Monster: The Zodiac Killer
Could we really start 2019 without a true crime podcast? The creators of ‘Atlanta Monster’ are returning for a ‘season two’ of sorts to their harrowing true-crime podcast, this time revisiting perhaps the most infamous cold case of the last century and a pop culture obsession that’s sure to endure — The Zodiac Killer. In the late 1960s, a mysterious, faceless fugitive attacked and killed five people in San Francisco. As the murderer went about his gruesome work, he regularly mocked the police and the public by sending letters containing confusing cryptograms to the Bay Area newspapers. Throughout the exhaustive search, there were 2,500 Zodiac suspects, yet none strong enough to make an arrest and, 50 years later, the killer has never been identified. While it’s hard to imagine any sort of justice actually taking place, ‘Monster: The Zodiac Killer’ will see hosts Payne Lindsey (‘Up & Vanished’) and Matt Frederick (‘Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know’) as they dig into the real story behind the headlines and new clues that may offer insight into the identity of this nameless fugitive. The series, running for 15 episodes, drops on January 3.
Personal Best podcast — Season two
If there’s one podcast that brought us true joy in 2018, we’d have to pick ‘Personal Best’. Turning “tiny goals into giant adventure”, hosts Andrew Norton and Rob Norman offer a self-improvement show that’s nothing like any self-help show or book you’ve ever picked up. While you could be forgiven for thinking the show satirises the genre, ‘Personal Best’ actually goes one step ahead and elevates it, bringing earnestness and the genuine need to help people out, without taking itself too seriously. Whether it’s helping someone learn how to do a backflip like Jackie Chan, or teaching the art of flirtatious text messaging or the art of lying, Norton and Norman bring humour and all kinds of positive and uplifting vibes to this show that can best be described as pure magic. The makers recently announced that the show is coming back for a season two this new year, but while we wait don’t forget to go through all nine episodes of season one.
The Ron Burgundy Podcast
Six years after we last met Ron Burgundy, the blustering and clownish anchorman of the loony ‘Anchorman’ franchise, fans will be reunited with Will Ferrell’s infamous character, but this time in the podcast medium. “Listen, I don’t know what a podcast is, but I currently have a lot of time on my hands and a lot to talk about,” the character said in an “official” statement. “I am also broke. Therefore, I am very excited to do this podcast. It is literally saving my life.” iHeartRadio and Funny or Die, which are co-producing the project, greenlit the audio series for two seasons with 12 episodes each. While a release date is yet to be announced, the show is set to drop in “early 2019”.
Without Fail
Gimlet Media makes a return to do what it does best: talking about entrepreneurs. But in a marked difference from its debut 2014 show ‘Start Up’, this one’s an interview show where Gilmlt head honcho Alex Blumberg speaks to entrepreneurs, asking three important questions: What worked? What didn’t? And why?
Each week, Blumberg will interview a person who’s taken a big bet and won or lost. He’ll talk to people who’ve risked everything to try something no one’s ever done before, or to try something they never thought they’d achieve. While the show technically dropped in October 2018, new episodes are still released every week and what better way to go into the new year than listening to inspiring stories? Past interviewees include Groupon’s Andrew Mason, ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ producer Nina Jacobson, Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake, ‘This American Life’s’ Ira Glass and Apple Stores’ Ron Johnson.
