Four to recommend:
How Did This Get Made? Three comedians and guests talk about weird, bad, and popular movies.
X-Ray Vision: a podcast about all pop culture and geeky stuff. A lot of fun!
America Hysteria: it talks about things like the Satanic Panic, Furbys, and clown sightings!
Pod Save The World: Two guys from the Obama Administration talk all about foreign policy and make it interesting (though they never mentioned that damned spy boat!) Good for a long car ride IMHO and a favorite.
Thanks for starting this thread, B.Serum - I was thinking of doing something like that myself.
I’m currently enjoying Behind the Bastards, which takes deep dives into the lives of awful people. They just did a two-parter on Stockton Rush. I can’t say I like the format - it is the typical “two people bantering and guffawing and filling up a lot of air time with substance-free chitchat” type of podcast which seems very popular these days, and which I get impatient with. However, there is enough content that I can overlook that.
Another enjoyable podcast is Levar Burton Reads. Not too much of an explanation is needed - it’s exactly as titled, and AFAIK everything he reads is a short story. Not only is it a treat because he has a lovely reading voice, he also opens with a thoughtful introduction that illuminates the story he has selected, and he tells you about the author. From what I’ve heard so far, he is fond of contemporary authors, science fiction (naturally), magic realism, and diverse authors. Great stuff!
I also like Let’s Read, which is available as a podcast though I’ve only accessed it via YouTube. It’s a bit on the low-brow side - it tends toward true-crime type stories and I’ve heard the occasional mispronunciation, logical lapse, or key missing information (the reader doesn’t always give complete context, such as when and where the event being described occurred). Having said that, I still love it, because the guy who does it has the world’s most soothing voice. He does episodes like “18 True scary stories to help you sleep,” which sounds crazy or at the least counter-intuitive but which is right on the nose (based on the comment section, I’m not the only one). I turn it on when I can’t fall asleep and within 10 or 15 minutes I’m out like a light. (Of course, this means I want to go back and listen again while I’m doing the dishes, so I can hear the stories’ endings.)
Finally, This American Life always delivers.
Comedy Bang Bang is a classic.
Sloppy Boys is a podcast from a band about mixed drinks and cocktails.
Skeptics Guide to the Universe- A fun science podcast
Conan O’Brien needs a friend
You made it weird- an interview podcast hosted by comedian Pete Holmes
Fly on the Wall- hosted by Dana Carvey and David Spade, how can it not be fun?
Literally! with Rob Lowe- a fun celebrity interview podcast.
Smatless- hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. Always a fun show.
Penn’s Sunday School- hosted by magician Penn Jillette and friends.
Apparently, I listen to a lot of podcasts.
The two earlier books are available as audiobooks read by Don Hagen. He has a wonderful droll style that suits the material perfectly so they are often laugh out loud funny. On trips I sometimes listen to bits of them again. They are perfect because each discussion is only brief and they are all self contained.
I listened to this last fall during a road trip. Highly entertaining and informative.
And here’s another vote for Behind the Bastards. I haven’t listened to all the episodes, but I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve heard.
I listened to two episodes today, Procrastination and the Science of Stuck where he interviewed the same psychologist. I found it engaging and interesting, however some of the things that were accepted uncritically in those episodes, such as The Body Keeps the Score and other approaches to trauma that are hotly contested as having scientific credibility, gives me some pause. I don’t expect the man to be an expert on everything and I don’t think it negates the cool things the guest said, but it does make me cautious about accepting what’s presented as scientifically rigorous. I do plan to continue listening.
Dumb People Town: hosted by comedians the Sklar Brothers and Daniel Van Kirk. Listeners send in news stories of people doing dumb shit, and one of them reads the story to the other two who riff on it. They never do stories where people die, so it stays mostly lighthearted.
The Dollop/The Past Times: hosted by comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds. Dave reads a story from history about a single person or event, and Gareth riffs on it (The Dollop). The Past Times is a different show they alternate episodes of The Dollop with, and on that one Dave reads through an old newspaper from some date in the past, anywhere from the 1600s to the 1900s, and Gareth riffs on it.
I’ve listened to both of them from the beginning, each have hundreds of episodes. I caught up to The Dollop a while ago, and I’m about to catch up on Dumb People Town, I’ve finally reached episodes from this year.
Others I occasionally listen to are G.I.O Get It On which replays old episodes of the radio show “Loveline” with Dr. Drew and Adam Carolla from back in the 90s/early 00s, and wellRED podcast, hosted by comedians Trae Crowder, Corey Ryan Forrester, and Drew Morgan. They’ve all got very heavy what I can only describe as “redneck” accents, but they are all very liberal and engage in discussions of all kinds of topics, not just current politics, although there tends to be a regular dose of that in most episodes.
Also sometimes listen to A Hot Dog is a Sandwich where Mythical chefs Josh Scherer and Nicole Enayati engage in various food debates, such as the one in the title (although they’ve intentionally never really addressed that exact question).
It just got a writeup in The New Yorker:
I like:
Fresh Air: sort of pop culture (musicians, authors, actors) interviews with Terry Gross. They’re mostly current, but sometimes they’ll replay an old one when it’s relevant - for instance, the other day they released an interview from 1991 with Tony Bennet.
Hidden Brain: Shankar Vedantam interviews experts about different topics regarding how the unconcious brain drives our decisions and actions.
How I Built This: Guy Raz interviews with founders and inventors - recent episodes feature the video game Tetris, Grindr, MOD Pizza & Seattle Coffee.
Another vote for Pod Save America! Really informative and smart and funny. LOTS of ads.
Serious Trouble: This is the only podcast I pay for extra content ($6/month or $60/year). Lawyers Ken White and Josh Barrow discuss Trump’s current legal issues.
The Noel Casler Podcast: Noel Casler is a comedian who’s worked in music and entertainment for decades, including with Springsteen, CSN, Jackson Browne, and other musicians; and on Celebrity Apprentice for six years. The podcast is basically him just … talking for an hour. I guess he does begin with a general topic, but he usually ends up falling down rabbit holes and telling stories about growing up, or his mom, or his travels, or somebody he has worked with or for. Lots of politics. He’s very melancholy, but also hopeful and grateful and sweet.
You’re Wrong About: Journalist Sarah Marshall and a guest explore topics such as Bonnie and Clyde; Beanie Babies; Baby Jessica. It’s funny and cool and all over the place. Sarah’s voice and laugh are lovely.
A new pod I recently found is CHINWAG.
Actor Paul Giamatti and his friend Professor Stephen Asma host a show discussing paranormal and weird topics. Paul Giamatti is a believer and the professor is a skeptic, the two have a fun chemistry and don’t take anything too seriously.
Talking Sopranos podcast is pretty great, but maybe not in the way most people can appreciate. It’s hosted by Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa who both starred in The Sopranos. Imperioli is very good at thoughtfully diving into the themes and surfacing the subtext of episodes. Schirripa, on the other hand, is so terrible at hosting a podcast — he’s loud, frequently obnoxious and constantly interrupting — that there is this sublime yin yang thing going on between them. It’s like a magnificently beguiling train wreck.
I like this podcast and I think it would be basically unlistenable if Steve weren’t there to undercut Michael’s academic tendencies. As you imply, the chemistry between between them is half the fun.
If you don’t like interrupting, definitely don’t listen to the (awesome) Fly on the Wall podcast with Dana Carvey and David Spade!
I actually don’t mind Schirripa’s interrupting because it takes a singular talent to interrupt with the surgical precision the way he does at the exact point a guest is about to tell some never-before heard story.
I’m in awe of him.
Chiming in to co-sign Behind the Bastards.
The host, Robert Evans (not the movie producer), was/is a conflict reporter and has reported from war-torn conflicts around the world. He also wrote for Cracked.com back before it sucked. He is good at providing the sources he uses and notes when the sources have or hasn’t been confirmed by other sources. His targets range from douchebag business types whose crimes are assholery to warlords who have horrible death counts to zeitgeists that lead to authoritarian regimes to institutions like the police that have serious problems. It can be a hard series to binge because it is a stream of the very worst of humanity. But he and the guests work to bring some levity to the content to make it more listenable.
Also wanted to co-sign You’re Wrong About. I started listening during the Michael Hobbes and Sarah Marshall era, which the content was mainly about busting myths. Since Hobbes shifted efforts to his other podcast, Marshall has kept it going with a slight refocus on digging into various subjects. One of the reasons I keep listening is due to her amazing level of humanism and empathy for the subjects she discusses.
Thirded. Robert Evans is great – he does serious research on his subjects and presents the material in a way that’s both thought provoking and gut-bustlingly funny. I will say that his guests can be very hit-or-miss: if they’re vibe with him it’s great, but if not, it can be a real distraction.
I’ll add The Always Sunny Podcast as the best of the “creators and/or stars rewatch a series” podcasts (e.g. Office Ladies, Parks and Recollection, etc.). I enjoy that it’s more than just old stories, Rob, Glenn and Charlie often go into why they made specific decisions and where and why they disagreed (and still do). The three obviously have incredible comradery after all these years, but what really makes the podcast work is the addition of Megan Ganz to keep them on task and to ask insightful questions.
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast. Two comedians (Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgarif) met at a party and both were fascinated by true crime. Every week, each comedian presents a true crime story, usually murder, but also other events such as bridge collapses and amusement park deaths. There are also mini episodes where the hosts read fan emails detailing murders that happened in their hometown. They are very respectful of the victims but somehow find humor in the stories. It really took off and has spawned a large community of fans called “Murderinos" because it feels like your friend is telling you a story. Many topics come up in the course of the episodes and I have learned a lot from their discussions regarding forensics, history, etc. They also tour all over the world and record the live shows.
Thanks, you got me hooked. The host does a deep dive on so many topics on each episode. I started with A Hard Day’s Night and he went back to The Goon Show and how it influenced comedy, and worked his way forward until he’d detailed how Richard Lester’s background changed the way bands were portrayed onscreen.
Not to revive a zombie thread, but I just noticed that I failed to mention Judge John Hodgman! The literate and amusing and pro-social tone & manner of the podcast feels vry much like it skews to the Doper demographic to me. That, and it’s occasional advocacy of “weird dad” behavior. 
For those not already aware, minor celebrity and writer John Hodgman judges the most mundane but relatable, essentially friendly disputes between friends and family members. I find Hodgman really good at getting to the insightful crux of the issue at hand. Both parties usually depart satisfied with his rulings, which I usually find myself agreeing with as well.
It’s part of (bailiff) Jesse Thorn’s independent, cooperatively owned Maximum Fun podcast network.
It never fails to provide good vibes.
Thanks for this! I used to love John Hodgman on @ midnight.
PJ Vogt of Reply All fame has a new podcast called Search Engine which is, as far as I can tell, about answering random questions in an interesting way. So far the one on Sam Bankman-Fried is pretty good.
I also wanted to give a shout out to Stuff You Should Know, a clean show with funny hosts informing you about random topics of interest. These guys aren’t dumb but they definitely have an unassuming Everyman quality which I imagine makes them pretty popular.
I’m always on the lookout for profanity-free funny content I can listen to with my kid in the car.
(Whenever we’re traveling without the boy, Spouse Weasel says, “Quick, load up your best profanity-laden podcast!” I’ve got plenty of those in reserve.)
Another recommended one - Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg. If you’ve ever wanted to dive deep into how rational thinking can improve your life or society, this is the podcast for you. Definitely for research nerds. And his website has a TON of decision making and life improvement tools based on rational thinking.