PODCAST · education
List Envy
by Mark Steadman
High Fidelity meets Bullseye in this funny and fascinating list-building podcast. Each week, host Mark Steadman talks to a new guest, and together they collaborate on a top-five list, with the topic chosen by the guest.Some episodes will have you screaming into your earbuds asking “why did Mark pick that?”, while others give you a whole new world to explore. Subjects range from science and tech, to food, travel, pop culture and the human mind.Guests have included inventors, comedians, musicians, scientists, and Hollywood screenwriters. New episodes come out every Tuesday.
Episodes
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Top 5 physicists who influence our daily lives
We’re all standing on the shoulders of giants. And there are no more impressive shoulders to stand on than the great physicists of the 19th and 20th centuries. This week, Mark is in conversation with author and teacher Katherine Benfante, to determine who wins physics. (00:00) - We need physics!...
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Top 5 ways to tame your brain gremlins
Hands up who overthinks stuff? Did you really put your hand up? Is anyone else putting theirs up? Did you put yours up too quickly? Maybe you were too slow? And what is a hand meant to do once it’s up in the air, anyway? I mean, we’re always being told to wave them like we just don’t care… how…
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Top 5 Weird Al songs that aren’t parodies
Staple a jelly doughnut to your ear, set your spleen to channel 27 and ask your favourite albino squirrel to a dance. Lex Friedman joins Mark to discuss their top-5 songs by “Weird” Al Yankovic that aren’t parodies. Lex is, among many things (musician, improviser, podcaster, game developer and...
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Top 5 songs that drag us to the dance floor
Rhythm is a dancer. The rhythm is gonna get ya. And you must not, under any circumstances, stop the beat. This week, Stephanie Fuccio joins Mark to pick their top 5 songs that drag them to the dance floor. At the end of this, you’ll either leave with an earworm or the need to jump on a...
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Top 5 androids from sci-fi movies
Whether they go “pew pew”, “what is this thing called ‘love’?” or “Give me your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle”, androids have, it turns out, been a staple of sci-fi films for a century. This week, Ayesha Khan joins Mark to rank androids from sci-fi films. (00:00) - Cold open (00:19) -...
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Top 5 piano pop acts
Whether you like to bash away at them or tickle them gently, you can get a lot of beautiful noise out of 88 keys. Jon Hickman rejoins Mark to discuss their top-5 piano pop ac. (00:00) - Cold open (00:26) - Introduction (00:47) - Jon’s pick: Billy Joel (03:21) - Mark’s pick: Ben Folds (Five)…
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Top 5 James Bond gadgets
Nothing is ever quite as it seems in the world of spies. A watch isn’t just a watch – it’s a deadly weapon. That phonebooth? Also a weapon. Bag pipes? Weapon. This sandwich though, that’s just Q’s lunch. Don’t touch it. Valerie Paris rejoins Mark to discuss their top-5 Bond gadgets. Like…
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Top 5 ways we can actually make a difference
The world faces a host of very real and serious dangers. But if you believe there’s nothing little ol’ us can do, it’s probably because that’s what certain people want you to think. No, this isn’t a conspiracy episode – just a collation of ways you can actually make a difference in your home…
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Top 5 ways to explore a new city solo
What should you do, eat, drink, look for or avoid while traveling alone to a new city? Arielle Nissenblatt, podcast maven and former List Envy guest, returns to decide on the top five ways to explore a new city while travelling solo. (00:00) - Sometimes it's better solo (00:33) - Introduction...
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Top 5 real-world inventions inspired by sci-fi
What do mechanical limbs, credit cards, and the atomic bomb have in common? They all had their roots in science fiction. Ashley Hamer joins Mark to rank real-world inventions inspired by sci-fi, and Mark reveals that he apparently went to school in a gadget factory. (00:00) - Cold open (00:11) -...
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Top 5 sonic logos
Just like every brand has a visual logo, every accomplished brand has an audio – or sonic – logo too. Everything from the Netflix “tudum” to the noise your computer makes when it starts up… even the cap on the bottle of soda; it’s all been designed to be memorable. Professional voice actor Jodi...
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Top 5 attractions at Disney’s Magic Kingdom
Where can you go to get a goodnight kiss, see a big wienie, and drink your way around the world? Why, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom of course! This week, Mark is joined by Disney turbo-enthusiast James Smith, to create the definitive list of things you can do in the happiest place on earth....
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Top 5 films that give us the creeps
If they don’t leave you humming to yourself during your midnight pee, then they don’t qualify. Standup comic Luke Gallacher joins Mark to discuss films that give them the absolute ick, and put them in the correct order. (00:00) - We don’t want famous people in our horrors (00:12) - It begins...
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Top 5 haunted locations
“Let’s get away to this old European castle”, he said. “It’ll be romantic”, he said. Then you find your husband’s EVP meter in your carry-on luggage and you remember you married a writer of real-life ghost stories. John Olson, author of the Stranger Bridgerland book series joins Mark to discuss...
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Top 5 British sitcoms of the 1980s
We’ve got some half-priced cracked ice, codpieces, yellow coats and goldfish shoals nibbling at toes. That can mean only one thing – your podcast app is on the blink again. Jon Bounds rejoins Mark to discuss their top-5 80s sitcoms from the UK. There is a very long long-list. (00:00) - Jon moved...
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Top 5 Eurovision songs of 2024
Sequins, ethnic-sounding instruments, scantily-clad androgynous gimps, wolves in tailored suits. It’s here. It’s Eurovision. Get used to it. Cat Turner joins Mark to sift through all 37 Eurovision 2024 semifinalists to discover which are objectively the best 5. (00:00) - Who chooses hockey over...
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Top 5 British standups you have to see live
Those “You had to be there” moments; the jokes that made you cry but you can no longer remember; the savage putdown of the ambitious heckler. These are the moments that distinguish live comedy from what you can get on Netflix. This week, new standup Dave Bond joins Mark to discuss their top-5...
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Top 5 Korean TV romcoms
Everyone’s pretty, everyone eventually gets down to it, no-one throws up, and occasionally steam comes out of someone’s ears. Is there more to cute Korean dramas than this? Turns out yes, yes there is, as positive psychologist and K-drama stan Anya Pearse explains. (00:00) - A lot of thought…
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Top 5 emoji reactions
Whether you’re 🤩, 😡, or 🫤 about them, emoji are a useful way to express in one tiny image what would take reams of text to express. So today, George Chachanidze rejoins Mark to pick their top 5 emoji reactions, and create a definitive list. (00:00) - 👋 (00:17) - Introduction (01:08) - History...
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Top 5 Simpsons characters
Stuart Moore joins Mark to discuss their top-5 characters from America’s longest-running animated show. Snowball II, Groundskeeper Willy, Frank Grimes. These are just some of the characters that get absolutely no mention in this week’s episode. (00:00) - Do the Bartman (00:25) - Introduction...
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Season 3 begins April 16th
List Envy is returning, with a brand new set of comedians, writers, performers, and layabouts. Join Mark and his guests every week as they continue to rank things in order from 1 to 5, so you don't have to.
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Top 5 modern indie bands
Indie music blogger Kamala Adams joins Mark to discuss all things modern indie, and to define what “modern” means. (00:00) - Introduction (05:22) - Kamala's pick: Porridge Radio (07:40) - Mark's pick: The Corteeners (10:28) - Kamala's pick: Wolf Alice (13:42) - Mark's pick: Maxïmo Park (16:28) -...
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Top 5 albums of 2020
Mark talks vinyl and hunts down new music to enjoy, with music podcaster Elliott Farrar. (00:00) - Introduction (09:26) - Elliott's pick: Weird!, by Yungblud (13:04) - Mark's pick: RTJ4, by Run the Jewels (16:06) - Elliott's pick: Girlfriends, by Girlfriends (20:00) - Mark's pick: Women in Music…
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Top 5 ways to procrastinate
Mark is joined by super-talented singer-songwriter Bryony Williams. Bryony realised she could sing in her early teens, and spent most of her mid-to-late teens honing her craft. At nineteen she was in the electro-pop duo Field Harmonics, and has been recording solo since 2018. (00:00)…
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Top 5 positive tech developments for musicians
Mark kicks off a music mini-season with artist manager Ella Gregg, who’s been supporting emerging music artists since she was a teenager. Tech has always been an important aspect of Ella’s work, including her early days helping artists get their work played in films or adverts. (00:00) -...
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Top 5 fictional librarians
Many people are intrigued by the depiction of their profession in popular fiction, and none more so than librarians, like this week’s guest Owen Stephens. (00:00) - Introduction (06:35) - Owen's pick: Bunny Watson (12:13) - Mark's pick: Horace Worblehat (18:33) - Owen's pick: Lirael (24:02) -...
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Top 5 biopics
Whether they cover an entire life or centre on a pivotal moment, biopics are often Oscar fodder, and are frequently conic. In this episode, Mark and podcaster and web developer Aaron Conway get straight down to business, ranking the best biopics around. (00:00) - Introduction (02:29) - Aaron's...
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Top 5 subtly life-changing non-fiction books
Journalist Eliza Lita is a self-confessed bookworm, but her early reading focused more on non-fiction work. As a result, she’s picked up a wide variety of useful knowledge, and kept her curiosity alive. She and Mark share an appreciation for good crime fiction, and Eliza has some tips to help…
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Top 5 rewards of urban walking
Mark is joined by nature lover and avid walker Sue Burlton, and together they uncover the joys of a good stretch of the legs. If you’re planning a stroll, this will make excellent accompaniment. (00:00) - Introduction (03:40) - Sue's pick: Wildlife (06:46) - Mark's pick: Time to yourself (10:28)…
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Top 5 point-and-click adventure games
Developer of horror video games including Butterfly Collector, Valerie Paris joins Mark to discuss point-and-click adventure games you’ll remember, and one or two you’ll never forget, no matter how hard you try. (00:00) - Introduction (46:55) - Honourable mentions (11:44) - Valerie's pick: Myst...
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Top 5 tips for working in the creative sector
Mark is joined by the Creative Director at Worcester-based design, branding and development agency WeAreBeard, Dave Webb, to share his top tips for working in the kind of field that your mum told you you should have a backup for. Dave remembers the first day he was praised for drawing something...
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Top 5 time-travel romance films
Time-travel films are often about fixing the big things, so says this week’s guest, Karl Hodge, but time-travel romance films address the small things that keep us awake at night. Mark and Karl begin by looking at some of Christopher Nolan’s work, from Memento to Tenet, and trying to figure out...
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Top 5 people from Birmingham
This week’s guest is musician, DJ and producer Kevin Kerr, and on the list is top people from Birmingham in the UK, or as we have them, Brummies. (00:00) - Introduction (04:38) - Rusty's pick: Benjamin Zephaniah (07:14) - Mark's pick: Stewart Lee (10:12) - Rusty's pick: Tony Iommi (12:32)…
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Top 5 moments of anarchism
This week’s guest is Liam Barrington-Bush, a Bristol-based activist who helps organisations think more like people, and has loads of real-world experience of how people can govern themselves, build their own systems, and get closer to achieving what they want, without having those systems handed...
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Top 5 golden-age arcade games
Today Mark is talking the golden age of arcade games, which ran from 1979 til around 1983. Mark and Nick start with their own childhood arcade memories, and Mark gets quizzical about the American quarter as a “unit of fun”. As this was recorded during the Quarantimes, conversation inevitably…
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Spooky stories: Part 2
Mark is joined once more by Cat Turner and Tom Clabon to swap spooky stories. If you haven’t already checked out part one, you can do so now. (00:00) - Introduction (01:10) - Mark's pick: The call is coming from inside the house (05:40) - Tom's pick: Boston Dynamics robot dog revenge (07:54) -...
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Spooky stories: Part 1
List Envy is back in the new year with a new slate of guests and lists. To get us back into the spirit, Mark called up previous guests Cat Turner and Tom Clabon to swap “scary ghost stories”, as is tradition, according to It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, which is a Christmas song.…
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Top 5 UK garden birds
Mark chats with casual birder Suzy Buttress about features, song and flight. Suzy has specific criteria she uses to judge the quality of birds (which makes her a List Envy natural): song, plumage, behaviour and impact on the garden. She also provides some great advice if you’re looking to feed…
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Top 5 films about computers
Mark is joined by podcaster and self-confessed computer nerd Nick Moreton, to talk about films where people talk about mainframes and UNIX systems. There are quite a few swears in this episode, and more than a little discussion about a mutual friend, co-host of Nick’s podcast and Mark’s, and...
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Top 5 Bond villains
We look down the barrel of a gun, at a besuited comedy magician called Thom Peterson. He enters centre-frame, aims his gun and fires. Red washes over the screen. Fade to black. Thom maintains that magicians just want to be Bond, and who can blame him? He and Mark talk about their favourite — and...
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Top 5 journalism films
Mark gets to the truth, with political podcaster Karin Robinson, as they share their lists of films about the people who keep the presses running. Karin hosts the Primarily 2020 podcast, which tracks the ongoing story of the Democratic primaries (the thing where they elect the party’s…
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Top 5 geek things that aren’t geeky
Comedy writer and performer Steve Dawson gets nerdy — but not really that nerdy — and talks about the culture and stereotypes around the word “geek”. But also there’s lots of stuff with lasers and electronic music. (00:00) - Introduction (06:58) - Steve's pick: Star Wars (12:42) - Mark's pick…
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Top 5 types of graphics most often misread
Mark gets political and data-visual with data visualisation expert, Alberto Cairo. Alberto has a journalism degree and worked as a graphic designer for many years. He now teaches the subject, and quite literally wrote the book on it. Although a lot of what’s covered in this episode is US-centric,...
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Top 5 ways to eat potatoes
Newsletter editor, event organiser and podcast wonder Arielle Nissenblatt joins Mark to discuss an often maligned tuber. Arielle grew up almost exclusively on potatoes, although she admits her palate has broadened slightly since then. If you ever thought this vegetable (which is not a vegetable,...
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Top 5 literary heroines
Mark is joined by one half of the literary podcast Your Own Words, voracious reader and Danish furniture fan, Becky Graham, to swap notes on badass women from the printed page. (00:00) - Preamble (01:26) - Meet Becky Graham (07:32) - Becky's pick: Maureen O’Hara (19:04) - Mark's pick: Lisbeth...
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Top 5 under-appreciated female authors
Writer and podcaster Sara-Mae Tuson kicks off a double-bill of brilliant women in literature. This week, Mark and Sara-Mae discuss under-appreciated female authors. Sara-Mae is a writer who’s turned her natural storytelling abilities into podcasting magic. Her previous work, The Sugar Baby...
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Top 5 Cannon films
Thrill to the sounds of podcaster and movie-lover Ben Smith, sharing his top five shlockbusters with Mark Steadman. You won’t believe your ears! List Envy, in select theatres now. Ben is the co-host of the EuroWhat? podcast with previous guest Mike McComb, and hailing from the same state as…
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Top 5 Eurovision Song Contest finals from the '00s
TV writer Mike McComb joins Mark to discuss the bizarre and beautiful magic of this European musical tradition. Enjoy this episode, and don’t forget to have a drink on Terry in song 9. Mike is a Eurovision aficionado, having come to it via the Sounds Like Teen Spirit documentary. He’s not let…
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Top 5 rebooted Doctor Who episodes
Mark gets wobbly-wobbly and timey-wimey with tech YouTuber George Chachanidze. The pair started by discussing their favourite incarnations of the Doctor, and then their favourite — or least favourite — companions. Spoilers abound If you’re not caught up with Doctor Whoand you intend to, be warned...
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Top 5 Christmas songs
The Christmas season begins with Mark talking to Daz Wright of Moselele, about the best songs to ring in the festivities. Daz is a musician, and a founder-member of the Birmingham-based ukulele group Moselele. He’s also a big fan of Christmas, and delivered a sack full of joy to the List Envy...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
High Fidelity meets Bullseye in this funny and fascinating list-building podcast. Each week, host Mark Steadman talks to a new guest, and together they collaborate on a top-five list, with the topic chosen by the guest.Some episodes will have you screaming into your earbuds asking “why did Mark pick that?”, while others give you a whole new world to explore. Subjects range from science and tech, to food, travel, pop culture and the human mind.Guests have included inventors, comedians, musicians, scientists, and Hollywood screenwriters. New episodes come out every Tuesday.
HOSTED BY
Mark Steadman
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does List Envy have?
List Envy currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is List Envy about?
High Fidelity meets Bullseye in this funny and fascinating list-building podcast. Each week, host Mark Steadman talks to a new guest, and together they collaborate on a top-five list, with the topic chosen by the guest.Some episodes will have you screaming into your earbuds asking “why did Mark...
How often does List Envy release new episodes?
List Envy has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to List Envy?
You can listen to List Envy on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts List Envy?
List Envy is created and hosted by Mark Steadman.
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