New and notable: May edition

On this season of Headlong, host Dan Taberski and the team behind season one's Missing Richard Simmons investigates COPS, one of the longest-running shows on television. The show is known for its grand car chases and drug busts, and after being on the air for decades it's made a lasting cultural impact on policing in the U.S. But is this depiction accurate? Running From COPS takes listeners behind the curtain to see what truly goes into making a reality TV show. In today's climate of information overload and "fake news", this podcast is a friendly reminder that things aren't always what they seem.

- Kelsey Cueva, Associate Producer, Podcast Playlist

Podcasts featured this week:

Headlong: Running From Cops – COPS is one of the longest-running shows on TV. It premiered in 1989, and it's still on the air. In this story, Dan Taberski reveals how what you see on COPS isn't always as real as it looks.

Commons: Crude – The new season of Commons is about the past and future of the oil industry in Canada. In this episode, we hear about how it has affected an Indigenous community in an area known as "chemical valley" near Sarnia, Ontario.

Against The Rules – In his new podcast, Michael Lewis, the author of Moneyball and The Big Short sets out to explore the role of referees in everyday life, from basketball courts to courts of law.

Azka's Mystery Podcast – Five-year-old Azka Sherief told the Make-A-Wish foundation that her wish was to make a mystery podcast. So with help from WBEZ, they made it happen. The second part of her wish was for as many people to hear it as possible.

As we mentioned on the show, Azka loves to hear from her fans. In fact she starts off every day by reading her fan mail! If you'd like to contact her, she can be reached at [email protected]

Sanctioned: The Arrest of a Telecom Giant – A new podcast about the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou from CBC Vancouver. 

Motherhood Sessions – Anne never wanted to be a mom. Now that she actually has a kid, she's worried that she made a mistake. Her guilt and perfectionism is getting in the way of having a motherhood experience that might leave more room for herself. Hosted by Alexandra Sacks, M.D.

Plus:

Our Associate Producer Julian Uzielli breaks down the story behind Senator Mike Gravel's U.S. Presidential campaign and how it all started because of three teenagers and their favourite podcast: Chapo Trap House.

Critic Nick Quah of the Hot Pod newletter stops by to share the latest in the podcasting industry: namely the many ups and downs leading up to the launch of the new podcast platform Luminary. 

Do you have any new podcast recommendations we should check out? Email, tweet us @PodcastPlaylist, or find us on Facebook.

For more great podcasts, check out CBC's podcast portal, subscribe in Apple Podcasts.