Podcasts Aplenty! Five Podcast that Deliver Week After Week
It was a few short years ago that Adam Carolla was kicked off of FM radio and made the dramatic foray into the world of Podcasting. Since then, the new media medium has changed dramatically and media as we know it will never be the same.
Since then, Carolla has created his own podcast empire, the Ace Broadcasting Network. He now produces his own flagship show five days a week in addition to Ace on the House, a show with Larry Miller, a parenting show, and more. Kevin Smith, another podcast pioneer, has also formed his own podcast network.
In addition, others have made great cultural impact with podcasts that make a difference. I’ve compiled a list of the ten best shows that deliver week after week.
1. WTF
Marc Maron talks to comedians in the long form format. What Tom Snyder began on television, many podcast hosts continue on the radio, minus the long arm of the FCC. Marc is especially impactful as he discusses mostly comedy and comedians. Sure we find out about the cliched “tears of a clown” but also learn about the wonderful stories of the road, the process of writing, and what it means to be a performer working today. Mostly insightful and sometimes legendary. Maron delivers, week after week.
Adam’s flagship show still appears to be the best. Adam is no doubt a narrow-minded blowhard. Okay, let’s move past that. Adam still manages to get great guests and still tells his stories with gusto. If you can stomach the crap opinions, you’ll get wonderfully polished comedy gems.
3. The Smartest Man in the World
Greg Proops is a unique individual to say the least. You probably know him from Whose Line is it Anyway. He was also an announcer during the podrace scene of Star Wars: Phantom Menace. But let’s move past that. Greg has the most unique podcast show because he doesn’t have guests and does almost all his shows live in front of an audience. His show is not a show so much as a stream of consciousness with reader questions at the end. He’s opinionated and vacillates among old movie talk–yes, Greg, make more references to Kirk Douglas movies nobody’s seen–politics and the occasionally tasteless joke. Always funny, sometimes outraging, and a highlight of my week.
If you’ve read Savage Love, you know that nobody gets questions nor doles out advice like Dan Savage. Because, really, who’s going to ask the Ann Landers of the world questions about HPV or polyamorous relationships. The fact that there are great numbers of people in this world with wildly more adventurous and messed up lives than you is comforting, entertaining, and sometimes inspiring. His shows are also more bite sized than others so they rarely drag.
Doug Benson has a formula that he sticks with, week after week. No matter, so does Law and Order and I will still watch it. Doug Loves Movies combines guests, usually three comedians, filmmakers, or some combination thereof, in front of a live audience. They make witty movie banter and end each show with The Leonard Maltin Game, a game where you guess a movie title based on a few bad clues, a year, and some or none of the movie’s stars. Doug always delivers even though the jokes are the same, he remains an adorable host week after week.
