Picks of the week
Green Wing: Resuscitated
Audible, all episodes available now
Seventeen years after the anarchic and gloriously inappropriate medical show ended, it is revived in podcast form. The original cast, including Olivia Colman, Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan are all present. The medics have aged disgracefully, making the trip back to East Hampton hospital worthwhile – and Statham (Mark Heap) is still the greatest character, marking his territory when the new boss takes his parking space. Hannah Verdier
Exhibit A
Widely available, episodes weekly
Abbey Clancy breaks free from The Therapy Crouch (and her co-host/husband Peter Crouch) for her own interview podcast. Her first guest is former chief business officer for Google X, Mo Gawdat. He discusses a happy and stress-free life, but also talks movingly about the death of his 21-year-old son, grief and spirituality. It’s a complete change of tone from Clancy and is totally absorbing. HV
Gloriously Unready
Widely available, episodes weekly
Warm and wise: Josephine Hughes is the mum of two transgender daughters and wants to give other parents, partners and loved ones in the same situation a voice. Dr Lulu kicks off the third season with her very personal experience of supporting her trans child. Political debates feel irrelevant when you have this much love. HV
Harry Hill’s Are We There Yet?
Widely available, episodes weekly
Seals, AI and surreal times: Harry Hill nails the meaning of wholesome on his new podcast designed as a companion to family car journeys. Younger children will love the cheeky songs and references to ants, the battle of Hastings and gross school dinners, but with guests including Alan Carr and Grayson Perry it’s a treat for adults, too. HV
The Tooney & Russo Show
Widely available, episodes weekly
Lionesses Ella Toone and Alessia Russo are best mates off the pitch – so they ramble about every detail of their friendship in this new series where “nothing is off the table”. Vick Hope is here to keep some order, but they quickly jump between random topics, just like any other conversation between good pals. Hollie Richardson
There’s a podcast for that
This week, Ammar Kalia chooses five of the best podcasts on home improvement, from a show about the design behind almost everything to the BBC’s immortal guide for gardeners
Fix It Home Improvement
Home renovations can range from the minute to the massive, from working out how to fix a faulty tap all the way to tiling, plastering and tearing down walls. This longstanding series from former US hardware store owner Jacy Elsesser is paired with a helpful YouTube channel to provide you with basic DIY tips and guides to lengthier, more complicated work alike. With most episodes running between 15 and 20 minutes, there is likely to be at least a few that take your fancy, from best buys for the home to how to winterproof your abode as the thermostat drops.
99% Invisible
Since 2010, radio producer Roman Mars’s series has been delving into design, and explaining the often radical histories behind the everyday objects that shape the way we live. While not strictly a home improvement or DIY series, there are dozens of episodes on domestic tools, appliances and aesthetics that are certainly worth a listen when it comes to considering your own design choices at home. Try out early instalments on the history of concrete furniture and bathtub design, as well as a mini-series on the charm of vernacular design in America, and an explainer on the Frankfurt kitchen.
Property Renovation Podcast
James Woodham and Juliette Yu’s series is all about learning from other people’s renovation mistakes. Taking a refreshingly honest approach to interviewing contractors, industry experts and developers across their 105 episodes, Woodham and Yu cover the big questions when it comes to home renovating, from working out what to ask your builders, to the importance of ordering samples, and the key aspects of designing a good kitchen. There are also thought-provoking episodes with first-time buyers and home renovators on their methods, budgets and advice for others tackling their own projects.
Gardeners’ Question Time
If you are lucky enough to have an outdoor space at home, you will know that it can require just as much love and attention as your interiors. Thankfully, there are gardening podcasts aplenty to help novices and enthusiasts tackle these green spaces. While Gardening with the RHS provides useful, seasonal advice on planting and pruning and On the Ledge is an encyclopaedic source of houseplant knowledge, Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time is one of the most comprehensive and wide-ranging series available. Each week a panel of horticultural experts answers listeners’ questions, exploring everything from keeping plants alive to getting the best gifts for the gardeners in your life.
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A Way to Garden
If the encyclopaedic focus and massive variety of Gardeners’ Question Time episodes feels like too much to take in all at once, New York-based gardener Margaret Roach’s long-running series A Way To Garden is your best alternative. Drawing on Roach’s vast network of green-fingered experts, these 25-minute episodes cover the basics with an engaging blend of facts, handy tips and freewheeling discussions. Tune in to find out whether you should turn your lawn into a wild meadow, how to incorporate native plants successfully, and – perhaps most relatable for the majority of listeners – how to keep your houseplants thriving for seasons to come.
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