Wiretap

The controversial reality TV show known as ‘Kid Nation', which borrowed its premise from Lord of the Flies, was cancelled shortly after its 2007 debut. Producers took 40 kids into a makeshift desert town to fend for themselves and create their own society. Was the series an opportunity to discover what kids are capable of? Or simply a ploy for ratings? With access to former ‘Kid Nation' contestants, their families, and the show's creators, culture journalist Josh Gwynn uncovers how this cult TV show became a lightning rod for an ongoing debate about the ethics of reality TV. Welcome to Split Screen, an examination of the utterly captivating, sometimes unsettling world of entertainment and pop culture. From reality TV gone awry, to the cult of celebrity, each season of Split Screen takes listeners on an evocative journey inside the world of showbiz. Ex-contestants, producers, and cultural critics uncover complicated truths behind TV's carefully curated facades, and question what our entertainment reveals about us. Split Screen: sometimes reality is twisted. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/fxO94euO

They're the hosts that brought you the Webby award-winning Let's Make A Sci-Fi – one of The New Yorker's Best Podcasts of 2022. They brought the heart and humour with the follow up season, Let's Make a Rom-Com. This time they're going to make you laugh while they try to make you scream. Over 10 episodes, Maddy, Mark, and Ryan will learn what it takes to make truly frightening horror. They'll meet the creators who make horror such an enduring genre. They'll meet the people who love to be scared and they'll take a stab at their own short, shocking film. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/A8mvGs1A

This Is That is a current affairs program that doesn't just talk about the issues, it fabricates them. Nothing is off limits - if it's relevant to Canadians, we'll find out the "This" and the "That" of the story. Each week, hosts Pat Kelly and Peter Oldring introduce you to the voices and stories that give this country character in this 100% improvised, satirical send-up of public radio. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/zSEe6lxh

If laughter really was the best medicine, Gavin Crawford would have cured his mother of Alzheimer's disease. As a son, his mother's dementia has been devastating. As a comedian though…it's been sort of funny. Honestly, how do you respond when your mom confuses you with her teenage crush and wants you to take her to the high-school dance? Well, you laugh. Because it's the only thing you can do. In this seven-part series, Gavin tells the story of losing his mother — his best friend and the inspiration for a lot of his comedy — to a disease that can be as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. He's joined by comedian friends who share their experience caring for family members with dementia. The result is a cross between an improv act and a support group. Part memoir, part stand-up, part meditation on grief and loss, Let's Not Be Kidding is a dose of the very best medicine for anyone dealing with hard times. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/xVS9Reo-

The hosts of Let's Make A Sci-Fi, one of The New Yorker's “Best Podcasts of 2022”, are back in their writers' room and this time they're getting serious about love. Over eight episodes, Maddy, Mark, and Ryan try to balance love and laughs into a fresh, funny, and heart-felt movie script. When they run into trouble, they'll have help from Hollywood experts, including rom-com screenwriting royalty Kirsten Smith (Legally Blonde, 10 Things I Hate About You), blockbuster director Ol Parker (Ticket to Paradise, Mama Mia II), comedian Phoebe Robinson (2 Dope Queens), as well as agents and actors, to reveal how we bring love to the big screen. And in the final episode, they'll pitch their original romantic comedy and see if sparks fly. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/YltBIkxm

Can three comedians create a legit sci-fi show? Comedians Ryan Beil, Maddy Kelly, and Mark Chavez are going to find out. Over eight episodes, they'll try to write a serious, and seriously nerdy, pilot script. When they run into trouble they'll consult Hollywood experts who have worked on things like Star Trek, Star Wars, and Firefly and science fiction superstars like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Rainn Wilson, Emily VanDerWerff and Neill Blomkamp. And in the final episode, professional actors will read their script, bringing it to life — for better or worse. More episodes are available at: smarturl.it/letsmakeascifi

Who doesn't love a great dating story? True Dating Stories offers real dating stories — told by the people who lived them. In this episode, Ariel turns to dating to distract himself from grief, only to have the hurt come back to haunt him on a date. More episodes are available at: smarturl.it/truedatingstories

Award-winning sketch troupe Tony Ho takes listeners on a journey of dark comedy. Bite-sized narrative sketches explore the nature of human relationships and how careless we can be with each other. Featuring Miguel Rivas, Roger Bainbridge and Adam Niebergall - Tony Ho is back with Season 3, Old Young People. More episodes are available at: smarturl.it/tonyho

Award-winning sketch troupe Tony Ho takes listeners on a journey of dark comedy. Bite-sized narrative sketches explore the nature of human relationships and how careless we can be with each other. Featuring Miguel Rivas, Roger Bainbridge and Adam Niebergall. More episodes are available at: smarturl.it/tonyho

An ex-cult-member tells the story of how he escaped mind-control and regained his freedom of thought, plus Gregor explains four easy steps for coping with negative thoughts.

Jonathan Goldstein's story about the real miracle of Hanukkah. Plus, Howard delivers singing telegrams for the holidays.

A man tries to win back his wife by buying her an iPhone, Howard tries to finally be cool by becoming a middle-aged hipster, and a couple makes a desperate attempt to have a child.

A woman tries to hold her tongue as a professional listener while Gregor tries to convince Jonathan to shush up, once and for all.

Stories of people doing things differently than everyone else. A man is convinced he's found a major scientific flaw that no-one else seems to have noticed and a young girl shares her thoughts on fitting in at school.

When Jonathan Goldstein was 11, his father gave him a book. It promised to teach you how to get rich, control other people's minds, and levitate. Jonathan found the book in his apartment recently and decided to look into the magical claims.

A series of furtive glances on the subway spark an unspoken love affair, a GPS navigates emotional loss, Gregor challenges Jon to an apples vs. oranges showdown, and Buzz & Dina contemplate how they'd spend the final minute of the universe.

We uncover the mysterious dilemna dilemma while a panel of experts helps listeners solve their moral dilemmas. Is it ok to steal your neighbour's kale? Are second-hand fur coats acceptable? Our ethicists have all the answers.

Breaking down the barrier between life and art, Howard decides to live his life as a musical.

A young woman is mistaken for a resurrected ancestor by a remote tribe in Papa New Guinea. A man is reborn into a new life after being lost at sea for two and a half months. And the story of a caveman who contemplates the mysteries of birth back before anyone knew where babies come from.

What happends when a man attending a silent meditation retreat falls for a woman without exchanging a word?

People tend to assume that the way things are is how they've always been, but sometimes history can surprise us...

Conflict-resolution expert Misha Glouberman answers listener calls to help solve their problems. Plus, a body-language expert diagnoses relationship issues with a mere glance.

Jonathan enlists the help of a polygraph machine to trap Howard in his web of lies.

After the death of Mrs. Claus, Santa finds himself back in the dating game. Trouble is, there aren't too many eligible bachelorettes in the North Pole... other than Glinda, the good witch of the North, that is. But will they hit it off?

Jonathan dreams a dream he can't get out of, while another man just can't seem to break out of a bad relationship.

After the death of his uncle, a boy turns to the comforts of spirituality to help cope with his own mortality. Pretty soon, he's on a road trip with a rabbi to meet the leader of a religious sect, a man known affectionately as The Lion.

Jonathan Scroogestein is a grouchy old radio host with a lump of coal for a heart. But with the help of Howard's overweight pug, Not-so-tiny Tim, and a few ghostly visits, will he rediscover the magic of Christmas? Find out, as the Dickensian classic is brought to life with a WireTap spin!

A mother who was once a father, a male pole dancer, a 9-year-old who wants to do away with the girls and boys sections in clothing stores. Plus, Academy-Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg performing his dramatic monolog in which a post-gender-normative man tries to pick up a woman at a bar.

WireTap explores the world of trends, from foodie-ism, to yoga, to one woman's attempt at convincing her kids of the impossible: that mom's can be cool.

What are you good at? Sitting up straight? Picking out flowers? Picking fights? We're exploring the world of hidden talents, and how sometimes, someone's biggest weakness can turn out to be their biggest strength.

What does it mean when you dream that your teeth are falling out? What about when 10,000 people dream their teeth are falling out? A dream-trend analyst with her finger on the pulse of slumbering societies shares her findings.

Gregor markets a talking Howard Doll that he thinks is to die for. Trouble is, he may be all too right...

How long is too long to hold on to a heartbreak? A man struggling to get over a breakup finds help letting go following an unexpected encounter.

While first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, receives honorary degrees from MIT, second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin, is stuck doing space-themed fast food restaurant openings. Listen in to their embittered email exchange, featuring David Sedaris as Armstrong and Jonathan Goldstein as Aldrin.

What are the odds that your grandmother met your grandfather, that your mother met your father, and that now you exist? We explore the role chance plays in our lives, from being born to winning the lottery.

What's your first memory of being alive? Are you swinging at a pinata at your 4th birthday party? Are you throwing a snowball at your pet cat? We explore why we remember some things and forget others.

We explore what has been called the root of all evil, the mother of all sins: greed. A man thinks he's struck gold with a new career cycling tourists around New York City, and Jonathan is greedy for experience as he tries to cram 7000 years of history into a 3 day visit to China.

Do you clip your fingernails in public? Chew with your mouth open? Interrupt people? We speak with manners expert Henry Alford about etiquette in the modern world.

Adoption is all the rage amongst the rich and famous so Gregor encourages Jonathan to start a brood of his own. Plus a young couple argues about what to expect when they're expecting.

After 50 years of marriage, a couple enters a love competition and puts their devotion to the test.

Josh steps-up his lazy-game by looking to the sloth for inspiration while a world-class worrier demonstrates that fretting is industrious work.

We're talking about Pride. After a long self-love affair, Narcissus finally breaks up with himself. Plus a motivational pep-talk to make us all proud.