It's finally time to bid goodbye and good riddance to 2020, one of the worst years most of us have ever lived through. If you're feeling unmoored as the new year begins, or just burned out from the past year, these podcasts will keep you company and help you feel connected, even in isolation.
'This Is Love' -- After four years of telling engrossing, disturbing stories about the worst of humanity in the hypnotic true crime podcast "Criminal," Phoebe Judge and her colleagues in 2018 began applying the same rigor and nuance to telling stories about love. The offshoot podcast, aptly called "This Is Love," explores not just romance but subtler kinds of love -- the bond between a blind man and his guide dog; the extraordinary saga of two wolves at Yellowstone; the story of a dive team venturing inside an iceberg. A soothing and inspiring counterweight to doomscrolling. (Starter episode: "Roselle and Michael")
'Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People' -- The premise of Chris Gethard's innovative interview show is deceptively simple, rooted in the comedian's many years in talk radio. Each week, Gethard has a phone conversation with one anonymous caller, whom he'll speak to for an hour about any subject the person chooses. (Starter episode: "Love in the Time of Coronavirus")
'Griefcast' -- For anyone grappling with loss, "Griefcast" is a cathartic listen. The host, Cariad Lloyd, lost her father to pancreatic cancer at 15 and for many years was unable to express the effect it had on her. That experience inspired her to create a show that's all about speaking the unspeakable. Lloyd sits down with fellow comedians and performers to "talk, share, and laugh about the weirdness of grief and death." (Starter episode: "Aisling Bea")
'This American Life' -- This beloved titan of audio journalism celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020 and marked the occasion by rebroadcasting some of its most memorable episodes. The reruns were a reminder of just how timeless the show is, illuminating different nooks and crannies of the American experience and drawing unexpected lines between them. (Starter episode: "129 Cars")
-- Emma Dibdin
NYTimes News Service