yourself in life. If you think that you’d never want to listen to a podcast about a woman deciding whether or not she wants to become a mother, think again because the 6 episodes will take you for a fantastic sensorial ride. Such a remarkable ability, packing so much in such short episodes!
SAY MORE WITH DR? SHEILA
Won’t disappoint Amy Poehler fans
I’ve been a fan of Amy Poehler since the days of Parks and Recreation, and I watch and listen to anything with her name in it, no matter what. So, let’s say her podcast already had a head start; I knew I would like it, and I wasn’t disappointed. The premise is inherently funny: a couples consultant who is terrible at her job. What makes it even more hilarious is that each episode is improvised with two actors – now, I’m not exactly sure what that means, I imagine they do some editing and cut out parts that aren’t funny, but I can assure you that however they construct the episodes, it’s very entertaining, incredibly cringe, and will get more than a few laughs.
THE LAST SOVIET
Taught me lots of facts about that era
I happened to listen to two Soviet-themed podcasts almost simultaneously. One of them was The Last Soviet, a compelling narrative of a space adventure set against the backdrop of the historic earthquake that was the fall of the Berlin Wall—a period of particular interest to me, as I was living in Berlin during those years. The eight episodes of the series kept me on the edge of my seat, and despite my familiarity with that historical period, I heard many things for the first time, such as the connection with Australia. But I don’t want to give away too much. Whether you’re passionate about the epic tales of cosmonauts or have never really thought about it, this podcast is captivating, well-produced, and will likely hold some surprises for you too.
SVETLANA! SVETLANA!
Truly unbelievable (but true!), a roller coaster ride
The second Soviet-themed podcast is Svetlana! Svetlana! If I had to describe it in one word, I would say explosive, from every perspective. It tells the story – one I had never heard before – of Svetlana Alliluyeva, and as rightly stated in the trailer, the fact that she was the daughter of Stalin (yes, that Stalin) who escaped the Soviet Union to seek political asylum in the United States is not even the most incredible part of her life. The 10 episodes are presented ultra-dynamically by a narrator who becomes a part of the story, infusing a degree of lightness, frivolity, and musicality into the narrative. Listening to Svetlana! Svetlana! is like being on a roller coaster, both for the continuous revelations about Svetlana’s life (so juicy! so unbelievable!) and the way they are presented. Highly recommended!
THINK TWICE: MICHAEL JACKSON
Behind the facade, without voyeurism
I’ve never been an avid fan of Michael Jackson, but I found his songs catchy and enjoyed watching his music videos, admiring the way he moved on stage. However, I distinctly remember when I learned about his death; I was on vacation, and the news reached me through the radio. I also recall the media circus that followed his passing. The ten episodes of this podcast respectfully and delicately paint the portrait of a man of great talent with many flaws, from the exploitation he endured in his family to reaching the pinnacle of success and then the descent and collapse, on all fronts. It’s a touching narration that, despite the themes it explores, lacks any voyeuristic or sensationalistic elements. I eagerly awaited each week’s release.
HANG UP
Reinventing the dating show
When you think that you have seen (heard) it all and when you know that you are not the slightest interested in dating shows, here comes Hang up that forced me to reconsider. I loved this show because it managed to come up with something very new and at the same time very old: a dating show in which a person has blind dates with other people meeting them only through good, old telephone conversations. So many interesting elements made this one of my faves: the likeability of the host, the refreshing approach of having someone dating a range of genders, being able to spy on other people’s phone conversations, and the fact that once someone was voted out, an entire episode was devoted to knowing that person better and to discussing what had happened. Very satisfying!
THE RETRIEVALS
Hard, tender and everything in between, unmissable
Five episodes that left me breathless and overwhelmed with a burst of sensations and emotions: anger, indignation, sadness, and disbelief. An exemplary display of investigative journalism at the highest level, with a constant shift in narrative perspectives (who is guilty? Who is responsible for what happened? Can the culprit be a victim?). It provides insight into how systems and large organisations think (badly) and act (horribly). The story of a group of women exposes the endemic problems of a society that still refuses even to consider the voices of women. It is listened to like a whodunit mystery, keeping you glued to your seat in anticipation of the next episode. I can’t find the right adjectives to express how much I enjoyed it and how engaging this series was for me, undoubtedly among the best of all time, not just in 2023.
IN THE SCENES BEHIND PLAIN SIGHT
Apotheosis of the meta, will make you cringe to tears
The apotheosis of the meta meets an irony as subtle and sharp as a scalpel, a merciless gaze on the world of podcasts and on that self-referential universe that manages to speak only of itself in a vicious, parodic, and self-celebratory circle. The pleasure (immense!) derived from listening to this podcast comes partly from the embarrassment one feels (oh, so cringy!), and partly from the gimmicks, always unexpected, always incredibly ‘meta,’ that continuously overturn the narrative, exaggerating the form and pulverising the content in a constant crackling of extremely original ideas, amusements, and mocking that are so sharp and realistic that they almost seem documentary-like. The ads are the cherry on top, all strictly fake, self-referential and self-celebratory. I hope for many, many more seasons. I adore you!
LET’S MAKE A HORROR
You feel part of the crew as they write a short film from scratch
The premise is simple: three comedians come together and try to write something from scratch, live, sharing it with the audience as they go. In the first season, it was a sci-fi podcast (loved it), then it was a rom-com (didn’t like it) and now in their third season they switched medium to write a short horror movie. I listened to each new episode as soon as it came out, loved the insight into the craft with interesting interviews and I also liked the final product (yes, you can watch the short horror movie!). Can’t wait for the new season, what will this time be?
CASE 63
No spoilers, just listen, trust me
The highly anticipated new season of a sophisticated mystery that plays with different space-time levels. It’s been since the days of ’12 Monkeys’ that I haven’t felt so immersed in a story of this kind, with a significant difference: part of the dangers and situations are still alive in our everyday lives. I don’t want to spoil the plot because I would ruin the listening experience for you. If you trust my judgment, surrender yourself to listening, and indulge in this adventure that will continuously surprise you. A meticulously crafted and highly intelligent production also helps, unlike what often happens in stories of this kind, never abandoning the listener and always making it very clear in which narrative level they find themselves. I envy those who don’t know it and will listen to it for the first time (but I recommend, starting from the first season).
DIGITAL FOLKLORE
I had no idea about the contemporary significance of folklore
I didn’t know I was into folklore until I started listening to this podcast, and so I discovered the importance of folklore in everyday life. This podcast has opened up a whole new world for me, as folklore, like everything else, has adapted to our modern world and now appears in the form of memes or creepypasta. But what makes this podcast so captivating (a must-listen!) is the unpredictability and fluidity in the structure of each episode. The listener is constantly kept in suspense, deciphering the tone to understand whether it’s a documentary, fiction, or perhaps a very serious and highly respectable professor engaging in the fiction game to infuse the interview with intrigue. So far, this is the only podcast I’ve listened to with this extreme and hybrid formula. What can I say? Incredibly contemporary, fabulously engaging, and surprising. Every episode is an adventure, all wrapped up with spine-chilling sound design.
SISTERS
I really, really wanted to like this
Kaitlin Prest is my idol and an essential reference point for me. I always blindly listen to anything she creates or produces, and many of her works I’ve listened and re-listened to, finding something incredibly beautiful, profound, and touching each time. I’ve learned something new every time. I mention this to convey my mindset when I started listening to Sisters, a podcast produced, as always, with maniacal attention to sound and scenic writing. However, at a certain point, I stopped listening. Unlike with other Kaitlin’s stories that, although distant from my experience, resonated in me by bouncing off the universality of themes and the way they were treated, this time I found myself getting distracted (I’m usually always hanging on Kaitlin’s every word!) and realised that, for some reason, I couldn’t be carried away by the story of the sisters. Their rivalry to secure paternal attention remained impenetrable to me; it was as if I lacked certain elements to be able to connect. Perhaps what I lacked was simply empathy, and indeed, when I caught myself thinking, ‘come on, get over it’ that’s when I understood it was time to stop listening. Of course, this doesn’t change my admiration for Kaitlin in the slightest (it’s not you, it’s me!), and I definitely encourage all of you to give it a listen
THE COLDEST CASE IN LARAMIE
Why did I go on listening?
I started listening, drawn by the fact that it was a podcast by Serial, and I found myself forced to listen until the end to see how far they could go with carelessness and gratuitous sensationalism. Another story of a murdered woman, another investigative journalist wanting to shed light on the case (sounds familiar?), all presented in a raw state: boring interviews that seem to have been barely edited, a total absence of that scene-writing that guides the listener in discovering connections and plot twists. And what about the professional ethics of insisting on thrusting the microphone in the face of someone visibly distressed? It felt like listening to the audio version of the many programs that exploit others’ pain for ratings. A great disappointment on all fronts. As I listened, I felt dirty. Why did I stick around until the end? I don’t know, maybe for the same reason I cover my eyes in front of an accident but still peek through my fingers.
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