What do famous people tell us about ourselves? What can we learn from the lives of great entertainers and artists? Did those celebrities actually like themselves?

Just some of the questions at the heart of Famous and Gravy, a podcast that goes beyond the obituaries to discuss the impacts, flaws and legacy of some of the most famous people to have died this century.

Host Michael Osborne shares with us:- why celebrities are a mirror on society- which celebrity was the best at being a celebrity- the links between fame and addiction

Famous and Gravy:

- homepage: https://www.famousandgravy.com/all-episodes- on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1601060826

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@famousandgravy

- on Pick of the Pods: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/p/dead-famous-what-we-all-can-learn

Episodes of Famous and Gravy featured on this episode:

Synapse Sparkler (Robin Williams): https://www.famousandgravy.com/robin-williams

Intuitive Dreamcatcher (David Lynch): https://www.famousandgravy.com/david-lynch

National Treasure (Dolly Parton): https://www.famousandgravy.com/dolly-parton

Michael's Pod Picks:

Plain English With Derek Thompson: https://www.theringer.com/podcasts/plain-english-with-derek-thompson

The Rewatchables: https://www.theringer.com/podcasts/the-rewatchables

Michael’s fantasy episode:

An interview with Chuck Klosterman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Klosterman)

Other podcasts mentioned in this episode:

Dolly Parton’s America: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/dolly-partons-america

You’re Dead to Me: https://www.gregjenner.com/podcasts-radio/bbc-youre-dead-to-me-podcast/

POP-The Podcast:

Home: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/podcast

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQu6D1uClH0i-nR9YppCSgzhElMbfPcv7

Listen on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1891273310

Music by fAR

Produced by Spinney Hill Podcasts, all rights reserved

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: Famous and Gravy

01:08 What can dead celebrities teach us about ourselves?

02:06 The art of the New York Times obituary

04:07 Why Famous and Gravy grades obituaries

06:27 What makes a great obituary opening line?

09:09 The secret world of obituary enthusiasts

10:28 Dolly Parton and how celebrity legacies change

12:30 How Michael Osborne chooses his dead celebrities

14:07 Robin Williams: creativity, fear and spirituality

19:38 Why is the podcast called Famous and Gravy?

22:15 Dolly Parton: the perfect celebrity?

27:10 Jerry Springer, James Brown and David Bowie: flawed icons

31:08 Fame, addiction and the need for validation

34:57 David Lynch and the artist's life

38:28 The opening quiz: getting listeners involved

42:35 Why Dolly Parton deserved a special episode

44:15 Dolly Parton's America and her unifying power

48:43 Why celebrity stories matter

51:59 Extra Gravy, Greg Jenner and the power of pop culture

54:23 From climate science to podcasting

57:33 Telling better stories about climate change

1:00:29 Robin's podcast recommendations

1:02:09 Michael's picks: Plain English and The Rewatchables

1:04:01 Michael's dream podcast guest

1:06:48 Where to find Michael Osborne and Famous and Gravy

1:07:54 Closing credits

Willa Paskin, host of Slate's Decoder Ring, joins POP-The Podcast to talk about her show that delves into the fascinating back-stories of everyday cultural phenomena.Curious about why a thing is a thing? Decoder Ring investigates the stories behind cultural phenomena such as sun tans, mullet haircuts or the Jane Fonda Workout.Host Willa Paskin shares with Pick of the Pods:- how ‘writing for the ear’ is different from writing an article- what’s a ‘high touch’ podcast, and did Willa jump into the podcast deep end by choosing to make one?- should you be ‘nice’ to the people featured in your podcasts?Decoder Ring - homepage: https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring- on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1376577202- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYjxRBfBp4syi0tCgWRnwXGkF4i2lbvoREpisodes of Decoder Ring featured on this episode:Jane Fonda’s Workout, Part 1: Jane and Leni: https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring/2020/10/jane-fonda-leni-cazdenThe Sign Painter: https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring/2021/06/ilona-granet-feminist-artBridget in the Buff: https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring/2026/09/bridget-in-the-buff-naked-fat-puzzles-puzzles-gifts-1970s-naafaWilla’s Pod Picks:Death of an Artist Introducing Death of an Artist Season 3: Petra Mathers and Her Michael: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/death-of-an-artist/introducing-death-of-an-artist-season-3-petra-mathers-and-her-michaelDan Taberski’s Manifesto https://podcastreview.org/review/dan-taberskis-manifesto/The Rest is History (of course): https://therestishistory.com/series/the-french-revolutionWatch here on the POP YouTube channel or listen on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1891273310.POP-The Newsletter:

For a fresh recommendation of the one podcast you should be listening to right now, follow POP at pickofthepods.substack.comPOP-The Podcast:Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQu6D1uClH0i-nR9YppCSgzhElMbfPcv7Listen on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1891273310

Some people use podcasts to help them fall asleep. Some people are kept awake by existential dread. How about a podcast that can combine the two?!

Are We Doomed? is an excellent narrative documentary series that looks at genuine, or potential, threats to the planet or humanity. Think nuclear war, the next pandemic, or killer robots.

Host Ben Bradford joins us on POP-The Podcast to tell all about the show, published by National Public Radio (NPR).

Find out:

* why nuclear armageddon is perfectly possible, but would be “embarrassing”

* is there really a “supervolcano” waiting to blow up the entire United States?

* why Ben hates one futurist’s idea that one day we will all have tiny pet hippos

Yes, it’s a fun, but not flippant, podcast that is rooted in science and expertise.

Links:

Are We Doomed on the Pick of the Pods newsletter: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/p/armageddon-it-are-you

Are We Doomed

* homepage: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/21/g-s1-118208/a-new-npr-network-podcast-asks-the-big-question-are-we-doomed

* on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1893359212

* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AreWeDoomedPod

Episodes of Are We Doomed featured on this episode of POP-The Podcast:

* Our Vision of the Post-Apocalypse Is Wrong:

* The Yellowstone Supervolcano Panic!

* How To Survive a Nuclear War

Ben’s Pod Picks:

* This American Life, Swim Towards the Shark: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/837/swim-towards-the-shark

* Oh, Hello: the P’dcast:

* Search Engine:

https://www.searchengine.show/

Ben’s fantasy interview:

Sam Altman or Jeff Bezos, locked in a room and forced to say honestly what is their vision of the future.

Subscribe to Pick of the Pods - the newsletter - on Substack: https://substack.com/@robinpomeroy

Discover one new podcast every week with the Pick of the Pods Substack: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/Watch POP-The Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQu6D1uClH0i-nR9YppCSgzhElMbfPcv7

Or follow on any podcast app - new episodes drop monthly: https://pod.link/1891273310

Music by fAR

Pick of the Pods: copyright Spinney Hill Media 2026.

What actually is money? This new podcast from the Financial Times takes a historical view of this question which is crucial to understanding human civilisation and the world we live in today.

Robin Wigglesworth, who co-hosts the show with fellow FT journalist Gillian Tett, picks some of his favourite episodes so far and tells us why some of the greatest humans ever - Churchill? Newton? - were not always brilliant with money.

The Story of Money:

* Pick of the Pods: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/publish/post/201028489

* Homepage: https://www.ft.com/tsom?shareType=nongift&syn-25a6b1a6=1

* Get it on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1376303362

* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FTTheStoryOfMoney

Episodes of The Story of Money featured on this episode of POP-The Podcast:

* The Bretton Woods agreement: a tale of boozing, womanising, espionage and a heart attack

* The financial scams that brought Albania to the brink of war

* They are history’s geniuses. But were they any good at investing?

Robin’s Pod Picks:

* The Rest Is History https://pod.link/1537788786

* Greeking Out https://pod.link/1483233279

Robin’s dream interview:

* Jay Cooke (1821–1905) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Cooke

Robin’s forthcoming book:

* A Fabulous Debt: The Epic Story of How Bonds Built the Modern World https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/461949/a-fabulous-debt-by-wigglesworth-robin/9780241705674

Listen to POP-The Podcast - new episodes monthly - on any app: https://pod.link/1891273310, watch on YouTube:

Let me know what you think of the episode. And if you have a favourite podcast you would like to hear on the monthly POP-The Podcast or see featured on the weekly POP Substack, I’d love to hear about it.

Dropping July 1, 2026. Get it on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1891273310 or YouTube.

Bloomberg TV anchor Francine Lacqua tells us about her new podcast, Leaders, and how doing a long-form interview differs from live TV.

Welcome to the June edition of POP-The Podcast, where we hear from Jonathan Block on how he makes Stumbling Blocks: How Great Leaders Are Made.

There are countless podcasts out there about leadership, but this one has a twist - it explores the mistakes, failures or misfortunes that have hampered and helped the interviewee become what they are today.

🤳 Listen to POP - The Podcast right here, or on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1891273310

📺 Watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQu6D1uClH0i-nR9YppCSgzhElMbfPcv7

Please subscribe - here or on any podcast app - so you get POP - The Podcast when it lands (currently monthly).

Stumbling Blocks was a Pick of the Pods back in March - read that POP pick here:

Thanks for listening!