Gates McFadden InvestiGates
The actress who played Star Trek: The Next Generation's Dr. Beverly Crusher talks to her "space friends" - so far: Jonathan Frakes, Levar Burton, Brent Spider, Nana Visitor, John deLancie, and Marina Sirtis. The geek in me wants them to talk more about TNG, but really it's her coming up with great questions so they can get more into their childhoods, their passions, their earlier careers, etc. I like her playful energy and the intimacy these people have with each other. She also has a great, kind of soothing speaking voice. Episodes are about an hour long.
Unspooled
Actor & comedian Paul Scheer and film critic Amy Nicholson watch movies from the American Film Institute's best of lists, and then get into hem on the show. They include a nice bit about what the world was like the year the movie was released, and really get into each movie's place in the culture, how it got made, and some actual art criticism, not just opinion wankery. I really like the casual, intelligent, energetic feel of the show, and it always makes me want to go watch the movie they just talked about. Episodes are usually an hour to an hour and 45 minutes, so it's a pretty in-depth show - which I love.
NPR's Short Wave
A great little science podcasts, with episodes usually only 13 minutes long. It's kind of my podcast palate cleanser.
NPR's Throughline
This is kind of what I want all news programming to be like: looking at the history behind something that's in the news. Episodes are in the 45-75 minute range.
Old Hollywood Realness
Kathleen Noll and Philip Estrada gab, gush and recap all the classics. It's pretty high energy, and both hosts are really into costumes, so you have been warned. Episodes are a little over an hour.
Song Exploder
Each episode, a musicians takes apart one of their songs and talks about how and why it was made. Hrishikesh Hirway hosts.
Rebel Force Radio
A long-running Star Wars fan podcast, hosted by two Chicago natives. I don't listen to every episode, because they cover all the new SW stuff and I tend to not watch the animated SW shows. They've had SW animated series voice actors on as guests, they do film and episode commentaries, they talk some about collectibles, they do episodes all about production design, and just generally have a lot of fun.
David Tennant Does a Podcast With
Pretty much what's on the tin, here. David interviews other actors, including a lot of people he's worked with. I love the sound of David Tennant just talking, but his guests include Billie Piper, Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Moss, Olivia Colman, Dan Levy, George Takei, Jodie Whittaker, Katherine Tate, and Ian McKellan.
Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum
Michael interviews actors and the like, and tends to focus on personal struggles, hard times, recovery, etc. and really gets his guests to open up. He talks a little too much about himself, but the insights he gets from his guests are worth it. He's had a lot of his Smallville co-stars on, but also Keifer Sutherland, Charisma Carpenter, Robert Englund, Seth Green, Sean Astin, Jason Isaacs, Zach Levi, and lots more.
The Ron Burgundy Podcast
Will Ferrell as the Anchorman himself, wherein he talks about himself, misunderstands things, gives his assistant a hard time, and interviews all sorts of folks.
Morrus Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk
They do a very good ttrpg news roundup, talk about Kickstarters, discuss trends in the biz, and interview creators and movers-and-shakers from various parts of the ttrpg milieu.
Cinematic Universe
Two Brits talk about comic book movie and tv adaptations. They cover relevant news and trailers, and discuss individual works in depth, usually with guest from the critic-sphere. I like the hosts honest takes on things.
Lovett or Leave It
Jon Lovett of Crooked Media tells bad jokes about current affairs, often does a humor quiz show segment with listeners, and interviews someone with informed takes on the news. The bad jokes section is great because he has a comedian guest who critiques the jokes, and sometimes they get into how and why jokes and comedy in general works, which I find fascinating.
House to Astonish
Paul O'Brien and Al Kennedy talk about comics and comics news. And the end of each ep they do the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, wherein they try to rehabilitate a C-list character from OHOTMU for modern audiences. It's pretty funny.
Wait, What?
Jeff Lester and Graeme McMillan discuss pop culture, but mostly comics. Graeme has worked as a professional critic for various major news outlets including Slate and The Hollywood Reporter. In their sub-series Baxter Building they read and discussed every issue of volume one of the Fantastic Four, and listening to them discuss the strengths and awkwardness of the original Lee & Kirby stuff and then lose their minds as the series gets worse and worse is great.
