Comments on: I require awesome podcasts for boring commutes.

Question: I require awesome podcasts for boring commutes.

By The Grace of God — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 19:11:23 -0800

I want engaging general interest podcasts with high production values. Lots of them.

My iPod nano and I wander far and wide on the buses and subways of Glasgow, and I need completely engrossing podcasts that just explode with awesomeness. Things as good as This American Life and Radiolab. A poised, finished piece of artwork, not two people wittering. Something that will make me look forward to the transit ahead.

By: OlderThanTOS

OlderThanTOS — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 19:50:33 -0800

Hmm...you might try Fresh Air, an in-depth interviews and reviews. While you're on this site, you might look around at the other offerings from National Public Radio. I also enjoy To the Best of Our Knowledge which is somewhat like This American Life.

By: TheOtherGuy

TheOtherGuy — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 19:51:05 -0800

The ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation - our version of the BBC) broadcasts most of its radio shows (and many of its TV shows) as podcasts.

Check out the list here

Among my favourites is StarStuff - a podcast about astronomy and space news. But there is bound to be a subject to take your interest.

By: loiseau

loiseau — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 19:54:52 -0800

Here's the entire catalogue of CBC podcasts, which like much of their programming should be both interesting and well-made.

By: loiseau

loiseau — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 19:56:06 -0800

Oh - I should recomend specifically Quirks & Quarks, C'est la Vie, Radio 3, The Current, Sounds Like Canada, and As It Happens.

By: PercussivePaul

PercussivePaul — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 20:41:14 -0800

Previously, previously

By: whatnotever

whatnotever — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 20:55:58 -0800

More previously, more previously

By: boombot

boombot — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 22:40:59 -0800

In no way intended as a threadjack, but since it was mentioned - why isn't Fresh Air Weekend available via podcast? 5 hours a week is a bit much for me to give to any one show, but I'd love to have the Weekend 'Best of' as podcast. Any thoughts on how to create a makeshift version?

By: McSly

McSly — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 23:26:36 -0800

The skeptics' guide to the universe

By: bluebird

bluebird — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 03:44:46 -0800

I like the TedTalks podcast a lot.

By: YoungAmerican

YoungAmerican — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 08:54:52 -0800

I see a lot of reccomendations that may or may not fulfill the "poised piece of artwork" qualification here, but here are some that might (presuming that like most you use iTunes, so I'm not going to provide web links):

If you like This American Life, you should certainly check out The Joe Frank podcast. Frank is where Glass got most of his ideas and techniques (not in a bad way, like stolen, he acknowledges it pretty openly).

Jonathan Katz recently started a very funny short-form podcast. It's short but conceptually bold and great.

San Francisco comedian Will Franken podcasts what is essentially a half hour one-man show every month or two. It's called Things We Did Before Reality, and is always engaging and usually very funny. He's essentially doing sketch comedy by himself, which is generally something I'd be opposed to on an ass-clownery basis, but Will is a pretty special talent.

alt.NPR has a few podcasts that definitely aspire to the "poised piece of art" status you're talking about. Check out Theory of Everything, Love & Radio and Club Awesome!.

There are other shows of exceptionally high quality if you're willing to consider stuff that's not quite so heavy on production (ie, not nitwits prattling, but no scoring, etc). On the Media leaps to mind, I think that's the best news show on radio. In Our Time is a wonderful show about history and ideas. Etc etc. Just not sure if that's what you're looking for. I produce a few shows myself, in the arts & culture and comedy realms, which you may enjoy as well. I would link, but it's distasteful, though I'm not to proud to suggest that some other person who likes them on the green might do my linking for me ;).

By: YoungAmerican

YoungAmerican — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 09:18:58 -0800

Oh shoot, I forgot one.

Jonathan Goldstein's Wiretap.

Produced by the CBC, Goldstein is a former producer at (and still sometimes a contributor to) This American Life. Very funny and often touching.

You won't find it in iTunes, as the CBC won't podcast it. HOWEVER, there is an "unofficial" podcast, the feed for which you will find here. Copy and paste it into iTunes if you like. I will say that while the CBC won't podcast it (music rights issues), the creative folks behind the show want you to hear it, whether it's on the radio or... however else.

By: altcountryman

altcountryman — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 11:44:18 -0800

2nd-ing Jonathan Goldstein's Wiretap. I "met" him through a This American Life episode and streamed some Wiretap from the CBC site and literally L'd OL at my computer.

It's kind of "This North American Life." YoungAmerican, thanks for the tip on the unofficial podcast!

I don't know how relevant the makes and models of cars are since you're in Glasgow, but Click and Clack's Car Talk is a work of art in its own way. Yes, it's is exactly "two people wittering" but, damn, those guys witter like no one else!

Another idea that's something different is maybe trying to learn a language with something like Pimsleur CDs ripped to your iPod.

By: Dec One

Dec One — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 11:51:51 -0800

Wait wait... don't tell me! They make fun of the news better than anyone this side of Jon Stewart.

By: cheerleaders_to_your_funeral

cheerleaders_to_your_funeral — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 17:25:39 -0800

The Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant Show

By: lorenzism

lorenzism — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 19:29:16 -0800

2nd-ing In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg

My favorite podcast is NPR's All Songs Considered which surveys recommended new music (all genres but mostly alternative)

By: bkeene12

bkeene12 — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 19:31:38 -0800

Every morning I take the walk down the stairs to work out I anticipate listening to "Science Talk" and and "60 Second Science". They are both cool and have a lot of value in your day to day life. Further, they will always leaving you feeling as if you just learned something uniquely new. Give it a shot, even the ones with sorry sounding titles turn out good.