Self-described “accidental podcaster” Aaron Mahnke is leading the medium into what many argue is its natural evolution: television adaptations. It is not that unusual for radio shows to make the crossover from audio to visual platforms. Little Britain, The League of Gentlemen, The Mighty Boosh and Knowing Me, Knowing You all made their bow on BBC radio before leaping onto the picture box. If you go even further back in time and take a trip across the pond, you would also hear the likes of I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke and The Lone Ranger as shows to gather around the wireless for before they were on the idiot-box.
Comparisons between radio and podcast formats is a contentious issue for some creators – after all, you don’t need a pricey radio licence from Ofcom to broadcast your own podcast, arguably allowing for greater creative freedom (albeit with substantially less quality control) – but the progression to visual content would appear to be the way forward for many podcast producers. Video is indeed the future, so they say, with Facebook and YouTube vloggers increasing in popularity and cyber-dominance.
Nevertheless, Lore is a series of supernatural essays written and performed by Mahnke which regularly hits 5million downloads per month. Launched in 2015, the series is now less than a month away from its first TV episode courtesy of Amazon. But just like original radio programmes, the transition to TV is not the only measure of success for podcasts. Here is a mix of five current podcasts that Set The Tape recommends you try out for yourself.