In this week’s newsletter: Find out how the “no strings attached” hack replaced thousands of people on Exposed. More: Five of the Best Podcasts That Ended Too Soon
Not getting Hear Here in your inbox? Sign up here
The Godmother Weekly episodes widely available It’s 1936 New York City in Nichole Perkins’ latest podcast and gangster Lucky Luciano is on trial, but there’s a much more intriguing backstory: that of lawyer Eunice Carter. Described as “the spark who started the fire,” it’s time for Carter, the first black woman to serve as a prosecutor in the United States, to get her support. Perkins paints a portrait of the outspoken lawyer who brought Luciano to justice, but who sidelined him and kept him out of the spotlight during the regulations of his time. Hannah Verdier
Making Sense of Social HousingTortoise Media, weekly episodes of Wed’s infuriating miniseries tackling the housing crisis, a housing agreement says that a low-income user applying for housing can wait 8 to 10 years on a waiting list along with 800 other people. Jeevan Vasagar talks to other people who rely on social housing and those who paint on the formula to show exactly how dire the situation is. Hollie Richardson
Hollywood ExilesBBC Sounds, episodes weeklyGame of Thrones’s Oona Chaplin is your host for this podcast about how her grandfather Charlie was forced out of Hollywood during a campaign against communism. From living in a Lambeth workhouse to owning a Hollywood studio, Chaplin lived the American dream until the FBI zeroed in on him. HV
Ghost in the MachineWidely available, episodes weeklyWhen 19-year-old Belgian cyclist Femke Van den Driessche was found to have a motor in her bike, it caused uproar. But was she a cheat or a victim? Chris Marshall-Bell tells the very weird tale with enthusiasm, chronicling death threats, incredible allegations involving doped pigeons and anger from competitors. HV
Exposed: The Ashley Madison Hack Widely available, all episodes were released on Wednesday. When no-strings-attached dating site Ashley Madison was hacked, cheaters were horrified when their non-public data and desires were exposed. This series tells the story of the elaborate hack with sensitivity and even a bit of romance, as users describe the connections they made and the terror they felt in the face of ethical judgment. HT
This week, Hannah Verdier picks out five of the podcasts that ended too soon, from the strange and glorious investigations of Starlee Kine to a comedic masterpiece from Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams.
Mystery ShowStarlee Kine’s quirky investigations were the perfect antidote to true crime’s domination of the podcast landscape in 2015. Kine’s storytelling is pitch perfect, but her podcast ended after six sweet episodes due to what Gimlet mysteriously described as “business reasons”. Big questions were asked in that one season, from: “How tall is Jake Gyllenhaal?” to even more complex matters, such as why Britney Spears was photographed carrying an obscure self-help book by Andrea Seigel. There’s also a treasured belt buckle, a disappearing video store and the search for a lunchbox.
Jon Ronson’s rapid dip into the loose porn industry lasted only one season, but he followed his rise with sensitivity and a notorious lack of arousal. Each three-minute episode chronicles Fabian Thylmann’s adventure from teen entrepreneur to king of adult web streaming. With full access to Thylmann’s art, Ronson explores the consequences of making porn free, the negative effect on actors who rely on the industry, and how generation played a role in the revolution. even more so since 2017, so a new season would be welcome.
First Day BackTally Abecassis’ podcast about people coming back from challenging moments in their lives ran for three seasons. Although the premise is simple, so much is covered in the stories featured. Abecassis’ own struggle to get back to work after having a baby kicks the podcast off, with a discussion of gender roles and the power of Patti Smith. Season two focuses on Lucie Paquette, who served seven years for manslaughter of her partner. The final season follows Baltimore comedian Jason Weems, whose heart stopped when he had an asthma attack on stage – and it’s gripping.
Register to listen here
Podcast recommendations to enjoy the audio. Our Critics & Audio Producers Choose the Best Shows of the Week
After the newsletter
Top innovators Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams (above) brought their downright silly taste to the media back in the days when it was more common for white, bearded, soft-spoken men to talk about things. Unfortunately, they’ve become all too popular thanks to fun and fair discussions with visitors, including Queen Latifah, Michelle Obama, and Tig Notaro. HBO specials and too many new projects awaited us, but his mind was on sweaty chests, Richard Gere, and how many times is imaginable. Look, Purple Rain is still there and never forget.
True crime podcasts about small-town homicides were ripe for identity theft in 2018 and Onion Public Radio (OPR) did it with great success. “What elevates a homicide from an ordinary homicide to a crime so horrific and compelling that it deserves its own podcast?”asks serious journalist David Pascall, before launching into short, much-watched episodes that parody the obsession with bloodless cases. Especially the ones involving “a sexy white girl” who can easily cause a stir. It’s so dry that casual listeners might think they have stumbled upon the new series, but it only lasted six episodes.