Podcasts of the Week: sexed-up dossiers and yuppie con men
An alternative title for The Fault Line could be ‘how Tony Blair and George W. Bush fell in love’
As the world of podcasting becomes “ever more saturated” and ever more commercial, I “can’t help but feel that things are becoming a little formulaic”, said Max Sanderson in The Guardian. Which is why Where is George Gibney?, the latest podcast from the production company Second Captains (via BBC Sounds) is such a “welcome breath of fresh air”. Gibney was a coach with Ireland’s Olympic swimming team, who was charged with 27 counts of sexual assault of young swimmers – but vanished to America without being brought to trial. The podcast, from reporter Mark Horgan and producer Ciarán Cassidy, tries to track him down, “effortlessly” flitting between past and present. And, unlike much in the true crime genre, it is not “gore-centric”: the focus is on the survivors and their stories. “It’s hard not to be hooked.”
Last year, many of us were riveted by The Sun King, David Dimbleby’s podcast on the rise of Rupert Murdoch, said Miranda Sawyer in The Observer. Now the veteran broadcaster is back with another excellent series, about UK-US relations and the run-up to the 2003 Iraq war. The podcast is called The Fault Line: Bush, Blair and Iraq. An alternative title might be “How Tony Blair and George W. Bush fell in love”. Dimbleby has an “exemplary presenting style: honest without being trashy, measured without being boring”. And he has bagged big-name interviewees, including Blair and Alastair Campbell. It is well-trodden ground, of course – so much that I suspected I might get bored. Not a bit of it. This “clear and classy” show takes you back to that uneasy period between 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq. But it also “gives context, unpicks relationships” and “underpins everything with insider info”.
Leon Neyfakh, the journalist behind the acclaimed Fiasco podcast, has a knack for revisiting American scandals, from Watergate to Bill Clinton’s impeachment, which feel “uncannily relevant” today, said Francesca Angelini in The Sunday Times. Fiasco Season Three: The Battle for Boston is a seven-part account of the US city’s efforts to desegregate its schools in the 1970s – a story of endemic racism and violent confrontations that “speaks to the present all too directly”. A more straightforwardly entertaining listen – albeit one that involves “cold-blooded murder” – is Billionaire Boys Club. This rollicking documentary is a “brash and bold true-crime caper” about Joe Hunt, the leader of a “gilded” group of Ponzi scheme “yuppie” con men, who winds up at the centre of a murder investigation. Set in 1980s Hollywood, it features “masked men holding guns to precious dogs’ heads” and “makes The Wolf of Wall Street look tame”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Week Unwrapped podcast: Google wars, golden passports and Wuhan tours
Should courts break up Google’s monopoly? Why do some countries sell citizenship? And would you visit Covid ground zero on holiday? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Nigeria's worsening rate of maternal mortality
Under the radar Economic crisis is making hospitals unaffordable, with women increasingly not receiving the care they need
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Elevating Earth Day into a national holiday is not radical — it's practical'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
UAW scores historic win in South at VW plant
Speed Read Volkswagen workers in Tennessee have voted to join the United Auto Workers union
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
5 podcasts you may have missed this winter
The week recommends Take a chance on some of these shows before spring gets here
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
5 podcasts you may have missed this fall
The Week Recommends These shows are worth a binge before you start anticipating next year's podcast crop
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
The Week’s best podcasts of 2022
The Week Recommends Top picks include 28ish Days Later, Can I tell you a secret? and the highly ‘bingeable’ Case 63
By The Week Staff Published
-
Four of the best podcasts about women and society
The Week Recommends Featuring Visible Women, Clipped Wings, Ki & Di: The Podcast and 28ish Days Later
By The Week Staff Published
-
Podcasts of the week: from true crime to a true-crime drama
The Week Recommends Featuring Killer Book Club, RedHanded, Criminal, Radioman and Lady Killers With Lucy Worsley
By The Week Staff Published
-
The best podcasts of 2021
Speed Read The Week’s pick of must-listen shows in genres including comedy, history, true crime and more from the past year
By The Week Staff Published
-
Podcasts of the week: food, the Theranos trial, and 9/11
The Week Recommends Featuring Kitchens, The Dropout, and 9/12
By The Week Staff Published
-
Podcasts: Lena Dunham and a ‘megachurch’ scandal
The Week Recommends Featuring The C-Word, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, Drilled, and The Tip Off
By The Week Staff Published