Its been a strange and harrowing year, and the podcasts have mostly followed suit.
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From a programming perspective, it wasan eventful year.
(I mean,obviously.)
What pandemic showsdidpersist tended to be driven by a sense oflight, creative experimentation.
(SeeAbout Race With Reni Eddo-LodgeandNPRsCode Switch.)
Some newly launched shows gainedgreaterresonancein this political context.
Heres to 2021 being a better year, with even more good podcasts.
Each recording is a postcard from another time and place, a window into another parallel life.
The result isa thoroughly compelling listenwith flashes of sharp insight tucked into some really smart writing.
The result is a feat of historiography and a compelling critique of auteur theory.
Given the circumstances, that can be a very hard thing to do.
6.Youre Wrong About(Independent)
Youre Wrong Aboutis a sneaky phenomenon.
That approach, scrappy and free, allows Loftuss singular vision to fully come through.
Unburdened by conventions, the podcast breaks all sorts of rules for the better.
Abdurraqibs strength as a writer has always been grounded in making you feel how he feels.
He does the same as an audio documentarian.
Excellently reported, written, and composed,Floodlinesis also one of the best-sounding audio productions youll ever hear.
Many of those selections appear above in his top 10 picks.
The Cam Chronicles(The Ringer)
A sports documentary thats well worth your time.
Hes prodigiously talented, but has never won a championship.
It was a small role, but for a working actor, all roles are valuable.
He ended up losing the part later, he would be told Hanks thought he had dead eyes.
Decades later, Ratliff would create a podcast about the experience.
Part interview show, part memoir,DeadEyesis an innovative take on a familiar genre.
Oh, Hello: The Pdcast
Gil Faizon and George St. Geegland continue to be at large.
Perhaps the most unsettling and infuriating listen in a long while.
The situation is such that theyve occasionally had to self-isolate for her health, even before all this.
Some things have carried over.
LikeThe Indoor Kids,StayingInis charming and funny, and its reminds us that were all in this together.
And yet, the return to politics has been nothing short of an absolute scorcher.
Its a solid dive into Cold War history thats well worth the price of admission.
Welcome to LA
I cant overstate how much I love this show.
Theres an episode set in an old restaurant that stretches out across time and space.
Another weaves together a few different lives across time to tell a story about redlining in Southern California.
One is simply about the thrill of Friday nights.
This is a miracle of a show, and I hope it keeps going forever.
