We’re already halfway through 2024, so it’s a good time to take stock of the unmissable podcasts we’ve launched so far. Here is a list of true crime, comedy, fiction and culture shows that stand out from the rest and will be your best shows of the year. Hopefully, this momentum will be maintained in the second half of 2024.
Not possible to fix
Sophia Johnson was a pregnant newlywed whose mother-in-law was brutally murdered, and her own brother testified against her, claiming he saw her do it. WBUR's Amory Sivertson reports on "Irrepairable" with precision and seriousness, trying to figure out who's lying and what's really going on. It's a chaotic family story that demands your full attention and will make you second-guess everything, unsure of what you truly believe until the very end.
never post
Miss reply all ? Love is 99% invisible ? Have I Got News for You: Hosted by Mike Rugnetta (who writes and hosts PBS Digital Studios’ YouTube series Idea Channel ), Never Post is a podcast that looks at the internet universe, big and small, through super-powerful telescopes, and the digital 99% Invisible treatment. On the show, he covers topics including influencer voices, posting sickness, the emotional impact before and after making and viewing a post, content that sounds bad on purpose, gimmicky content, and more. Rugnetta is supported by a team of journalists, making up a talented and hilarious group of cultural critics who are great fun to be around.
little dinosaur
Improvisers Connor Ratliff ( Dead Eyes , Mean Girls, Search Party, etc.) and James III ( Black Men Can't Dance [In Hollywood] , Astronomy Club , etc.) just Their improv comedy podcast Tiny creates a world of dinosaurs that is so funny I just want to live in it. In this world, Connor and James are scientists who have brought back dinosaurs, but not normal-sized ones - which is irresponsible. These are very small. This world is the perfect place for truly silly conversations as they try to keep their scientific careers secret. If you need laughs, you'll get them.
Sixteenth minute (Fame)
Jamie Loftus is making some of the funniest, smartest (and weirdest) stuff in audio. In her new weekly series , Sixteen Minutes (Celebrity), she asks various major figures on the internet what it's like to be the center of our digital attention and, more importantly, what happens once fame wears off. It opens with a two-parter starring Antoine Dodson of Hide Yo Kids, Hide Yo Wife fame.
she has a name
Tonya Mosley is an unforgettable journalist whom I met on her wonderful series Telling the Truth . She's back with a completely different She Got a Name : a true crime investigation that leads her to reveal her own life. It all started when Tonya received a call from a nephew she never knew she had, about the murder of his mother, her sister Anita, during Detroit's drug epidemic in the 1980s. The two set out to heal what's broken, uncover traumas shared by many other families, and try to give Anita the memory she deserves once and for all.
to touch the grass
It's a simple premise: Go Touch Grass hosts Milly and Alise collect internet news so you can stay informed without obsessing over it. They are literally doing God's work, sacrificing their sanity to give us time to be in nature or whatever. Each week, they bring in some sort of online personality to be interviewed and cover the trends of the day and be able to put everything in context. This is a comedy podcast, not even just a podcast about the internet. The show ends with a fun segment, including the crowning of "Grass Hole of the Week." Listening will keep you entertained, give you a weekly internet culture lesson, and make sure you don't get crowned.
Contest
The Outstanding Young Women event (formerly Miss Teen USA) brings high school students (one from each state) to Mobile, Alabama, for two weeks to compete for a $40,000 prize. The Game is a six-part reality TV-style investigation that helps you get to know the girls and understand their friendships, challenges, and drama. After more than 20 years as a Nevada contestant, Shima Oliaee (of Dolly Parton's America and Pink Cards ) returns to share this complex story and serve as a judge on the pageant.
fur and disgust
In 2014, a chlorine gas attack at a Midwest Fur Festival conference hospitalized 19 people and remains unresolved. Fur & Loathing, hosted by Nicky Woolf, looks back at the lackluster FBI investigation and the people who may have carried it out. The furry community is not explored enough, and much of it is completely ignored or ridiculed. It's a serious, respectful look at a cold case that fills in the gaps, connects the dots, and takes you to unexpected places.
stolen
This year, Pulitzer Prize- and Peabody Award-winning director Connie Walker’s Stolen returns with a new season: Trouble in Sweetwater, which investigates the story of 62-year-old Navajo woman Ella Mae Begay (Ella Mae Begay) Unsolved murder in 1997. Sweetwater, Arizona. It's as much a story about Ella as it is about her case - like why it remains unsolved despite a 23-year-old man admitting to possibly killing her the night she disappeared. Connie has been reporting on missing and murdered Aboriginal people for years, and no one does it like she does.
sicilian heritage
Part murder investigation, part travelogue, Sicilian Heritage sees host Jo Piazza return to her roots so she can find out once and for all her grandmother Lorenza Massala ( Lorenza Marsala's cause of death. It's a story her family has told for decades. Was she killed by a gangster? Killed for being a witch? Joe really puts you in the saddle on this true crime road trip with more twists and turns than riding along the Amalfi Coast. It all started with Joe's novel of the same name , which fictionalized the story, but this podcast is real.
at last! A show (about women that's more than just a thinly veiled nightmare)
Jane Marie is famous for creating the hit show Dreams , which beautifully illustrated multi-level marketing before everyone and their aunt (who is now in a MLM scheme) knew what it was. Her latest work , "Finally!" ""A show about women, it's not just a thinly veiled nightmare" lets us put ourselves in the shoes of women. They could be the people next door, they could be you, they could be me - —Like an 83-year-old calendar girl buying gifts. A vibrator, a fish-throwing diva entertaining crowds at an outdoor market, a young mother turned funeral service provider, or a plus-size boutique owner going viral on TikTok. Don't pretend that you haven't spent hours in your life staring into a lighted window at night, curious to see what's going on in other people's lives. This is why we watch reality TV. This is your chance to complete this activity under the guidance of Jane Marie.
Josie's Lonely Hearts Club
Josie's Lonely Hearts Club is a fictional love advice hotline show hosted by "Josie Heller" (the stage name of fictional character Joanne Holzinger, voiced by real-life Rachel Music) , allowing us to eavesdrop on the hilarious, completely human interactions between Josie and her callers, conversations with show engineer Frank, and Josie's life. The "semi-improvisational" performance gives it a certain elasticity, and Josie (Joanne, Rachel) has a perfectly seductive voice that makes every second of the performance a joy. The yield is amazing.
