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1.
The peak of comedy podcasts is happening right now. Your favourite comics are embracing the audio format because it’s the best way to maintain artistic control—no time restraints, no censors, no major costs. It’s only in Marc Maron’s garage that you’ll hear Louis CK break down in tears and candidly engage for two hours about why they’re no longer best friends. Once hooked, you’ll never again watch TV chat shows and their pre-planned 5-minute anecdotes.
Comedy is the new rock n’ roll? Podcasts are the new CDs – and each discovery means another back catalogue of MP3 goodness. You’ll no longer dread train journeys, sleepless nights, or cleaning the house. Chores will cease to be chores. You’ll even pick up industry terms such as “bits” (routines), “alt-hack” (dropping easy culture references) and “civilians” (non-comedians). Happiness is just an RSS feed away.
2.Call Chelsea Peretti
The presenter: Chelsea “one of the greats” Peretti wrote on Parks & Recreation, and plays Gina in Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
The gist: Sorry DJs, podcasts killed the radio star. To further the changeover, Peretti brings the phone-in show format to the MP3 era. She accepts unscreened calls from strangers and ends up being rude to them – either hanging up if they’re dull, or bringing up whatever she finds amusing. Expect philosophical disputes about the pros/cons of pasta, soup and coffee. Sometimes those dialling digits are recognisable names like Aziz Ansari, Tim Heidecker and The Kid Mero. There’s nothing phone-y about it.
Where to start: “The case of the three gramas”: Chelsea’s brother Jonah (founder and CEO of BuzzFeed) sits in and you won’t believe what happens next; “AC + eating disorders”: Chelsea’s uni friend Tchaiko pops by to discuss how she overcame a life-threatening eating condition.
Listen here.
3.Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast
The presenter: The one from Lee & Herring who didn’t make it as big as Stewart Lee.
The gist: This podcast with Richard not Judy turns bad interviewing into a must-listen. Herring is a bit too convincing in the persona of a bitter comedian who asks insulting questions that undermine the guest. Really, the facade is just an excuse for brutal honesty – he’ll often remark, “I’m tired and want to go home. My next question...” The show is recorded with a live audience, as made clear when one crowd member asks David Mitchell, “What’s the key to success so I don’t end up like the self-indulgent, long-haired bloke next to you?”
Where to start: Armando Iannucci on how they overcame a feud in the '90s; Stephen Merchant takes genuine offence at being told he’s sold out by doing adverts, and that Extras season 2 was awful.
Listen to Richard Herring here.
4.The Champs
The presenters: Comedians Neal Brennan (co-creator of Chappelle’s Show) and Moshe Kasher (co-creator of The Champs).
The gist: The bickering duo break podcast trends by inviting only black guests (with some exceptions like Riff Raff and Action Bronson) from showbiz, hip hop and basketball, to dissect contentious issues with vicious candour. That may not sound funny, but it is, especially when the hosts try to one-up each other with gags. They also coax honesty: Damon Wayans Jr contradicts every press interview he’s done for Let’s Be Cops by detailing how much he hated the director. Also look out for the speed at which Brennan namedrops Dave Chappelle.
Where to start:Pharaohe Monch on the social stigma of being a rapper with clinical depression;Cristela Alonzo describes her childhood spent sheltered in a disused diner;Flying Lotus brings his porn star pal and makes a new song from scratch.
Listen to The Champs' podcast here.
5.U Talkin’ U2 To Me?
The presenters: Scott Aukerman (Comedy Bang Bang) and Adam Scott (Parks & Recreation).
The gist: If you’re after a thoughtful examination of U2’s music, then you still haven’t found what you’re looking for. Scott and Scott may be U2 fanatics, but they cater to the likelihood that most subscribers despise Bono and his sunglasses. The podcast’s real charm – for the record, I hate U2 – is how two busy people stay in a studio until midnight to geekily analyse terrible music. (As a joke, it’s often an hour before the band are mentioned.) You pick up insightful facts such as band member names; by the end, you will at least have heard of U2.
Where to start: “Staind Glass”: they convince Todd Glass that Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” is a U2 song; “Commentary Special”: past guests talk over the first episode, which plays in the background.
Find out more here.
6.By the Way
The presenter: Jeff Garlin, the manager from Curb Your Enthusiasm and Arrested Development.
The gist: You glimpse a bit of Garlin’s overbearing personality in Curb, but it’s a completely different creature when he’s in charge. Luckily, it’s that overbearing personality which wrangles A-listers like Lena Dunham, JJ Abrams and Matt Weiner to LA’s Largo theatre for a live conversation. What’s always apparent is Garlin’s sincere, uncurbed admiration for his guests, who in turn do the podcast out of friendship rather than promotional duties. Consequently, the unstructured dialogue becomes a series of tangents (hence the title) that lead to unusual territory – one encounter sees Will Ferrell revealing the contents of his wallet. It’s prett-ay, prett-ay good.
Where to start:Larry David estimates how much it’d cost to make him watch the film Eat Pray Love;Amy Poehler on the difficulty of avoiding nudists on the subway.
Listen to Jeff Garlin here.
7.Nerdist Writer's Panel
The presenter: TV writer Ben Blacker.
The gist: You spend 80 hours watching a series week after week, and then set aside another 80 hours to argue with friends about when the show jumped the shark. TV is, unlike cinema, a writers’ medium – and yet they’re the voices we rarely hear. Nerdist Writer's Panel prods high-profile TV scribes on the often uproarious secrets behind how they create our cultural obsessions. Discover which staffrooms are unexpectedly fraught, and the importance of a showrunner who enjoys spending time with his/her family – if the answer’s no, the writers can expect plenty of office all-nighters.
Where to start:Showrunner special: Greg Daniels (King of the Hill, Parks & Rec), Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad), Carlton Cuse, (Lost), Liz Meriweather (New Girl);Structure of a sitcom: Dan Harmon (Community), Dave Finkel (30 Rock), Rob Schrab (Mindy Project).
Listen to the Nerdist Writer's Panel here.
8.The Bugle
The presenters: New Yorker John Oliver (Daily Show, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver) and Londoner Andy Zaltzman.
The gist: The Bugle is more than a weekly dose of gag-heavy satire launched by The Times. It’s also a healthy long-distance relationship. When Oliver was lured across the Atlantic by Jon Stewart’s Daily Show, the podcast enabled the partnership to continue – and you hear the audible delight when one makes the other laugh when skewering world events with an irreverent spin. During the phone hacking scandal, they heavily lambasted News International, even though Rupert Murdoch owns The Times. Just months later, The Bugle went independent because funding was cut for supposedly unrelated reasons.
Where to start: It’s a topical show so go with the most recent release. Or you can try out 2012’s “Playas gon play” for the first show after parting ways with The Times.
Listen to The Bugle podcast here.
9.WTF with Marc Maron
The presenter: US comic and misanthrope Marc Maron.
The gist: Letterman’s show has the Ed Sullivan Theater. Jimmy Fallon tapes at 30 Rock. Maron records in his garage. By establishing home advantage, Maron is able to ask passive-aggressive questions that double as self-therapy; young stars are quizzed on whether they deserve their early success, while older contemporaries hear about the time Maron failed an SNL audition in the 90s. But it’s the intensity that appeals to listeners and interviewees like Thom Yorke, James Franco and Mike Myers. Each interrogation digs into psychological dark spots (often Maron’s), before closing with what’s become his catchphrase: “We good?”
Where to start:Louis CK blames Maron for why they’re no longer best friends;Carlos Mencia is accused of plagiarism in the podcast version of Frost/Nixon;Judd Apatow shares audio clips from when he was a 16-year-old with a microphone badgering Leno, Seinfeld and Ramis.
10.You Made It Weird
The presenter: US stand-up Pete Holmes mentions every episode that a religious upbringing meant he was married at 22 and divorced by 28.
The gist: Maron complains that Holmes’s introspective podcast is a hippie rip-off of WTF, and the latter doesn’t deny it – he nicknames it WTH (“What the Heck”). Episodes last up to three hours, focusing on relationships, art and mortality. Holmes’ superpower is his eagerness to overshare (his virginity ended in six “pumps”) which in turn encourages guests to open up about spirituality. Even typically private interviewees like Zach Galifianakis and Anthony Jeselnik end up admitting to insecurities and experimentations with new-age lifestyle fads.
Where to start:TJ Miller reveals the existential benefits of surviving brain surgery;John Mulaney remembers when Holmes discovered his wife’s affair;Chelsea Peretti listens to a fan-edited compilation of every time she was namedropped by Holmes in earlier episodes.
Check them out here.
11.How Was Your Week?
The presenter: New Yorker Julie Klausner authored the memoir I Don’t Care About Your Band.
The gist: Klausner might begin a show by singing a few bars of “Cannonball” by The Breeders, before spinning off into an existential riff based on last night’s TV. Whatever she does, the jazz-like approach to her 25-minute opening monologues is so popular thatfans type up the transcripts. Her vast array of expert topics continues into the interview portion, which will include comedians (Sandra Bernhard, Mitch Hurwitz), cinema legends (Nicole Holofcener, Julianne Moore), writers (Jon Ronson, Susan Orlean) and publication editors (from Spin to The Onion).
Where to start:The first live special with Fred Armisen, Paul F. Tompkins, Billy Eichner and Ted Leo’s rock group;Tim Heidecker on how he deliberately sabotaged Russell Brand’s TV show by fake laughing too hard in the audience.
See more here.
12.The Comedian’s Comedian
The presenter: UK comic Stuart Goldsmith.
The gist: The phrase “comedian’s comedian” refers to stand-ups with routines that only receive laughs from appreciative comics standing at the back of the room. Goldsmith’s analytical podcast is similar in that it’s designed for those with a deep interest in the craft – he calls it Inside the Actor’s Studio for comedians. Acts like David Cross, Bridget Christie and Hannibal Burress are always impressed by the diligently researched questions, and respond informatively about the development of specific jokes. But most fascinating of all are the broader stand-ups who sell out shows without impressing critics. This includes Jason Manford who admits to being unsatisfied with the simplicity of his observational humour.
Where to start:Claudia O’Doherty on basing a show around PowerPoint;Sam Willis (The Boy With Tape on His Face) breaks from his silent character by using real, actual words.
Listen to him here.
13.Comedy Bang Bang
The presenter: Former Mr Show writer Scott Aukerman.
The gist: Initially an obscure radio show, Comedy Bang Bang exploded into perhaps the podcasting boom’s most iconic and reliably silly show. The unscripted chaos begins with Aukerman conducting an anti-interview – participants such as Amy Poehler and Michael Cera are pestered in the manner of Between Two Ferns (which Aukerman co-created). After 20 minutes, the show really begins when surreal characters take advantage of the open door policy. These visitors range from time travelling orphan Fourvel (Bobby Moynihan) to Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk in what was technically the first Breaking Bad spinoff). You won’t hear Judd Apatow squabble with a 15-year-old intern anywhere else – apart from the accompanying TV spinoff now in its third season.
Where to start: “Anniversary Party”: St Vincent speaks to the ghost of Christopher Hitchens; “Shanghaied by Irene”: Zach Galifianakis, Werner Herzog (Paul F. Tompkins) and Yo La Tengo.
Hear it here.
14.Carl Donnelly & Chris Martin Comedy Podcast
The presenters: British stand-ups Carl Donnelly and Chris Martin (not that one).
The gist: Listening to Donnelly, Martin and their friends is like hanging out backstage at a comedy club – if you don’t mind being ignored, that is. Once you survive an intro song more annoying than Coldplay, it’s an unedited hour with two casual hosts who admit they don’t know how to find out how many people download the show. The warm, low-key atmosphere comes from the company of two friends who, after six years of podcasting, still haven’t consciously uncoupled.
Where to start:Milton Jones can’t help making the pair feel awkward whenever they swear;Bill Burr has a visiting American’s perspective on attending an Arsenal match;Tim Key won a car on Channel 4’s Britain’s Worst Driver before he was famous.
Listen to them here.
15.Doug Loves Movies
The presenter: US stand-up and pot smoker Doug Benson.
The gist: Benson is a pro at turning hobbies into a career. After carving a niche in “stoner comedy”, he launched the podcast in 2006 to perform with fellow comics in front of live audiences. The show maintains the same format: guests riff on movie-related topics, before playing “The Leonard Maltin Game” (a confusing trivia competition invented by Benson and Sarah Silverman). Oh yeah, each episode has a Mark Wahlberg impersonator appearing for two minutes to quote famous lines. None of it should work, but it does.
Where to start:20/08/2012: Paul Rudd, Jon Hamm and Morgan Spurlock barely understand “The Leonard Maltin Game”;12/08/2010: Edgar Wright, Kieran Culkin & Anna Kendrick take “The Leonard Maltin Game” too seriously;18/09/2012: Leonard Maltin and Adam Scott learn fellow panellist Chris Evans is incredibly drunk.
Check out Doug Loves Movies here.
16.Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast
The presenter: “Shocking” comedian and impressionist Gilbert Gottfried.
The gist: It’s easy to think of Gottfried as a comedian who coasts on saying wildly offensive one-liners or appearing on TV roasts to poke fun at easy targets. I say “it’s easy” because, well, it’s true. But there’s another side to Gottfried: he’s a comedy geek with a heavy nostalgia for the past. Instead of crying to the skies that he was born in the wrong era, Gottfried uses the podcast to meet his heroes from old showbiz, such as Bela Lugosi Jr, Alan Thicke and Roger Corman. Plus, the audio format is another reminder of Disney’s strange decision to hire Gottfried for the parrot’s voice in Aladdin.
Where to start:Paul Shaffer (David Letterman’s band leader) in a rare interview appearance;Dick Cavett recalls when a guest died on his TV talk show.
Hear him here.
17.Under the Radar
The presenter: Irish grump Sean Hughes.
The gist: After quitting Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Hughes regularly slated the show for having a writing staff. Under the Radar allows Hughes to avoid any fakery in a series of uncut conversations with friends on the circuit, niche experts, and even Crystal Palace FC chairman Steve Parish. Recurring topics are the creative process (how long ideas take to develop), the lifestyle of touring stand-ups (they work at night and have free days), and how to survive in the industry without selling your dignity (another chance for Hughes to smugly remind everyone he left Buzzcocks).
Where to start:Stewart Lee wonders if he misjudged a routine that made Russell Howard cry;Reece Shearsmith feels embarrassed that Hughes saw him on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch; Robin Ince questions the ethics of big UK comics touring arenas with material by uncredited writers.
Listen to more here.
18.Welcome to Night Vale
The presenters: Narrator Cecil Baldwin and an acting ensemble.
The gist: “Everything’s looking clear out there today,” states the weather report. “Commuters have pulled their cars to the side of the road in shock at such absolute truth.” If Twin Peaks had a community radio show, it’d sound a bit like this. A deadpan presenter (possibly with a log) delivers a dark monologue over trip-hop, redolent of when Chris Morris did Jam for Radio 1. However, the main strength is how Night Vale creates its own idiosyncratic universe: citizens endure alien invasions, nosey ghosts, and animal carcasses falling from the sky. It’s best listened to when walking home late at night, or during the lengthy wait for Twin Peaks season three.
Where to start: “Old Oak Doors”: a live special recorded with an accompanying band; “Valentine”: the council change the town’s official language to “dance”.
Check out the website here.
19.Greg Proops Film Club
The presenter: Former Londoner Greg Proops.
The gist: Recorded at an independent cinema in LA, the spinoff from Proops’ other podcast (The Smartest Man in the World) has the human encyclopaedia performing an improvised routine based on a film of his choice. Usually consisting of a 20-minute introduction and 20-minute conclusion, the post-screening segment features Proops eloquently raving about what he’s just seen – you sense the room’s joint satisfaction. Too many podcasts find easy humour in “ironically” enjoying bad movies, but Proops refreshingly opts for personal favourites (Rushmore, Dog Day Afternoon) and 1940s noirs (Laura, Gilda). Pause the podcast halfway and watch the DVD for the complete experience – assuming you can’t afford an LA plane ticket.
Where to start: “Annie Hall”: Proops does a terrible Woody Allen impression; “Eyes without a Face”: he imagines a sequel with Billy Idol and Kurt Russell.
See the website here.
20.Never Not Funny
The presenters: US comic Jimmy Pardo and producer Matt Belknap.
The gist: It’s a geeky urban myth that Ricky Gervais was the only podcaster charging for downloads in 2008. Not true. Never Not Funny was an underdog monetised by a loyal audience hooked on what became the Velvet Underground of podcasts – few people knew of its existence, but those early listeners and guests (like Scott Aukerman) were inspired to form their own shows. The Lou Reed similarities end there, as host Jimmy Pardo is a hyperactive conversationalist with an upbeat vocal tone usually heard on TV game shows. Patton Oswalt, Jon Hamm and Jen Kirkman are still regular visitors, which is handy as the podcast became free this year.
Where to start:Maria Bamford on the etiquette of crying at the theatre;Conan O’Brien promises to take everyone out for an expensive meal, before cruelly retracting the offer.
See more here.
21.The Dead Authors Podcast
The presenter: H.G. Wells (Paul F. Tompkins).
The gist: It’s a real cultural loss that Friederich Nietzsche and H.P. Lovecraft never had their own podcasts. (WTF with Friederich Nietzsche?) Luckily, sci-fi novelist H.G. Wells (voiced by comedian Paul F. Tompkins) kindly uses his time machine to transport literary figures from past centuries to a theatre in modern LA. Each “chapter” sees Wells quiz the guest (always played by an improv specialist) on their personal life and career, before digressing towards unusual plot twists. Don’t expect accurate impressions – Andy Richter appears as Emily Dickinson. It’s funnier than fan fiction, surprisingly educational, and has a morbid edge. “Stephen King would be a good interviewee,” admits Wells. “It won’t be long...”
Where to start:Virginia Woolf (Mary Holland) on researching key parties for Mrs Dalloway;Tennessee Williams (Kristen Schaal) unveils the real inspiration behind Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Check out the website here.
22.Norm Macdonald Live
The presenter: Former SNL star Norm Macdonald and sidekick Adam Eget.
The gist: Recorded live in front of a camera (the videos appear on YouTube), Norm excels in a loose format whereby he perplexes guests who can’t tell if he’s making a serious point or leading to a very delayed punchline. (It’s usually the latter.) His rambling cadence is so naturally comedic, he could read the phonebook and make it funny. Instead, he and his guests end the show reading pre-written jokes on cue cards – often to trick someone like Larry King into saying something extremely offensive. Interviewees consist of friends (Adam Sandler, Roseanne Barr) and personal heroes (Carl Reiner, Jack Carter).
Where to start:Andy Dick fetches cue cards spotted saw in the bathroom bin and finds out why they were abandoned;Billy Bob Thornton ranks the worst way to die.
Find out more about them here.
23.The Infinite Monkey Cage
The presenters: Professor Brian Cox and Robin Ince.
The gist: Laughter isn’t actually the best medicine, but that doesn’t mean science and comedy can’t mix. The show’s mathematical equation consists of experts who’ve spent their lifetimes studying specific areas of obsession – and a comedian to add levity. Aware of the target audience, there’s a slant towards anything linking art and physics, as well as a running joke from Cox that biology isn’t a real science. Listen to the show when walking to the pub, and then regurgitate your newfound knowledge to friends, pretending you just happen to know about things like that.
Where to start: “Trust Me, I’m a Scientist”: questioning whether too much faith is put into scientific studies; “What is death?”: find out if strawberries are technically dead or alive; “Numbers Numbers Numbers”: celebrating the poetry of algebra.
Check it out here.
24.Jordan, Jesse, Go!
The presenters: Broadcasters Jesse Thorn and Jordan Morris.
The gist: When Marc Maron needed advice on how to start WTF and, he went straight to Jesse Thorn – a podcasting pro also known for his role in the “New Sincerity” movement. Jordan and Jesse (there’s no one called “Go” outside of Gone Girl) have been recording Jordan, Jesse, Go! since 2006, and have long since mastered the art of creating soothing shows with jovial guests. If you’re dangerously stressed or in need of a relaxing download, it’s worth giving this a go. Alternatively, Jesse’s long-runningBullseyeseries is a one-on-one interview show famed for its meticulous research.
Where to start: “Nick Hornby” on what it’s like to be an obsessive football supporter; KumailNanjiani and Emily Gordon on being a married comedian couple who play computer games.
Hear it here.
25.Whistling in the Dark
The presenter: MTV executive Shannon Fitzgerald.
The gist: Switching between homes in Hackney and Hollywood, Fitzgerald sits down for an long, intimate chats that attempt to make interviewees accept their insecurities. Subsequently, interviews either humorously tackle unspoken social anxieties, or turn uncomfortably dark for the same reason – don’t expect to laugh every minute, unless you’re a sociopath. The bizarre range of guests includes: Amanda de Cadenet on being married to members of The Strokes and Duran Duran, Mario Melchiot (yes, the former Chelsea right-back) on what made him a footballer, and film producer Heather Parry on how her life philosophy was shaped by working Adam Sandler (it’s not that persuasive).
Where to start:Leslie Arfin admits she was sacked as a writer from Brooklyn Nine-Nine;Jon Ronson details his obsessive quest to write sentences that can’t be perfected.
Find out more here.
26.Analyze Phish
The presenters: Scott Aukerman (Comedy Bang Bang) and Harris Wittels (writer on Parks & Recreation, Eastbound & Down).
The gist: Wittels sets himself the Sisyphean task of carrying listeners to the cosmos via the extended jams of Phish – a rock act with a dedicated fan base, but considered an abomination by everyone else. Aukerman is a firm sceptic, eking out an ugly side from Wittels who takes every dig at his favourite band far too personally. Of course, what makes the podcast essential listening is the sharp interplay and intense stubbornness from both sides. Also, it temporarily morphs into Analyze Fish, a discussion show about Jaws.
Where to start: “Phish Live in NY”: Aukerman attends a concert under the promise that he takes acid beforehand; “A Crazy Moment in Phishtory”: Phish fans phone in to argue their case, and end up sounding exactly like you’d expect.
Analyze here.