[Best of 2017] Podcasts

‘80s All Over

Like any lover of movies, I have entire decades of film that I missed out on. ‘80s All Over is the perfect way for someone like me to catch up. Each episode, veteran film critics Scott Weinberg and Drew McWeeny go through a different month in the 1980s and every movie released that month. They describe what it was like watching it in theaters and the social context. Their knowledge of obscure ‘80s actors and filmmakers is pretty impressive. With so many movies I’ve never heard about or even wish I had heard about, I enjoy getting a feel for what ‘80s movies were like. [Eddie Losoya]

Listen if you like… a podcast version of I Love the ‘80s.

The Covenant Cast

I have a deep love of board games and card games. There’s just one problem: I don’t have anyone to play them with! It’s a problem that digital games help alleviate, but The Covenant Cast has been a way for me to vicariously follow the board game industry in my free time. Each week, three guys who run a small board game shop in Oklahoma talk about current board games and concepts in the games they’re playing. It’s very specific and niche, but so is enthusiast board gaming. Between Team Covenant and the website, Shut Up & Sit Down, I get all the board game goodness I need. Now, to find time and people to play them with. [Eddie Losoya]

Listen if you like… wishing you had friends to play board games with.

Easy Allies Podcast

Cynicism is sadly an unavoidable theme of 2017, so it’s refreshing when a group of people sets aside the sarcasm and irony and likes things earnestly. That is what Easy Allies was founded on—having come together as a Patreon-supported site after the closing of Game Trailers—and their adopted mantra, "love and respect," is made up of things we’re sorely lacking these days. The personalities on this gaming podcast, as well as on all of the shows made by Easy Allies, are entertaining, genuine, and not afraid to share their love for video games. [Joshua Covell]

Listen if you like… your gaming podcast to sound like your conversations with friends.

EconTalk

If you’re looking to hear a discussion of an issue without it devolving into a shouting match, or to learn about an industry that you may not have given much thought, then EconTalk might be what you seek. Each week Russ Roberts, host and researcher at Stanford University’s Hoover Institute, brings on a guest to discuss a topic related to their field of work. Guests include authors, CEOs, politicians, Nobel Prize winners, and fellow economists with the discussion often providing interesting perspective and economic analysis of modern day issues. Even when the speakers disagree they keep it civil and respectful, with the goal focused on learning rather than winning. It’s an hour-long interview that stays interesting while still being accessible to a casual listener looking to get a little more from their podcasts. [David Rogers]

Listen if you like… NPR’s Planet Money but want a little more substance.

The Giant Beastcast

Podcasting has been hot for the last couple of years, but it’s amazing to think I’ve been listening to them for 10 years now, and almost that entire time I was following the Giant Bomb crew. Every week for the past decade, this group has talked about video games with a great mix of criticism, humor, and knowledge. Following both the tragic death of one of their founders and the moving of half of their crew across the coast, the crew was split in two. The flagship podcast remains, but the Beastcast features Vinny Caravella, the true heart and joy of the website. Vinny has that rare podcast talent of making everyone around him a better podcaster and makes each discussion fun, the way games should be. [Eddie Losoya]

Listen if you like… fellow optimistic podcasts like Easy Allies Podcast.

Hardcore History

There are a lot of history podcasts out there, but there’s a reason Hardcore History has risen so far to the top. Host Dan Carlin’s extreme deep dives into assorted periods in history can last upwards of six hours while managing to keep you enthralled the entire time. Covering subjects from a six-part World War I epic to a recent series on the conquering of the Persian empire, he always manages to keep history interesting by relating aspects of it to modern day life. With only one episode every six months or so, it’s easy to catch up, which means the biggest problem this podcast faces is that the audience is always wanting more. [David Rogers]

Listen if you like… history, stories, learning, or really good radio voices.

Lovett or Leave It

You’ll see your fair share of informative political podcasts on this list. Frankly, I’m suffering from information overload. That’s why Lovett or Leave It has risen to the top of my list of politics-focused shows, leapfrogging Crooked Media’s flagship show, Pod Save America. Every week, the panelists mine the news for comedy gold in front of a live audience, and it’s a much-needed hour-long laugh break in between the endless periods of ugly-crying about the world. [Joshua Covell]

Listen if you like... NPR’s Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me but also swearing.

Revisionist History

Malcolm Gladwell returns for a second season of case studies that take a facet of our society or a piece of history and look at it through a new lens. Each episode varies wildly, from french fries and golf courses to terrorism and southern racism, but he manages to tackle each with the appropriate reverence they deserve. It’s an analysis of little slices of life that will help you to see the world a little bit differently. [David Rogers]

Listen if you like… 99% Invisible but want more serious topics.

The Watch

You can’t teach chemistry and rapport. Hosts Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan are proof of that (as are the longtime friends-turned-hosts of another Ringer podcast, The Press Box). They’ve known each other for decades and their personal friendship bleeds through every time they record. They offer their fun pop culture takes, having even branched out to host a book club with listeners. And their annual year-end television pod with Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail can’t be missed. [Joshua Covell]

Listen if you like… NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour but get sleepy halfway through.

The Weeds

There is definitely a dearth of good political podcasts in 2017, and I know I listen to way too many. The one I listen to every week, though, is the flagship podcast of Vox. Ezra Klein, Matt Yglesias, and Sarah Cliff spend an hour every week and discuss actual policy. Too often in the political era we live in, hot takes and rudimentary political analysis rule the day. The Weeds is a podcast for when you want to hear about actual policies and their implications. The crew has a wide variety of knowledge from healthcare to tax law, and every week they discuss one “White Paper,” a policy research article on any number of topics. The Weeds has been my favorite political podcast because it forces me to learn about the implications of government and not just fear them. [Eddie Losoya]

Listen if you like… NPR’s Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me but wish they talked more about border adjustment taxes.

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