Who would have thought that in 2014 we’d be smack dab in the midst of podcast’s finest hour? Shows like Serial are redefining people’s ideas about what can be done with the form, while Roman Mars just got nearly 21,000 people to back his ambitious project to expand the breadth of people and perspectives shaping the medium. Why, the delightful smarty pantses over at The Awl are even making fun of the very notion of servicey round-ups like this one here!
Well, joke away, but dozens of new shows are launching every day, and it can be crazy difficult to sort through them all. If you’re gonna let someone yap in your ear for an hour, you should at least make sure they’re saying something good. That’s where we come in: Here’s what’s worth your precious time this week.
Working
David Plotz, host of Slate’s terrific Political Gabfest, recently launched Working (inspired by Studs Terkel’s landmark book of the same name), which interviews people about their jobs—detailing the joys, annoyances, and routines of various lines of business. So far, Plotz has talked to a perfumer, a pastor, an inner city doctor, and … Stephen Colbert. (While there are, like, a million podcast interviews with comedians, I’ve never heard one like this. Colbert offers incredible insight into the mechanics of the daily TV grind). Future episodes will feature chats with a waiter and a porn star. Aw yeah.
All of the interviewees come prepared to speak, and Plotz does a great job getting them to share specifics. It’s this aspect of the show, in fact, that really makes it a success: While the most mundane details of your daily routine might be boring as hell to you, it turns out that the mundane details of a routine you’re not already familiar with can be pretty compelling. Listen here.
Crybabies
Scott Aukerman’s podcast company Earwolf recently launched a sister network, Wolfpop, and Crybabies is one of its better shows—a celebration of the books, films, songs, TV shows, and even commercial jingles that stick with people and have the power to make them weep. Hosts Sarah Thyre and Susan Orlean (yeah, that Susan Orlean) are only one episode in so far, but what a premiere it is: the mighty Christopher Guest (This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show) stops in to talk about improv, directing, and getting actors to cry.
The show’s angle is a clever departure from the “anxiety confessional” format that’s become a podcast cliché. And it gets many props for kicking things off with Rosey Grier’s ode to bawlin’, “It’s All Right to Cry.” There are plenty of songs that make me tear up, but that one always puts a big smile on my face. Listen here.
Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast!
It turns out Gilbert Gottfried is a huge fan of Hollywood history, as well as a master of old-time showbiz arcana. It also turns out that, yes, Gottfried really talks like that—even when he’s just having a low-key chat with a silver screen legend. On Amazing Colossal Podcast, Gottfried and co-host Frank Santopadre interview old-school writers, performers, and show runners about their work and experiences in Hollywood’s golden era. The most recent episode is by far my favorite, thanks to its conversation with “King of the Bs,” Roger Corman—the writer/director behind more than 400 schlocky (and often awesome) low-budget movies that helped launch the careers of many of the film industry’s biggest names. Corman’s an incredible character in his own right and has many a story to share. (For more on Corman, I highly recommend Alex Stapleton’s documentary Corman’s World.) Listen here.
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