McCarthyism and queerness in 'Fellow Travelers'; plus, IBAM unplugged with Olivia Dean

This week, Brittany chats with New Yorker television critic Inkoo Kang about Showtime's historical romance, Fellow Travelers. The show follows the lives and love of two closeted men - Hawke and Tim. It starts in 1950s Washington DC, at the height of McCarthyism and the lavender scare and continues through the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Brittany and Inkoo discuss the way the politics of the time shape the characters and how survival isn't always pretty.

Then, we switch gears and meet an artist that's been bringing Brittany joy in the cold winter months. Singer-songwriter Olivia Dean joins the show to talk her debut album, Messy, and gives IBAM an unforgettable live performance from her catalog.

This episode was produced by Alexis Williams and Corey Antonio Rose. It was edited by Jessica Placzek and Bilal Qureshi. Additional support came from Barton Girdwood and Liam McBain. Engineering support came from Maggie Luthar and Gilly Moon. Our executive producer is Veralyn Williams. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sangweni and our senior VP of programming is Anya Grundmann.