Best Reality TV podcast from the people who make it Podcasts (2025)

1
Hallelujah! The transformative power of Black gospel music 54:34

16h ago54:34

54:34

Darren Hamilton grew up singing spirituals every Sunday in church. When he began university, he was shocked to find that there were no Black music courses and Black music professors. Now at the University of Toronto, Hamilton teaches Gospel Choir, U of T's first credit course in Black gospel music. Music students of all backgrounds and ages come to…

1
Why we can’t live without the universal feeling of disgust 54:34

1d ago54:34

54:34

Disgust — an emotion that makes us human. It can keep us safe from drinking milk that's gone off, thanks to the revolting smell. And as Charles Darwin suggests, disgust serves as part of our core evolutionary function. But it also has a dark side. Disgust has been co-opted by culture, to religious and political divides. Scholars say we need to reck…

1
The philosophy behind why humans are so self-conscious 54:33

3d ago54:33

54:33

For centuries, Western philosophers have contemplated the question: “Who am I?” To get to the answer, 19th-century German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel suggests, start by replacing the “I” with “we.” His philosophy looks at why we should care what others think of us because people’s perspectives play a huge part in how we see ourselves …

1
How the fear of fire is taking control of us 54:08

4d ago54:08

54:08

Humans used fire as a tool. Now we fear its destruction. But we're responsible for changing the climate, argues John Vailliant, "in a way that favours fire way more than it favours us." The Vancouver author unpacks how fire made humans who we are — and how humans are changing fire in his award-winning book, Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast.*This…

1
The unforgivable crime of being queer in Africa 54:34

5d ago54:34

54:34

Homosexuality is a crime in more than half of African countries — a crime punishable by prison sentences. Or in some cases: death. New laws in some states make it illegal for anyone to even advocate for LGBTQ rights. These laws bring up questions of foreign influence, neo-colonialism, and the role the international community could and should play i…

1
LeBron James: King of the court 48:18

6d ago48:18

48:18

LeBron James was selling out basketball arenas while still in high school. At just 18, he said he was offered a $10 million cheque from Reebok - on the spot - if he agreed not to meet any other brands. It was a life-changing sum for a teenager living with his mum in the projects. But LeBron turned it down. He was willing to hedge his bets. He’s won…

1
Bringing child sex abusers out of the shadows 54:38

8d ago54:38

54:38

No one likes talking about child sex abuse. But prevention experts say we need to bring pedophilia out of the shadows if we ever want to end abuse. They insist, it is not inevitable. CBC producer John Chipman explores an innovative new program in Kitchener, Ontario, that has sex offenders and abuse survivors working together to prevent future harm …

1
Why our long term relationship with the U.S. is done 54:38

9d ago54:38

54:38

America is just not that into you anymore, says historian Marci Shore. It's not us — it's them. The Yale professor blames the U.S. for the failed relationship and warns the world that her own country can no longer be counted on to defend democracy, not even within its own borders. Shore has been studying the history of totalitarianism for nearly 30…

1
Where did modern news culture come from? Think Shakespeare 54:38

10d ago54:38

54:38

It might seem like the vast, turbulent ocean of information we call news has always existed, but that's not the case. Theatrical plays in Elizabethan England set the stage for our modern news culture, argues Stephen Wittek in his post-doctoral work. He says the cross-pollination between theatre and news developed the norms for our contemporary publ…

1
Champions of cormorants argue the water bird is unfairly vilified 54:38

11d ago54:38

54:38

It's not them, it's you. That's what fans of the cormorant argue, pointing out how people see the gangly aquatic bird all wrong. This common bird has gained a bad reputation by irritating communities with its large colonies, extreme fishing habits and tree-killing excrement. But defenders suggest maybe it's humans and their cultural assumptions tha…

1
Why music — even sad music — is 'inherently joyful' 54:38

12d ago54:38

54:38

Music is joy declares Daniel Chua. The renowned musicologist says music and joy have an ancient correlation, from Confucius to Saint Augustine and Beethoven to The Blues. Of course there is sad music, but Chua says, it's tragic because of joy. Chua delivered the 2025 Wiegand Lecture called Music, Joy and the Good Life.…

1
Masayoshi Son: High-tech gambler 44:47

13d ago44:47

44:47

Investor Masayoshi Son became notorious for making huge bets on technology companies. He once lost 96% of his fortune, but he’s still a billionaire thanks to successes like Yahoo! and Alibaba. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng tell the tale of the billionaire who founded the conglomerate SoftBank and was once, very briefly, …

1
The three ingredients in an autocrat's recipe for power 54:34

15d ago54:34

54:34

There are three components that could end constitutional democracy as we know it, says scholar Peter L. Biro — fear and its weaponization, habituation which involves the consequence of not noticing, and the 'stupidification' of our minds and of our discourse. He argues that we, as law-abiding average citizens, have the power to save our democracy a…

1
A pig was shot dead in 1859. It sparked a British-U.S. war 54:34

17d ago54:34

54:34

1
The trailblazing all-Black baseball team that made history 54:34

18d ago54:34

54:34

More than ninety years ago, led by “Boomer” Harding, “Flat” Chase, and King Terrell, the Chatham Coloured All-Stars became the first all-Black team to win the Ontario baseball championship. Now the story of their historic 1934 season, including the racist treatment they endured and their exploits on the field has resurfaced in an online project, an…

1
Russia’s constant craving for U.S. recognition 54:35

19d ago54:35

54:35

Historian Sergei Radchenko revisits the Cold War, focusing on what the idea of global power meant to the Soviet Kremlin. He argues that Soviet leaders, from Joseph Stalin to Mikhail Gorbachev, have always had a strong desire to be recognized as a superpower on the world stage, especially from the U.S. For decades, this desire could never be satisfi…

1
Her job is to find buried children at residential schools 54:34

20d ago54:34

54:34

Métis archeologist Kisha Supernant was sometimes called a 'grave robber' when she started her line of work. With an eye to restorative justice, she tries to help Indigenous communities locate the graves of children who died at residential schools. Now, she's called on to find children's graves. In this public lecture, Supernant explains how the use…

1
Strive Masiyiwa: Connecting a continent 42:00

20d ago42:00

42:00

Telecoms magnate Strive Masiyiwa escaped kidnap to become Zimbabwe’s first billionaire. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng tell Masiyiwa’s story from a youth fleeing post-colonial conflict, through education in the UK, to enormous wealth delivering mobile phone and internet technology across Africa. The podcast that tells tal…

1
The power of white evangelical Christians in MAGA politics 54:25

23d ago54:25

54:25

In the past decade, there has been one stable voting bloc: white evangelical Christians. Their support has been at a constant 80 per cent for Donald Trump, according to historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez. In her book, Jesus and John Wayne, she describes the Trump era as the latest chapter in a long story of exclusion, patriarchy, and Christian national…

1
There's no potential danger of AI discrimination — 'it's here' 54:35

24d ago54:35

54:35

The grave consequences artificial intelligence poses aren't 'potential' — they are happening now, warns MIT researcher Joy Buolamwini. She argues that encoded discrimination embedded in AI systems — racial bias, sex and gender bias, and ableism — pose unprecedented threats to humankind. Buolamwini has been at the forefront of artificial intelligenc…

1
The one exception that makes killing civilians legal in war 54:35

25d ago54:35

54:35

International law is clear: warring parties cannot kill civilians. It's a war crime. But there is one exception. An attacker can justify killing them if they’re being used as a shield for military objectives. This means a belligerent could kill a civilian and claim, after the fact, they were being used as shields by the enemy. Increasingly, that ju…

1
The 2,000-year-old travel list to complete before you die 54:35

26d ago54:35

54:35

More than 2,000 years ago, someone sat down and wrote a travel bucket list for the ancient world — suggesting must-see places that we now call The Seven Wonders of the World. It was kind of a Lonely Planet guide of its time, and included the Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the lighthouse of Alexandria, and the Temple of Artemis, am…

1
Canadian troops who freed the Netherlands from Nazis 54:35

27d ago54:35

54:35

On May 5, 1945, Canadian soldiers played a key role in the liberation of the Netherlands from the German forces. Almost 80 years later, a large group of Canadians travelled to the Netherlands to pay tribute to their relatives who'd helped liberate the country in the Second World War. They walked on a nine-day pilgrimage through villages and towns, …

1
Ike Perlmutter: Marvel’s empire builder 46:34

27d ago46:34

46:34

Former Marvel CEO & Chairman Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter brought Marvel back from the brink of ruin and helped launch the Marvel cinematic universe. He brought Iron Man, The Hulk and The Avengers to our screens, and arguably changed the future of cinema, with a fixation on franchises. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng delve into …

1
What it means to call your loved one a ‘corpse’ 54:08

30d ago54:08

54:08

In the hour’s following her mother’s death, Martha Baillie undertook two rituals — preparing a death mask of her mother’s face, and washing her mother’s body. That intimacy shaped her grief. She had learned earlier to witness death and be present, living with regret after she left the room to get a nurse when her father died. For Baillie her mother…

1
Producer's Corner: Jax, Kenya, and Bravo’s Breaking Point 45:35

30d ago45:35

45:35

We're pulling back the curtain on two of Bravo's biggest controversies: Jax Taylor’s forced rehab ultimatum on The Valley and Kenya Moore’s shocking midseason firing from Real Housewives of Atlanta. It is a raw, behind-the-scenes look at the reality behind reality TV — where personal accountability meets production failures, and chaos unchecked thr…

1
The limitless mind and body of an 83-year-old super-athlete 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

"Never let anyone tell you that you're old," says Dag Aabaye, an 83-year-old super athlete who defies age. He runs two to six hours daily in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley, where he lives alone on a mountain. For him, running is “life itself." Blizzards, heat waves, even running 24 hours straight Until he met Aabaye, Brett Popplewell used to dread growing …

1
How the American cowboy ignited the Republican movement 54:07

1M ago54:07

54:07

The cowboy — a symbol of the true American man who is anti-government, works independently and protects his family. Historian Heather Cox Richardson calls this rhetoric “cowboy individualism”, and says this myth is the basis for 40-year-old Republican ideology. In this public lecture, Cox Richardson argues that the current Trump administration has …

1
How horses shaped humankind, from wearing pants to vaccines 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

We have a lot to thank horses for in our everyday lives, from the Hollywood motion picture, to life-saving vaccines for diphtheria and tetanus, to a staple in our closets: pants. "Prior to riding horses, no one wore pants," says historian Timothy Winegard. He argues that horses are intertwined in our own history to the point that we overlook their …

1
Elections results are in. IDEAS recommends World Report 10:43

1M ago10:43

10:43

IDEAS listeners think deeply about the state of the world and how to improve it. To do that, you need to know what's going on. That's why we're recommending World Report. It's a daily news podcast that brings you the biggest stories happening in Canada and around the world, in just 10 minutes. Today you can get the latest Canadian election results …

1
Reality TV might be making you smarter 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

When reality TV first exploded in the early 2000s, the media panicked about the effect "unscripted" content would have on viewers. They found it difficult to distinguish between what was real and fake. But these days, people generally know better. Viewers now lean on the assumption that most of it is artfully manufactured. And according to experts,…

1
Selena Gomez: Actress, singer, beauty mogul 47:30

1M ago47:30

47:30

Selena Gomez is one of the youngest newly minted billionaires, thanks to her Rare Beauty brand. But you likely know her from her Disney kid days on The Wizards of Waverly Place, award-winning turn in Only Murders in the Building, or as the chart-topping singer of Lose You to Love Me. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng take us…

1
What it takes to become a ruthless tyrant 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

Looking back about 3,000 years, the playbook on authoritarianism remains pretty much the same as it is today. Back in the 5th century BCE, when Herodotus travelled the ancient world gathering stories, he became an expert in would-be tyrants. His groundbreaking tome, simply called The History, shared vivid descriptions of autocratic and tyrannical r…

1
Attacking our biggest fear — political polarization 54:07

1M ago54:07

54:07

Canadians’ biggest fear for the country’s future is “growing political and ideological polarization,” according to a 2023 EKOS poll. As part of our series, IDEAS for a Better Canada (produced in partnership with the Samara Centre for Democracy), host Nahlah Ayed headed to the fast-growing city of Edmonton to talk about the creative ways local resid…

1
Why PEI cares more than any other province about voting 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

PEI has the highest voter turnout of any other province in Canada. Voting is fundamental to this community. Residents see firsthand how their vote matters — several elections were decided by 25 votes or less. In this small province, people have a personal and intimate connection with politicians. MLAs know voters on an individual basis and they fee…

1
Has the housing crisis shaken your trust in democracy? 59:00

1M ago59:00

59:00

Like many cities in Canada, Nanaimo has a housing crisis. As rent prices have surged, so has homelessness. According to the city's last official count, there are 515 unhoused people in Nanaimo at any given time. By population, that is a higher homelessness rate than the city of Vancouver. Our series, IDEAS for a Better Canada (produced in partnersh…

1
Libraries are fighting for their freedom — and our democracy 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

Public libraries are the forum for intellectual freedom, a core value that librarians protect for the sake of democracy. Yet libraries have now become a target in the culture wars of the U.S. – and in Canada, too. It’s an urgent conversation to have, no matter where one sits on the political spectrum. Libraries exist to give everyone access to a wi…

1
Orlando Bravo: Tech dealmaker 46:31

1M ago46:31

46:31

Orlando Bravo failed to become a tennis pro, but became richer than any tennis player in history by pivoting to the world of finance. He’s the first billionaire from Puerto Rico and earned his fortune with private equity investments in technology. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng tell the story of an investor who says that …

1
In the face of violence, do you radically 'turn the other cheek'? 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the greatest gifts of scripture to humanity; just ask Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Leo Tolstoy. But who's making any use of it today? In a time when an eye for an eye still seems to hold sway, IDEAS producer Sean Foley explores the logic of Christian non-violence, beginning with Jesus' counsel to 'tu…

1
New to IDEAS? Start here 2:23

1M ago2:23

2:23

IDEAS is a place for people who like to think. We value curiosity and deep conversation. And we work hard to bring you the ideas that shape and re-shape our world. No topic is off-limits. New episodes drop Monday through Friday at 3 pm ET.

1
How Hitler's 'favourite' reptile became a geopolitical symbol 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

1
Let's Catch Up: What's Next For Reality Bites 12:28

2M ago12:28

12:28

Hey y'all! We’re back — and we’ve got a lot to fill you in on. In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on where we’ve been creatively, why the Bravo landscape feels off right now (you’ve felt it too, right?), and what’s next for Reality Bites. Thanks for sticking with us — let’s get into it!! Support the show SUBSCRIBE TO PREMIUM ON PATREON…

1
Love or hate Elon Musk, 'we empowered him' 54:08

2M ago54:08

54:08

It’s been a few months into Donald Trump’s second presidency, with the wealthiest man in the world, Elon Musk, overseeing government operations. The U.S. has been a platform for him, a source of money, resources and leverage, says historian and author Quinn Slobodian who has studied Musk's global history. Slobodian points out that Musk is “the symp…

1
Spyware abusers can easily hack your phone and surveil you 54:08

2M ago54:08

54:08

We are all vulnerable to digital surveillance, as there’s little protection to prevent our phones from getting hacked. Mercenary spyware products like Pegasus are powerful and sophisticated, marketed to government clients around the world. Cybersecurity expert Ron Deibert tells IDEAS, "the latest versions can be implanted on anyone's device anywher…

1
Do you truly live in a ‘free’ society? It’s complicated 54:08

2M ago54:08

54:08

There's no universal definition for the word freedom, according to American historian Timothy Snyder. He divides the word into two categories for people — the freedom "from" and the freedom "to" various things. In the U.S., Snyder calls oligarchs like Elon Musk and President Donald Trump "heroes of negative freedom,” focused on being against things…

1
Vince McMahon: Wrestling's ringmaster 48:39

2M ago48:39

48:39

Vince McMahon made stars out of wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, John Cena and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. He turned professional wrestling into a $6.8 billion industry with his company World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Vince capitalised on cross-promotion and the spectacle of what he called "sports entertainment" to reach huge audiences before he step…

1
Why world maps illustrate an artificial reality 54:08

2M ago54:08

54:08

The Gulf of America/Gulf of Mexico controversy reminds us that maps may appear authoritative, but are a version of reality. At the same time, they can be rich, beautiful and informative, as Vancouver’s Kathleen Flaherty explains, in this 2005 documentary made before Google Maps changed mapmaking forever.…

1
Need some Stompin' Tom right now to celebrate being Canadian? We thought so. 54:08

2M ago54:08

54:08

At a time when Canadians are rallying around the flag, IDEAS thought we could all use a little Stompin’ Tom Connors to keep us going. Famous for his black cowboy hat, he was an original, writing hundreds of songs about what it means to be Canadian. He may have died 12 years ago, but his songs live on, and resonate today.…

1
Democracies 'stay true to your values' tackling borders, says U.S. expert 54:08

2M ago54:08

54:08

A German, a Canadian, and an American meet to discuss national borders — crossing them, defending them, and reimagining what they could become before the century is out. Our three experts dig into what’s happening to the concept of borders, how they work, and how border policies have changed in the past 10 years.…

1
How a network of journalists uncovered billions and toppled world leaders 54:07

2M ago54:07

54:07

Between $21 and $32 trillion is hidden in offshore accounts. These secret stashes have been uncovered by the work of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) — a network of almost 300 investigative journalists. Their findings have led to multiple arrests and official inquiries in more than 70 countries, and the resignations …

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