I like podcasts and listen to many different ones, but it seems that the ones that I actually look forward to are few and far between. Here are a few recent additions to the rotation:
- Extra Hot Great – This has been my favorite recent discovery, and over the past couple months, I think I’ve burned my way through their entire archive (80 episodes, plus a crapton of “Mini” episodes). Great personalities and commentary, a solid format with some inventive segments, and plenty of fun. A typical episode starts with a quick discussion of a recent TV series or movie (incidentally, tons of spoilers, so be forewarned), followed by some miscellaneous segments (my favorites being “I am not a crackpot” where people lay out their crackpot ideas, and “The most awesome thing I saw on television this week” in which Kim Reed gives a hysterical plot summary of the most ridiculous shows that she apparently watches a lot of), and then The Canon, in which someone presents a single television episode for induction into the Extra Hot Great Canon. The Canon is a surprisingly well rounded affair, with lots of variety and really in-depth discussions. The folks on the podcast are actually quite discerning in their judgement, and it’s always interesting listening. Each podcast ends with a “Game Time” segment, during which you realize that these people know way more about television than you (or, well, me). It’s more television focused than my usual preferred podcasts, but I love it anyway. Very fun and interesting stuff. Highly recommended!
- Onion AV Club Reasonable Discussions – The Onion somewhat recently revamped their podcast and it was really great. They discuss music, movies, and television, and they’re usually pretty insightful folks. They don’t quite have a big format like Extra Hot Great, but it’s still an interesting podcast. Alas, they seem to be on something of a hiatus right now (no podcast in about a month). I hope they do bring it back though, as it was solid.
- Slate’s Culture Gabfest – I think this might be the most pretentious thing I have ever heard, but it’s actually pretty approachable, even if they sometimes let loose with a massive wave of elitist snobbery from time to time. I probably disagree with them more often than not, but they tend to tackle interesting subjects from week to week. Another podcast without formally defined segments, but they usually have three culturally significant things to discuss, and end every episode with an “endorsement” of something they enjoyed during that week.
That’s all for now….