5 podcasts you may have missed this winter
This winter provided plentiful podcast content, with several standout programs worth revisiting or binge-listening to. Spotify has shifted away from exclusivity, giving potential new fans a shot at one of the platform's top performers. There's also a behind-the-scenes look at a beloved sitcom entering its final season, a reality TV deep dive and a chronicle of overlooked moments in Black history. Here are five worthwhile winter podcasts to check out before the spring.
White Devil (Campside Media)
This true crime gem has all the hallmarks of an intriguing mystery. In the audio docuseries, host Josh Dean ("The Clearing," "Hooked") dove into the murder of a veteran police superintendent in Belize. He was found shot with a bullet from his gun, and the only person around was a Canadian socialite, Jasmine Hartin. Dean's investigation is a "twisty, headscratching journey into a baffling case," The Guardian said.
Camphouse Media has a portfolio of podcasts that "draws heavily from the spirit of classic magazine crime features," Vulture said. Their latest is "shaping up to be yet another globe-trotting entry into the genre." Listen on Apple Music or Spotify.
Call Her Daddy (Spotify)
This comedy podcast is not exactly new to the scene, having garnered a loyal fanbase known as the Daddy Gang after debuting in 2018 under Barstool Sports. Host Alex Cooper scored an industry-shaking $60 million three-year deal with Spotify back in 2021, giving the platform exclusive rights. That contract ended in January, and now the show is widely available wherever podcasts are found. In a statement, Cooper said she was "excited to share the news" that her show would be widely distributed for "even more fans to enjoy." Fans can still find the video version of the podcast exclusively on Spotify, but the audio episodes can be accessed across multiple audio platforms.
What started as "comedic commentary on the current state of the sexual marketplace for young women" has evolved into "one of the internet's leading interview shows" featuring "newsworthy conversations" with celebrities, Cosmopolitan said. Cooper's cultural influence earned her the title of "Gen-Z's Barbara Walters," said Rolling Stone. Some of her past interviewees include Jane Fonda, Post Malone, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hailey Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and Anna Delvey, whom she interviewed from jail. Listen on Apple Music or Spotify.
An American Scandoval (The Ringer)
Tom Sandoval of "Vanderpump Rules" cheating on Ariana Madix with Rachel Leviss was a reality TV scandal that seemed to be everywhere last year. Host Jodi Walker "basks in all the brazen details" of the scandal in The Ringer's "An American Scandoval," a three-part narrative series "ripe for bingeing, even if you have no idea who the main characters are," Hannah Verdier said in The Guardian.
American Scandoval "has the receipts" and has done the "obsessive research" and "crowd-sourcing from the zillions of Bravo citizen detectives who caught Tom Sandoval red-handed," Lauren Passell said on the Podcast The Newsletter substack. If you are looking for a complete breakdown of the "batshit insanity" that is "one of the most explosive moments in reality TV," then "you'll get it" here, Passell said. Listen on Apple Music or Spotify.
The History of Curb Your Enthusiasm (iHeartMedia)
Leading up to the 12th and final season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," two of its stars, Susie Essman and Jeff Garlin, kicked off a recap podcast intending to break down every episode of the show. It's a long binge, with 122 episodes featuring guests from the cast and crew, including Larry David, Cheryl Hines and the late Richard Lewis, discussing the show's history in detail. Hollie Richardson said it was a "must listen for diehard fans" in a review for The Guardian. The podcast is also perfect for "anyone who wants to understand how American TV comedy is developed and made," critic Clair Woodward said in The Times. Listen on Apple Music or Spotify.
Black History For Real (Wondery)
Wondery launched this weekly series in honor of Black History Month, hosted by TV writer, producer and actress Franchesca Ramsey and educator and digital storyteller Conscious Lee. The series highlights lesser-known events and people that have shaped Black culture throughout history, starting with Assata Shakur, a Black Panther who became the first woman on the FBI's most wanted list. The pair go beyond stories most people know to "drop you right in the mix, chronicling Black trials and triumphs you've never heard about," said BlkPodNews. The series is a "no-nonsense, unwhitewashed" account of overlooked historical moments, with a "mix of narrative storytelling and candid conversation." Woodward said it was a "lively and refreshing look at Black history" in The Times. Listen on Apple Music or Spotify.
