society
Hosted by Kevin Bennett · society · EN · 57 episodes
The Big Smoke Variety Show is a one-of-a-kind podcast hosted by theatre director and Canadian living in London, Kevin Bennett, blending the playfulness of classic TV variety shows with the depth of a cultural salon. Each episode features fascinating interviews — with guests like the former Ravenmaster of the Tower of London Christopher Skaife, Olivier Award-winning actor Giles Terera, clothier and BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee star Patrick Grant — plus authors, historians, entertainers, scientists, and experts of all kinds. You’ll also hear regular recurring segments on everything from the newest branch of neuroscience — neuroaesthetics — and how it can change your life, to one of London’s licensed Mudlarks sharing the historic treasures he’s found in the River Thames. Expect lively conversations, surprising stories, and original comedy — from hilarious sketches to mini radio plays. If you love discovering big ideas, quirky characters, and the
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Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
33%
Guest openness
Selective
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Signup to Generate a PitchThe Big Smoke Variety Show is a one-of-a-kind podcast hosted by theatre director and Canadian living in London, Kevin Bennett, blending the playfulness of classic TV variety shows with the depth of a cultural salon.
The Big Smoke Variety Show is hosted by Kevin Bennett. The show has published 57 episodes to date.
Recent episodes include "Mind the Gap: The Big Smoke Variety Show Update" (31 July 2026, 4 minutes), "Silly Season: A Double Bill of Stories You Haven’t Heard" (30 July 2026, 26 minutes), and "Silly Season: A Double Bill of The Strange Brothers" (23 July 2026, 25 minutes).
The Big Smoke Variety Show publishes roughly weekly, with episodes averaging 46 minutes across 57 episodes.
Booking probability for The Big Smoke Variety Show is 33%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. The Big Smoke Variety Show requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. The Big Smoke Variety Show's contact route on record: verified email.
Kevin Bennett hosts The Big Smoke Variety Show, a society show with 57 episodes published.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
Episode #58
Hello friends! Whether you’ve been along for the ride these past two years or have just stumbled across our show now, welcome and thanks for tuning in. This is just a quick note to let you know that The Big Smoke...
Episode #57
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! Back in 1861, the phrase “silly season” was coined to describe that sleepy stretch of summer when there wasn’t much real news to report, and newspapers filled their pages with...
Episode #56
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! Back in 1861, the phrase “silly season” was coined to describe that sleepy stretch of summer when there wasn’t much real news to report, and newspapers filled their pages with...
Episode #55
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we take another peek behind one of your favourite recurring segments and venture down to the foreshore with Sean Clark the Mudlark's Latest Find. Kevin is joined by Sean...
Episode #54
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we take a peek behind the nugget and explore one of your favourite recurring segments: Archie’s Neuro Nuggets. Kevin is joined by Archie McAlpine, whose quick...
Episode #53
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we throw open the doors to Variety Week and descend from one of London’s most magnificent pub loos into a magical podcast takeover from our favourite apprentice...
Episode #52
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we step into the fascinating world of juggling — from ancient Egypt and Covent Garden street performance to opera houses, ballet studios, flying apples and the strange...
Episode #51
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we throw open the doors to Variety Week and journey from the secrets hiding behind London’s blue plaques to an ancient tale of love, fate and devotion from the forests...
Episode #50
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we brave the sting and fly into the surprisingly fascinating world of wasps — from Shakespeare and Aristotle to cockroach hunters, paper architects, picnic pests. We...
Episode #49
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we throw open the doors to Variety Week and descend into the wonderfully strange — from apprentice magicians wrestling with the laws of reality to historic London loos...
Episode #48
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we log on and step into the complex world of China’s internet, a digital landscape shaped by innovation, censorship, and the ever-shifting boundaries of freedom and...
Episode #47
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week we wander away from the ordinary and into a world of folklore, hidden histories, and strange things waiting to be found — from shapeshifting spirits in the north of...
Episode #46
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we strike a match and step into the strange, smoky, and surprisingly human world of alchemy — where fire is sacred, emperors chase immortality, and one man’s glowing...
Episode #45
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week we take a rather unexpected journey through the city — from flushing away the everyday to restoring what we might otherwise dump. This episode explores how even the most...
Episode #44
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week we press start on the world of video games. From ancient history to interactive storytelling, we explore not just what games are, but what they might become — and what...
Episode #43
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week we turn our attention to the objects that surround us — the everyday things we carry, discard, and barely notice — and ask what they might reveal about who we are and the...
Episode #42
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we follow the rich and robust story of coffee in London, from smoky 17th-century coffeehouses to the modern-day communities forming around a simple cup. Kevin is joined...
Episode #41
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week we lean into that strange, in-between season — when winter lingers, spring teases, and the city begins to stir once more. From the quiet reflection of Covent Garden’s...
Episode #40
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week we stroll the hard streets of South London, tracing the world that shaped one of the greatest entertainers of all time, and the music halls that lit up Victorian London...
Episode #39
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we step into the ‘undiscovered country’ — and explore the one subject we so often avoid: death. But rather than dwelling in darkness, this episode asks a more vital...
Recent guests on The Big Smoke Variety Show. Study who booked and why before you pitch.
author of The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet
political science scholar, Catholic University
animal cognition researcher and writer, Anthropomorphism
clothing designer and BBC's Sewing Bee judge, Community Clothing
Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:
Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.
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