Wiretap: Recent Episodes
CBC Podcasts
You never quite know where WireTap will take you. From a scientist who documents the final words of parrots to what it's like to date Lois Lane after she's broken up with Superman, the minds of Jonathan Goldstein and his friends and family are truly unique.
Personal Best is a podcast that celebrates small ambitions, half-wins and the quiet satisfaction of getting less bad at things. Each week they help ordinary people work through the little things they’d never bring to a life coach — like having the courage to dine alone at a fancy restaurant or getting less awkward at handshakes. Let them be your self-improvement sidekicks! More episodes from the brand new season of Personal Best are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/-ds0LWix
For years, players have been too afraid to talk about it. But now, the truth about a broom that almost destroyed curling is finally coming out. In Broomgate: A Curling Scandal, semi-professional curler and fully professional comedian John Cullen (Blocked Party) is exposing the unbelievable, never-before-told scandal that rocked the sport of curling. Yes, curling. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/xavS9Ih-
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
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
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.
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.
Howard takes house sitting to a whole new level while Jonathan is encourgaed to embrace his cavemen roots by joining the Barefoot Movement, and Tucker seeks help impressing his new girlfriend.
We explore the deadly sin of Lust. A young girl finds her first love at a Weezer concert, an adolescent boy grapples with unexpected desires, and Dan Savage on the most famous teenage lovers, Romeo and Juliet.
Kids share their fan letters to Batman and WireTap's go-to party animal, Cookie, reveals her favourite superhero.
A man spends the morning eating himself sick with pie only to remember, in a flash of terror, that he's due to compete in a pie-eating contest in an hour. Full to bursting, the man sets out, ready to do his best.
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.
Comedian Rob Corddry tells the story of a detective confronted with the biggest case of his career: a stolen soul. He'd heard of stolen hearts. Heck, he'd stolen plenty of those himself. But a stolen soul?
Howard boycotts all predictions of the future in order to embrace the present, a futurologist discusses his vision of a brave new world, and Scott Thompson on the prophecies of dreams.
Jonathan's mother confesses to a lifetime of lies. Plus, Jonathan invites a group of youngsters into the studio to play "Canada's Littlest Liar".
Live from the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Jonathan tells the story of the ten years he spent telemarketing before getting into radio. With musical guests Imaginary Cities. Plus, Gregor tries to convince Jonathan to take a leaf from Kim Kardashian's book and invest in some plastic surgery.
Live from the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Jonathan tells the story of his trip to Puerto Rico where he retraced the steps of his parents' honeymoon. Plus, Josh thinks it's about time he and Jonathan take their relationship to the next level: bromance. Musical guests Imaginary Cities.
When Jonathan invites Howard to join him on stage at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Howard seizes the moment for his own hidden agenda. Featuring musical guests Imaginary Cities and a cameo by the great Andrea Martin.
Gregor pitches Jonathan Goldstein as a counterpoint to Jonathan Goldsmith's Most Interesting Man in the World campaign. Plus, Howard takes his dogsitting duties a few steps too far and Josh hires himself to be Jonathan's new bodyguard.
Ever feel like life is passing you by? Matt Danzico shares the solution he's been experimenting with: The Time Hack.
Jonathan mediates a showdown between an optimist and a pessimist to determine once and for all whether the world is awesome or not so awesome.
Jonathan speaks with Kenneth Michaels, professional Rainbow Chaser, about extreme weather research.
Howard launches "Jonny 2.0", a monolog machine that can stand in for Jonathan when he goes on vacation.
Ever told someone "I owe you one"? Tucker cashes in a long owed favor that leaves Jonathan wishing he'd never uttered the phrase.
Jonathan discovers a fake Jonathan Goldstein posing as him on Twitter. Tune in to the Jonathan Goldstein showdown as the real Jonathan confronts his imposter.
Jonathan reads his story of Cain and Abel in front of a live audience in Vancouver, during the 2010 Olympic Games. Plus, musical guest Hannah Georgas is on hand to play a few tunes.
Starlee Kine recounts her experience with a self-help movement that promotes telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Plus, Howard discovers Radical Honesty... and Jonathan pays the price.
This episode is all about Americans and Canadians: the ways in which we fundamentally differ, and the ways in which we're pretty much the same.
A mother is pregnant with twins. She hears the voice of God which tells her that her sons will one day father warring nations. Even while still inside her stomach, they fight hard enough to knock her from one end of the house to the other. Is there any hope of the brothers ever becoming friends?
Howard turns his apartment into a micro-nation: the first country with wall-to-wall carpeting. Plus, Gregor makes Jonathan a personalized mix-tape to help him seduce the ladies.
WireTap was a podcast...before there were podcasts. Eavesdrop in on Jonathan Goldstein's phone calls with his eccentric family and friends. Whether arguing with an ex-girlfriend about his lack of style, mediating a showdown between an optimist and a pessimist, or trying to give his nephew advice about women, you're invited to listen in.