Podcast Corner: Shows that will entertain and inform listeners of all ages
Nero's Class, RTÉ.
Nero’s Class from RTÉ Kids will keep young and old more than entertained. The six-part series is set on the mythical island of Mrunglody and begins with Professor Nero waking up on a mysterious beach, confused as to how he got there. The first episode concludes with him befuddled as to how he’s to teach a junior infant, a second-class pupil, and sixth class pupil all at once.
In between the 20-minute story, there’s a great moustache gag that got us, while one of the pupils, Jacaranda, faces a mini-crisis, having lost her writing implement, alliterating: “My penpal Penny posted me that pen from Pennsylvania.”
The second episode begins with a press conference by our “glorious nation’s gorgeous leader Teabag Steve” - the laughs come regularly here.
Nero’s Class is written and directed by Bobby Aherne - Irish music fans will know him as the brainchild of the lofi indie group No Monster Club; he also does the music for the podcast, and there’s a brilliant tune from Sylvia Barbados (Bronwyn Murphy-White) on the second episode.
Nero’s Class is halfway through its six-episode run - and widely available on the podcast provider of your choice - but it’s safe to say it’s one of the standout podcasts of the year.
Root & Branch is a new six-part offering from RTÉ Lyric FM. Hosted by ecologist Anja Murray and musician Brían Mac Gloinn (Ye Vagabonds), they say each episode is an audio portrait of Ireland’s native trees, with interviews, stories, and reflections and featuring new songs Mac Gloinn has written for the series and traditional tunes he’s sourced and arranged for the show too.
The soundscape is delicious, birds chirping overhead and leaves and twigs crunching underneath. The first episode is about the pioneering tree birch, which Murray says are specialists at colonising new ground. They create conditions in which other plants and animals can thrive.
“I love thinking about birch as the first tree to make its way across Ireland, transforming soils and opening the way for rich woodland ecosystems to follow,” muses Murray, explaining that it can help in the current fight against climate change.
Like Nero’s Class, Root & Branch is one that will entertain young and old alike.
