To find podcasts excruciatingly dull?

[everythingisginandroses]

Just that, really. Am I just listening to the wrong ones? I have tried podcasts about stuff I am interested in (books, fashion, popular culture) but within minutes I am thinking "Why am I listening to these people? I am not learning anything here, what is the point?"

I don't think I have a terrible attention span (I have to listen to people for a living, or is that part of my problem?) Full disclosure: there may be an element of class prejudice in some of my reactions. I have just tried an apparently popular podcast by two writers whose essays I generally enjoy, but there's something about their effortless assurance that people will want to listen to their commentaries that I just find really off-putting...

I should just move on and accept that podcasts are not for me, right?

@Milicentbystander72 so many to choose from..
I love Redhanded. It's a true crime podcast, which deals with a crime per episode... absolutely gripping. The girls are from London and are fascinating storytellers especially Sarurthi.

Another favourite is Infraction which again is hosted by two British women. It's a newish podcast and not as well known but they tell the story well and give their own opinions which I like.

Casefile is epic. The host is Australian and gives a very indepeth look into a case. He's factual as opposed to having lots of opinions on a case but the research he has carried out is impressive.

I presume you've listened to Serial? If not, you are in for a treat. Definitely start there if this is your first true crime podcast foray

Thank you to everyone for the amazing recommendations.
I agree there are some terrible podcasts out there. I tried a travel one where the host had an episode on secrets of travel agents. The secrets came from her guest who had been a travel agent for 6 months 3 years prior. So not great.

My recommendations are
The Bechdel cast which is a review of movies from a feminist perspective based on the bechdel test which is a test of whether 2 named female characters in a movie have 2 lines of dialogue about something other than men

For something light I like Just the Jist which is stories about random crazy things. My favourite is Stewart semple v Inish Kapoor about a fight in the art world over the colour black.

I actually find loads of them excruciating but then I cannot tolerate 2 or more people and their "banter ". Too much if that crap on radio in the 80s 90s lowered my tolerance 🤣
I can listen to single voice (but I'm picky) that gets straight to the point.

My absolute favourite podcast is Fortunately with Fi Glover and Jane Garvey. It’s like have a coffee with good friends, a mix of chat about everything and nothing with some interesting interviews thrown in. It’s really refreshing to hear two intelligent successful women similar ages to me chatting about life and not having to pretend they’re anything else. They are down to earth, very funny and It cheers me up every week

Will add my recommendations to the thread - not really into comedy though.

Drama :

Carrier - cynthia erivo as a trucker carrying a mysterious cargo.
Homecoming
Blackout - rami malek, sort of a post-apocalyptic thing
Passenger List - missing plane, very "Lost vibe"
The Harrowing - joanne froggatt, supernatural happenings on scottish island
Welcome to Night Vale

Educational

Stuff You Should Know
Ologies (some of them, it's a bit inconsistent)
You're Dead to Me (history, radio4)

True Crime / News

No Strings Attached - guy who tried to murder his wife by cutting her parachute
Paradise - central America case from the 70s
Teacher's Pet
Missing Cryptoqueen
Storycast - Sky News, three series about different stories, all interesting.
Death in Ice Valley - norwegian/UK story about an unresolved case
The Lady Vanishes - Australian missing person case with UK connection
Finding Cleo - Canadian podcast which starts as missing person, ends up as something else entirely. Really good.
Bear Brook - trying to discover identities of bodies found years ago
Who the Hell is Hamish - serial conman, and how he got away with it
The Shrink Next Door - just unbelievably weird.

There was also a really good BBC one about Waco and David Koresh. Can't remember the name though.

There was also a really good BBC one about Waco and David Koresh. Can't remember the name though.

Was it called End of Days? It was really excellent. I had no idea so many British people had travelled to be part of the cult in Waco, or that some survivors still hold to the beliefs. Fascinating.

Try

“Revisionist History” - by Malcolm Gladwell
“Cautionary Tales” - by Tim Harford
Or anything by Pushkin Industries

There is also chipperish media you might find something there or if you are looking for some good 1-1 interviews there is

“David Tennant does a podcast”
“Blank Podcast”
“Inside if you with Michael Rosebaum”

You have to keep trying to find the podcast that fits.

[quote Veterinari]@everythingisginandroses
I challenge you to listen to Malcolm Gladwell's 'revisionist history' and not learn anything. [/quote]
Yes this 👆🏻

Was it called End of Days? It was really excellent. I had no idea so many British people had travelled to be part of the cult in Waco, or that some survivors still hold to the beliefs. Fascinating.

That was it. It was really good, especially the interviews with the people who still believed. And that poor guy who had lost many family members.

@LadyOfTheCanyon

Lore is definitely American, Aaron Mahnke. It's gone off the boil since the first twenty or so but I think his delivery, attention to detail, music and measured tone is almost hypnotic.

Try Cautionary Tales is similar in tone. Got the music and weird story and Tim’s voice is great.

@Happylittlethoughts

I actually find loads of them excruciating but then I cannot tolerate 2 or more people and their "banter ". Too much if that crap on radio in the 80s 90s lowered my tolerance 🤣 I can listen to single voice (but I'm picky) that gets straight to the point.

Me too! I hated Simon Mayo's breakfast show with Sybil etc. and feel the same now! Always like just one DJ!

I enjoy reading, I enjoy watching the TV. However, listening to podcasts and audiobooks, just makes me switch off. I find I need something to visually concentrate on, I also find that I feel talked to and not properly engaged, as I do with books/television programmes.

"I saw an ad last night for a monthly subscription to an Alan Partridge podcast - £7.99 per month! No way I'd shell that out. That said, I think it's fair enough that entertainers charge for their work"

That's just the standard audible subscription. It gets you a new audiobook each month, if you subscribe to audible you get access to the new Alan Partridge podcast alongside that, as well as all their other podcasts. But it's not 7.99 a month just to get the AP podcast

Athletico Mince.

You're welcome.

@whiteroseredrose

Horses for courses really.

DH and I love Radio 4 podcasts. More or Less, Political Thinking and some Drama.

However I don't like music!

The ones you mention aren't podcasts as such they are radio programmes that have been running for years if not decades that technology now allows you to listen to on demand

A technical issue maybe but an important one I think as the production values and content of programmes made by the BBC to be broadcast weekly to the world aren't podcasts

What I assume we're talking about here is content only produced for on demand listening with in a lot of cases next to no budget which of cause leads to a lot of dross masking stuff which is actually pretty good

Some of the best examples have already been mentioned above

@geekone
Thank you.

I forgot about Athletico Mince! Truly excellent, although once you've heard Bob Mortimer's slightly sticky/clicky mouth noises you can't unhear it and now it gives me The Ick. Same reason I can't listen to Grace Dent