I’m getting close to the bottom of my backlog on a few podcasts, so I’m looking to get something new in there.
Personally, it’s been, in no particular order:
- If Books Could Kill
- Darknet Diaries
- Hard Fork
- 99% Invisible
- The War on Cars
- The Urbanist Agenda
- The Climate Denier’s Playbook
- Well There’s Your Problem
I’m mildly considering getting into Behind the Bastards and It Could Happen Here, but I’m a little bit skeptical on account of how damn much there is to be listened to in their feed.
I love Behind The Bastards and It Could Happen Here. They do have significant episode counts. BtB does a great and looooooong series on Henry Kissinger that I think is a prime example of what you are going to get. If you listen to that one and don’t enjoy, I would move on from them.
No Such Thing As A Fish!
From the makers of BBC’s “QI,” a (nearly) endless collection of useless facts that will not change your life, but will make you more fun to talk to at parties. Not that you go to any parties.
Anna from No Such Thing as a Fish recommended an Australian podcast called Smart Enough to Know Better years ago and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying both since. And I would say if you get the opportunity to see No Such Thing as a Fish live go for it. They are excellent live.
I just figured out I can see my own playback stats. For this year, my top ten in order of most played:
- Last Podcast on the Left
- Behind the Bastards
- Harmontown
- Hardcore History
- Wizard and the Bruiser
- That Happens
- The Bugle
- State of the World, NPR
- Hood Politics with Prop
- The Rest is Politics
I think I like your list better.
I listen to these podcasts at work
- Unfuck the Republic (unftr)
- Behind the Bastards
- The Deprogram
I also like to listen to news, video essays, and speeches while working. It helps keep the variety up. Something else to consider is getting a library card to checkout audiobooks on some streaming apps
It Could Happen Here is often talking about what’s going on that week in the world. I wouldn’t try to listen to their whole backlog, but I usually catch an episode or two a week.
Behind the Bastards is great. Since I found it (Summer 2020, I’d reckon), I’ve listened to most of what has come out since.
Cool People who did Cool Stuff is a sort of spin off of btb. Deep dives on people and movements who were resisting the bastards. It’s only been going on a couple of years, so the backlog is more manageable if that’s your thing.
I listen to Past Times on the Dollop feed most weeks. The Dollop is another deep dive history podcast. On Past Times, they read headlines and articles from different newspaper every week. Usually from the late 19th through early 20th century, but they’ve gone as far back as the 1600s.
Anything by Jamie Loftus is great. She’s mostly done short run things on a single topic. She’s on the Bechdel cast, too which I listen to occasionally.
You might enjoy The Deprogram, which has a less daunting backlog.
I want to like Cool People who did Cool stuff, but the way information is presented by Margaret almost reads (listens?) like fiction storytelling. I appreciate the source quotes and media critiques of BtB which the few episodes of CPWDCS I’ve listened to didn’t really have.
- Where things fell apart
- Conan O’Brien needs a friend
The Cool Zone people do put out a ton of content, I don’t know how they do it. I commute and hour each way to work, and between Behind the Bastards and It Could Happen Here, that gets me through almost the whole week.
I know they all have other shows now too. I have listened to Margaret Killjoy’s Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff a few times now as well. It’s like BtB, but more like the BtB Christmas Special where it focuses on people that have tried to make positive changes instead of the villains. It’s nice to have the same quality content but with a somewhat positive spin.
If you want to get into it without it taking up all your time, see if Robert’s or Margaret’s topic is something that really looks good, or if it doesn’t you can check out ICHH, which is split up into segments anyway and you can enjoy that in smaller portions.
Besides those, I enjoy Threedom (comedy show with Scott Aukerman of Comedy Bang Bang, Paul F Tompkins who was Mr Peanutbutter on Bojack Horseman, and Lauren Lapkus of Jurassic World, OitnB, and a ton of other things), How I Built This with Guy Raz, and Planet Money from NPR.
I was never a podcast person until I listened to Otherworld. It gives a platform to people to tell their paranormal stories without sensationalism or judgement. They cover a wide range of topics from hauntings to cryptids to aliens. Really cool stuff even if you’re a skeptic
I’ll always recommend Blowback. Specially season 3. Death to America.
Global public square by Fareed Zakaria.
Pivot by Kara swisher and Scott Galloway
On Point.
Freakonimics.
99% invisible.
Been going through Behind the Bastards and I enjoy it a lot. I started from the beginning which was excellent for understanding some of the memes and ongoing jokes.
I skip the “It Could Happen Here” episodes personally because they are very long and tend to bring me down, but they’re also really good and they really highlight the vulnerabilities of contemporary systems of government.
I’m fully in the Nick Weiger podcast universe so I listen to:
- Doughboys
- Doughboys Double
- Get Played
- Get Played Season Pass
Which are all comedy podcasts with similar people appearing. They’re about chain restaurants, random side bullshit, Video Games, and Anime respectively. Then I also listen to:
- Quick Question with Soren and Daniel
- The Film Reroll
Which is a podcast by 2 former cracked writers which is the only reason people listen to them and a podcast about playing through movies as role playing games
Film Reroll is a top-tier AP podcast.
If you like them, check out Dungeons and Daddies; it has a similar energy. I wish they’d guest on each other’s shows!
The only reason I listen to Film Reroll is because it’s about movies. I don’t even listen to all of them, just movies I know will be fun/I’ve seen. Fifth Element, Mighty Ducks, Aliens, Last Action Hero, and Memento (which was incredibly cool how they did it) are the ones I’ve listened to since 2020.
Something about actual play just irritates me, especially for D&D. I’d just rather play myself
Oh sure, I just think there’s some overlap because the cast on Dungeons & Daddies are all filmmakers themselves so they go for more of a cinematic presentation than any other D&D podcast I’ve heard.
Personally I wouldn’t play D&D again because it’s not my kind of system, but they don’t waste your time like other AP podcasts I’ve tried.
But hey if it’s not your thing, no big deal; it’s kind of a nice thing to know about yourself.
- Tosh Show
- Talking Counter
- HLTV Confirmed
Sometimes listen to
- The Daily
- StarTalk
- Behind the Bastards
I’ve been loving Tosh Show. His guests are way more interesting than listening to comedians talk to comedians all the time. Don’t have any kids, so I find the bedtime stories at the end hilarious as well.
https://www.theblindboypodcast.ie
Hosted by Blindboyboatclub, who is an artist and author. An eclectic podcast containing short fiction, interviews and comedy.
The only podcasts I listen to are the unexpectables ones. I don’t even really like DND but MontyGlu is an amazing voice actor and role player… Like you can tell she genuinely cares for her NPCs and can tell the differences in characters from the nuisance of her characters and the candor in which they speak. I haven’t had much luck finding that else where. And that’s ignoring the fantastic world she has built for her players.
WARK.
