THE DRUNK MONKEYS
TOP TEN PODCASTS OF 2014
10.) WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE
9.) THE PARTIALLY EXAMINED LIFE
8.) FILMSPOTTING
7.) STAR TALK
6.) COMEDY BANG! BANG!
5.) THE STEVE AUSTIN SHOW
Austin was a fantastic speaker and storyteller in his wrestling days, particularly when his popularity led to him becoming one of the biggest box office superstars in the history of the business. That has not translated into a particularly successful acting career. But as the host of his own podcast, in which he discusses wrestling, news, sports, and other items of interest? He is every bit the compelling talker he was as an active member of the WCW, ECW, and WWE rosters. The Steve Austin Show reveals a man who is extremely funny, knows how to consistently market his show in mid-sentence, and understands the intricacies of what makes for a great interview.
Gabriel Ricard, Film Editor
4.) GO BAYSIDE!
A wonderful distillation of the schlock show, Saved By The Bell, which had an inexplicable mass following all throughout the 90’s, despite it being demonstrably terrible. Host and SBTB superfan April Richards brought on hilarious comedian guests every week to pick apart the show as if it were a hyper-realistic drama on AMC. (What is The Max’s business plan, exactly?) (Why do adults willingly help teens prank other teens?) Etc. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough episodes for this podcast to be a long-lasting one, but it was a very entertaining year.
Ryan Roach, staff writer
3.) HARMONTOWN
Dan Harmon is now officially an industry unto himself, as the podcast Harmontown has now inspired a feature-length documentary. The live show hit the road in the early part of this year to support the film, allowing Dan and crew to take their squabbling family on the road (a literal family now, with Dan and Erin’s marriage).
Comptroller Jeff Davis spent much of the year away, and while he was missed, his absence made way for fill-ins from Kumail Nanjiani, Mitch Hurwitz, and a sloshed Dino Stamatopoulos. That unpredictability, along with unexpected guest appearances by people like Dana Carvey kept the show as vital as ever.
Matthew Guerruckey, Editor-in-Chief
2.) HOW DID THIS GET MADE?
It seems like every other podcast that launches these days is just a bunch of bros talking about shitty movies, but How Did This Get Made? still, after four years, remains the cream of the crop. This year’s episodes were, more than ever, dominated by June Diane Raphael, whose ruminations on the proper crediting of stunt monkeys and the raw sexuality of Jim Varney in Ernest Goes to Jail sent co-host Jason Mantzoukas into hysterics.
This year some of the best episodes came from live shows–especially their breakdowns of the film works of The Brothers Stallone, from Staying Alive to Rhinestone.
Matthew Guerruckey, Editor-in-Chief
1.) U TALKIN’ U2 TO ME?
If you want to get a sense of why You Talkin’ U2 to Me is the best Podcast, please visit the iTunes reviews for the new U2 album, Songs of Innocence. There you’ll find such gems as high-quality rock and roll music and excellent album, C+. It’s these sorts of in-jokes that make You Talkin’ U2 to Me so entertaining. Scott Aukerman and Adam Scott (Scott and Scott) treat their discussion of all things U2 more like a hangout, where two bros rhapsodize about their favorite albums from yesteryear. You don’t have to be a U2 fan to enjoy this Podcast. Much to the chagrin of hardcore U2 fans, Scott and Scott constantly meander to other topics and even create other shows within their show, such as I Love Films and Talkin’ About Money. If you’re a fan of alternative comedy, you’ll enjoy this Podcast, even if you don’t worship at the feet of Bono.
William Lemon, writer
LISTS OF NOTE
RYAN ROACH, staff writer
- Harmontown
- Now Playing
- Battleship Pretension
- Extra Great Hot
- Brett Easton Ellis Podcast
- Filmspotting
- Stop Podcasting Yourself
- offcamera
- The Cracked Podcast
- Go Bayside!
MATTHEW GUERRUCKEY, Editor-in-Chief
- U Talkin’ U2 to Me?
- Go Bayside!
- Filmspotting
- Never Not Funny
- The Flop House
- Harmontown
- How Did This Get Made?
- My Brother, My Brother, and Me
- We Hate Movies
- The Indoor Kids
WILLIAM LEMON, writer
- The Partially Examined Life
- U Talkin’ U2 to Me?
- Stuff You Should Know
- Comedy Bang! Bang!
- How Did This Get Made?
- Star Talk
- Stuff You Missed in History Class
- Improv 4 Humans
- Dead Authors Podcast
- Hardcore History