Wednesday 7 March 2018

Black Sheep

It's podcast binging season.

Black Sheep is a programme for history buffs. Written and presented by Radio New Zealand's William Ray, each episode delves into the history of an infamous kiwi.

The accents, both natural and imitated, are an acquired taste but the stories are gripping and I found myself racing through both series in true binge-listening fashion. Who knew New Zealand had so many murderers, outlaws and unsavoury characters dotted throughout our history? Were their stories covered up or simply forgotten over time?

I think the episode that stood out most for me was the very first one. Broken Blossom tells the story of Alice Parkinson, a supposed woman scorned who took drastic actions and paid a hefty price for them. I wonder how different things might be if she were alive today? Maybe she would have been diagnosed with postnatal depression. Hopefully she would have received some support.

Black Sheep is back again soon with a new series, so there's plenty of time to catch up with the first two series if you haven't already.