Podcast Playlist

This week on Podcast Playlist, we listen to podcasts about love.

Delia Ephron has worked on some of the most famous romantic comedies of all time. Along with her sister Nora Ephron, they've made Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail.

In You've Got Mail, two people fall in love over email. In a twist of fate, decades after writing that screenplay, Delia's love life played out in a very similar way. She tells her story on the podcast This is Love.

Then, Aziz knows what he’s looking for in a partner. In fact, he’s made a list. But the podcast This Is Dating challenges him to see if looking beyond the list could open up new possibilities.

Plus, the team behind CBC Podcasts' Let’s Make A Sci-Fi is out with a new season. Their next project: Let’s Make a Rom-Com.

Podcasts featured this week: This is Love, Let's Make a Rom-Com, Radiotopia Presents: Bot Love, This Is Dating, Life Kit, The Mortified Podcast.

For links and more info on these shows, head to https://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist

In 1985, police dropped a bomb in a Philadelphia neighbourhood. A family of radicals known as "MOVE" found themselves in the middle of a war on Black Liberation. Though the story is both tragic and remarkable, for many, it is also long forgotten.

Matthew Amha is the host of CBC’s new podcast The Africas VS. America, and joins Leah to discuss how this terrifying event happened and the long afterlife it left behind.

Plus, veteran radio and podcast host Brendan Francis Newnam joins Leah to discuss the new season of travel show Not Lost, and give listeners a few tips on how to talk to strangers.

And, we’ll hear some exciting new podcasts – from conspiracy theorist yoga influencers, to heartbreaking stories of drug smuggling in the UK.

Podcasts featured this week: The Africas VS. America, Imperfect Paradise, Lights Out, Not Lost.

For links and more info on these shows, head to https://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist

This week on Podcast Playlist...

Dylan Marron is an internet sensation. He's racked up millions of views and social media followers from his progressive-leaning viral videos. Unfortunately, with internet fame also comes internet hate.

Over the years, Dylan has received many negative comments online. But instead of shying away, he decided to reach out to these people to chat. After recording phone conversations with his own detractors, one thing led to another and Conversations with People Who Hate Me was born.

On his podcast, Dylan will either speak directly with people who have sent him hate mail, or he'll mediate conversations between others who have clashed in the comment section. The ultimate goal is to get to know the other person behind the screen.

After a two year hiatus, Conversations with People Who Hate Me is back with a new season. Dylan has also released a new book by the same title, with takeaways on how to have your own difficult conversations.

This week, Dylan joins us to share what he’s learned throughout this social experiment. Plus, we’ll listen to some of his favourite podcasts.

Featuring:

Conversations With People Who Hate Me: "A young trans man and his mother speak about her struggle to accept his gender identity."

Song Exploder: "Carly Rae Jepsen released her third album, Emotion, in 2015. The closing track on the record is When I Needed You. In this episode, Carly tells the story of how the song was made. You'll hear the first demo for the song, a version she co-wrote with her longtime collaborator Tavish Crowe. And you'll hear how that led to the album version."

Dead Eyes: "Actor/comedian Connor Ratliff embarks upon a quest to solve a very stupid mystery that has haunted him for two decades: why Tom Hanks fired him from a small role in the 2001 HBO mini-series, Band Of Brothers. In this episode, Connor talks to Lead Writer and Supervising Producer Erik Jendresen, and learns the truth about Episode 5 "Crossroads" and Private John S. Zielinski."

Love Thy Neighbour: "It's August 2020 in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights. Collier Meyerson is at a retirement party for an NYPD officer. Listening to speeches, chatting with guests, watching politicians hobnob with religious leaders, everything seems…all good. But as Meyerson steps back onto the streets of the neighborhood, just weeks after thousands mobilized to protest that Black lives matter, she's reminded of what happened here almost thirty years before. And she can't help but wonder how we got here."

Terrible, Thanks for Asking: "Our language surrounding mental illness has evolved a lot over the past couple of decades … to a point. There are still some mental illnesses that exist outside of the bounds of most people's understanding and compassion, that are not so easily accepted and are really scary to people who don't have them. Illnesses that make the person seem "crazy," where people might not want to associate themselves with you. Today's guest -- Brettina -- has one of those."

Podcast exclusive – Dylan shares what he loves about Unread: One evening in December of 2019, Chris Stedman opened an email no one ever wants to receive. It contained a suicide note from his good friend Alex. At the bottom of his message, Alex included a link to a private SoundCloud account and wrote "here's Alice recordings." Alex has mentioned Alice before. They met online in a Britney Spears fan forum and have been friends for years. Interestingly, Alice is famous herself among the Britney fan circle because she happens to sound like Britney herself. In Unread, Chris tries to uncover who Alice really is, and get in touch in the hopes that she can answer some of the questions that Alex couldn't.

For more recommendations head to: www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastplaylist

To send us a podcast you love, email us! [email protected]

Have you ever wondered what’s behind certain items of clothing? Common styles, like kids clothes, plaid and even Hawaiian shirts are garments we see all the time, but often we don’t even begin to think about where they came from.

Well, host of the show Articles of Interest Avery Trufelman is interested in exactly that.

In the podcast, Avery dissects the hidden histories of the clothes we take for granted – and in the latest season she explores the rise of “preppy” clothing.

She joins Leah-Simone Bowen to share her career in podcasting, her beginnings as part of the hit show 99% Invisible, her views of podcasting as an art form and why “mainstream” culture is actually surprisingly counter-cultural.

Plus, we’ll hear some of her favourite podcasts, and she shares her love of late designer Vivianne Westwood.

Podcasts featured this week: Articles of Interest, Millennial History, 99% Invisible, Natch Beaut, Imaginary Advice

For links and more info on these shows, head to https://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist

A pop culture podcaster, a poet and a Tony award-winning journalist sit down for a chat. No, this isn’t the lead up to a joke, it’s the premise of the podcast Vibe Check.

The weekly news and culture series is hosted by Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones and Zach Stafford as they make sense of what’s making headlines. Sanders is the host of Vulture’s Into It and the former host of NPR's It's Been a Minute, Jones is the author of the award-winning memoir How We Fight For Our Lives, and Stafford is not only a journalist but he picked up a Tony Award in 2022 for co-producing the musical, A Strange Loop.

Every episode captures the energy and spirit of a group chat: It’s a lively conversation among friends (who’ve done their research) as they go deep on the issues of the day and figure out in real time how they feel, what they understand and what questions remain.

The trio sits down with host Leah-Simone Bowen this week to share how they made sure they got the right vibe with the show. They also share their favourite podcasts – from a documentary storytelling podcast that dives deep into family history to a pop culture show that breaks down method acting.

Podcasts featured this week: Vibe Check, Decoder Ring, Death, Sex & Money, Family Ghosts

For links and more info on these shows, head to https://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist

This week we're pulling an episode to lift your spirits from the archives. This episode was originally released in June of 2021.

Looking for a new podcast that's not dark true crime or troubling news? Back in March of 2021 we brought you a playlist full of uplifting stories — and there were plenty more good vibes where that came from. This episode we're bringing them back!

Enjoy a cast of characters who will make you smile: a worm who becomes human, a mischievous AI at summer camp, and a poet learning to turn poems into food. If you listen until the end you will be showered with compliments. Guaranteed!

Featuring:

Paired: "Guided meditations and musings from your digital assistant."

Personal Best: "Fan is a poet and writer of love letters. He basks in fantasy, but he's never been able to muster any passion for cooking."

The Story Seeds Podcast: "On this week's episode, 12 year old Brooklynite, Irthan joins forces with the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Jason Reynolds, to grow his story seed about an earthworm that turns into a human every 28 days, on the night of a full moon. Join Irthan and Jason as they meet up at the Youth Wing of the central branch of Brooklyn Public Library where they get to know each other and plant the seeds for their collaboration which explores music, social justice, and being seen. Then, sit back and listen to the lyrical and timely short story, 'Hoo and Wut,' that Jason grew out of Irthan's idea."

The Science of Happiness: "There are millions of YouTube channels with people crinkling bubble wrap or whispering about folding laundry. Our guest talks about why autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) makes her, and many others, feel more calm and happy."

Sit There & Do Nothing: "Take a deep breath while Meg showers you with compliments in this incredibly relaxing episode of Sit There & Do Nothing."

It's tempting to blame misinformation on social media, but it turns out fake news has been around for longer than you'd think.

From Slate, the history podcast One Year recaps the moments that transformed politics, culture, science and religion in one year from American history. In the fourth, and latest, season the series covers 1942, a year when inflation threatened to sink America, a worker revolt changed music forever and disinformation was rampant.

And, whether or not you enjoy it, working from home does have its benefits. We'll listen in on an episode from advice show Work Appropriate that tackles the great remote work debate.

We'll showcase those stories and several more this week and make sure your 2023 begins with the very best podcasting has to offer.

Podcasts featured this week:

One Year: 1942: "Every season of One Year tells the story of one year in history, and this season is focused on 1942. In this episode, host Josh Levin tells the story of the propaganda war that played out on radio waves during the Second World War."

Work Appropriate: "Author Anne Helen Petersen invites guest experts in the world of work to answer listener questions and give advice about navigating modern working life. In this clip, Anne and her guest Jessica Grose unpack the tension around returning to the office post-lockdown, and why it's particularly hard on working parents."

The Prince: "In this series from The Economist, host Sue-Lin Wong takes listeners through the life of Chinese president Xi Jinping, from the son of a political outcast to the most powerful man in the world."

Pop Chat: "How come horror movies never seem to win any Oscars? Since the first Academy Awards in 1929, only six have even been nominated for best picture."

If Books Could Kill: "Each week on If Books Could Kill, hosts Michael Hobbes and Peter Shamshiri break down "the airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds." In their first episode they take aim at the 2005 book Freakonomics."

Pale Blue Pod: "Pale Blue Pod is an astronomy podcast for people who are overwhelmed by the universe but want to be its friend. Astrophysicist Dr. Moiya McTier and comedian/science educator Corinne Caputo demystify space one topic at a time with open eyes, open arms, and open mouths (from so much laughing and jaw-dropping). By the end of each episode, the cosmos will feel a little less "ahhh, too scary!" and a lot more "ohhh, so cool!" New episodes every Monday."

This week, an episode from the archives (which originally aired in January of 2022).

Self-help doesn't need to be self-critical. Need help sticking to your New Year’s resolutions? Or have you ditched them altogether? (We support you either way.) Whatever your strategy, this time of year many of us are thinking about self-improvement. We’ve curated some of our favourite self-help and lifestyle podcasts to help guide you through whatever changes you want to make—without beating yourself up!

Featuring: TED Radio Hour, Maintenance Phase, Life Kit, Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi, Adult ISH

Snow and Christmas lights, busy malls, gifts to be wrapped, and Mariah Carey on repeat. It's that time again. The last stretch before Christmas can get really busy, but when the work is done, there's nothing better than cosying up at home with some excellent podcasts.

We've got an assortment of seasonal selections to make you think, help you bask in nostalgia and learn something delightful.

Santa's elves work hard building toys to bring joy to children's hearts … but have you ever thought about the person who writes the lyrics to the songs those toys sing? Every Little Thing introduces us to the number one "toy songwriter" on his tricks for coming up with earworms for kids.

Plus, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is a holiday staple – it's sparked retellings by the likes of Mickey Mouse, the Muppets, and even The Simpsons. But when you think about Dickens, and the rest of his body of work, focused on the plight of people living in poverty and exploited by the industrial revolution, it's a bit surprising he's come to be so closely associated with Christmas. The Allusionist host Helen Zaltzman unpacks how it happened.

Warm up a cup of cocoa, get your slippers on and find a cosy place near some twinkling lights and enjoy these festive listens!

Featuring:

Every Little Thing: Listener Megan asks guest host Ian Chillag about who writes the weird lyrics for her son's talking toys. Premiere toy song writer Jay Elkinton tells us all about how he writes super short earworms for kids.

The Allusionist: "Charles Dickens wrote about the plight of the impoverished and destitute members of British society. So how come his name is a synonym for rosy-cheeked, full-stomached, fattened-goose, hearty merry 'God bless us every one' Christmas?"

Secret Life of Canada: "When candy maker A.J. Russell created a recipe for puffed wheat bars in 1913, it became a popular dessert. But only in one half of the country."

The Moth: "Mark Redmond works with a homeless shelter in Vermont."

The Podcast Playlist team has done a lot of listening over the past year. So today, the whole team joins Leah to give our picks for the best podcasts of 2022.

Featuring: Media Circus with Kim Goldman, The Loudest Girl In The World, Best Laid Plans, Kuper Island, True Crime Byline

For links and more info, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist