I love rec'ing podcasts! Here are a few less well-know, (mostly) true crime and true crime-adjacent:
WTOP's American Nightmare Season 1: 22 Hours. A grisly, under-reported and truly horrifying crime. The pod itself is a B, but the story is one I'm shocked hasn't received more attention. Perhaps because it’s just inexplicably evil?
Black Box Down. Thorough, process-y, and extremely…soothing? Airplane nerds nerd out over nerdilicious investigations of plane crashes. Production-wise it's slow to take off (no, I didn't do that on purpose, but I refuse to bow to the pun haters and remove it), but it eventually reaches cruising altitude (okay, I did do that one on purpose).
British Scandal. Yes, okay, it’s a Wondery product. But it’s also about British stuff so Americans don’t really have to own it so we can just escape into the stories at a safe remove as long as we take them with a grain of salt sort of like a true crime Bridgerton in podcast form? Is that an acceptable justification? Well I don’t care.
Collapse: Disaster in Surfside. What it says on the tin, as reported by real journos. No excuses needed, just a solid, serious listen.
The Guardian Long Reads Podcast. Guardian features read aloud. A grab bag of mostly interesting stories, usually of middling seriousness.
Swindled. Another laconic anonymous host, another batch of lowlifes exposed. But very few murders, so yay?
Life Lines. This fictional series about a 999 operator, as heard through her recorded calls, is exceptionally good. Unfortunately, most episodes are only available through the BBC Sounds app. But they’re free!
Cabin Pressure. All episodes are now available as a podcast feed! One of the funniest things ever. Just ever. Even if you hate Bandersnatch Cumberbund! (Actually, maybe especially if you hate Brandybuck Crackersnick.) Also, if you’re fuming about being stuck in a car for hours, it could be worse?
May 17, 2022·edited May 17, 2022Liked by Best Evidence
I want to recommend The Lady Vanishes, but totally recognize that it might actually not be that great of a listen for someone who is just now starting it. It debuted pre-pandemic. It's a truly strange missing persons case, and is one of the rare podcasts where a listener discovered a clue that led to the case being solved (though not fully or legally resolved).
I won't spoil what is happening if you want to try it...but the podcast did go down a ton a rabbit holes given that they had relatively little info to go on in the beginning. For instance, you can probably skip the episode where they examine whether she joined a cult.
Curious if anyone else has followed along.
Also, for anyone with an Audible subscription their recent podcast series on missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 was really well done. The series ends with a set of GPS coordinates, which was a particular persons' theory of where the plane ended up. I looked it up on google earth and it brought the whole thing home in a very spooky way...
May 17, 2022·edited May 17, 2022Liked by Best Evidence
The Opportunist (4 Sheryl Ruthven episodes); Dead End: A New Jersey Political Murder Mystery; Jamie Loftus’ Ghost Church; Haileywood; Locked Inside; finally, the Murdaugh Murders podcast. I’m so excited about getting you to listen to something!! 🤓
If you count Jan 6 2021 as true crime like I do…the podcast Will Be Wild is really good and thorough. It is the same team (Andrea Bernstein) that did the Trump, Inc podcast. It’s a real journalism project with interviews from many people involved in every aspect. Well worth a listen and will keep you awake.
Does anyone else forget true crime podcast series as soon as they finish them and/or muddle up the details between cases? Maybe I just listen to too many of them... Here are a few recent ones that are good - they must be since I actually remember them!
Hooked - Slightly different subject matter to most true crime stuff and worth listening to for the nuts and bolts of the events involved, but also a very compassionate and empathetic portrayal of a life/lives that spiralled out of control.
Tom Brown's Body - Paints an interesting picture of life in a small Texas town. I recall that both the local sheriff and the private investigator came across as absolute blowhards.
Suspect - Circumstances leading up to the crime are quite intriguing. Also, it's (yet) another example of how people get treated differently in the justice system depending on their background.
Also, I got a few new podcasts to listen to (and immediately forget!) by reading all the comments, so thanks!
May 21, 2022·edited May 21, 2022Liked by Best Evidence
Connie Walker (Missing and Murdered; Finding Cleo) dropped a new season of “Stolen: Surviving St. Michaels” on Spotify. The personal family interviews, stories, and investigative journey she takes us on has me hooked. Connie Walker always seems to deliver.
Sympathy Pains if you haven't listened to that one yet!
I love rec'ing podcasts! Here are a few less well-know, (mostly) true crime and true crime-adjacent:
WTOP's American Nightmare Season 1: 22 Hours. A grisly, under-reported and truly horrifying crime. The pod itself is a B, but the story is one I'm shocked hasn't received more attention. Perhaps because it’s just inexplicably evil?
Black Box Down. Thorough, process-y, and extremely…soothing? Airplane nerds nerd out over nerdilicious investigations of plane crashes. Production-wise it's slow to take off (no, I didn't do that on purpose, but I refuse to bow to the pun haters and remove it), but it eventually reaches cruising altitude (okay, I did do that one on purpose).
British Scandal. Yes, okay, it’s a Wondery product. But it’s also about British stuff so Americans don’t really have to own it so we can just escape into the stories at a safe remove as long as we take them with a grain of salt sort of like a true crime Bridgerton in podcast form? Is that an acceptable justification? Well I don’t care.
Collapse: Disaster in Surfside. What it says on the tin, as reported by real journos. No excuses needed, just a solid, serious listen.
The Guardian Long Reads Podcast. Guardian features read aloud. A grab bag of mostly interesting stories, usually of middling seriousness.
Swindled. Another laconic anonymous host, another batch of lowlifes exposed. But very few murders, so yay?
Life Lines. This fictional series about a 999 operator, as heard through her recorded calls, is exceptionally good. Unfortunately, most episodes are only available through the BBC Sounds app. But they’re free!
Cabin Pressure. All episodes are now available as a podcast feed! One of the funniest things ever. Just ever. Even if you hate Bandersnatch Cumberbund! (Actually, maybe especially if you hate Brandybuck Crackersnick.) Also, if you’re fuming about being stuck in a car for hours, it could be worse?
Extra Hot Great. Heard of it?
I want to recommend The Lady Vanishes, but totally recognize that it might actually not be that great of a listen for someone who is just now starting it. It debuted pre-pandemic. It's a truly strange missing persons case, and is one of the rare podcasts where a listener discovered a clue that led to the case being solved (though not fully or legally resolved).
I won't spoil what is happening if you want to try it...but the podcast did go down a ton a rabbit holes given that they had relatively little info to go on in the beginning. For instance, you can probably skip the episode where they examine whether she joined a cult.
Curious if anyone else has followed along.
Also, for anyone with an Audible subscription their recent podcast series on missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 was really well done. The series ends with a set of GPS coordinates, which was a particular persons' theory of where the plane ended up. I looked it up on google earth and it brought the whole thing home in a very spooky way...
The Opportunist (4 Sheryl Ruthven episodes); Dead End: A New Jersey Political Murder Mystery; Jamie Loftus’ Ghost Church; Haileywood; Locked Inside; finally, the Murdaugh Murders podcast. I’m so excited about getting you to listen to something!! 🤓
If you count Jan 6 2021 as true crime like I do…the podcast Will Be Wild is really good and thorough. It is the same team (Andrea Bernstein) that did the Trump, Inc podcast. It’s a real journalism project with interviews from many people involved in every aspect. Well worth a listen and will keep you awake.
I really liked Sent Away, it held our attention on a recent road trip.
Chameleon: Wild Boys was also really good during that same trip
No podcast recommendations, but welcome to Minnesota. Depending on where you're headed, the weather should be cool-ish and sunny.
Does anyone else forget true crime podcast series as soon as they finish them and/or muddle up the details between cases? Maybe I just listen to too many of them... Here are a few recent ones that are good - they must be since I actually remember them!
Hooked - Slightly different subject matter to most true crime stuff and worth listening to for the nuts and bolts of the events involved, but also a very compassionate and empathetic portrayal of a life/lives that spiralled out of control.
Tom Brown's Body - Paints an interesting picture of life in a small Texas town. I recall that both the local sheriff and the private investigator came across as absolute blowhards.
Suspect - Circumstances leading up to the crime are quite intriguing. Also, it's (yet) another example of how people get treated differently in the justice system depending on their background.
Also, I got a few new podcasts to listen to (and immediately forget!) by reading all the comments, so thanks!
Connie Walker (Missing and Murdered; Finding Cleo) dropped a new season of “Stolen: Surviving St. Michaels” on Spotify. The personal family interviews, stories, and investigative journey she takes us on has me hooked. Connie Walker always seems to deliver.