Top Documentary Podcasts

Marsha P. Johnson is THE icon of the LGBTQ+ movement and one of the mothers of the fight for trans rights. Today, you can buy T-shirts emblazoned with her face or walk through a park named in her honor. This season on Afterlives, we hear from Marsha in her own words.

Afterlives is a documentary podcast series about trans lives we’ve lost and the ways their stories have reshaped our world. Host Raquel Willis brings Marsha’s story to life through rare archival interviews and intimate conversations with queer elders, friends, and historians.  Legend says she threw the first brick at the Stonewall riots, setting off the modern movement for queer rights. Immortalized by Warhol and known as “The Saint of Christopher Street,” Marsha was also unhoused, surviving through sex work, navigating violence, and resisting with joy.

More than 30 years after her still-unsolved death in the Hudson River, Marsha’s voice resounds louder than ever. As trans rights face renewed threats, Afterlives celebrates Marsha’s story and reflects on her enduring power as a trans ancestor.

On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie.” Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Join host Heather Freeman as she explores the secrets of America's rich magical tapestry. Each episode uncovers the fascinating magical practices, beliefs, and personal stories of America’s diverse cultural communities, both past and present. Discover the hidden realms of the United States, from religious remixing to enchanted beliefs and sorcerous workings. Part veiled histories and part spiritual awakening, Magic in the United States will captivate listeners every Tuesday starting October 24th. https://www.magicintheunitedstates.com/ 

An in depth tutorial and discussion around the assassination of John F. Kennedy, (JFK) the country's 35th president who was brutally murdered in Dallas Texas on November 22, 1963. The series comprehensively explores the major facts, themes, and events leading up to the assassination in Dealey Plaza and the equally gripping stories surrounding the subsequent investigation. We review key elements of the Warren Commission Report , and the role of the CIA and FBI. We explore the possible involvement of the Mafia in the murder and the review of that topic by the government's House Select Committee on Assassinations in the 1970's. We explore the Jim Garrison investigation and the work of other key figures such as Mark Lane and others. Learn more about Lee Harvey Oswald the suspected killer and Jack Ruby the distraught Dallas night club owner with underworld ties and the man that killed Oswald as a national TV audience was watching. Stay with us as we take you through the facts and theories in bite sized discussions that are designed to educate, and inform as well as entertain the audience. This real life story is more fascinating than fiction. No matter whether you are a serious researcher or a casual student, you will enjoy the fact filled narrative and story as we relive one of the most shocking moments in American History. An event that changed the nation and change the world forever.

This is the story of Old Dirty Bastard, aka Ason Unique, the magnetic secret weapon of the WuTang Clan and hip hop hall of famer. Photographer Khalik Allah takes us on a journey into ODB’s world, exploring the beliefs, background and experiences that shaped his unforgettable music. ODB was a radical, who lived a life of unlikely highs and heart wrenching lows. We go in search of this deeper, more complicated side to a man the mainstream media presented as a joke. ODB was known as a larger than life and comic rapper. Ol’ Dirty’s life was so much more. He spoke truth to power and paid a cost.

ODB: A Son Unique is produced by Novel and Talkhouse for USG Audio

For more from Novel visit novel.audio

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Global investigations from the BBC. Gripping stories from around the world – delve into a World of Secrets.

Latest season:

Catching My Teacher. They were taught to obey. But they learnt to resist. When students from a network of boarding schools in Indonesia hear about a dark secret at the heart of a national institution, they set out to find the truth — not knowing what it will cost them. This is a story about friendship, love and who you can trust.

Also, previously on World of Secrets:

Searching for Soldier Dad. DNA detectives track down the British soldiers who fathered children in Kenya then disappeared.

Al Fayed Predator at Harrods. Women accuse Mohamed Al Fayed of rape.

And The Abercrombie Guys. Investigating sexual exploitation claims against the former CEO of fashion giant Abercrombie & Fitch.

Did one man’s friendship with a dolphin go way – way – too far? It’s 1987 and the British seaside town of Amble has seen much better days. So when a wild bottlenose dolphin nicknamed Freddie appears in the harbour, it feels like a miracle. Everyone wants to swim with him. But Freddie chooses one person above all others: Alan Cooper, a dedicated animal rights activist committed to freeing captive dolphins. Then Alan’s friendship with Freddie is turned against him and a devastating accusation spirals out of control.

Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Hooked on Freddie ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

Kirat and Bobby have an unusual relationship. The circumstances of their individual lives mean it’s difficult for them to meet face to face but, despite everything, they end up falling in love.

Their romance might play out online but in many ways it’s a traditional love story. Until Kirat discovers the disturbing truth. 

Sweet Bobby is the #1 chart-topping, award-winning series about a sophisticated ten year scam that almost destroyed one woman’s life, and the investigation into the catfisher behind it all.

If you want to listen to more thought-provoking investigations, head to Tortoise Investigates - the home of all our investigative podcasts.

To find out more about The Observer:

• Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free episodes.
• Head to our website observer.co.uk 
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