{"id":821608,"date":"2026-11-02T10:04:10","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T10:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/821608\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T10:04:10","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T10:04:10","slug":"rob-delaney-and-bel-powley-star-in-a-knotty-rehab-drama-best-podcasts-of-the-week-television-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/821608\/","title":{"rendered":"Rob Delaney and Bel Powley star in a knotty rehab drama: best podcasts of the week | Television & radio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pick of the week
\n
Sober Companion<\/p>\n

\u201cI never thought I\u2019d be back here with the fluorescent lights and lukewarm coffee,\u201d says recovering addict Tim (Rob Delaney). \u201cBut then Lucy Green ruined my life.\u201d So begins this intriguing 10-part drama of bite-size episodes, executive produced by Sharon Horgan. It rewinds to Tim escorting millennial pop star Lucy (Bel Powley) to rehab in Arizona on an eventful road trip. Jameela Jamil and Greg James complete a cracking cast. Hollie Richardson
\n
BBC Sounds, all episodes out on Monday 2 November<\/p>\n

Metro With Sarah KoenigNative New Yorker \u2026 Sarah Koenig. Photograph: Sandy Honig<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like something is happening.\u201d The New York Times\u2019 Sarah Koenig is excited about her city. The Knicks have won the NBA and the city has elected a popular socialist mayor. This podcast hears her hitting the streets and bars to capture the city\u2019s current essence. She doesn\u2019t force hot-button issues so the conversations can spiral in unpredictable directions. Phil Harrison
\n
Widely available, episodes weekly<\/p>\n

Sold a Story<\/p>\n

After the first series of Emily Hanford\u2019s podcast, revealing why so many US schools were struggling to teach kids to read, teachers told her: \u201cIt\u2019s not just reading.\u201d She now delves wider and deeper and looks at teaching itself \u2013 how it has changed and, ultimately, what works best. HR
\n
Widely available, episodes weekly<\/p>\n

Tell Me Why<\/p>\n

Prospect Magazine\u2019s new series is hosted by staffers Alona Ferber and Imaan Irfan, and takes an intelligent approach to the news without laying its intellect on trowel-thick. Episodes cover Silicon Valley-fuelled tech authoritarianism (with insights from Astra Taylor and Naomi Klein), and AI\u2019s relationship to authorship. Hannah J Davies
\n
Widely available, episodes weekly<\/p>\n

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Severed Minds<\/p>\n

This investigative series tells the story of a deeply unsettling chapter in mental health history, and the lobotomies that Walter Freeman performed in the US between the 1930s and 60s. It\u2019s a difficult listen but one that is meticulously researched, exploring the lives of Gretchen Reb and others who were altered for ever by these brutal, experimental procedures. HJD
\n
Audible, all episodes out now<\/p>\n

What are you listening to this week? Share your top tips below<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pick of the week Sober Companion \u201cI never thought I\u2019d be back here with the fluorescent lights and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":821609,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[6491,96,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-821608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/821608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=821608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/821608\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/821609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=821608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=821608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=821608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}