The Podcasts You Need to Listen to This Week

SO MANY PODCASTS. My phone’s about to cave in under the weight of all the shows I’ve downloaded but haven’t listened to yet. Even so, we here at WIRED are always on the lookout for more. Got any great recommendations? Please leave ’em in the comments of this post, or just tweet them at me. In the meantime, here are three shows I’ve been loving lately.

Reply All

The Internet is made up of a lot of stuff: ideas, memes, companies, and awesome weirdos. This podcast covers them all; launched in November as part of the Gimlet Media network, it’s the strongest and most entertaining new show I’ve heard. Clocking in at a nice, brisk 20 minutes, the show examines stuff like the world of domain name speculators, an app that wants to be “Instagram for doctors” (medical professionals use it to share case photos with each other), and Larry Shippers—the One Direction megafans/conspiracy theorists who believe 1D’s Louis and Harry are in a secret romantic relationship. Listen here.

Call Chelsea Peretti

For the past couple of years, comedian, writer, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-star Peretti has masterminded this loose, funny, freeform call-in podcast. As Peretti’s schedule has gotten busier, her show has become more sporadic, but recent episodes have been great. Her interactions with callers are mostly unscripted (and many of the callers are far from professional radio personalities), so the podcast comes off as part improv comedy, part old-school AM radio. It’s sarcastic, silly, strange, and a lot of fun. Listen here.

Death, Sex & Money

Longish conversation-based podcasts are my jam. For whatever reason, I find it therapeutic to listen to people talk about the trials, triumphs, mistakes, and decisions that have helped them move ahead. On her terrific WNYC show, Anna Sale interviews celebrities and regular folks alike about some of life’s touchiest subjects, trading on her innate gift for getting people to open and up and share intimate details. Her guests’ stories reveal personal joys and pains, and you always feel privy to a greater understanding of the survival tactics that help people persevere. Listen here.