Standard Issue Podcast

Jessica Swale is a busy woman, so Hannah was surprised to discover the writer and director did have the time for a chat about some of her latest projects. They cover getting the tone right for Paddington: The Musical, working with children and dogs in Amazon's new Christmas film Merv, and Jessica's new book aimed at making sure we can all have A Year of Creative Thinking. Find out more about suppo...

Working in the 17th century gothic library at St John's College puts Tanya Kirk in an ideal position to talk about book-based ghost stories. She's just edited the latest in a series of short story collections - The Haunted Library: Tales of Cursed Books and Forbidden Shelves - so Hannah got on the Zoom to chat about why old books are spooky, why Christmas is a rich source of ghost stories, and the...

Richard Benjamin’s coming-of-age comedy-drama has a (sort of) dream cast, but how much will Jen, Hannah and Mick love central character Mrs Flax? Does the character even matter when she’s played by Cher? And can we get over a ropey age-gap and a real lack of DIY prep to allow Mermaids to shoop-shoop into our hearts? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Padel might well be one of the fastest growing sports in the world, right now, but what exactly is it? And how is it different to tennis, squash, or pickleball? Jen wanted to find out more, so she got on the Zoom with Alex Brodie, PR and sponsorship manager at UK Padel, one of the UK’s leading tournament organisers in the sport, to chat about the who, what and where of the game – and why it’s so g...

Let’s bring some cheer to the end of the year with Dr Suze Kundu – that’s right NASA’s Dr Suze Kundu. She and Mick* debunk some bad science, celebrate some impactful and robust research and tech, and create some positive associations with the work of millions. With added Katy Perry and a plea to outer space-related height restrictions.  *mostly Suze, to be fair Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

Just five per cent of people with a learning difference are in paid work, something highlighted by the recent case of Tom Boyd, who was let go by Morrisons after his family asked that he be paid for his work. That case spurred Liz Warner, a former CEO of Comic Relief, into action. Because the same thing had happened to her son and, we can all agree, needs to stop happening. Liz is launching a new...

Reaction to Wes Streeting’s independent review on mental health, ADHD and autism might divide opinion, but surely we can all agree to be pleased about changes to the law around social media use in Australia. And if not, at least we’ll always have emotional support dogs. Hannah and Jen take a rootle through the news and sport this week to discuss all of the above.  Learn more about your ad choices....

Watching 9 to 5, what a way to earn a living. Mick, Hannah and Jen revisit Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and – people’s favourite – Dolly Parton in this classic comedy about sexism in the workplace that everyone knows inside out. Don’t they?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Given we’re deep into pantomime season, it seemed only right that Mick got on the Zoom with Vikki Stone, the woman behind some of the best pantos in the UK. Vikki tells us about comedy, getting kids into the theatre, toddler raves, prime-time telly and why pantos remain one of the most enduring of British Christmastime traditions. Mama Goose is at Stratford East until Jan 3 Beauty and the Beast is...

In the Wild West that is dating apps, women are increasingly turning to novel ways of protecting themselves. Online groups such as Are We Dating The Same Guy, offer women a platform to share bad and even criminal experiences of dating. Broadcaster and journalist Mary Mandefield investigates the groups in a new Channel 4 documentary, Red Flags: Are We Dating the Same Guy? UNTOLD. So, Jen caught up...

Bollywood star Radhika Apte is unhappy new bride Uma in writer/director Karan Kandhari’s feature debut, which Hannah’s picked for the last Flicking of 2025. The critics loved it, audiences weren’t so sure. Hannah, Yosra and Mick went in blind with no expectations and were all surprised. But in a good or bad way?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are abuses of power all over the shop, as Mick talks us through the second phase of Lady Elish Angiolini’s inquiry into the prevention of sexually motivated crimes against women in public, and a truly horrific case in France. Meanwhile, Jen’s looking at more crises in public services, this time in teaching staff. But at least we’ve got Polly. And periods. No, really. Learn more about your ad...

A superhero with no special powers. An intergalactic wrong 'un trying to destroy the earth. Brian Blessed dressed as whatever that is. Welcome to this week's Rated or Dated. Now with added lasers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Emma Rice Company's adaptation of Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales opened last week to rave reviews. Hannah grabbed some time with its founder, writer and director Emma Rice, to talk about a change of name, a new venue in Somerset, and Thomas. And a lot more besides, including Emma’s time as artistic director at The Globe, something that did not end happily, and why she thinks we’re...

Paddington the Musical  – a brand new show written by Jessica Swale, with music by Tom Fletcher – opens its doors at the Savoy Theatre in London this week. Among its impressive cast is Bonnie Langford, who many of us have grown up alongside, given she first graced our television screens back in 1971, aged six. Jen caught up with Bonnie to talk about playing the iconic Mrs Bird, as well as a whole...

In this month's telly round-up, we're watching Death By Lightning, The Beast in Me, Down Cemetery Road, Plur1bus and Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth. Plus Hannah's finally got round to watching Where's Wanda?. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you angry? Like really angry? Of course you are. Well, does Hannah have a dinner service for you. This week, she and Mick are asking whether the justice system is about to get a little less just, looking at the newly discovered age epochs of the human brain, celebrating having a bank account, and metaphorically smashing small TVs with a sledgehammer.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...

Christmas already? We know. But can we redeem ourselves if it’s Christmas by way of Jeannot Szwarc’s cult classic, Santa Claus: The Movie? A box office flop, it was nonetheless a hit in the UK, thanks to Dudley Moore’s turn as Patch the ambitious elf, some delightful animatronic reindeer, and top baddy-ing by John Lithgow. But will we agree? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...

All hail the Renters’ Rights Act, the biggest shake-up to renting in England for more than 30 years, which officially comes into play next May. It’s a bundle of positive news for tenants in private housing, not least the ditching of section 21 “no fault” evictions. So Mick got on the Zoom with Bismah Naqui from Generation Rent, an organisation that’s been working tirelessly for the past decade to...

Cindy Reymond is one of the eight women secretary generals who represented host cities during this summer’s UEFA Women’s Euro in Switzerland. That’s right: they were all women. Jen catches up with Cindy to chat about her city of Geneva, what it takes to plan a major sporting event, not being the only woman in the room for a change, and why anyone would even want to host a women's football tourname...

When Queen Eleanor died, her husband - Edward I - ordered that 12 enormous crosses be built along the route her body had travelled back to London. Some survive today. Historian Alice Loxton decided to walk that route on the same days. Which sadly for her, was December. Alice tells Hannah about that journey and her new book Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England's Lost Queen, as well as hist...

Jen gets a swift and thoroughly unexpected trip through US political rumours this week, as Hannah looks at the latest from across the Atlantic. Plus there's skorts, sports and women-only carriages. What more do you need? Saturday Night Live on edited Trump speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SesRWE02PIU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another week, another one of film’s most villainous women: this time it’s deranged devotee Annie Wilkes, a role which bagged Kathy Bates an Oscar for mangling the feet, mind and spirit of novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan). Its credentials are impeccable, with a William Goldman screenplay based on Stephen King’s novel directed by Rob Reiner. But, ask Mick, Hannah and Jen, is that bitch crazy? Is s...

Back in 2019, ultra runner Jasmin Paris made headlines when she smashed the Montane Spine Race, winning the 268-mile race in the depths of winter outright – while still breastfeeding. Her story was sold as an outlier – woman wins mixed race – but there are a lot of them about, particularly when it comes to ultra-endurance running, swimming and cycling.  Ultra Women: The Trailblazers Defying Sexism...

More than two centuries since her execution, Marie Antoinette continues to influence fashion and culture, and is now the subject of a major new exhibition at the V&A South Kensington, Marie Antoinette Style. Jen catches up with senior curator of the exhibition, Sarah Grant, to talk about the ill-fated former queen of France, why she still fascinates as a cultural icon, and if it's fair to compare...