Mr Walker's Top 5 in Podlandia 2022

Wise men and virgin mothers everywhere were talking this year about the miracle of audio. I myself, with some other beloved colleagues, got to birth Ear Candy Media, a podcast consultancy and creative development hub. Can’t wait to share the miraculous spoils of our collabs in 2023.

In the meantime, here’s what got me through a rather difficult year. Five of the best listens IMHO from 2022:

Mighty Boosh crossed with Hitchhikers Guide, sprinkled with existential rants, old-timey radio and southern preacher riffs. A polished indie (listener-supported) comedy sci-fi gem with a gaggle of misfits lost in space in a time-travelling diner. You will fall in love with this tasty monthly morsel and the catchphrase #WeOpenAtSix.

Dark sitcom about an older man down on his luck who fails at topping himself to find new meaning and connection via some kooky-ass adventures with a Nigerian scammer, Vegas thugs-turned-entrepreneur and a single mum living in a trailer. Closest Podlandia has come to a proper Ted Lasso contender. (And, yes smartypants, technically it was published in 2021.). May there be more.

Spooky riff on Hitchcock’s Rear Window where a woman with writer’s block working from home starts to overhear her neighbours private conversations via a glitch in the smartspeaker.Hollywood A-Lister Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, House of Cards) adds class as the secrets start spilling, putting her husband under suspicion and maybe her own life in danger. A proper thriller to the very end.

Madmen icon John Hamm stars in the dramatised true story of a regional radio talkback host who unwittingly encourages a real madman with abduction and terrorism on his mind.A pre-internet fable of the wrong kind of person becoming a celebrity thanks to a well-meaning reporter letting ambition get the better of him. The first breakout docudrama of Podlandia. And a reminder (if we needed any more) that the 70s in the US of A was hectic.

The level of eye-watering evil that happens out there, with impunity, on the high seas will leave you gasping and reaching for a Pims. Ep 1 unravels the mystery video of a gunfight and murder of the crew of an industrial fishing ship. Another uncovers medieval levels of slavery to boil your blood. A third tracks a slow motion chase involving activist vigilantes Sea Shepherd and the biggest illegal fishing vessel afloat, ending in a dramatic sinking.It’s the culmination of five years of reporting, most of it offshore, which should surely win Ian Urbina another Pulitzer. (He should also win an award for his smooth unscripted-sounding narration, a breath of fresh air. A must-listen for fans of high-class investigative doco.

For one-stop listening pleasure, here's a Spotify Playlist where you can sample all five of these tasty offerings. You're welcome.