Podcast Playlist

After almost 400 episodes, six hosts and many (many) hours of podcast listening, Podcast Playlist's run is coming to an end. For our final episode we wanted to share one final podcast playlist with you. A playlist to answer the question we are most frequently asked: what is your favourite podcast episode of all time? Today our producers join Leah in studio to share memories and clips from our favourite pods. Featured shows: The Truth, Mystery Show, The Moth and The Nod. Have some parting words? Email us at podcastplaylist@cbc.ca. Or find us on Facebook and cbc.ca/podcastplaylist. For more great podcasts, check out CBC's podcast portal, and subscribe for free in Apple Podcasts.

This week we're sharing a repeat of one of our favourite episodes from October. As a foreign correspondent, David Common's reporting has taken him to more than 80 countries, including warzones in Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine. But these days he's staying a bit closer to home. David has recently taken over hosting duties on CBC Radio's morning show in Toronto, Metro Morning. He's also the co-host of the consumer watchdog show, Marketplace, on CBC Television. Marketplace now has its very own podcast. This week on the show, David will tell us what it was like turning a TV show into a podcast, plus he'll share some of the podcasts in his rotation. Like the show Wind of Change: The song "Wind of Change" by The Scorpions was a massive hit at the end of the Cold War. But was it really written by the CIA? We'll hear about the surprising links between the agency and pop culture. All that and more on this week's episode. Featuring: Marketplace, The Secret Life of Canada, Wind of Change, War on the Rocks, Yo Is This Racist? For links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist, we're celebrating Pride month. In the proverbial starter pack of anti-gay slogans, there's one that has stayed consistent over the years: "It's just not natural!" The only problem with that...is according to science, same-sex relationships are extremely natural, occurring in all kinds of different animal species. We'll learn more about that from A Field Guide To Gay Animals. And we'll meet one very special gay animal: a Seychelles giant tortoise named Jonathan, who's believed to be the oldest living animal in the world. Plus, on the queer music podcast Sounds Gay, we'll dive into the mosh pit at a trans punk rock show, and hear how music is connecting trans folks across generational lines. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: A Field Guide To Gay Animals, The Secret Life of Canada, Sounds Gay, Blindspot: The Plague in the Shadows, Handsome, Gender Reveal For links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week we're sharing one of our favourite episodes from this season. Life coaches sell promises of prosperity, health and happiness. But do coaches actually help you achieve your goals? That's the question at the heart of Season 3 of The Dream. Having tackled pyramid schemes and the world of wellness, coaching seemed like an obvious topic to explore next. Host and creator Jane Marie says that in many ways coaching combines tactics used to sell products in both the multi-level-marketing and wellness industries. This week, Leah and Jane sit down to talk about the show and Jane's upcoming book Selling the Dream: The Billion Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans. Plus, we'll listen to some of Jane's favourite podcasts. FEATURING: The Dream, This American Life, My Year In Mensa, Where Should We Begin with Esther Perel For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist

This week, we're sharing new and notable podcasts from June. First, Todd Matthews was one of the first internet sleuths. He made it his life's mission to give unidentified bodies back their names, and helped create two databases as part of that goal. For years, Todd was haunted by a cold case about two missing boys. One day, one of those boys called him. The new podcast Hello, John Doe has that story. We hear from producer Kate Mishkin about working with Todd, making the show, and how an unexpected tragedy changed its meaning. Plus, these days, it feels like online ads know exactly what we want—new shoes, the latest tech, a nine-acre island off the coast of Nicaragua… Or at least, that was the case for Jayne Gaskin. She was surfing the web one day when she saw a shockingly affordable island for sale. The price was just too good to pass up, so Jayne abandoned a quaint life in the English countryside and moved there with her entire family. While Jayne initially thought that her dreams had come true, not everything was as it seemed. The podcast The Price of Paradise explores the violent consequences of Jayne's decision. Featured in this episode: Hello John Doe, The Price Of Paradise, Who Killed The Video Star: The Story of MTV, Go Touch Grass, Mortified For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist

The Moth is one of the oldest shows in podcasting. In fact, it pre-dates the medium by several years, having begun in the founder’s living room in 1997. Today, The Moth is an internationally touring live storytelling production and a popular podcast and radio show. This week Leah sits down with The Moth’s senior director Meg Bowles to talk about The Moth’s new book, "A Point of Beauty: True Stories of Holding On and Letting Go," and about 27 years of helping everyday people bring their stories to life. Plus, we’ll have more storytelling podcasts. Like Mortified, where we’ll hear host David Nadelberg read an extremely cringey love letter he wrote as a teenager in front of a live audience. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: The Moth, Grown, Mortified, Normal Gossip Check out our episode with Kelsey McKinney from Normal Gossip For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist

This week on Podcast Playlist: Yo, Is This Racist has hilariously tackled questions about racism since 2011. Creator and host Andrew Ti tells us about the show’s evolution and shares his podcast picks. Plus, every summer, the best and brightest teen girls in the US compete in the lucrative “Distinguished Young Women” competition. We get a direct look into the competition with podcaster and former competitor, Shima Oliaee. Featuring: The Competition, Forever Is A Long Time, Yo Is This Racist?, Past My Bedtime For links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week, we’re asking three podcasters to pitch their show to listeners, and we’ll hear a sample of each one. We’re starting with George The Poet. His show is called Have You Heard George’s Podcast? It’s won tons of awards, including a Peabody—and if you haven’t heard it, we promise you’ve never heard another show like it. Then, Leah sits down with Arshy Mann, host of COMMONS, to talk about why the new season of his show is all about work — the jobs we do, the conditions we work in, and why things feel like they’ve gotten so much harder for working people. Plus, actor and comedian Allan McLeod will tell us about his new show, Walkin’ About. It’s a loving and funny tribute to the simple act of walking, the places it can take us, and the people we do it with. For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

In the early days of the war on terror, the US captured thousands of alleged “enemy combatants” overseas, but they needed somewhere to hold and interrogate them… without worrying about those pesky Geneva Conventions. Guantánamo Bay was the perfect solution. But not long after it opened, the truth of its makeshift justice system started coming to light. The new season of Serial offers an unprecedented look behind the scenes at the island prison. Today, Leah sits down with co-hosts Sarah Koenig and Dana Chivvis to hear the story behind their reporting. Plus, you know the song "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell? Well, did you know it was actually an obscure soul song written in the 1960s? We'll hear that story from Lost Notes, plus Leah talks to co-hosts Novena Carmel and Michael Barnes about the show. All that and more this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Serial, Lost Notes, Broomgate, White Devil For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist, Leah is joined by Josh Gwynn, host of the new CBC podcast Split Screen: Kid Nation. The podcast revisits the 2007 reality TV show Kid Nation, where 40 children were left in the desert to fend for themselves for more than a month. Through interviews with former contestants, producers and parents, Josh tries to piece together how this show actually got made, and what impact it had on those kids now that they’re all grown up. We’ll hear from Josh about that show’s legacy. Plus, we’ll listen to some of his favourite podcasts. Featuring: Split Screen: Kid Nation, Today Explained, The Stoop, Classy, Scam Goddess For links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist. Have a podcast to recommend? Send us an email!

Whether it's in your high school English class or one of the many Shakespeare-inspired 90s rom-coms (10 Things I Hate About You, anybody?), most of us have encountered Shakespeare in some form or another. Another place you can find the Bard? California's Centinela State Prison. The podcast Where There's a Will: Finding Shakespeare tells us about how performing Shakespeare can be transformative for incarcerated individuals. Also: in 1986, NASA's space shuttle Challenger exploded, killing all of its seven crew members. Among them was Christa McAuliffe, a social studies teacher who would have been the first private citizen in space. Christa was one of 10 finalists from Ronald Reagan's "Teacher in Space" project. Chosen from more than 10,000 teacher applicants, the finalists participated in weeks of rigorous testing and training. NASA called it "space camp," but the process was far from fun and games. In Slate's One Year: 1986, we hear about that intense experience from the former candidates themselves. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: If Books Could Kill, Where There's A Will: Finding Shakespeare, One Year: 1986, Missing and Murdered: Who Killed Alberta Williams, Future Perfect For links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist, we’re listening to true crime. During the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial, there was a huge amount of online hate directed towards Amber. But what if that was all part of an organized campaign? We’ll find out on Who Trolled Amber. Plus, even if you’ve never heard of Peter Ivers, you’ve probably heard some of his music without realizing it. He was murdered in 1983, and the case was never solved. Now, a new podcast called Peter And The Acid King is trying to get to the bottom of it. It’s hosted by Penelope Spheeris, a friend of Peter’s and the director of Wayne’s World. Leah will sit down with Penelope to talk about the show, and Peter’s legacy. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Peter And The Acid King, Stolen, White Lies, Who Trolled Amber, Ghost In The Machine For links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

To make this show, our team listens through hours upon hours of audio. But sometimes, a few excellent shows will slip through the cracks. This week, Leah is joined by the Podcast Playlist crew to share some amazing podcasts that you may have missed. Like Once upon a time...at Bennington College. Our senior producer Kate Evans likes it because listening feels like, "a summer page turner, but for a podcast." The show shares the history of the unique Liberal arts college where authors Brett Easton Ellis, Jonathan Lethem and Donna Tartt all went to school together. Plus, producer Julian Uzielli shares a heartfelt podcast about a group of Armenian soliders who survived months of being trapped behind enemy lines. That and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Once Upon A Time...At Bennington College, Freeway Phantom, The Ballad of Billy Balls, Country Of Dust For more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

You might have heard of a popular conspiracy theory about one of Canada's most famous rock stars. Avril Lavigne died in 2003, and her record label secretly replaced her with a body double who has been living as an impostor ever since. Could it be true? Probably not, but comedian Joanne McNally helps us find out on the new podcast Who Replaced Avril Lavigne. Plus, a lot of people think history is boring. Depending on how you were taught, that's pretty understandable. Simply memorizing a bunch of dates or names can make history feel about as dead as that fourth prime minister (whose name you've already forgotten). To Simone Polanen, the opposite is true– history is all around us, woven into the fabric of everyday life. Simone joins us to talk about her podcasts Past Perfect, a history trivia show, and Not Past It, a story-driven show about the links between the past and the present. All that and more of this month's top picks, this week on Podcast Playlist. FEATURING: Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? // City Space // Past Perfect // The Ultimate Choice // The Recipe with Kenji and Deb For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist we're listening to stories about late bloomers. The first time Jean Westcott auditioned for Jeopardy, she had to wait 18 months to see if she made it. She never got the call. But instead of giving up, she auditioned again… and again… and again… for 20 years. We’ll hear her story. Plus, what does it take to swim from Cuba to Key West? We’ll hear from record-breaking swimmer Diana Nyad on completing that swim at 64 years old. All that and more this week. Featuring: Snap Judgement, This Is Love, Death, Sex & Money, 70 Over 70, Grown from The Moth For more info head to our website, cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist, we’re featuring podcasts about rock and roll. Sister Rosetta Tharpe is often called “The Godmother of Rock and Roll” and inspired artists like Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Aretha Franklin… Yet she’s been largely left out of the history books. The podcast They Did That tells her story. Plus, churches are often the venue for a unique but hugely influential subset of rock music: Christian rock. PRX’s Rock That Doesn’t Roll explores how contemporary Christian music shaped the youths of Church kids everywhere– in sometimes unexpected ways. Featuring: Decoder Ring, The Moth, Rock That Doesn't Roll, They Did That, Switched On Pop, Disgraceland For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

One early morning in December 2010, Tony Carleo rolled up to the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Dressed in a full motorcycle jumpsuit, gloves and helmet, he took out a pistol and robbed $1.5 million worth of casino chips. But that wasn’t all. Soon after he returned, and he used the very money he stole to check into the hotel and live like a king – for free. We’ll hear that story, plus other tales about scammers and thieves, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: The High Roller Heist, Hot White Heist, Code Switch, Chameleon: Scam Likely, Life Kit For links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

When you think of Canadian cultural exports, you probably don’t think of porn. But Montreal is home to a little website you may have heard of: Pornhub. On The Pornhub Empire: Understood, we’ll hear the little-known story of the company’s history. Plus, Leah sits down with host Samantha Cole to learn more. And: Telling personal stories in the form of podcasts can move us, create empathy, and drive positive change...right? Jess Shane isn't so sure. Listen to Leah's conversation with Jess about her new series Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative | Sounds Gay | The Pornhub Empire: Understood | Ripple For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week, we’re listening to one, two, three, four, five, six different podcasts all about numbers. In the 80s, your favourite celebrities were just one dial away. And about $3 per minute, of course. But what’s a couple extra bucks on the phone bill, if it means chatting with your favourite superstars, psychics, or potential spouses? Twenty Thousand Hertz tells us about the booming, controversial business of 1-900 numbers. Plus, long-haul truckers spend hours alone on the road. But how do thousands of miles of isolation change a person? And how is that experience unique for truck-drivers who are women? On NPR’s Rough Translation, we hear the stories of how years on the road changed two truckers’ perspective on life. That and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Twenty Thousand Hertz, Rough Translation, Planet Money, Snap Judgement, The Moth Radio Hour, Ologies For links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week, Leah sat down with the hosts of three history podcasts to learn about their shows. Martine Powers from The Washington Post's The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop, Tim Harford from Pushkin's Cautionary Tales and Ramtin Arablouei from NPR's Throughline. First, Martine Powers tells us about The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop. In 1979, there was a revolution on the Caribbean island of Grenada. The new prime minister was a young, charismatic, socialist named Maurice Bishop. Bishop introduced a wave of social reforms, like free public healthcare and paid maternity leave. Though he was a popular leader at home, U.S president Ronald Reagan was not a fan. Less than five years after he took power, Bishop was executed in a coup. Days later, the U.S. invaded Grenada. In the chaos that followed, the bodies of Bishop and his supporters disappeared, never to be seen again. The Washington Post set out to solve the mystery. What happened to the bodies of Bishop and his supporters? Then Tim Hartford tells us how voice actors and sound design bring history to life on Cautionary Tales. He also shares a clip from an episode where a competition goes terribly awry. Finally, Ramtin Arablouei tells Leah about how Throughline has evolved over the years. From documentary style episodes about reality TV to an episode about music that was designed to fall asleep to. Throughline is just scratching the surface of what it aims to achieve. Featured podcasts: The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop, Cautionary Tales and Throughline.