Standard Issue Podcast

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Rated or Dated: This Is England (2006) Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

Brace yourself for a tension bellyache as Shane Meadows’ violence-smeared, working-class coming-of-age drama gets Rated or Dated. This Is England firmly marked out Meadows as the voice of working-class realism and introduced a host of brilliant British character actors to the screen. But 20 years on from its release, and more than 40 years on from its 1983 setting, is it still horribly, terrifyingly relevant? Mick, Jen and Hannah discuss.

And here’s the gig we did back in 2018 with Vicky McClure.

On Apple.

On Spotify.

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Anything to add, Penelope? Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

Amelia Bullmore is about to star in Margaret Atwood's stage adaptation of her book The Penelopiad. So Hannah grabbed the chance to chat to the actress about The Odyssey and the price its women pay, as well as learning the guitar for Riot Women and, if you're a Standard Issue supporter, an early misunderstanding about the makeup bus.

* Tickets for The Penelopiad are here: https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/the-penelopiad/

* Find out the benefits of Standard Issue memberships here: Standard Issue Podcast | creating a magazine for ears, by women for women | Patreon

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Tully Kearney and Melanie Woods are variously excellent Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

Paralympic athletes Tully Kearney and Melanie Woods are used to be recognised for their performance in the pool and on the track. And now they’re being recognised for their overall contributions to sport, with nominations in children’s charity Variety’s biannual Disability Sports Awards. Jen caught up with them to find out more about their careers, having mental fortitude, helping others get into sport, and what it’s like to be an “inspiration”.

Photo credit: Paralympics GB.

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Standard Issue Birthday Podcast (PREVIEW) Oct 02, 2026

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It's 12 years since Standard Issue was founded by the boss, Sarah Millican. To celebrate, and just for the ears of our Patreon supporters, we got together to get the party started with a shuffle through our Spotify playlists.

This is a preview. To hear the whole podcast and enjoy the other many benefits of membership, click here: Standard Issue Podcast | creating a magazine for ears, by women for women | Patreon

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The Bush Telegraph: She said, they said Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

This week Mickey takes a look at the case of the Cornell Seven, as well as what this year's PM, Andy Burnham, has planned for a better Britain. Which may happen. At some point. Meanwhile, Hannah's venturing back into the world of sport, and there's some dispute over which is the cutest of the world's most newly discovered species.

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Rated or Dated: Sid and Nancy (1986) Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

Alex Cox’s biopic of punk-rock’s "ill-fated lovers" Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen, starring Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb, was met with critical acclaim upon release and in the years that followed. But has it romanticised a relationship in which a woman wound up dead? Does it glamorise heroin? And in what other ways has it done poor Nancy dirty?

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Laleh Khadivi explores Female Life on Planet Earth Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Iranian-American author Laleh Khadivi’s latest novel, Female Life on Planet Earth, centres on a mid-life woman, Heti, who comes up against some new information about her recently dead mum that questions everything she thought she knew about her. Or does it? From there, Laleh explores how an individual woman can be a multitude of women, and the distinctively female ability to regenerate.

She chats to Mick about motherhood, daughterhood, legacy, heritage, female voices, and how well we ever really know a person.

Female Life on Planet Earth is published by Oneworld and out now.

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Grace Harper Brighouse on Dependence Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

In 2013 director Grace Harper Brighouse began work on a film about her dad Richard’s dying dog, in a bid to heal their fractured relationship. Over the course of filming, tragic events unfolded within the family, changing the nature of the film and the discussion about Richard’s long-standing drug addiction. More than a decade later, the finished film became her debut feature documentary Dependence, which is set to make its international premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, as part of the Grierson Award documentary competition.

Jen chats to Grace about the film, representations of addiction, grief, love, and finding the funny.

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Outside The Box September 2026 Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

In this month's Outside The Box, Jen and Hannah have been busying themselves watching Slow Horses, Youth, The Blame and Vigil, plus they look forward to the annual Autumn Drama Drop.

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Rated or Dated: The Fisher King (1991) Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

A romance/fantasy/drama/comedy, there's a lot going on in Terry Gilliam's New York-set classic. But does the story of grief, guilt and forgiveness still have something to say today? Hannah and Jen tuck in.

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