There’s a podcast for that
Rachel Aroesti chooses 5 of the very best unscripted podcasts, from a long-running improv sketch present to a musical podcast with a distinction
Off Ebook: The Improvised MusicalImprov is likely one of the bedrocks of standard comedy within the US – a reality mirrored within the phenomenally spectacular skillsets of its finest practitioners. They embody Jessica McKenna and Zach Reino, who joined forces in 2017 for this musical theatre podcast. Normally accompanied by an equally gifted visitor, every episode of Off Ebook sees our hosts masterfully ad-lib a whole musical from scratch. Themes embody mice and Denmark, however the topic is basically irrelevant: regardless of the subject, you’ll be spellbound by their skill to magic up a hilarious – but nonetheless convincing – songbook and script on the spot.
Comedy Bang Bang With almost 900 episodes within the can, this long-running present from Scott Aukerman (beforehand best-known for 90s sketch collection Mr Present with Bob and David) is a podcast establishment within the US – however its freewheeling, virtually format-free nature means it nonetheless feels contemporary and humorous even in any case this time. Exhibits typically begin with Auckerman conducting an offbeat interview with well-known visitors together with Jon Hamm and Ben Stiller, earlier than introducing some distinctly much less actual characters into the dialog: one latest episode noticed James Acaster chewing the fats with jap European impresario and mansion-owner Mrs Lyndhurst (the hilarious Lily Sullivan) and a person caught in a time-warp (Matt Apodaca).
Sound Offers with Max and IvanDouble act Max Olesker and Ivan Gonzalez have stormed the Edinburgh fringe numerous occasions with their impeccably crafted long-form sketches, however as co-founders of London improv college The Free Affiliation they’re additionally devotees of unscripted comedy. This podcast sees them flex their ad-libbing muscle groups as hosts of a deeply bizarre purchasing channel: anybody who has ever wasted treasured minutes of their life watching QVC will recognise the blandly upbeat, barely uncanny nature of their off-the-cuff gross sales patter, however the merchandise they’re flogging – all listener options revealed to the duo and their visitors on the final second – are additionally downright weird: we’re speaking “foam stools”, “drama beer” and naturally the important “bus boy toy”.
Three Bean SaladTechnically, the overwhelming majority of chat pods created by comedians fall into the “unscripted” class. What units Three Bean Salad aside is that its scope extends properly past a wisecrack-peppered catch-up. Helmed by three mild-mannered Englishmen – Mike Wozniak (now co-hosting Junior Taskmaster), comedian and cartoonist Henry Paker and Benjamin Partridge, additionally creator of cult podcast The Beef and Dairy Community – the format sees our beans riff on random, premature themes despatched in by listeners. The ensuing chat is restlessly humorous, wealthy with references and infrequently downright surreal – the proper showcase for the lightning-quick however staunchly left-field workings of the trio’s minds.
Pricey Joan and Jericha Regardless of being hosted by two ageing agony aunts performed by Vicki Pepperdine (The Windsors, Getting On) and the inimitable Julia Davis (Nighty Evening, Hunderby, Tenting), Pricey Joan and Jericha is likely one of the most gleefully transgressive comedies in latest historical past. That it’s largely made up on the spot is essential to its enchantment: Pepperdine and Davis egg one another on in wicked flights of fancy that springboard from (fictional) listener issues about intercourse and relationships. Not solely is the pair’s recommendation mesmerically inappropriate (incest is usually talked about), but it surely additionally comes cloaked in an excessive – and surprisingly cathartic – misogyny, because the pair berate the lazy, egocentric, unkempt ladies who fail to understand the invariably “attractive” males of their lives.
And a few extra for this …
And likewise this week, Graeme Advantage chooses 5 of the very best podcasts on video video games tradition, from a historical past of Grand Theft Auto to a Desert Island Discs for sport dorks
Bugzy Malone’s Grandest GameWith its wanton violence, gleeful satire of US tradition and impeccably curated automotive radio playlists, the swaggering Grand Theft Auto is not only probably the most influential online game franchise of the twenty first century – additionally it is one of the vital worthwhile, due to a web-based multiplayer element that has been raking in billions since 2013. This seven-part BBC Sounds collection from 2022, fronted by Manchester rapper and collection devotee Bugzy Malone, illuminates the sport’s Nineties origins in defiantly unglamorous Dundee earlier than monitoring the various improvements and tabloid scandals on its highway to world domination. The result’s an impassioned primer forward of GTA VI’s arrival subsequent 12 months.
Get PlayedThis weekly comedy podcast launched in 2019 with a remit to play after which mercilessly make enjoyable of horrible video video games. Below that standards, it might have in all probability run for ever. However in 2022 it pivoted to a extra optimistic vibe, permitting presenting trio Heather Anne Campbell, Nick Wiger and Matt Apodaca to have a good time video games they really take pleasure in, typically with a visitor alongside for the journey. The result’s a quick-witted, typically ribald snapshot of the present gaming panorama, enriched by the casually complete information of its hosts – notably the hilarious Campbell, a author for Rick and Morty with an enormous private assortment of uncommon consoles.
Our Sinclair: A ZX Spectrum PodcastFor avid gamers of a sure classic, the ZX Spectrum was a rubber-keyed gateway to numerous strange video games. The month-to-month Our Sinclair podcast recaptures the thrill of that imperial section of 8-bit dwelling computing, as a pair of codenamed US fanatics – “Amigo Aaron” and caps-lock fan THE BRENT – evaluation an previous Spectrum title. At first, the sheer novelty of listening to two drawling dudes from West Virginia grapple with Eighties UK time capsules like Geoff Capes Robust Man or Motion Biker is a culture-clash hoot. However a profitable mixture of affability and diligent analysis means their love for the common-or-garden Spectrum shines by.
Podcast suggestions for sudden audio pleasures. Our reviewers and audio producers choose the week’s prime reveals
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My Good Console With Simon ParkinWith about 100 episodes banked, My Good Console has an extended approach to go earlier than it matches Desert Island Discs. However in an analogous vein to that broadcasting warhorse, it invitations a visitor to appoint and talk about 5 of their favorite video games, within the course of reflecting on their life and profession. Simon Parkin, a video games author for the New Yorker and the Guardian, casts his internet broad for individuals, from business insiders (equivalent to narrative designers, composers and voice actors) to extra acquainted names like Iain Lee (a standout episode from February 2024). Parkin has a knack for drawing out intriguing insights whereas offering helpful context for these not immersed in gaming.
Axe of the Blood God: An RPG PodcastNo want for graph paper and pencils: role-playing video games (RPGs) are a pure match for computer systems and consoles, the place microchip processors can maintain all that pesky dice-rolling and statistic-tracking. With video games just like the award-winning Baldur’s Gate 3 and the latest Dragon Age: The Veilguard turning into blockbuster hits, it has been a busy time for Axe of the Blood God hosts Kat Bailey, Nadia Oxford and Eric Van Allen. Their long-running podcast – first launched beneath the auspices of a (now defunct) US gaming web site earlier than turning into fiercely impartial – is a freewheeling weekly roundup of RPG gaming information and critiques with an emphasis on enjoyable and inclusivity.
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