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Reviews | Autumn listening

UK PODCASTS TO LISTEN TO THIS AUTUMN 2026: REVIEWS WITH LINKS

In brief

  • Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is back on BBC Sounds with two episodes a week, listener-led cases and a Halloween run.
  • Disclosure Investigates: Killer on the Ward, presented by Louise Shorter for BBC Scotland, is an eight-part re-examination of the Colin Norris case, available from 24 September.
  • Crime Next Door: The Playground Murder, a six-part series by Audrey Gillan, lands on BBC Sounds on 19 October.
  • Uncanny with Danny Robins is running a daily Halloween Countdown through October, a Tower of London special on 31 October, and a new ten-part series from 10 November.
  • Indie hit Killers, Cults and Queens (Cheryl Hole and Nikki Druce) is posting multiple episodes a week on Acast, Apple Podcasts and Spotify, with video on YouTube.
  • The Interface, BBC Studios' visualised technology podcast, returned on 30 September with co-hosts Thomas Germain and Jessica Maddox and weekly Wednesday episodes.

Murder They Wrote

Hosts: Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling. Network: BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 5 Live.

This true-crime couple's show has grown since its launch three years ago into a staple of the BBC Sounds catalogue. According to the BBC Media Centre, it has released more than 150 episodes and recently expanded to two episodes a week after audience demand. The autumn run includes listener-suggested investigations, Mailbag episodes, new Casefiles, a Halloween strand on crimes that inspired horror cinema, and named cases such as the Great Train Robbery, the Josacine Affair and Ed Gein. A recent episode on BBC Sounds, The Josacine Affair (5 October 2026), runs about 38 minutes.

Why it is worth a listen / what producers can learn: The format mixes research-led case telling with a clear community loop (listener cases and mailbag). That combination keeps a long-running weekly show feeling fresh without changing the core premise. Frequency matters here too: stepping up to two episodes a week is a response to demand that many UK shows only manage once they have a loyal base.

Listen: BBC Sounds | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Disclosure Investigates: Killer on the Ward

Presenter: Louise Shorter. Producer: BBC Scotland (Disclosure Investigates strand). Series editor: Shelley Jofre; senior producer: Kate Bissell.

This eight-part investigative series, commissioned for BBC Sounds and available from Thursday 24 September 2026, re-examines the case of former Glasgow nurse Colin Norris, convicted in 2008 of murdering four elderly patients and attempting to murder a fifth in Leeds hospitals. The BBC Media Centre describes a fresh look at medical records, witness statements and new science around alleged insulin poisonings, set against Norris's ongoing legal fight, including a planned case at the European Court of Human Rights. On Apple Podcasts the Killer on the Ward episodes sit inside the Disclosure Investigates feed (BBC Radio Scotland), with opening episodes in the mid-to-late twenties of minutes.

Why it is worth a listen / what producers can learn: Limited-run investigative series still cut through when they hang on one contested case and show their working. The strand branding (Disclosure Investigates) also helps listeners find related reporting without treating every series as a brand-new feed.

Listen: BBC Media Centre overview | Apple Podcasts (Disclosure Investigates) | Spotify

Crime Next Door: The Playground Murder

Presenter / writer-producer: Audrey Gillan (with Laurence Cook). Network: BBC Sounds (Crime Next Door strand, Series 14).

Due on BBC Sounds on 19 October 2026, this six-part series looks at the 1991 murder of 16-year-old Diane Watson by a fellow pupil in a Glasgow school playground, and at the decades-long aftermath for her family, friends and the press. The BBC Media Centre highlights first-hand testimony, archive recordings of Diane's parents, and the campaign that later took Margaret Watson into contact with the Leveson Inquiry and the Hacked Off campaign. The series trailer is already live on Apple Podcasts under the parent Crime Next Door show.

Why it is worth a listen / what producers can learn: Strand podcasts that return with self-contained series (rather than an endless open feed) make it easy for new listeners to start at Series 14 without catching up on everything else. Focusing on long-term consequences, not only the crime itself, is a clear editorial choice for documentary audio.

Listen: BBC programme page | Apple Podcasts (Crime Next Door) | Spotify

Uncanny

Host / writer: Danny Robins. Production: Bafflegab and Uncanny Media for BBC Radio 4 / BBC Sounds. Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts.

Since launching in 2021, Uncanny has expanded from podcast into radio, television, stage, books and live events. This autumn's plan, per the BBC Media Centre, is ambitious: a daily Halloween Countdown of roughly 90-second listener tales from 1 to 31 October (7am on BBC Sounds, plus weekly YouTube omnibus editions); an hour-long Halloween Special from the Tower of London on 31 October (BBC Sounds and YouTube from 6pm, then BBC Radio 4 at 9pm), with experts Dr Ciaran O'Keeffe and Evelyn Hollow; and a new ten-part series from Tuesday 10 November, with a visualised version on a new BBC Uncanny YouTube channel for the first time on the main series.

Why it is worth a listen / what producers can learn: Seasonal mini-formats (daily shorts) and a flagship special can reheat a returning show before a full series drops. The move to visualised episodes on YouTube also shows how a Radio 4 documentary brand can extend onto video without abandoning the audio feed.

Listen: BBC Radio 4 programme page | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Killers, Cults and Queens

Hosts: Cheryl Hole (Cheryl The Queen) and Nikki Druce. Distribution: hosted on Acast; also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

This independent UK true-crime and dark-history show mixes case deep-dives with banter and a regular "Spooky Sleepover" bonus. Recent October 2026 releases on the show's Acast page include a multi-part Titanic series, a JonBenét Ramsey run, and a Borley Rectory investigation with guest Robin Ince (Part 1 published 12 October 2026, about 34 minutes). Episode notes state a cadence of two new episodes a week plus a bonus, with full-length video on YouTube and live dates in Edinburgh and Brighton in October.

Why it is worth a listen / what producers can learn: An indie two-host show can sustain a high release rate when the format is modular (case + sleepover / bonus) and when video and live dates sit alongside the audio feed. Hosting on Acast while shipping the same show to Apple, Spotify and YouTube keeps discovery wide without a big-network feed.

Listen: Acast show page | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

The Interface

Hosts: Thomas Germain (BBC technology columnist) and Jessica Maddox (University of Georgia). Producer: BBC Studios Audio. Producer credit on current episodes: Becca Bryers; executive editor: Philip Sellars.

Season two of this visualised technology podcast returned on 30 September 2026. BBC Studios says new episodes land every Wednesday on BBC Sounds in the UK (and on podcast platforms globally), with a video series on the BBC Global YouTube channel for audiences outside the UK. The press note cites a strong international audience (nearly 50% of downloads from the US and Canada) and a run among the top 10 tech podcasts in the US on Apple Podcasts. Recent Apple Podcasts episodes run roughly half an hour.

Why it is worth a listen / what producers can learn: Refreshing a co-host line-up while keeping the weekly slot and video twin is a practical way to relaunch a tech show. Publishing on BBC Sounds plus global podcast apps, with YouTube for the visual cut, matches how many UK producers now plan audio and video together.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | BBC Studios announcement

Record your autumn series in London

Whether you are building a limited investigative run like Disclosure, a seasonal special like Uncanny, or a twice-weekly chat format like Murder They Wrote or Killers, Cults and Queens, clean audio and a tidy video set make the difference when episodes go out on BBC Sounds, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

London Podcasts, a Fitzrovia Post company, has 14 purpose-built recording studios, including four video podcast studios, at Academic House, 24-28 Oval Road, London NW1 7DJ. To book, email bookings@londonpodcasts.co.uk or call 020 7209 3474.

FAQ

Which UK podcasts are returning or launching this autumn 2026?
Among the shows covered here: Murder They Wrote continues with two episodes a week on BBC Sounds; Disclosure Investigates: Killer on the Ward began on 24 September; Crime Next Door: The Playground Murder arrives on 19 October; Uncanny runs a Halloween Countdown then a new series from 10 November; The Interface returned on 30 September; and Killers, Cults and Queens is releasing multiple episodes a week.

Where can I listen to Murder They Wrote?
On BBC Sounds, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Hosts Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling cover true-crime cases twice a week, with listener-led episodes and a Halloween run this autumn.

When does Crime Next Door: The Playground Murder come out?
The six-part series by Audrey Gillan is due on BBC Sounds on 19 October 2026. The trailer is already available via the Crime Next Door feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Is Uncanny available as video as well as audio?
Yes. Alongside BBC Sounds and Radio 4, the autumn plan includes YouTube omnibus editions of the Halloween Countdown, a Tower of London special on YouTube, and a visualised version of the new ten-part series on a BBC Uncanny YouTube channel.

What is The Interface about?
It is BBC Studios Audio's visualised technology podcast, hosted this season by Thomas Germain and Jessica Maddox, with new episodes every Wednesday on BBC Sounds and major podcast platforms, plus a YouTube video cut.

Sources