Dolly Parton Photo: AFP / FILE
Stuff podcast critic Katy Aktin looks back at the best podcasts of 2019. Her top picks are worth having a listen to for the upcoming holidays.
Best return - Where Should We Begin
Relationship specialist, counsellor and author Esther Perel returns with her third season of 'Where Should We Begin', taking you inside the antechamber of intimate moments. Her new podcast 'How's Work?' brings new perspective to the invisible forces that shape workplace connections.
Best Podcast Hit Maker - Wondery
This award goes to a podcast production house rather than an episode - podcast producer Wondery (based in California) produce hit after hit after hit! This year's hits include Over My Dead Body, The Shrink Next Door, The Sneak, Detective Trapp, The Moment, Man in the Window - and their original series are Dr Death and Dirty John. Wondery has reached 1 billion downloads in nearly four years.
Best Episode - The Dollop - Ronald Reagan Eps 1 and 2
Comedian Dave Anthony reads an unknown story from American history to comedian Gareth Reynolds each week. Having not heard of the story before, Gareth's reaction are hilarious. Payton Oswald stars in these feature episodes on Reagan - they are laugh out loud!
Best for Kids - David Walliams' Marvelous Musical Podcast
A 10-part series that introduces children to composers like Mozart, Ethel Smyth, Liszt and Clara Schumann but also covers topics including Ballet, the history of the piano and some of the world's strangest instruments.
Best Pop Culture - Dolly Parton's America
Podcast guru Jad Abumrad follows Dolly Parton from the Smoky mountains of Tennessee to global fame and icon. The podcast is brilliantly produced, full of her music and interviews with experts.
