The comedy podcast universe is ever expanding, not unlike the universe universe. We’re here to make it a bit smaller, a bit more manageable. There are a lot of great shows and each has a lot of great episodes, so we want to highlight the exceptional, the noteworthy. Each week our crack team of podcast enthusiasts and specialists and especially enthusiastic people will pick their favorites. We hope to have your ears permanently plugged with the best in aural comedy.
The Steven Brody Stevens Festival of Friendship - Brody Does A Set At The Comedy Store
Pablo: After an absence of six months, Brody Stevens has finally brought his manic #PositiveEnergy back to podcasting on a regular basis. On this week’s Festival of Friendship, Stevens revisits the format of episode #61 by recording his night at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood. Like pretty much any night at the Store, the stars are out in force as Stevens interviews Sarah Silverman and David Spade about their vastly different experiences on Saturday Night Live. But they’re not the only Not Ready for Prime Time Players around, as Leslie Jones gets in a quick chat about her and Brody’s early years in the New York comedy scene. Stevens also gets his balls busted by Tony Hinchcliffe and booker Adam Eget before talking to Pete Cornacchione about his victory in a Roast Battle that got another comedian banned for six months. To top it all off, the episode concludes with a solid 15 minute set by Stevens, showcasing his gifts for crowd work.
To The Manor Borne By Robots - I Smell Burning Hair
Marc: It’s great discovering new entries to Podcastland, particularly those that push the boundaries of what we get to hear. While To The Manor Borne By Robots is largely comedy-flavored, it is also by turns social commentary, science fiction, mystery, and intrigue, with a helping of noir narrative ladled over the top. The overarching story involves a horrible monster, The Beast, who comes to Earth in the 25th century, bent on humankind’s destruction. It turns out this creature can be lulled to sleep by telling it stories and therein lies the hook: Each episode features a stand-alone story that’s ostensibly being read to The Beast, but these stories also fill in the blanks between our present time and the age where Earth gets ravaged. Episode 3’s story, for example, deals with near-future technology that can take over and “drive†people like you would pilot a drone. Laced around these elements is a half-human cyborg from the future that has switched places with his 21st century ancestor in an attempt to discover the origins of The Beast and stop it before it can wreak havoc. This is one of the most layered 50 minutes of podcasting I’ve ever heard. Employing decent writing and great voice acting, the show is the brainchild of John Eder from Los Angeles and I find it very compelling
Truth and Iliza -Â Dave Coulier
Leigh: For people of a certain age, seeing Dave Coulier is the guest on a podcast means an immediate download. Pair that with the consistently excellent Truth and Iliza and you’re in for a treat. And to be clear, that’s non-Canadian comedian Dave Coulier, as host Iliza Shlesinger points out. Shlesinger asks him about being a clean comic. Coulier responds by explaining it wasn’t really something he chose to do, it’s just that he thinks hand farts are funnier than F bombs. Don’t agree? Just listen to the two of them play a game called “celebrity wind†where they guess what Tyra Banks, Guy Fieri, Giada De Laurentiis and William Shatner’s farts sound like. I can’t confirm this, but I assume they’re pretty accurate. They also cover getting yelled at by someone else’s parents, IHOP commercials, and how Coulier met his wife. If you’re worried I haven’t brought up Full House yet, relax. Not only is there the story of how Coulier first met Bob Saget, but when Shlesinger does a Joey Gladstone impression, they share a moment that will make every ‘90s kid jealous.
Professor Blastoff - Trauma with Whitney Cummings
Elizabeth: Whitney Cummings joins Tig, Kyle, and David to talk trauma on this week’s Professor Blastoff. She shares her experiences with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy, seeing a trauma therapist, and going to Al-Anon. It’s a super honest episode with everyone discussing about how they got through their personal traumas and issues and how it has made them live better lives today — from not talking shit about people to enjoying the simple things like watching a dog run through a yard, prompting Whitney to remark, “This is like in sci-fi movies when the robots get feelings.†Tig also tries to force a love connection between Whitney and Kyle, which doesn’t seem to stick. But if Nasim Pedrad appears on an upcoming episode, we’ll know why.
Other Podcasts We’re Listening To:
You Made It Weird - Ellie Kemper
Ronna & Beverly - Eugene Cordero
Sklarbro Country - Sheer Volume of Hookers
Doug Loves Movies - Broken Lizard
If I Were You - Strangling w/Jon Wolf
The Blank Planet - The Sacred Clown
Pablo Goldstein is a writer from Los Angeles, CA.
Elizabeth Stamp is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York.
Marc Hershon is host of Succotash, the Comedy Podcast Podcast and author of I Hate People!
Leigh Cesiro is a writer living in Brooklyn who only needs 10 minutes to solve any Law & Order: SVU episode.