In an age dominated by crisis headlines, political deadlock, and rising public fatigue, a new podcast is cutting through the noise—not by offering false optimism, but by spotlighting something far more powerful: ordinary people taking extraordinary action.
“Screw This… Let’s Try Something Else”, a newly launched podcast series by media brand Immediate in collaboration with storytelling lab ANTIDOTE, sets out to explore how communities across the UK are quietly building solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of modern life.
From housing and food security to energy, civic decision-making, and social division, the podcast tells grounded, human stories that prove meaningful change is already happening—often without waiting for permission.
A Podcast Born From Frustration—and Possibility
At its core, Screw This… Let’s Try Something Else is driven by a simple yet radical question:
What if people stopped waiting for institutions to fix things—and started doing it themselves?
Hosted by journalists Maryam Pasha and Matt Golding, the series travels across the UK, meeting individuals and neighbourhoods who have reached a breaking point with the status quo and decided to act.
The title itself captures the mood of the moment—a collective shrug at systems that no longer feel responsive, followed by a decisive step toward experimentation, creativity, and community-led problem-solving.
Why This Podcast Feels Timely in 2026
The launch of the podcast coincides with a period marked by:
- Rising cost-of-living pressures
- Persistent housing shortages
- Growing climate anxiety
- Increasing social fragmentation
- Declining trust in traditional institutions
Rather than framing these as insurmountable crises, the podcast reframes them as starting points for innovation.
Launching on Blue Monday—often dubbed the most depressing day of the year—the series positions itself deliberately as an antidote to pessimism, without slipping into naïve positivity.
Six Episodes, Six Communities, One Shared Philosophy
Across six in-depth episodes, listeners are taken inside communities that are refusing to accept “no” as the final answer.
Key Locations Featured in the Series
- Grimsby – Residents taking housing matters into their own hands
- Bristol – A community-owned wind turbine redefining local energy
- Birmingham – Neighbourhoods redesigned for the realities of the future
Each episode focuses on practical action, showing how people are responding to challenges with imagination, persistence, and collective effort.
Rather than tackling abstract policy debates, the podcast zeroes in on the areas that shape daily experience:
One of the podcast’s most distinctive features is its storytelling approach.
