RadioLab
These 'highly produced meditations on weird, obscure subjects' air on WNYC public radio, but thanks to podcasting it's found an international audience. RadioLab is a beautifully produced podcast that presents seemingly innocuous subjects then links them with 'big' ideas about science, philosophy and the human experience. Every month the show jumps onto a theme like color or happiness and is made up of several interview segments. Shorter features of 15 to 20 minute length are released to fill in gaps between full-bodied episodes.
Rebel Force Radio
As the hype train for Star Wars goes into full gear toward the release of Episode VII, hosts Jason Swank and James "Jimmy Mac" McInerney continue to provide news and commentary on all things Star Wars. Fans with a more sensitive threshold for spoilers should know that with spoiler alerts bookend the 15 minutes reserved for discussion of Episode VII. Rebel Force Radio is inclusive, unapologetic and warmly forgiving over some of the most contentious aspects of Star Wars fandom, such as prequels and the EU, but also critical and dives deep into the history of the franchise to provide a colorful and storied perspective of the changing state of Star Wars.
The Indoor Kids
Comedian Kumail Nanjiani and writer/producer Emily V. Gordon continue their beloved videogame podcast in between an increasingly busy career in show business. Unlike other podcasts, which consist of a journalist and a developer saying nothing to each other because of NDAs, Kumail and Emily hang out with geek-relevant famous folk like comedians, game developers and voice actors to laugh about everything in gaming and geek culture. The language and humor can get a little bit NSFW, but it's all in good fun.
The Fourth Player
An Australia-based video games podcast, The Fourth Player takes a look at games, gamers and the business and culture of video gaming. Featuring a cast of industry veterans and devoted fans, The Fourth Player's hosts talk about the games they love, the games they hate, as well as provide a behind-the-scenes look at games publishing, production and PR.
The X-Files Files
Actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani (HBO's Silicon Valley) is a huge X-Files nut and in this podcast he watches almost every episode he can with a variety of actor, writer, comedian guests. Along the way he manages to interview various personalities from the show. Dedication like that was rewarded when Kumail was cast in a guest role in a revival of the X-Files opposite stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny in a miniseries event scheduled for January 2016, proving that dreams do come true.
Welcome to Night Vale
Welcome to Night Vale, a quaint desert town in the middle of nowhere, where the skies are crowded with strange lights and the black helicopters of the World Secret Government, and the news is filled with the weird, the eldritch, and the mundane everyday life of a small town in the middle of much strangeness. The podcast takes the form of the town's local radio show, broadcasting news of runaway angels, announcements from the Sherrif's Secret Police, and advertisements for Big Rico's Pizza. Equally weird and hilarious, Welcome to Night Vale is a joy to listen to.
Freakonomics
Freakonomics authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner examine anything and everything with their signature critical eye and insight. From the economics of sleep, the mechanics of suspense, what we can learn from competitive eating, and more, Freakonomics Radio challenges listeners to think like freaks about their lives and the world around them.
Stuff You Should Know
Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant host this podcast from the HowStuffWorks network. Stuff You Should Know is one of the older podcasts on this list and it goes into the minutiae of the kind of topics that will help you start conversations anywhere or at least sound like a total smartass. Episodes range from "That Time Nazis Invaded Florida," to "Why is Venice So Wet." The conversational tone of this podcast makes you feel like you are hanging out with well-informed friends with a real sense of curiosity than a know it all professor lecturing you.
Three Moves Ahead
Established nearly five years ago by game developer Troy Goodfellow, this podcast explores strategy and war games, talking design issues and relating game design to the wider world. You'd think a podcast about these subjects would devolve into a bunch of salty old grognards talking about hexes and action economy for hours, but instead Three Moves Ahead is a revelation. Together the hosts provide an illuminating look at how war games and strategy have informed gaming culture as a whole.
Working
Slate asks Americans from all walks of life on how they do their jobs. From club doormen to matchmakers, customs worker to bail bondsmen, Slate wants to know all about the routine of everyone's working day. The first season featured David Plotz of travel site Atlas Obscura as host. In his words, "All jobs have glamorous parts and dreary parts. I asked my subjects to tell me about everything. Who even knew there was a boring part of being a porn star?" Adam Davidson of NPR's Planet Money serves as host for the second season.
99% Invisible
A podcast that might exist solely for you to bone up on the kind of winning information that'll make you a hit at cocktail party games and on trivia night. Host Roman Mars looks at the unseen and overlooked aspects of design, architecture and activity in the world, whether it's the clicking noises of telephones, the technosocial effects of the Billiards age, the social impact of cul-de-sac or the cultural significance of challenge coins. Each episode focuses on a single topic of design, often including interviews with architects, experts or people who have been influenced by it.
How Did This Get Made
We've all seen a movie so bad that it's almost amazing. But the question we don't frequently ask ourselves is "How did this get made?" Actors Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas rewatch some terrible movies and try to answer this question. But this isn't a podcast about tearing down bad films, instead it's about asking with honesty and sincerity the questions that uncover the perplexing yet entertaining quirks of film making. A great look at how business and art can defy common sense.
Nerdist Writer's Panel
Screenwriter Ben Blacker takes an 'inside baseball' look at writing for popular arts with guests from the worlds of comics, TV and film. Over the course of just a few episodes, listeners are treated to insights on how different showrunners, writing rooms and networks operate. The guests usually come in groups of three or more, which ensures that each episode has a diverse set of credits to compare experiences. Blacker is skilled at keeping the panel going and doesn't shy away from professionally sensitive topics.
The Thrilling Adventure Hour
Performed live, monthly in Hollywood, various talents gather together under the direction of Ben Acker & Ben Blacker to create an original adventure tale in the style of an old-time radio show. The Thrilling Adventure Hour is basically a celebration, not a throwback, of a bygone era when adventure and action was heard and not seen. The performances are earnest and spirited, rather than deprecating. Some of the best running ideas include, 'Sparks Nevada, Marshall of Mars,' 'Desdemona Hughes, Diva Detective' and 'The Cross-Time Adventures of Colonel Tick Tock.'
The Canon
This podcast is named after that nebulous concept which cineastes like to refer to when describing a definitive list of the greatest films of all time. BadAss Digest's Devin Faraci and LA Weekly's Amy Nicholson take on a broad range of ostensibly great films like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show, " "Goodfellas," "Do The Right Thing" and "Blade Runner" and argue the heck out of them to decide whether these films really do belong in the canon. Plus, they discuss the occasional head-to-head matchups like Alien vs. Aliens.
James Bonding
Comedian Matt Mira loves James Bond so much he decided to make a podcast about it. Together with actor/writer Matt Gourley, he invites a guest to dive deep into one movie from what they describe as the greatest film franchise known to man. Whether or not you're a Bond enthusiast, you'll appreciate the ensuing hilarity of picking apart one of the longest running movie series of all time.
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