FT SeriesPodcast of the weekFrom Ronan Farrow to Dolly Parton, Fiona Sturges selects the best audio content from around the worldHow are podcasts tackling #MeToo?New six-part fictional drama ‘Blood Ties’ starring Gillian Jacobs looks at the ripple effect of abuseThe wellness industry is in the spotlight in a new podcast seriesThe Dream examines not just the products but also our own attitudes towards themMaking Beyoncé is an illuminating and alarming podcast about how a star is bornThe series reveals the hard graft and sacrifices of the singer’s early yearsA new podcast series goes behind the scenes in The CrownActors and writers talk about their roles in the Netflix seriesPodcasts reveal snapshots of a planet in crisisNew environmentally themed series hear from farmers, campaigners and broadcasters such as David AttenboroughRonan Farrow reveals how he built the case against Harvey Weinstein in new podcastThe Catch and Kill Podcast is a fascinating portrait of the power wielded by the film mogulMore from this SeriesBonnie Greer seeks to diversify history in a new podcastThe writer explores how black stories have been marginalised or erased through time in an Audible seriesHunting Warhead — a new podcast series that shines a light on the ‘dark web’The series follows the painstaking work of a journalist and a computer hacker in their pursuit of a child pornography networkWhy do we seek out scary experiences? Short Wave is a podcast that gives us answers to such questionsBrevity is one of selling points of this new daily ‘explainer’ seriesMyths surrounding addiction debunked in the podcast HookedThe winners of a BBC competition have created a frank and funny series about unexpected addictsPodcast — Dolly Parton’s America digs deep into the singer’s lifeThis new series from Jad Abumrad is notable for placing Parton and her music in a wider contextFred and Rose West podcast paints a vivid picture of killers in audioIn Unheard a reporter who broke the story in 1994 delves into his long-forgotten archiveJoan and Jericha: the Derek and Clive of agony auntsJulia Davis and Vicki Pepperdine’s podcast skewers the world of relationship expertsThe podcast that shows us how to be happyThe Happiness Lab uses evidence rather than platitudes to tackle this elusive topicPodcasts that celebrate the healing power of natureTwo new series explore the effects of the natural world on our minds and brainsBacklisted is a literary podcast with a differenceThe series, which has reached its 100th episode, takes a novel approach to its subject matterJeffrey Epstein case probed in new podcast BrokenA series with contributions from an investigative reporter who has worked on the story for yearsA new podcast documents twenty years of Putin’s forceful presidencyIn ‘Putin: Prisoner of Power’, Misha Glenny recounts how a middle-aged civil servant became a feared autocratPodcast — Room 20 unearths the story of an unnamed accident victimThis new series from LA Times Studios sets the mystery in the context of migration into the USBellingcat podcast digs through the debris of a tragedyFive years in the making, the series investigates the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 crashPodcast — Alice Lowe on the gendered history of hysteriaA new Audible series explores the phenomenon, from the Salem witch trials to the internet eraA new podcast series tells the stories of capitalist calamitiesIn Spectacular Failures, presenter Lauren Ober shows how tales of disaster can be a great successA new podcast about surviving sexual assault is serious but far from solemnThe series’ host, Catriona Morton, asks difficult questions in a straightforward mannerFeist is the latest pop star to break into podcastingThe Canadian singer’s new series examines the events that shape and change usDeadliest Day is a remarkable new podcast about battle and its aftermathThe BBC series investigates an attack on a British army unit in Afghanistan, and its repercussionsThe Hunt for the Brink’s-Mat Gold is a compelling podcast about Britain’s biggest ever armed robberyPresented by Martin Brunt, the series tells the story of a crime that captured the imagination of the nationPodcasts — Confronting: OJ Simpson is a new take on a familiar storyThis series humanises those involved in the case and explores what it is to be in the eye of the stormWhy Am I Telling You This? and A Podcast Of One’s Own — two series from ex-world leadersBill and Chelsea Clinton plug into the ‘interconnected world’ while Julia Gillard focuses on gender equalityPodcast — Gangster Capitalism is an electrifying real-life thrillerThe series unpicks the multimillion-dollar US college admissions scandalThe Shrink Next Door isn’t your average true crime podcastThe series investigates how a prominent New York psychiatrist allegedly took control of a patient’s Hamptons home and businessWhy George the Poet swept the board at the British Podcast AwardsHave You Heard George’s Podcast? is compassionate, charismatic, inventive — and makes you see the world with fresh eyesTruth Be Told is an advice podcast that avoids the earnest trapThis new series aimed at a BAME audience takes a glass-half-full view of the worldPodcast — 13 Minutes to the Moon is a fascinating account of a historic missionThough creaky at times, the BBC series features atmospheric audio, and music from Hans ZimmerPodcasts — Man Up is a new series that digs deep into modern masculinityThemes tackled include violence, sex and fatherhoodThe Stakes — a new podcast that looks at corporate malfeasance and social responsibilityThe first episode in the series is a shocking story of lead poisoningThe Beautiful Brain — a powerful podcast that investigates the devastating effects of a degenerative conditionThis hard-hitting series features testimony from families, academics and patientsMinor Adventures with Topher Grace — variations on the celebrity podcastThis new series injects a tired format with a refreshing dose of sillinessAgainst the Rules is a new podcast that asks: how fair is the world?Moneyball author Michael Lewis presents a series in which politics, ethics and human stories collideBlackout is a podcast series that brings high production values to radio dramaRami Malek stars in this tense dystopian dramaThe Dropout brilliantly documents Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes’s fall from graceThis six-part podcast series about the woman heralded as ‘the next Steve Jobs’ is an addictive narrative of greed, ambition and duplicityThe Parenting Spectrum is an enlightening podcast about autismThe series is one of two new podcasts that bring fresh insights to parentingThe Last Bohemians — a new podcast featuring intimate portraits of female livesThis atmospheric series of interviews is released to coincide with International Women’s DayPodcasts — in NB, two non-binary hosts go on a journey of gender and self-discoveryA new podcast from the BBC takes an informative, heartfelt approach to understanding identityPodcasts — Oh My Dog is a delightful new series about dogs and their humansThese stories of love, sadness and trauma have universal appealPodcasts — Conviction’s portrait of the US justice system breathes new life into true crimeThe new series from Gimlet Media, the network newly acquired by Spotify, follows a private investigator’s quest to exonerate a young man from the BronxPodcasts and sex are an ideal matchNew shows artfully explore what we get up to in bedPodcasts — David Tennant, Olivia Colman and the perils of the chummy celebrity interviewDavid Tennant Does a Podcast With . . . boasts a glittering line-up of guests, but its first episode backs away from difficult themesPodcasts — Tender tells the story of a woman’s flight from an abusive relationshipMadison Griffiths’ series is the latest in a string of podcasts that have explored female experience at its most rawTrue crime podcasts — The Hurricane Tapes delves into the case of Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter, with startling new testimonyDenzel Washington played him in The Hurricane, and Bob Dylan immortalised his plight in song — but did he do it?Podcast — Jon Ronson has created a compelling new seriesThe writer and presenter returns to the Californian porn industry in The Last Days of AugustSeduction by Karina Longworth — Howard Hughes and Hollywood’s dark undertowThe gloss comes off the golden years in a disturbing examination of male domination in the film industryThe year in podcasts — never have our ears been so spoilt for choiceThe format is in rude health with series such as Last Seen and Personal Best
