RDust off your cream polo shirts and put away those Bruce Springsteen football chants whose lyrics have absolutely no relation to reality. Euro 2024 is over. Apart from the actual football (which is probably the best), this is a total first for the tournament. The level of interest in what actually happened on the pitch was easily rivalled by the debate over the pundit podcast commentary.
Well, maybe “expert commentary” isn’t the exact word to use, considering Gary Lineker made a lot of headlines when he said England’s match against Denmark was “terrible”. The rest is soccerBut it was worth noting that the podcast caused a furor (albeit one that relied on out-of-context quotes) culminating in the England captain being cornered at a press conference. There were articles trying to create a “Battle of the Garrys” pitting Lineker’s podcast against Gary Neville’s. There were also articles analysing how much money was being made from making nasty comments about England into people’s earpieces (imagine that! Being paid to be an honest pundit about bad football!).
This time, what was happening on the Euro 2024 podcast was more interesting than what was happening at Euro 2024. And as podcasts grow, the importance of shows about soccer tournaments will become more prominent. Maybe the next England manager’s goal is to build a team that’s more entertaining than what you can listen to on Spotify. It might be harder than they think…
In other podcast news, this week we have some truly outlandish stories, including members of ZZ Top impersonating another band for money and an extortion plot involving Charlie Sheen’s former bodyguard. We also have the second season of a fantastic show introducing us to a London life coach who convinced a number of women to betray their families, and inspiring people who tried to make a difference in the early days of the AIDS epidemic.
Alexi Duggins
Deputy TV Editor
This week’s picks
(Real) zombies. Photo: Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy
The truth about fake zombies
Widely available, with weekly episodes
In 1969, St. Albans-based band The Zombies had a hit single in the US and began playing gigs around the country. But they’d split up years earlier, never known success, and never really toured. This show is both a fanboy homage and a deep dive into how two separate groups (including two members of ZZ Top) ruthlessly pretended to be The Zombies for money. It’s a vibrant slice of pop history set against the backdrop of a wild story. Alexi Duggins
Eric’s Problem
Widely available, with weekly episodes
The lawyer who defended Matthew McConaughey after he was caught playing the bongos naked at 2 a.m. An FBI informant. Charlie Sheen’s former bodyguard. There’s a wealthy Texan who was the target of blackmail for having an affair with an escort, and who ended up spiraling out of control and leaving two people dead. advertisement
Dangerous memories
Tortoise, weekly episodes
Welcome to the dark side of healing. This podcast delves into the world of upper-class young women in London who all turn to the same “self-help coach.” But as Grace Hughes-Hallett discovers, a pattern soon emerged in which these women were turning their backs on their families. Holly Richardson
Resurrection: Early Heroes
Widely available, with weekly episodes
The second season of Dane Stewart’s podcast focuses on pioneers who tried to make a difference in the early days of the AIDS epidemic but were thwarted by prejudice. It’s fascinating to hear the story of Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, who cured the mysterious disease that was affecting gay men in New York at the time. Hannah Verdier
Esther Perel:
Arc of Love
Widely available, with weekly episodes
Super psychotherapist Esther Perel has compiled some of her best observations about love with beach listening in mind. She sits down with couples in therapy as they air their feelings about big questions about love, including dilemmas around polyamory, reproduction, and divorce. Perel’s thought-provoking questions will get you into the therapy room, and her wise asides will take you out of it. HV
There is a podcast
Kathy Burke, host of “Where There’s a Will, There’s a Wake.” Photo: Linda Nylind/The Guardian
Source: www.theguardian.com
