CBC Podcasts has unveiled its spring/summer slate of original podcasts, headlined by new comedy podcast The Big Five, hosted by musician Donovan Woods and Tom Power of CBC’s Q.
Set to debut April 20, The Big Five features debates on the “Big 5” of any given category – “Not the best 5. Not the top 5. Not anyone’s favourite 5. But objectively, the Big 5.”
In each episode, Woods and Power – joined by a celebrity guest like singer/songwriter William Prince, director Jordan Canning, and CBC host Elamin Abdelmahmoud – debate topics like the Big 5 farm animals, types of hats, slang terms for “butt,” ways to cook a potato, or guys named Paul.
Also joining CBC Podcasts lineup is a new five-episode season of Personally: Discount Dave (and the Fix), launching June 9. Host Rebecca Auerbach recounts her 2005 run-in in Vancouver with rock icon David Lee Roth (at least, that’s who he said he was). A blend of memoir and autofiction, Discount Dave (and The Fix) is described as “the true-ish story of a fake rockstar, a real trial and what it means to stop running, face yourself and fight to heal.”
The latest instalment of Understood: Artificial Intimacy launches May 19, diving into what happens when a human becomes intimately enmeshed with a chatbot. Host Victoria Hetherington (author of The Friend Machine) explores the stories of those who have invited digital avatars into their hearts, minds, and even beds, looking at how chatbots have moved way beyond digital assistants into the most intimate parts of our lives.
Two new true crime series under the Uncover banner are additionally set to drop, starting with Uncover: The Expert Witness on May 11. Sam Mullins, host of the critically-acclaimed Sea of Lies, follows a defense attorney attempting to get to the bottom of how AI tool Cybercheck is increasingly being used to solve cold cases – a system so secretive its Canadian founder refuses to explain how the tech actually works. This season asks: what happens when AI enters the courtroom? And who’s accountable if AI gets it wrong?
Uncover: The Mile Zero Murders will premiere Aug. 10, investigating a pattern of disappearances and deaths in Dawson Creek, B.C. The podcast follows last year’s initial investigation by CBC’s The Fifth Estate and their episode “Dawson Creek: We Want Our Town Back.” In The Mile Zero Murders, host Timothy Sawa digs into more than a dozen missing and murder cases that have left the community searching for answers.
CBC’s entire podcast collection can be found on CBC Listen and everywhere podcasts are available. Select titles can also be streamed on YouTube.
