Planet Recommends · Weekly
The Week in Audio
Six episodes worth clearing an evening for, chosen by the Planet desk.
By The Planet Desk · 10 Aug 2026
Every Monday we listen to far more than is reasonable and hand you the handful that stayed with us. No trending chart, no play counts — just the shows we found ourselves talking about at the kitchen table.
This week runs cold: two investigations that refuse a tidy ending, one comedy that turns unexpectedly serious around the twenty-minute mark, and a science episode that changed how we think about deep water.
01 · True Crime
Serial
The reporting still sets the standard. Start at the beginning, then argue with a friend about it.
Latest · The Last 12 Weeks - Ep. 5 · 39 min
02 · Culture
This American Life
The best-constructed hour in audio. Nobody hands off between acts this cleanly.
Latest · 443: Amusement Park · 1h 2m
03 · Science
Radiolab
Sound design as argument — the reason a generation went into audio in the first place.
Latest · Red Herring · 36 min
04 · Culture
The Daily
Twenty-five minutes, one story, no filler. The morning habit that actually sticks.
Latest · All the President’s Planes · 23 min
05 · Comedy
SmartLess
Three friends who forgot the microphones were on. The looseness is the craft.
Latest · "Robby Hoffman" · 54 min
06 · Culture
99% Invisible
Design stories that quietly rearrange how you walk through a city.
Latest · Bamboo Is Innocent · 32 min