Please recommend some podcasts

November 22, 2006 4:42 PM

What other podcasts can you recommend? I need to find more distraction for my hour-long commutes; I love podcasts, but I'm not finding enough that are well done and interesting.

Right now, my favorite podcasts are: Australia Broadcasting's "All in the Mind"; the short fiction in Escape Pod and PseudoPod; Filmspotting; On the Media; and some of the 'casts about shows I watch (Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who). I like shows about half an hour to an hour long, with pretty good production values (ie not necessarily radio-professional, but not guy-in-basement-with-cheap-mike-and-crying-baby either).

I'd appreciate any suggestions as to others I might enjoy!

posted by TochterAusElysium to media & arts (32 comments total)

This American Life
posted by dendrite at 4:46 PM on November 22, 2006

There are a few good ones from CBC Radio: I like "Ideas" and "The Current." "Open Source" is also pretty good - I don't remember who puts it out but I found it on iTunes.
posted by arcticwoman at 4:57 PM on November 22, 2006

NPR's "All Songs Considered" is pretty great, too.
posted by arcticwoman at 4:58 PM on November 22, 2006

Previously.
posted by chickletworks at 5:07 PM on November 22, 2006

If you're into poker you'll like CardPlayer's The Circuit. If you're not then you probably won't.
posted by ODiV at 5:09 PM on November 22, 2006

Eat Feed
The MacCast
posted by pretzel at 5:18 PM on November 22, 2006

Life of a law student. If you're interested in the law at all.
posted by cschneid at 5:22 PM on November 22, 2006

The BBC (specifically Radio 4 and the World Service) has several excellent podcasts, as does the CBC.

Mostly I listen to documentaries and interview shows -
such as "The Best of As it Happens" (a favorite when I was in Canada - I just wish I could get the whole thing in podcast), From Our Own Correspondant and Dispatches (both correspondant/short documentary type shows), File on 4 and Documentary Archive (longer format, though in 1/2 hour segments), Quirks and Quarks (best science journalism on radio).

I also listen to Toronto this week, but I'm from there, so local politics and events are interesting. That said, I'm not from the North, but I found listening to The North this week fascinating, because it was so different from any thing I've ever known.

I sometimes have to do some really boring data-entry as part of my work, and end up listening to hours of podcasts - these keep me interested and give me variety.
posted by jb at 5:28 PM on November 22, 2006 [2 favorites]

Christopher Lydon's Open Source is quite good.
posted by tristero at 5:37 PM on November 22, 2006

I love love love the Ricky Gervais shows featuring the inimitable Karl Pilkington.
posted by stavx at 6:14 PM on November 22, 2006

There are numerous complete semester-long college courses that are podcast.
posted by orthogonality at 6:42 PM on November 22, 2006

Quirky Nomads
posted by Bighappyfunhouse at 6:52 PM on November 22, 2006

NPR's list is here. Besides On the Media, which you already mentioned, my public radio list contains:
- On Point with Tom Ashbrook (two one-hour shows per day on a host of interesting US-focused topics; one of the best radio talk shows out there IMO)
- Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac
- Robert Reich commentaries from Marketplace
- Driveway moments (kind of a "greatest hits" package from Morning Edition and All Things Considered)
- It's All Politics - very witty and geeky podcast-only show featuring NPR's political analysts
- Talk of the Nation Opinion Page - every Monday they get an author of a Sunday newspaper op-ed to discuss it and take calls
- Justice Talking - a legal-affairsy/contemporary issues in the law type show
- Diane Rehm Show Friday News Roundup
- Wait Wait Don't Tell Me
- This American Life

Some non-NPR options available as audio feeds are: Bill Maher's HBO show Real Time; Democracy Now; Ebert & Roeper; all the Sunday news shows including Meet the Press, Face the Nation, and ABC This Week; the Andy Rooney commentaries from 60 Minutes.

If you are a fan of OTM, there are other media-navelgazing shows with feeds such as CNN's Reliable Sources and WGBH's Beat the Press (the latter is Bostoncentric, but it's a damn good show nonetheless.)

Yeah, I take this a little too seriously.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 7:03 PM on November 22, 2006 [2 favorites]

i listen to keith and the girl religiously
posted by dawdle at 7:07 PM on November 22, 2006

almostliveradio.com
posted by JamesMessick at 7:23 PM on November 22, 2006

This isn't particularly like anything else you mention, but I too am a fan of Dr. Who and OTM and I love The Sound of Young America, hosted by Jesse Thorn, America's Radio Sweetheart.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:25 PM on November 22, 2006

ABC Radio National has some fine shows available as podcasts. I reccomend "All In The Mind", "The Science Show" and "The Night Air".
posted by Jimbob at 7:29 PM on November 22, 2006

ABC Radio's Hindsight for Australian history that's interesting for non-Australians (at least 75% of the time.) (about an hour long)

BBC's In Our Time for a panel of Really Officially Smart People talking about things that you should probably know about but (if you're like me) don't. (about 40-45 minutes)
posted by jessenoonan at 8:08 PM on November 22, 2006

Most of the podcasts I listen to have already been namedropped. But I also listen to these:

Studio 360, a PRI arts program. Somewhat hit or miss, but has some great interviews with people who rarely get national attention.

The Changing World, produced by the BBC and distributed by PRI. Each program is divided into two 25 minute podcasts.

The World: Technology Very little reporting on geek toys, if that's what you were hoping for. Mostly covers deeper issues of technology, such as environment and society. Program length depends on what the BBC and PRI affiliates have generated that week, but averages between 25 and 45 minutes per show.

On Words by the late John Ciardi. These are from NPR's archive of his weekly commentary on word history and meaning that ran in the late 70s/early 80s. Each is about five minutes long, which helps pad out the fifty minutes most public radio programs run in podcast form.
posted by ardgedee at 8:18 PM on November 22, 2006

Seconding ABC Radio National, with a recommendation for Late Night Live.
posted by flabdablet at 8:28 PM on November 22, 2006

I just wanted to second NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me," which if you haven't heard it, is a current-events humor and quiz show. The only downside is that it's only produced once a week, so it'll really only help you for one day's commute.

If only "Car Talk" was available as a free podcast...
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:57 PM on November 22, 2006

Too many great answers to mark best; thank you again, folks! This will ensure hours of happy ears.
posted by TochterAusElysium at 10:32 PM on November 22, 2006

Joe Fucking Frank. Please.
posted by dhammond at 12:05 AM on November 23, 2006

if you're looking for BBC Stuff, I'd also recommend the podcast Mark Kermode's film reviews. He's a very erudite critic, but it's funny too - only prob is that since you're in the US, he may not be reviewing the right stuff at the right time.
posted by Sifter at 12:52 AM on November 23, 2006

Skeptics Guide
Le Show
Fightworks
posted by the cuban at 2:42 AM on November 23, 2006

I'll second The Sound of Young America.

Semi-related and also recommended if you like weird comedy, is the Kasper Hauser Comedy Podcast. [Check out Episode 1: "Phone Call to the 14th Century"] Not strictly audio, though.
posted by GS1977 at 2:49 AM on November 23, 2006

I've been a fan of Astronomy Cast as an offshoot of the original Slacker Astronomy. Some shows are better than others. Although its been less astronomy news and more weekly commentary on the state of astronomy in regards to this or that theory.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 8:57 AM on November 23, 2006

The Posithink Podcast. But I'm biased (it's mine). Yes it's a plug, but every podcasters needs listeners and feedback in order to evolve.

Direct iTunes link (iTunes 4.9+), Yahoo link, and obligatory RSS feed.

Highly recommended by me:
- Penn Jillette
- Dave Slusher's Evil Genius Chronicles
- Coverville
posted by jim.christian at 9:29 AM on November 23, 2006 [1 favorite]

For fiction, try 365 Tomorrows - great stuff, elegantly performed and recorded.
posted by jbickers at 11:13 AM on November 23, 2006

Depending on your interests, I'd give a big plug for This Week In Tech with Leo Laporte. The other 'netcasts' from the TWiT Netcast Network are good too.

Mark Kermode's film reviews (from the BBC) are brilliant too.
posted by koshmar at 7:24 AM on November 24, 2006

Here's what I put together for myself. I hope you get as much out of it as I did.

Peace.
posted by gbinal at 10:08 PM on November 24, 2006

I just discovered Radio Lab, which seems to be a terrific knockoff of TAL. I only listened to one ep, but it was so engrossing that the show immediatelty joined my extensive list of four podcasts.
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:11 AM on November 29, 2006