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What are your favourite podcasts?
I've been listening to a lot of podcasts recently. What are some of your favourites that you can recommend?
I've been listening to a lot of podcasts recently. What are some of your favourites that you can recommend?
The Adventure Zone is what got me into podcasts. It's hilarious, and I'd highly recommend it. It's three brothers and their dad playing (loosely) D&D. The same brothers also have a great comedy advice podcast called My Brother, My Brother, and Me.
I've also been listening to the podcast version of Critical Role (if you can't tell, I like D&D).
The whole McElroy family of shows are excellent. I've been listening to Sawbones recently after binging on all of TAZ.
I will warn some people that TAZ doesn't start out so great. You should listen from episode 1, but it's a bit of a hard listen for the first three or four episodes. It certainly gets better after that. I'll also warn people who really like the rules of D&D to be open minded. The boys put on a great show, but there are some really silly Calvinball-esque maneuvers which throw all of the rules out the window.
I should also mention Friends at the Table. Very similar to TAZ.
I've yet to branch out to other McElroy content other than TAZ and Monster Factory, but I'll look into giving the other shows a go. My only worry is that my life will be consumed by McElroy shows and I won't have time to watch/listen to anything else, although, that might be a happy fate!
Also, while I agree that TAZ is rough for the first three or four episodes, who could forget Magic Brian or Justin's musings that brought out Takko's character voice.
You do eventually run out of McElroy shows. At that point, I would give Spirits (a podcast about mythology and drinking) a try as well as Penny Arcade's Acquisitions Inc: The C Team.
Both of those podcasts are incredible. I got into The Adventure Zone 'Balance' last summer and spent about two months binging to get caught up. The McElroy's are incredible. I was initially skeptical about 'Amnesty', but my fears have been put to rest and I love it thus far! As for Critical Role, I followed the webcasts for a while and recently discovered the podcasts... needless to say, I've been binging the new season. All the crew does a great job I'm often dumbfounded by how well Matt Mercer DMs. How can he have such an amazing character range while simultaneously keeping on top of the story?
I’ll second TAZ and MBMBAM. I’m a big fan of those good good brothers. I recently drastically reduced my commute time (yay!) but that means much less time for podcasts. The McElroy brothers podcasts easily made the cut
I recently got into Critical Role as well. Mat Mercer does an amazing job as a DM and the others all have really entertaining and cool PCs. I love it. While it's not officially a podcast, I've also been following TeamFourStars D&D streams. I usually just download the audio and listen to them like they're podcasts. Tons of fun.
I've started The Adventure Zone from the beginning yesterday, really enjoying it so far.
I've seen bits of Critical Role, but I just can't get into their sessions the same way. There's such a backlog to catch up on.
The original campaign of Critical Role is brilliant, but if you're having trouble with the backlog, you might want to start with their new campaign. They're only 19 episodes in and it's just as fun as the previous campaign. They occasionally make references to their past characters, like how Sam Riegel, who is playing Nott in the current campaign, doesn't have as high a charisma as his previous character Scanlan; however, it's not at all requisite to watch all of season 1 before watching season 2.
I'll give it a listen, thanks for the tip.
In my experience, the famous podcasts are so for a reason.. I like the usually top rated This American Life, RadioLab, and Moth Podcast, and also Clark Howard Show (for good advice on finances, saving in Roth IRA, 401k, etc -- This would make more sense to US readers here).
Seconded. I've yet to hear an episode of This American Life or RadioLab that hasn't left me in a state of awe. They really do some great work.
I've even gone as far as to change my ringtone to that BoJack Horseman spot by Ira Glass, because I'm a huge dork.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUwx80ECd68
Revisionist History hosted by Malcom Gladwell is always a good listen
The third season is beginning to roll out for anyone not started yet!
I'm surprised to see only a couple of Radiotopia podcasts mentioned.
99% Invisible is a very solid podcast about how design can impact our lives - often the stories are shaped through an architectural / built environment lens, but the show goes many other places as well.
Planet Money is mentioned above but it deserves an additional shout out due to how consistently excellent the show is.
On the Media by WNYC is a podcast about the way that the media and news environment shapes our world. I think the show often manages to highlight weak points in the reporting of mainstream media sources, and point listeners towards a better triage of information and news.
Crime Town was an incredible one season podcast done for Gimlet media, produced by the creators of the HBO documentary The Jinx. It's an in depth oral history and documentary of Providence Rhode Island, organized crime and the reign of republican mayor Buddy Cianci.
If you're into US politics, I do enjoy the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast. There are a lot of fine options in this space, but I appreciate getting into the heads of the 538 team, and I appreciate that their show is often focused on discussing and critiquing the media narrative itself, rather than repeating or rehashing the same coverage that everyone else may be focusing on.
Gimlet media has a few interesting Podcasts. The first season of Startup was amazing. Reply All is one of my favorites (It used to be called TLDR). It talks about internet phenomenon and how they shape the world. Science Vs is super interesting. It pits things like vaccinations, ketogenic diets, even the existence of the "G-Spot" against science to try and find the real answers.
Also, for US politics I do like FiveThirtyEight, but they're experts at polling and things, so in depth talk is rather opinionated (which is why it's interesting to hear them critique it). I actually prefer Slate's Political Gabfest. It's hosted by David Plotz, who's an American journalist who previously worked for the Department of Justice. The other two hosts are David Dickerson who used to host Face The Nation (Now on CBS This Morning) and is also a journalist, and Emily Bazelon who's a (non-practicing) lawyer and journalist, so when there's legal questions you can get a good solid answer. All three are very intelligent, quizzical, and interesting, and they don't always agree with each other which can get pretty hysterical.
99pi is my #2 podcast right after Hardcore History. Just amazing.
Oh boy, here we go. These lists are in alphabetical order:
General
Software Development
Movies, TV
Thanks for the detailed list, I’m especially interested in a good programming podcast. Are there any you would recommend above the others?
It depends on where you are in your career. If you're relatively new I would recommend CodeNewbie because it hits on a wide variety of topics and talks about how people got their start, which can be helpful for making a n00b feel better about their current skill level. If you're further along I would recommend Software Engineering Radio. It doesn't push out episodes very frequently, but they tend to be deep dives from people who've been at it a while. Developer Tea is good for the "soft skills", and Python Bytes is good for staying on top of what's happening in the Python community.
Reply All is a good one that serves as a catch-all for what's going on on the net.
Myth's and Legends is a simple and nice look at various, well, myths and legends, from around the world.
The History of Rome is a retelling of the ENTIRE history of Rome. Much more engaging than it sounds.
The Dollop is...well it can be a lot of fun. Two comedians poke fun at some of the crazier aspects of American History. They really get into some crazy shit that I had no idea happened in this country....but one of the hosts has gotten REALLY political recently and while I'm far from a Trump supporter he really needs to lighten up, because I don't want to listen to a comedic history podcast where half of the comedic duo is angrily ranting about politics.
Hello from the Magic Tavern is a LOT of fun too. Another comedy podcast, featuring an average Joe sucked into a magical fantasy world who decides to interview all the crazy creatures that come into the Tavern that somehow gives him interdimensional wifi. It can be a bit hit or miss sometimes, but when it's good it's really good.
Hardcore History is a great history podcast as well, just don't expect a lot of updates. You might get one or two episodes a year. That being said, those episodes are immaculately researched and can last anywhere from 3-6 hours. He did a 6 part WWI series where each episode was at least 4 hours. Great stuff.
+1 for the dollop. I agree about the political thing - I hate Trump and it's gotten a bit much. I wouldn't suggest anyone let that stop them from listening though. It's primarily just at the start of the episodes - they do podcast ads and one of them is for "talkspace" - a sort of therapist accessibility app where you can talk/text with a therapist whenever you need. One of the hosts always makes it very hardcore about Trump ("Imagine you're a guy who is being investigated and maybe you're a bit stressed out" but way more on the nose and dragged on for like 90+ seconds). The rest of the podcast is only political if the story is political, which is a minority. You can just skip the ad in the beginning. The bit was funny but he does it every single episode and it drags on a bit lol. Mostly the podcast is amazing with a ton of really interesting and tragic stories.
I would second Hello From The Magic Tavern and recommend starting from the beginning with it.
Hardcore History is such a treat to me on long road trips.
If you're looking to spend a few weeks learning about a shitton of revolutions in (mostly) European history, Mike Duncan's Revolutions podcast is very well done. He just got done wrapping up the failed revolutions of 1848 in a nice little bow and that makes his seventh complete revolution narrated. He does the research and script writing himself for his show and is a huge Ancient Rome buff (which is the subject matter of his Bestselling book, which became bestselling on the back of his podcast audience, I suspect).
Anyway it's good, in the sense that if you have any empathy you'll probably end up where I was rocking back and forth despairing about human nature and the seemingly cyclical nature of our relationship with authority and enacting societal change.
I tried really hard to get into Welcome to Nightvale, but I guess I just never got it. It seemed so disjointed and silly. I don't like to criticize things so simply, but it seemed like the epitome of 'teh_random.' Maybe I should have given it more of a chance.
It is wonderfully produced, whoever makes it knows how to make an audio show.
I can't believe My Dad Wrote a Porno hasn't been mentioned yet. It's this guy and two friends (one guy & one gal) and the guy's dad wrote an erotic novel. They listen to it and have a laugh and I'm selling it really badly but it's by far the funniest podcast I know.
I’ve listened to this one a little bit, very funny :)
Can't wait for the next book!
Cum Town, Trashfuture, Your Kickstarter Sucks, Yeah But Still, The Bechdel Podcast, Cult Podcast, Cults, Chapo Trap House, Dumb People Town, Suicide Buddies, Pod Save America(,Pod Save the World, Lovett or Leave it - all three of these are really the same), Resident Advisor Podcast, RA Exchange.
Dumb comedy, dumb socialism, politics, and music are my thing.
edit: also cults. I really like weird cults.
Read it and Weep - Easily my favorite comedy podcast, I've been listening to it for 9 years or so now. Ostensibly it's about bad books and movies, but they act more as a guiding light for the conversation between comedian Alex Falcone and his friends, often other comedians themselves. I don't know what to say except that this is the most hilarious and also deeply comforting podcast I've ever been able to find and I find myself doing relistens to old episodes frequently even though it's a weekly podcast.
The Spodcast (Spoiler Warning Podcast) is the only other thing that I'm currently keeping up with that I'm really invested in. It's an extension of this gaming channel and gives nice in-depth dives into gaming news, what obscure games the hosts have been trying out, etc.
For me, the real appeal of this one comes from having Campster / Errant Signal as a core member, as I believe him to be one of the best video essayists on YouTube and I want to hear his input on everything.
On the topic of old Comedy Podcasts, Stop Podcasting Yourself is really great. It's one of the oldest podcasts around, having started in March of 2008. Very funny show with two comedian hosts who normally bring on another comedian as a guest. The show doesn't really have a concept, it's just a group of people chatting. It's a great show to listen to when you're down because it's very friendly and insanely funny.
I pretty much only listen to 3 podcasts.
The Kidd Chris Show
Mysterious Universe
Dude Soup
This seems like a misuse of the noise tag
Once we have action auditing in place the people who misuse the tags will have their action undone and they will be warned. If they continue to misuse the system they will temporarily (or permanently) lose the ability to tag anything. So just bear with it for now, please... it won't last for long. ;)
I don't generally spend time listening to podcasts, but when I came accross Serial, it was just mind blowing. This medium really does have the ability to connect and get you hooked. If you are the one of the last few who haven't heard Serial.. doo it.
I couldn't get enough of season 1, the Adnan Syed story. I read extras, researched, etc. But I just could NOT get into season 2, the Bowe Bergdahl story, no matter how hard I tried. I never finished season 2.
I loved Season 2, honestly. Something about hearing the story first hand from Bergdahl was very interesting. I also don't know much about the conflicts of the Military or the Middle East, so that for me was interesting.
On the topic of Adnan Syed, I would suggest you get a listen of Undisclosed. It's a fair bit more biased than Serial (It's made by Rabia Chaudry, the lawyer who originally asked Sarah to talk about Adnan), but it lays out so much more information about the case. There is a fair amount of speculation, but the amount of detail is immense. I couldn't get enough of Season 1 too, I've actually listened to it a bunch of times. Undisclosed is even more of that.
I agree 100 percent. I think the original season was just hard to follow up to
Deep State Radio and Radiolab. DSR is a pretty interesting discussion on American foreign policy between some people who are far smarter and more charismatic than me, it's a good listen.
Shit Town was great. Its from the creators of Serial and I can't stop recommending it to people.
Disgraceland: Crime/Music
I really enjoy Planet Money & Freakanomics Radio. The both cover great stories or ideas around finance in a fun way.
Reply All, CBC The Current, CBC As it Happens, NPR Politics
Shit Town melted my face. I felt like I now KNOW the main character.
It's been three months and the Tildes userbase has grown a lot, so I figured I'd revive this post to see if anyone has additional recommendations.
I've started listening to a few podcasts. I tried to listen to Serial, but to be honest, it just didn't captivate me. I tend to enjoy true crime shows, but to me Serial sort of felt like it was dragging out a story. I know Serial is super popular, so there's probably something I didn't get. Maybe someone who likes it could tell me what they like about it? I will add that it had good production quality.
I also started listening to Somehow I Manage (thanks @ras). I'm a huge fan of The Office, so this podcast is perfect for me.
I'm listening to S-Town and it's alright. It's a bit similar to Serial, so I'm not sure I enjoy it that much, but I'm giving it a chance.
I'm currently listening to RABBITS. I love other audio drama podcasts (Limetown <3, The Message, Life After, etc), and this one is equally as enjoyable.
Still listening to other weekly podcasts - Off Topic, CCTV, Rooster Teeth Podcast, Hello From the Magic Tavern, Welcome to Nightvale, and a few others.
Some more unusual ones that I enjoy that I never see mentioned anywhere:
One thing to bear in mind is that Serial really kicked off the current wave of mainstream podcast popularity, so there may be a bit of the Seinfeld Effect in that it might seem old hat compared to more recent podcasts that were influenced by it.
And I wouldn't recommend Season 2 of Serial, at all. You can just skip over it and pretend it doesn't exist, even if you end up enjoying Season 1. It was produced by a film documentarian who really didn't understand how to tell a story with just audio.
S-Town was a tough one for me to finish. I started it, got bored a few episodes in, then came back a few months later and listened to it from the beginning. I would recommend sticking with it, but take that with as many grains of salt as you like because I enjoyed the original Serial.
That's a good point, although for me, I think it's just that I don't enjoy the format as much. I mostly listen to conversational podcasts (a group of funny people talking about random stuff), so that could be why I wasn't as into Serial.
I'm not enjoying S-Town that much, but what's keeping me going is the whole mysterious aspect.
Thanks for the response!
I've recently gotten into audio dramas.
I started with Limetown, and wow. The writing, acting, and production quality was awesome. I really liked this one.
I just finished The Message and Life After. The message was alright, but the production quality in Life After is insane. I'm not sure what to call it, but all the different sounds are perfect to put you in this fictional place, purely with sound.
I also listen to comedy podcasts like Nightvale and Hello from the Magic Tavern, as well as conversational podcasts (Off Topic, Rooster Teeth Podcast, h3h3 Podcast).
The Bright Sessions is a very good audio drama. It's about to finish so there is a lot of great back content, and the team behind the show intends to make even more content. It's a show about a therapist who has very interesting clients. It's a combination of drama, action, mystery, and intrigue. Certainly worth a listen.
Secrets, Crimes, and Audiotape is another really great show. It's not one central story but a collection of live performances. Each story is normally fairly short but they are great. They haven't put out any content in a while, but the content that is there is a great listen. Love Contract is an early episode that is absolutely excellent.
Thanks, I'll make sure to check them out!
We're Alive was a really fun listen, if you like zombie dramas :)
Hello Internet has been my favourite for probably 3 years now. It's just two dudes talking about anything and everything. Hosted by CGP Grey and Dr Brady Haran.
Hello Internet: Two youtubers/friends with opposite personalities that talk about random topics.
Stuff you should know: As the name suggests, two dude talking about random topics.
Lore: "True life scary stories. Each episode examines a new dark historical tale in a modern campfire experience."
Serial: a nonfiction investigative journalism podcast.
The Black Tapes: A fictional investigative podcast.
Game of Thrones podcast w/ Preston Jacobs: Not the most original name but two youtubers that talk about the show, books and other stuff like Westworld since GoT is on a hiatus.
Two more recommendations for you if you're trying to get your GoT fix until 2019:
Cast of Kings was a great GoT podcast. It's with David Chen and Johanna Robinson (she actually covers GoT for Vanity Fair). Johanna has read all the books while David has not, so she offers a lot of insight into things you might have otherwise missed.
Also Game of Thrones - The Podcast by Bald Move was another one I liked a lot. Really well done, and both of the guys were extremely knowledgeable about the story and the world.
Thanks! Ill check them out. I'm always down for more asoiaf content
I like The Joe Rogan Experience sometimes. Some guests are more interesting to me than others - but I really like the format. long, ~3 hours, just conversation with a guest about the stuff they're into, flowing comfortably. Joe is a bit of a butthead sometimes, but he is generally a very good interviewer. I usually watch/listen to it on youtube, but I know it's on itunes as a podcast, and there's probably an rss feed somewhere.
Jordan Peterson has a podcast that seems to be mostly composed of some of the lectures he's given, selected and arranged - though there are interviews in there too. http://jordanbpeterson.com/jordan-b-peterson-podcast/ It's a lot of psychology stuff.
Almost all my favorites have been listed so I'll put down the ones that I regularly enjoy as well and why.
Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel: Feels like a mini therapy session, you kind of realize that most people are dealing with similar problems and hearing her talk with others about their issues helps me apply the suggestions to my life as well.
The Memory Palace: It is one of the few podcasts I listen to without speeding it up or skipping around. Nate writes the episode so it comes across as the sweetest auditory experience I've ever come across. The stories, the presentation, all are just beautiful.
Surprised I haven't seen Stay Tuned with Preet or More Perfect on here. Stay Tuned is my favorite interview podcast--Preet Bharara, a former US Attorney, has some incredible guests on and has a fascinating outlook on current political news.
More Perfect is another podcast from the Radiolab team and examines landmark Supreme Court cases. Really interesting stuff and fantastic production value. My only complaint is that it goes a bit slow sometimes.
I'd also throw in Slow Burn from Slate which goes over Watergate bit by bit from the break-in to Nixon's resignation. Not only is it really great storytelling, but the whole Watergate scandal is an incredibly important piece of American history that most people aren't very informed about. Highly recommend.
CTRL-F More Perfect
How the heck is this so far down the list and the first time it's been mentioned? Even for non-Americans such as myself it is an absolutely fascinating look inside the SCOTUS, their landmark rulings and societal implications.
Eastern Roman Empire = Best Roman Empire! Long live Constantinople (now it's Istanbul)!
Sorry, the Crusader Kings fanboy in me just kicked in. I will definitely be checking that podcast out though, I didn't know it existed and Byzantium is genuinely one of my favorite Empires to read/learn about. So thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Stuff You Should Know can be interesting. My introductory episode was about Sea Monkeys and it blew me away. The way they delve into the feeding tendrils of the topic is oh so satisfying.
I've really been enjoying Stuff You Missed in History Class as well.
Futility Closet is easily one of my favorite podcasts. It's hosted by a married couple who live in the Research Triangle. Each show is a short, but very interesting topic. Topics range from historical events to straight up mysteries. Each show is well produced and every topic is thoroughly researched. Listen to the latest one, but I assure you that you'll come back for more.
Futility Closet also has a website of very similar, also very interesting topics.
Sword and Scale easily rates as one of the best podcasts out there. Mike Boudet hosts a podcast about what he calls The Worst Monsters. It's a true crime podcast that doesn't pull any punches. Any true crime enthusiast will love the show, but it is very hard to listen to at points. It's a very dark show which goes to many dark places. It's given me nightmares, but I always come back for more. Likely the best produced podcast I have ever listened to, in line with Serial and Someone Knows Something.
Android Developers Backstage (I'm an Android
devicedev), The Handsome Rambler with Hannibal Burress (it's an hour of just nonsense comedy, my #1) and wait wait don't tell me (of course).Well, looks like totallynotrobots hasn’t spread to ~ yet, the robots are still openly admitting it here!
Gosh darn autocorrect
Skeptics Guide to the Universe, Star Talk, Bad Astronomy, Lexicon Valley, and Chris Kimball's Milk Street are all the ones I catch every single episode of.
I started listening to Smodco stuff and from there moved over to TESD, I found the guys on TESD (tell em Steve-Dave) are far more relatable than Kev.
and I'll probably end up adding a few from this list
The Way I Heard It by Mike Rowe is really entertaining. He tells short stories about historical figures in a way where it isn't revealed who they are until the very end.
Currently it's been SuperMegaCast and Sleepycabin. SuperMegaCast is just two friends shooting the shit and being funny, while often incorporating guests. I wouldn't recommend it for those who are over 30 as both of them are early 20's and their humor might not stick, but you never know.
Sleepycabin is a podcast comprised of old Newgrounds animators. OneyNG, PsychicPebbles, StamperTV, and SpazKid are most notable. Though JohnnyUtah and Ricepirate join often as well. These guys' humor is of what you'd expect from nearly 30 somethings who have been on the Internet since their teens. Crass, off the wall, vulgar, but hilariois and ridiculous. They all animate so they have wonderful imaginations and senses of humor. These guys' humor is the most abrasives though, so prepare yourself. Their lack of filter is I think what drives me to them most, since I'm sick of how restrictive Internet culture has become
This may be a little outside what you're looking for, but if anyone is here is learning French, I can recommend 'Autour de la question'. It's sort of a documentary/interview. Some recent topics include tracking animals, one about exoplanets, and a world without bees. You get the idea. The actual language isn't simplified in any way, but it's not too fast and it's nice and clear, so pretty good for someone looking to improve their French listening skills.
For film fans (well British ones at least), it doesn't get much better than Kermode and Mayo's film review. Hello to Jason Isaacs!
My wife is a big fan of Buffering the Vampire Slayer, which I think if you were a fan of the show and want a funny recap show that's 20 years late, is about as good as they come. I've heard a few and enjoyed them too.
dan carlin - hardcore history
freakonomics
joe rogan experience
nojumper
the tim ferris show
My regular listens are:
Roderick on the Line - Probably one that takes the most context to understand. It's a weekly conversation between Merlin Mann and John Roderick of the Long Winters. It's silly, extemporaneous, but I just love it.
Hello Internet - Been mentioned several times here, but it's a good one. A lot of the fun is the differences in personality between Brady and CGP Grey.
Reconcilable Differences - Another podcast with Merlin Mann (I've been a big fan of Merlin since all the way back in his 43Folders days). The other host is John Siracusa who was most well known for his encyclopedic reviews of OS X / MacOS for Ars Technica. No one specific topic, they cover all sorts of things.
iFanboy Pick of the Week Podcast- My weekly comic book podcast of choice. It's how I stay up on the comic world without having to spend quite as much time reading.
Somehow I Manage - A podcast about The Office (US). Recently discovered this one and have enjoyed it. The Office is always a show I can put on if nothing else sounds good.
I’m a huge fan of The Office (I’ve rewatched it way too many times), thank you for recommending Somehow I Manage! I just listened to the first two episodes and I love it so far!
So glad I could!
Check out Due by Friday if you like Merlin Mann!
Ha, I didn't want to overload my recommendations with Merlin. I listen to all of his shows.
My favorite podcast is The Jeff and Casey Show. It’s a very general, very grumpy and quite nerdy show that mostly picks one topic or recent newspaper article and discusses it in the most hilariously disrespectful way. Their favorite topic are sex robots.
You might know Casey Muratori from Handmade Hero.
Maybe a bit outside the intent of this question but can anyone actually recommend a good video game podcast? All the major ones seem to be reliant on already enjoying the personalities (Giant Bomb, Game Grumps) but I'd prefer a more informational one if possible.
Late Night Linux is a good listen though it was better when Ikey (of Solus fame) was on it.
I've been listening to Writing Excuses lately. I started with Season 1, so I'm way behind, but it has not only given me some good writing advice, but has motivated me to write more in the first place.
If you're looking to laugh, listen to a couple of dudes with great chemistry and hilarious interpretations, and get silly, I recommend The Babysitters Club Club! It's literally two 30-something year old men who read a Babysitters Club book each week and discuss it. Mind you, this book series was written in the 80's for 13 year old girls - I read all of them when I was a kid. It's a riot (and not creepy at all)!
Due By Friday - Tech Comedy
Keith and the Girl - Comedy, discusses news of the day.
Hello from the Magic Tavern - creative genius, start at the beginning.
The No Agenda Show. Although they have seemed to be a little off track these days.
Like others, I'm fully invested in the whole McElroy thing. MBMBAM is great (loved the tv show too), Adventure Zone is amazing, The Kind Rewind is a lot of fun, Wonderful is my go-to when I need a mood improvement, Sawbones is neat.
I've been listening to Oh No Ross and Carrie lately, they investigate weird stuff and report on it very honestly in a funny and clever way. I just finished their adventures in Scientology and in ayahuasca, both were superb.
Also good: How Did This Get Made. They watch terrible movies and talk about them, and it's always a great time. I almost never watch the movies, it's a lot of fun to view the movie through their eyes.
I saw Macaulay Culkin's AMA the other day where he promoted his new podcast Bunny Ears, I haven't listened to it yet but he gave a great AMA so I have high hopes.
I like listening to podcasts when I am walking or when I have a lot of silent space. For me it is almost like communicating with people, mostly through just listening to their ideologies and point of view, and also as a way to stay up-to-date with new stuff and trends. The podcast that I would love to recommend is Linear Digressions. It is a really fun data science podcast, where two people discuss about the current trends and works related to data science (duh), but in a quite innovative way. The podcast is run by a couple of really good people from Udacity, Katie Malone and Ben Jaffe, and discussions are quite funny to listen to -- while also being really informed and technically sound. I am pretty sure anyone interested in the intricacies of "what is x and how x works?" would love this podcast. And I totally recommend this podcast to anyone who is into data science. I would also like the readers of this post to suggest any related -- funny or technical, or both funny and technical podcasts, because I think this world needs more such intresting podcasts!
My own list:
A super secret awesome bonus: The Dead Author's Podcast. This was a podcast that has unfortunately stopped making new episodes, but it was a weekly improv stage show that was recorded and published in podcast format. The premise is that HG Wells would use his time machine to grab authors from the past, bring them to today, and interview them. Some episodes are better than others, but the podcast as a whole is gold and well worth cruising through their backlog.
Also a radio show, but Fresh Air is excellent. Terry Gross sets the gold standard for interviewing.
Hang Up and Listen from Slate is an excellent "nerds talk about sports" podcast. None of the screaming and yelling of sports talk radio - one of the hosts just competed in a national Scrabble championship.
There's a handful of Vox podcasts I like - The Weeds focuses on policy (as opposed to politics, because to DC people it's a very significant difference); Worldly is similar but focusing on foreign instead of domestic policy; The Ezra Klein Show is interviews, and is hit-or-miss because sometimes it's just Rando Author #3 on a book tour and repeating the same things as I already heard on Fresh Air or elsewhere, but when it's good it's very good; and The Impact which is on hiatus right now but focused on the real-life impact of political policies.
The Dollop is two comedians telling a story from American (usually) history, one who knows the story and the other who's hearing it for the first time. They have a huge back catalog and the shows are all evergreen, so this is one you can easily binge-listen to, not feel bad about skipping one you find boring, etc. If you want to get a feel for them I'd recommend Ten Cent Beer Night and Hippo Importation as two of the best.
Slow Burn started out as a retelling of Watergate, which I found fascinating. They've just started Season 2 and now they're doing the Clinton impeachment, which I'm even more interested in.
If you are looking for scifi, Sayer is great, or if you are looking for spooky/horror, The Magnus Archives is fantastic.
Most of the non-gaming podcasts I listen to have been mentioned, so I'll mention a few of my favorite gaming ones:
The Giant Bombcast - West coast GiantBomb crew's podcast is every Tuesday and done live
The Beastcast - East coast GiantBomb Crew (and CNet's Jeff Bakalar) podcast is every Friday and recorded on the Thursday generally
EZAllies Podcast - The main EZAllies Podcast with a rotating crew other than Brandon Jones and Kyle Bossman, comes out every Friday (Patreon gets it a couple of days early, recorded on Tuesday)
KindaFunnyDaily - The spirtual successor to the PSILoveYou Podcast they had, with a rotating cast of cohosts, covering each days gaming news, available each day Monday through Friday.
If you are interested in apologetics, theology, history, you should check out the Thinking Fellows. They have a roughly one-hour discussion every week about different topics. As a scholar, I find it very interesting, but they are targeted at a broad audience. This here is the proper podcast xml feed.
The second and third English podcast I can recommend (all others I listen to being German) are those of the Long Now Foundation, to be found here. They are both similar in style, one of them featuring seminars, the other one lectures, on different topics of long-term thinking. Both podcasts are published monthly.
Edit: Fixed some typos.