Check out an episode
The podcast centres around personal stories, from those who keep the Tube running behind the scenes to famous voices, like Rylan who you may not have known, is a huge transport fan (he’s even got a replica Tube station in his garden).
The initial brief from Transport for London was to create a podcast series celebrating 160 Years of The Tube. We worked with them to create series one, hosted by railway historian Tim Dunn, which took listeners on a journey through the stories of the people and places that make the Tube what it is today – captivating, story-driven episodes that connect with the audience on a personal level.
For series two, Tim returned to guide listeners above ground, diving into the stories behind the six new names for London Overground lines. Each episode featured on-location interviews with key figures from local communities, highlighting the real stories and histories that inspired these names – from Mildmay Mission Hospital’s fight against the AIDS epidemic to the legacy of the Windrush generation.
Episode artwork for series two
Production
There was no question that this podcast had to be recorded in and around the Tube, a challenging ‘studio’ to say the least. Avoiding the crowds, public announcements and some of the noisiest areas, our producer Marnie was able to capture intimate audio that transports the listener into the underground world of the Tube, right there with Tim and the guests.
Guests
Keeping true to the DNA of the podcast, every guest was chosen because of their deep connection to and affinity for the London Underground. Guests included presenter, writer and performer Amy Lame; who is London’s Night Zsar to designer Wayne Hemingway who designed the Tube worker’s uniforms. In series two to tell the story of the naming of the Lionness Line, Tim took the Overground to visit Wembley and also meet the England football heroes Leah Williamson and Chloe Kelly (left).
And, after discovering that presenter Rylan is a huge train buff, even building a replica Tube station in his garden (complete with a London bus) TfL had to invite him onto the podcast. In series one we took Rylan on his first Tube journey in 11 years (he’s way too famous these days), complete with an exclusive ride in a tube cab down the Central Line
An instant hit
A lot of excitement around the podcast within TfL meant that their brilliant team were able to get the word out about the podcast and secure high profile media coverage. Mind The Gap was featured in Time Out, Rail UK, Londonist, Greatest Hits Radio as well as being the Sunday Times Podcast of The Week.
We were able to secure features on Apple Podcasts’ New & Noteworthy section, all helping to drive the podcast to the top of the podcast charts.
Such good guests!! and Tim Dunn is the perfect host. Really, really entertaining – thank you! (and I’m not normally someone to listen to something about trains!)
Listener, Apple Podcasts