Abbi & Rory are joined by video game journalist Ben Ingham to talk about the media that inspired him. We talk about Final Fantasy 6 and what about it made Ben fall in love with video game RPGs, Whisper of the Heart and why Rory needs to catch u

The Last of Us Part 2, Atlanta, and American Beauty, with Aaron Bayne

Apr 28th, 2021 57m 47s

Abbi & Rory are joined by video game journalist Aaron Bayne to chat about the media that has inspired his career, from the emotional twists and turns of The Last of Us Part 2, the uniqueness of Atlanta, to American Beauty and if it's possible t

Mary Poppins, The Secret History, and Game of Thrones with Daisy Treloar

Apr 14th, 2021 57m 2s

Abbi & Rory are joined by freelance arts and culture writer Daisy Treloar to chat about growing up with Mary Poppins, reading The Secret History and Daisy's own experiences at university, and the different ways the Game of Thrones franchise ins

ET, Doctor Who, and The Boat That Rocked, with Alex Gilston

Mar 31st, 2021 43m 46s

For our first episode of season 2, Abbi and Rory are joined by presenter and film critic Alex Gilston as we take a journey through the media that inspired his career ambitions. From his love of films that started with ET, to how Doctor Who made

Life on Mars, Tomb Raider 2, and Hunky Dory, with Daryl Baxter

Mar 3rd, 2021 51m 20s

In episode 12 Abbi & Rory chat to editor, author, and podcaster Daryl Baxter! We cover the BBC classic Life on Mars, Tomb Raider 2, and Daryl's favourite Bowie album, Hunky Dory. Along the way we chat to Daryl about his journey with writing and

Lord of the Rings, High School Musical, and the Winter Olympics, with Olivia Rafferty

Feb 3rd, 2021 54m 20s

In episode 10 Abbi & Rory chat to singer-song writer Olivia Rafferty who brings an element of pure chaos to this week's episode! We hear about her love of Lord of the Rings and how it inspired her first attempt at writing a musical, why High Sc

Phantom of the Opera, Sly Cooper, and Scorched with David Carcasole

Jan 20th, 2021 49m 44s

In our first episode of the new year, we got to chat with the multi-talented David Carcasole about his work in video games journalism and his theatre experience. We cover the spectacle of Phantom of the Opera, the PS2 stealth platformer game Sl

The Christmas Stories That Make Us

Dec 23rd, 2020 42m 42s

It's the holiday season, so in this special christmas episode Abbi and Rory take a look at some christmas films and TV specials that have been important to them. Rory has some strong opinions about what counts as a christmas movie, Abbi makes f

Harry Potter, Buffy, and Mad Max: Fury Road, with Katey Stoetzel

Dec 16th, 2020 48m 35s

On the show this week Abbi & Rory talk to film and TV critic Katey Stoetzel! We talk about Harry Potter and how we engage with problematic art, the classic Buffy The Vampire Slayer episode 'Hush', and the how Mad Max: Fury Road explores themes

Psycho, Marriage Story, and BoJack Horseman, with Amy Smith

Dec 2nd, 2020 43m 11s

This week Abbi & Rory chat to film critic Amy Smith! We cover Hitchcock's Psycho, Baumbach's Marriage Story, and the Netflix hit Bojack Horseman. There's also lots of talk about Amy's journey into film criticism and running her own website, the

Looper, The Last Jedi, and Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, with Gavin Spoors

Nov 18th, 2020 46m 40s

This week Abbi & Rory chat to freelance writer and screenwriter, Gavin Spoors! We have a Rian Johnson double bill so we chat about why he's one of our favourite directors at the moment, we start a campaign to get everyone's Mums to send Abbi so

The City & The City, Perfect Blue, and Sekiro, with Jack Cameron

Nov 4th, 2020 45m 29s

This week Abbi and Rory talk to writer and actor, Jack Cameron! We cover what weirdness means in writing, the intense experience of watching Perfect Blue, and we try and explain another video game to Rory - this time, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice,

How to Train Your Dragon, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Halloween, with Alex Dewing

Oct 19th, 2020 43m 8s

In episode three, Abbi and Rory interview entertainment writer and editor Alex Dewing! We chat about not being embarrassed about the movies you love, female characters in video games, and how important soundtracks are. You can find Alex on twi

A Series of Unfortunate Events and Mass Effect

Oct 19th, 2020 45m 36s

In this second introductory episode, Rory interviews Abbi about A Series of Unfortunate Events and Mass Effect. We talk about our childhood diaries, the influence a good story can have on you as a kid, and the power of telling a story through a

Coherence and Arrival

Oct 19th, 2020 39m 36s

In the first ever episode of The Stories that Make Us, Abbi talks to fellow host Rory about two movies that have had a big impact on him; Coherence (2013) and Arrival (2016). We talk about how they inspired the kind of stories he wants to write

Dawn of the Dead, Uzumaki, and Silent Hill 2, with Olly Smith

Feb 17th, 2021 52m

In episode 11, Abbi & Rory chat to video game journalist and EIC of New Game+ Olly Smith! For an episode not about Tracy Beaker, we talk about Tracy Beaker a lot but also manage to cover Olly's three picks! This is one for fans of horror as we