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.
You Made It Weird - Michael Che
Elizabeth: This week Pete Holmes is joined by SNL writer and Weekend Update co-anchor Michael Che, who has always wanted to be on the podcast, even though he has never listened to it. Much of the conversation is focused on the importance of being driven by the work, and not being satisfied. They talk about the comedians who influenced and mentored them and Michael recalls Chris Rock telling him, “If you’re going to make a special, make a special. Don’t make a normal.†Michael also tells Pete about studying fine art at LaGuardia High School (where the girl to guy ratio was 6:1), growing up in the Lower East Side in an apartment without doorknobs (“gloryholes with no gloryâ€), and his experience doing edibles in Egypt. They talk a lot about life at SNL—from the challenge of finding your voice on Weekend Update to the difference between live sketch comedy and shows like Inside Amy Schumer and Key & Peele. And if you enjoy Michael’s story about Prince’s appearance at the SNL40 afterparty and the resulting catchphrase, you’re in luck—you can purchase a t-shirt bearing the saying on Pete’s website.
Nerdist Writers Panel - Kay Cannon
Leigh: You know what it’s like when sometimes Tina Fey will call you up and ask you to help write something? Or when she wants to see a script you’ve been working on? Well, Kay Cannon does. So for the rest of us there’s this week’s episode of Nerdist Writers Panel. Cannon sits down with host Ben Blacker to talk about what it was like writing on 30 Rock, Baby Mama, making the transition from performer to writer, how she approaches pitch meetings, and writing the Pitch Perfect movies, among other things. The episode was recorded the day after the Pitch Perfect 2 premiere and I dare you to not to feel all kinds of feelings when Cannon tells the story of going to the premiere of What Happens in Vegas and seeing the writer get to experience seeing her name on the screen and having her friends cheer, and then getting to experience that for herself. As always, Nerdist Writers Panel is a great resource for any and every writer. Cannon shares advice for new writers and lessons she’s learned along the way, the most important of which, feeling like you’re going to throw up isn’t always a bad thing.
The John Dredge Nothing To Do With Anything Show - Series 4, Episode 1
Marc: In a podcast world of longform interviews and multi-voiced chatterings, The John Dredge Nothing To Do With Anything Show is a long-titled breath of fresh air. This week kicks off the fourth season of the show — it’s from England and, similar to BBC television, each season is just six episodes – and this round should prove to be every bit as bizarre as all the rest. The host and creator, John Dredge, is a comedy actor and writer who puts a lot of focus on the high production value of a show that — from top to bottom every episode — makes very little sense beyond the maniacal workings of its own twisted internal logic. There are teasers for other shows that don’t exist, snatches of audio sketches that pick up midway through from an earlier episode you don’t remember hearing, advertisements, ramblings by the host, and drop-ins from a huge cast of guests that barely get a word in edgewise, including Anna Emerson, Greg Haiste, James Shakeshaft, Max Dowler, Will Franken, Anil Desai, Miles Eady, Katy Slater, Mark Davison, and a lemon meringue pie. From my exposure and contact with Dredge, I think I prefer to regard him as one of the great “experimental comedians†along the lines of Andy Kaufman and Sacha Baron Cohen. There are some very funny YouTube videos he’s put up that are quite Pythonesque in their style, which is another way to think about the style of the podcast — it’s a bit of audio Monty Python in the way it comes together. The ending for the first episode this season even announces itself by ringing a doorbell before entering. And, at a half hour or less an episode, it’s a show that always leaves you wanting more.
Hollywood Handbook - Brian Huskey, Our LIVE Friend
Pablo: When Jurassic World snatched the mantle of Highest Grossing Movie of All Time away from Teen Pope, you knew it was only a matter of time before Sean Clements and Hayes Davenport started working on a sequel and/or gritty reboot of the franchise. But I didn’t expect them to have a finished shooting draft ready for a table read in only two weeks. With the help of co-writer/co-star Brian Huskey, Pope Attitude is back and ready to show all those stodgy Cardinals and Bishops that he gives zero effs about their lame ass traditions! However, it’s not all smooth sailing; the episode almost gets problematically derailed when Huskey uses “annoying†around Hayes without giving a trigger warning (note: I write annoying instead of “the a-word†because our Everybody Gets A Trophy culture is already too P.C. for my tastes). But we’re dealing with pros here, so everything quickly gets back on track. Huskey even shuts down Sean’s bit about Brazilians speaking Portuguese to concentrate on a pivotal love scene between soccer legend Ronald and Pope Attitude. Between that scene and the teen Pope’s circumcision-by-scimitar, the Academy is going to have a tough time deciding where they get their Best Actor clip for Sean’s eventual nomination. But they’ll know one thing: If you want to make God laugh, listen to Sean and Hayes.
The Seánpod - #146
Kaitlynn: Hello and welcome to The Seánpod, hosted by comedian and generally hilarious man: Seán Cullen. You may recognize that signature voice and singing style from his long standup career, being a finalist in season 6 of Last Comic Standing or guesting on other podcasts such as Doug Loves Movies. If you’re Canadian like myself, you would have seen him on the CBC, acting on television or from general pop culture life. The podcast is a comedy musical mix with rambling improvised songs and monologues. Recorded live at the Comedy Bar in Toronto, Seán hosts the show with fellow comedian Mark Edwards at his side. It’s hard to review each episode because they are so gosh darn silly and totally fun. No one can improvise songs about the most random ideas (although perhaps Wayne Brady deserves an honourable mention). The live recordings aspect is a rare treat for most podcasts that broadcast from a closet-like space. Listen and you’ll love it because it’s pure enjoyment for your ear holes.
Other Podcasts We’re Listening To:
Sklarbro Country - Joe DeRosa, James Adomian
Lil’ Cuties - The Lil’ Cuties Meet Allie Ward
Truth and Iliza - Greg Longstreet
Ronna & Beverly - Louis Peitzman
Weird Adults with Little Esther - Chelsea Peretti
Grabbing Lunch - Taylor Williamson & Josh Fadem
How To Be Amazing with Michael Ian Black - Amy Schumer
Never Not Funny - Nikki Glaser
Kill Me Now with Judy Gold - Rachel Feinstein
The Late Show Podcast - We Haven’t Actually Informed the Audience That Much
Got a podcast recommendation? Drop us a line at [email protected].
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.
Pablo Goldstein is a writer from Los Angeles, CA.
Kaitlynn E-A Smith is a writer/creator and (somehow) MA fashion grad, born and living in Toronto.