Pick of the podcasts to help you through lockdown - The Jewish Chronicle

As the world adjusts to these strange, uncertain times, something many of us have in abundance right now is time. Time to finish reading those books we’ve been meaning to read, or to finally get around to watching that TV series everyone has been raving about. For some though, the best way to keep anxiety and sleep deprivation at bay is by listening to the many podcasts on offer. Here’s out guide to some of the best.

If you’re looking for a smart, fresh and fun weekly take on Jewish news from America, then look no further than the excellent Unorthodox podcast. Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer, Stephanie Butnick, and Liel Leibovitz, each episode features two guests —— one Jew and one non-Jew – discussing a variety of topics. This is a funny, informative and hugely entertaining show which should lift your spirit.

Those in need of something slightly heavier in tone will appreciate How Did We Get Here? This new show comes courtesy of podcast pioneers Somethin’ Else Productions — responsible for the long-running and excellent Kermode and Mayo Film Review for the BBC — and is presented by popular TV host Claudia Winkleman and clinical psychologist Professor Tanya Byron. Via the latter’s real-life conversations on family, parenting and personal issues, it offers a unique insight into people’s most vulnerable emotions. The special dynamic between Claudia and Tanya, who are good friends, is what makes this one of the most relatable shows around.

In her podcast Trolled, actor turned online activist Tracy-Ann Oberman shines a light on what it’s like to be trolled online. For anyone finding it hard to engage in political discourse online because of the current trend for bullying behaviour, Oberman is here to show us that we’re not alone. Recent guests on the show have been comedian David Baddiel, Countdown’s Rachel Riley and entrepreneur Deborah Meaden. The show contains a fair amount of swearing throughout, so parents might want to pop on some headphones if there are any small children present. This is an insightful and highly entertaining listen.

For those looking for a more laid-back approach, WTF with Marc Maron is at hand to deliver just what the doctor ordered. Marc has talked to everyone from Barack Obama to Paul McCartney and has an interesting story to tell about each one of his interviewees. Launched in 2009, the comedian’s show has been frequently imitated, but hard as they may try, nobody else can quite match up to his unique interviewing style. Some of the show’s earlier episodes might be hard to find for free, but are available to download at a premium price from the show’s website.

Those in the mood for something a little more cerebral will do well to download the brilliant The Allusionist podcast. Presented by Helen Zaltzman — best known for the long-established Answer Me This! podcast which she co-hosts with writer and broadcaster Olly Mann — this entertaining yet informative show about linguistics delves deep into why we say the things we say.

Restaurants and bars may be closed for now, and the closest any of us might get to eating out is by ordering in a favourite takeaway, but we could all still benefit from a dose of brilliance courtesy of food critic Jay Rayner. His Out to Lunch podcast offers just the right amount of clever chat and acerbic wit to lift even the most morose listener out of their funk. Previous guests on the show have included the musician Jamie Cullum, TV cook and Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain and, more recently, the outspoken Labour MP Jess Phillips.

Film fans are well served in the podcast department. One close to my heart is Girls on Film which offers a fresh feminist take on film. Presented by writer, broadcaster and film critic Anna Smith, its latest instalment features Saudi Arabia’s first female director Haifaa Al-Mansour, who talks about her latest film A Perfect Candidate, with guests including yours truly, The JC’s film critic.

And if you’ve decided to write a novel in lockdown, Sophia Bennett’s Prepublished has a wealth of advice for aspiring writers, including interviews with editors and suthors including the JC’s Keren David

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