Podcast roundup: From No Such Thing As A Fish to Footnoting History, our pick of the best this week

Podcasts have seen a rapid upsurge in popularity in recent years. From true crime to design, popular culture and modern relationships, fiction to in-depth reportage, podcasts have proliferated to the point where no matter how esoteric the subject, there’s bound to be a show that deals with it. Amid this cornucopia of audio delights, however, how do you pick the podcast that’s most worth your while? This is where our weekly curated playlist steps in; it’s a lowdown on the best episodes from a selection of podcasts that deserve a listen. Ready to tune in? *** —  No Such Thing As A Fish Episode 235: No Such Thing As Trousers For Spiders About the podcast: A podcast from the QI offices in which the writers of the BBC show discuss the best things they’ve found out this week. Hosted by Dan Schreiber with James Harkin, Andrew Hunter Murray, and Anna Ptaszynski, the show is as insightful as it is funny. About the episode: Dan, James, Anna and Alex discuss how to make spiders less scary, the oldest message in a bottle, and unusual features of the Mastermind chair. Runtime:  43 minutes Listen to the episode here.

—  Here’s The Thing with Alec Baldwin The Dual Life of SNL’s Steve Higgins About the podcast: Actor Alec Baldwin turns host as he interviews and explores the lives and works of artists, policy makers and performers. About the episode: Writer, producer, announcer, actor, and comedian Steve Higgins talks about his two jobs — announcing The Tonight Show and playing Jimmy Fallon’s straight man, and being in charge of the writers’ room at the Saturday Night Live. From being in a sketch comedy troupe with his brothers after high school to making the big calls about the shape of the show, the cast, and everything in between at SNL. Runtime: 42 minutes Listen to the episode here.

—  the memory palace Episode 132: Ida Lewis About the podcast: Created by Nate DiMeo, the dreamy podcast, one of the best-produced out there, brings short and surprising stories of the past — sometimes heartbreaking, at times hysterical, often a little bit of both. About the episode: This episode looks at the life of Ida Lewis, the American lighthouse keeper who became a national figure of courage and duty after rescuing people from the seas. Runtime: 15 minutes Listen to the episode here.

—  Footnoting History The Legend of Pope Joan About the podcast: From Neanderthals to Napoleon’s sister, a team of academics — dedicated to overlooked, popularly unknown, and exciting stories — share their favorites ones plucked from the footnotes of history. About the episode: One of the more famous stories about the medieval papacy, that supposedly sometime in the 9th or 11th century, there was a woman named Joan who disguised herself as a man and became Pope John. A story actually invented in the Middle Ages, and not a modern, anti-Catholic creation. In this episode, Nathan Melson dives into the realm of medieval conspiracy theories to talk about the medieval origins and development of the myth of Joan, as well as the social role of conspiracy theory. Runtime: 14 minutes Listen to the episode here.

— Dark Histories Russian Dolls: Anatoly Moskvin About the podcast: Hosted by Ben Cutmore, Dark Histories tells the stories of our darkest moments, deepest mysteries and strangest happenings. From large cultural events to smaller, localised legends, the podcast dabbles in true crime, touch on the paranormal and revel in the underbelly of the strange. About the episode: In 2011, Russia bore witness to a story involving a man named Anatoly Moskvin in what was to become one the most bizarre cases in the countries criminal history. His was a story of Black magic, the Occult and one man’s very unusual hobby. Warning: The episode contains themes and elements that might be unsuitable for younger and more sensitive listeners. Runtime: 53 minutes Listen to the episode here.

Other episodes of note this week: • BackStory — Close Encounters: UFOs in American History • Planet Money —  #865: Tweak This • The Last Podcast on the Left —  Episode 333: The Andreasson Affair • FRDH Podcast with Michael Goldfarb —  On Being Cut Off From History • Channel 33 —  Ethan Hawke Will ‘Blaze’ a Trail as a Director, Too