Burnout is a cyberpunk sci-fi podcast produced and directed by Chris Gregory and Emily Inkpen (Alternative Stories), the team behind the award-winning The Dex Legacy. With that kind of pedigree, I was keen to give this show a try and I’m delighted to say I wasn’t disappointed.

Chief writer Lewis Carter has set this story in a world obsessed by Zero Gravity (ZG) racing cars and their teams and drivers. The cars themselves hover above the ground and are able to race at incredible speed, making Formula 1 look positively pedestrian in comparison. In contrast to the sleek corporate professionalism of F1, the ZG teams are run by organised crime gangs, known as ‘clans’, who will stop at nothing to gain an advantage over their rivals. This goes beyond the development of the cars themselves, as their drivers are also fitted with all manner of technology (both legal and illegal) to give them a competitive edge. When a driver reaches the inevitable end of their career, the clans have no compunction about stripping them of their various valuable upgrades. Such ex-drivers are known as ‘burnouts’, hence the show’s title.

The main character, Theo Bazerov (played by Ethan Reid), is one such burnout, struggling to cope with life following the end of a highly successful ten-year racing career. Theo’s situation is made more complicated as, during his decommissioning at the hands of the brutal Taj Clan, he mysteriously merged with an experimental AI known as IRIS, played by Miztli Rose. The result is two separate consciousnesses occupying a single body. IRIS is able to combine her abilities with those of Theo and together they are a formidable team. Their snarky interactions provide much of the show’s humour, whilst their relationship gradually develops as the mismatched pair slowly learn about each other.

It’s good that Theo has someone on his side. The world of Burnout is a dangerous place and has been described as Mad Max meets Bladerunner, which captures the essence of the show perfectly. Theo soon finds himself at odds with Taj Bran, the psychopathic leader of the Taj Clan, who is voiced in a suitably menacing way by Chris Gregory (seriously, where does this obsession with fingers come from?). When he’s not running for his life from Taj, he finds his path crossing with Alfie, the ZG-obsessed terrorist leader who is determined to break the hold the clans have over civilisation. Alfie is played with lots of East End gangster charm by the scene-stealing Alexander Broad and, whilst his goals differ from the criminal clans, his violent methods do not. Keen on staying alive, Theo and IRIS find themselves trying to avoid both sides.

The show’s premise gives plenty of opportunities for Carter to create situations involving thrilling car chases, fight scenes, gun battles and daring missions which ensure the listener is always kept entertained. The characters are also well-written and Carter’s world is incredibly well-realised, which gives the show a gritty, lived-in and expansive feel which contributes to the overall experience.

The sound production is also excellent. I can’t emphasise enough how hard it is to write racing and car chase scenes for the audio format. However, clever use of sound effects, including stereo to give the impression of speed and movement, all come together to bring these scenes to life. The show’s music is also brilliant. You’ll soon find yourself humming along to the wonderful outro, Dolores, by Charlotte Carpenter. It’s been an earworm for me for the past couple of months!

Overall, this was great fun and a second season is certainly justified based on the potential shown by Season One. I really hope the hard-working team behind Burnout can make that happen, so please go and check out the show and help spread the word!

You can find Burnout on a variety of streaming platforms here.