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BBC Radio 4 Extra


Presenters recommend their favourite podcasts and speak to the people who make them.


Podcast Radio Hour

It's BBC Radio 4 Extra's final Podcast Radio Hour so Laura Grimshaw, Amanda Litherland and Chris Pearson look back at some of the best co-hosts, podcasts and interview guests. 

With contributions from regular co-hosts Scott Bryan, Jon Holmes, Isy Suttie, Jessica Fostekew, Shivani Dave, Ella Watts, Ellie Gibson, Greg Cochrane, Imriel Morgan, Jake Yapp, Roshan Roberts, Chrystal Genesis and Salena Godden.

Plus archive interviews with Nicola Coughlan and Camilla Whitehill, Alan Cumming, Suzannah Lipscomb, Steve Coogan, Lemn Sissay, Susannah Constantine, David Dimbleby and Neil Gaiman - and many more.

The Last Podcast Radio Hour

Wes Butters and his Producer, Kerry present a few of the best podcasts on fungi.

Dr. Gordon Walker talks about the role of social media in sharing high quality information about fungi, Dr. Merlin Sheldrake tells us about the importance of amateurs in the field of Mycology - and the Podcast Producer, Katharine Kerr reveals the things that she learned about "zombie-ants" whilst creating a podcast in association with The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
 
Along the way, we'll hear clips from podcasts including...

Cultures For Health
The Mushroom Revival podcast
Fascinated By Fungi
StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Unherd
The Bioneers: Revolution From The Heart Of Nature
The Mushroom Hour
Unearthed: Mysteries From An Unseen World

Fascinating Podcasts about Fungi

Chris Pearson and Ella Watts recommend apocalypse audio fiction. 

Jenny Turner Hall talks Marvel's Wastelanders: Wolverine, and discusses the pressures of working on a Marvel property, as well as the stakes that come from writing stories starring young characters.

Plus Kc Wayland discusses We're Alive: Descendants - the latest iteration in the We're Alive universe, which brings to a close a story that began in 2009. We'll hear how Kc's military background influenced writing the show, and ask how has the podcast audio fiction landscape changed in the last thirteen years.

And we'll recommend:

- The Last Station
- This American Wasteland
- No Place but the Water
- The Program Audio Series
- Hello From The Hallowoods
- Out of the Ashes
- Spaceships
- The Liminal Lands

End of the World Audio Drama

Chris Pearson and Scott Bryan suggest new listening for October. 

Tubsey and Hyder, Bafta winners, join us to talk about their first steps into podcasting. Why did they want to start "The World According to Tubsey and Hyder" - and what do they love about working with each other?

Plus we'll hear new conversation, documentary, and drama podcasts, including clips from:

Carolina Herrera presents Walk Tall
Restless Natives
Fear Of Missing Out
Crosshairs
The Tower
Weight of Sand
Beneath Our Feet

New listening for October

Chris Pearson and Chrystal Genesis with podcasts for young ears.
 
Molly Bloom discusses the debate show Smash Boom Best, and tells us why it's important to introduce children to debating at an early age.

And Rebecca Sheir talks about her global storytelling podcast Circle Round, which introduces children to stories from around the world.

Plus we'll hear clips from

But Why?
Kids Law
Million Bazillion
CBeebies Radio Podcast
The Story Seeds Podcast

Children's Podcasts with Chrystal Genesis

Podcast Radio Hour showcases new podcasts from the 2022 Class of BBC Sounds Audio Lab, and meets the six audio creatives who have bought their innovative ideas to BBC Sounds. 

Talia Randall discusses the urban nature series 'Blossom Trees and Burnt-Out Cars'
Hamza Salmi talks about the series profiling someone described as 'the Forrest Gump of black power in the UK' - 'Who Was Michael X?'
Adam Zmith takes us back to the early 20th century for a reality that didn't quite happen 'The Film We Can't See'
Hanna Adan curates a sonic museum tour- 'The Museum of Bad Vibes'
Tomi Dixon discusses the series charting the life stories of influential Britons of colour, 'Colouring In Britain'. 
And Jade Scott presses play on an audio mixtape contemplating the messier aspects of human experience, 'The Reset'

Plus the BBC Sounds Audio Lab Commissioning Executive Khaliq Meer reflects on the programme as a whole, and discusses what's next for Audio Lab.

BBC Sounds Audio Lab

Laura Grimshaw and Isy Suttie present podcasts on living with chronic illnesses, with a focus on bladder and bowel issues, periods and endometriosis, migraines and joint and back pain, and chronic fatigue, ME, and fibromyalgia.

Health and Wellbeing with Isy Suttie

The video game journalist and co-host of the Scummy Mummies podcast Ellie Gibson joins Chris Pearson for gaming podcast picks. 

Lauren Kaye discusses her podcast 'She Plays Games', which aims to showcase and highlight women working behind the scenes in video game development.

Plus, we'll hear clips from

Safe Space
History Respawned
The Back Page
Sound of Gaming
The Psychology of Video Games Podcast
The Knowledge Project - episode interviewing Jane McGonigal
Game Till Five
Not Your Mama's Gamer

Gaming Podcasts with Ellie Gibson

Shivani Dave joins Chris Pearson to recommend a selection of bitesize podcasts. Arielle Free tells us about her short documentary series, The Rise and Fall of T in the Park.

Plus we hear clips from
Mercury: A Broadcast Of Hope
Poem-a-Day
Nipe Story
Probably True
Anthems
My Life in the Mosh of Ghosts
Sliced Bread
Short & Curly
5 Minutes On
The Savvy Psychologist's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Mental Health

If you have recommendations, do send us an email to PodcastRadioHour@BBC.co.uk

Bitesize Listening

Laura Grimshaw and Jon Holmes present highlights and winners from this year's British Podcast Awards.

The British Podcast Awards ceremony takes place on Saturday 23rd July at Kennington Park in London. There are 30 awards being presented including Best New, Best Comedy, Best Current Affairs, Best Fiction, the Climate Award, and the Rising Star Award. Plus one of the winners will be crowned Podcast of the Year 2022. For Podcast Radio Hour, we will chat to the winners, hosts and judges at the ceremony to bring the awards to you.

British Podcast Awards

Chris Pearson and Scott Bryan recommend new releases for June.

Alan Cumming joins us to talk about his new series, Alan Cumming's Shelves, in which Alan is inspired to interview guests by the trinkets in his house.

Plus Greg Jenner discusses his podcast series "A Somewhat Complete History Of Sitting Down", which looks at the role of sitting throughout history.

We'll also hear extracts from:

Cross Words with Ian Smith 
Behind The Desk: The Story of Late Night
Human Resources
The Retrospectors
What The Denmark
Finding Natasha 
Sound Heap
Multi Story
Limelight: The System

What's new for June?

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