I’m a recent convert to podcasts. I’m not brand new to them – in fact, back in 2008 I was addicted to “The Ricky Gervais Show on Guardian Unlimited” and would regularly find myself laughing, tears streaming down my face, as I drove into work each day. When no more new episodes were released, that was the end of listening to podcasts at that time.
Cut to 2018, when I was introduced to “Deck the Hallmark,” which filled a void I didn’t know I had, and I began to seek and find podcasts once again. I thought I’d share a few that have interested me over the past few months.
I should add the caveat that I do not listen to the most popular podcasts out there – I avoid overtly political, overtly crude, overtly dark podcasts. I’m trying to only put good, positive things in my brain in 2019, and arguing politics or hearing about serial killers is not exactly good and positive, IMO.
Deck The Hallmark
This is the one that got the ball rolling, so it makes sense to list it first. Three guys sit around talking about Hallmark movies. Sounds absurd, but it is actually very funny to hear Bran (who loves the movies), Panda (who likes them) and Dan (who despises them) riff on what makes the movies work or not. Despite what you might think, you do NOT need to watch the Hallmark movies to enjoy this podcast. My sister is vehemently anti-Hallmark and yet she loves this podcast (I forced her to listen to a couple episodes on a road trip in November and the guys won her over within the first two episodes).
I had the pleasure of meeting them at their first (and hopefully not last) live show in December and they are just as engaged and fun in person as they are on their podcasts. Watching them occasionally record their sessions live is another fun added perk if you follow them on Facebook.
They are on Patreon and are worth the $5 monthly donation for additional podcast episodes and a fun private Facebook page just for Patreon members.
Seincast
I’m a huge “Seinfeld” fan – the show is heavily quoted in my household even today after all these years. Top quotes heard in our house are:
We live in a society!
The jerk store called and they’re running out of you! (along with the subsequent cry of, “Oh yeah? I heard you were their best seller!”)
Yadda yadda yadda
Oh I mentioned the bisque.
I bought the big salad.
These pretzels are making me thirsty.
The heat! And the ragged clothing!
I have no square to spare (note: I actually say this one at work more than I do at home)
Every now and again I’ll watch an episode or two on the weekends and appreciate how even the episodes I don’t remember well are really good. So of course I would be drawn to a podcast in which every episode is carefully dissected and dished about! The episodes run the gamut on length – some are less than an hour, others are almost 2 hours. But all are worth listening to if you count yourself as a “Seinfeld” enthusiast.
Feathers: Faith in Flight
Started by a friend of mine, Feathers is a great podcast for women of faith looking to connect and hear stories regarding such topics as adoption, motherhood, weathering tough times, or finding your passion. Amy started the podcast in 2015 and is currently gearing up for Season 10. Each week she invites a guest on the show to discuss a topic around their faith, and it is almost always something I needed to hear that week.
You Must Remember This
I am a fan of old Hollywood and have read many, many biographies of classic Hollywood stars such as Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn, Lana Turner, Montgomery Clift and Gloria Swanson, just to name a few. So imagine my delight when I discovered You Must Remember This, a podcast dedicated to the wacky, weird and wild stars of Hollywood. The podcast covers a variety of events such as the origins of the studio system in the 1930s/1940s, the infamous Blacklist of the 50s, and the activists in the 1970s. One word of warning: the narrator of the stories has a very weird cadence at times, and I’ve found the only way to reduce the annoyance of it was to turn up the speed from 1.0x to 1.5x. That helped tremendously to improve otherwise strange narration.
The Good Place Podcast
If you are a fan of “The Good Place” on NBC, then you need to listen to this podcast. Cast members of the show come together to dish on episodes, experiences on set, and the tv biz in general. I really don’t need to say anything more because this show is fantastic and if you aren’t already watching it you need to go immediate to Netflix and binge-watch the entire show up to this point because it is wonderful and witty and awesome in so many ways I can’t even begin to tell you.
David Tennant Does a Podcast With…
He is only two episodes in, but I can already tell from Episode 1 that I am going to LOVE listening to David Tennant’s podcast. His first episode was with Olivia Colman (she the ever divine actor from “Broadchurch,” and “The Favourite” for which she’s been nominated for more than a few movie awards this season). The conversation was personal, affable, natural and fun. You could tell that DT and OC have a true friendship and this led to a wonderful discussion of Colman’s thoughts on her career and success thus far (which she TOTALLY deserves). Episode 2 was just released, and has Whoopi Goldberg as his guest. I have yet to listen to it, but I’m sure it will be just as well done as the first episode.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- Jeff Dye’s Friendship Podcast – the adorable comedian (who some may know from NBC’s “Better Late Than Never”) brings his friends in to hang out and chat. I love Jeff Dye and this is a fun one that I listen to occasionally.
- 80s All Over – if you loved movies as a kid in the 1980s, I suspect you’ll enjoy this podcast that ONLY talks about the movies made in the 1980s!
