Thompson, a staff writer with the Atlantic, covers topics from the Musk-Twitter (non-)purchase/tete-a-tete to the future of media to thoughts on the social and political fabric of the US. With interesting guests across the political divide — and, thankfully, episodes of around 30-40 minutes — it’s always worth checking in on Plain English.

For the movie buff 

You Must Remember This 

Hosted by the brilliant Karina Longworth, YMRT recently wrapped a 12-episode series on ‘porno chic and the brief history of X ratings’, in a season titled Erotic 80s. There’s so much good Hollywood gossip and history to uncover in the YMRT archive though — the season on Charles Manson’s Hollywood is gripping, while Gossip Girls is a glorious behind-the-scenes look at celeb media.

For the football fans 

Set Piece Menu 

After more than 275 episodes, Rory Smith (who’ll be familiar to Examiner Sport readers), Steven Wyeth, Hugh Ferris, and Andy Hinchcliffe are calling full-time on their show which eschewed the traditional weekly discussion of what happened at the weekend for more in-depth talk about larger topics — which makes the show perfect for a dip into the archive. There’s talk about the evolution of the women’s game, the Super League, and whether you have to be a football fan to be a football player. There’s a live show coming tomorrow in London before the final whistle is blown.

For the culture vultures 

Still Processing 

New York Times critic Wesley Morris goes solo on the latest season of the cultural chat show Still Processing. With some of the best theme music around, he ponders topics like skipping intros on Netflix shows, the cult of Keanu Reeves, how songs can change their meanings for the listener over decades, and whether athletes can ever be movie stars. At times moving, at other times laugh-out-loud funny, Still Processing always makes you think.

For the travellers 

Not Lost

Journalist Brendan Francis Newnam, who hosted The Dinner Party Download podcast for a decade before it was canned, travels across North America with friends, from Montana to Las Vegas to Big Sur, talking to locals while in search of meaning and, well a dinner party invite. On the first episode he wanders Montreal and mulls over Leonard Cohen, offering up something deeper that becomes evident across the series. On creativity and art, and thinking of his old show ending, Newman philosophises: “There’s no magical properties to it… it’s more about doing the work and getting it into the world. It’s not like me living a certain way will make me Leonard Cohen.”