Here’s our February 2025 Podcast Roundup – our favourites from the worlds of CultBox.
In no particular order, this month’s picks are…
David Tennant Does a Podcast with… Ben Schwartz
Back after a four-year long gap, David Tennant’s podcast feed came back to life at the end of January with a teasing “Is this thing still on?” Yes, the reclusive actor has returned to his hosting duties, chatting to fellow creatives with his naturally disarming style.
The first episode features Ben Schwartz, best known for his scene-stealing role as the anarchic Jean-Ralphio on Parks and Recreation. Or perhaps as the voice (and motion capture performer) of Sonic the Hedgehog in three big screen outings.
The pair are friends in real life and, we discover, bonded on a press tour for Duck Tales, the animated series for which they both voice characters. Schwarz also later guested on Tennant’s lockdown comedy Staged.
It’s a great chat, full of titbits such as the fact that Schwartz helped create the ‘voice’ of the Star Wars droid BB8, and that he was once mistaken for an office worker by Steven Spielberg. However, it’s Schwarz who elicits the most surprising revelation of all: despite his tenure as the Time Lord, David Tennant has never seen Back to the Future. Great Scott!
I’ll Explain Later
The terrific I’ll Explain Later continues to chomp through Doctor Who one story at a time, with hosts John West and Matt Nida delivering thoughtful analysis and occasional snark.
This month, they pair have ‘The Fires of Pompeii’, ‘The Hand of Fear’, ‘Nicola Tesla’s Night of Terror’ and ‘The Armageddon Factor’ and it continues to be one of our favourite “serious” Doctor Who podcasts.
Brydon & Dave Gorman
Timed to coincide with the return of Dave Gorman’s Modern Life is Goodish series, the undisputed king of the comedy PowerPoint presentation chats to Rob Brydon.
The conversation takes us back to Gorman’s start in comedy, when he should have been studying a maths degree in Manchester. It’s a great tale, with famous names and particularly fond remembrances of the late Caroline Aherne – Gorman was part of the writing team for The Mrs Merton Show.
Doctor Who: Too Hot for TV! S5 E17 – Recalling ‘Recall UNIT: The Great T-Bag Mystery’
The entertaining and irreverent podcast devoted to exploring the worlds of off-screen Doctor Who is five years old. To celebrate, it presents a dramatic reading of a rare gem from the Edinburgh Fringe in 1984: Recall UNIT: The Great Tea-Bag Mystery. The play was written by Captain Mike Yates himself, the late Richard Franklin, and also starred John Levene aka Sgt. Benton.
Host Dylan Rees assembles a gaggle of podcasters who struggle incredulously through a dramatic reading of the stage play. It’s presented in all its dubious glory – confused characters, extensive stage directions, Margaret Thatcher adoration and more! (For more information, there’s a great piece on the show from Liam Rudden, who one of the performers, here).
Also this month, Doctor Who: Too Hot for TV! looked at ‘The Genesis of the Daleks’ LP, Denys Fisher dolls and Tom Baker’s autobiography.
Film Stories
This month Simon Brew tackled Zodiac, September 5, A Knights Tale, King Arthur, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Waiting For Guffman and Long Shot. He’s also spoken to directors Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) and Tim Fehlbaum (September 5).
Additionally, he digs into the lengthy James Bond movie hiatus, responding to the recent media coverage and the revelation that Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson of Eon Productions have ceded creative control of Bond to Amazon MGM Studios. That’s something that was also covered in some (slightly more gossipy) detail in editions of The Rest is Entertainment this month too.
So, happy listening… and do let us know if you have any recommendations.