The Fun Zone

Digital distribution of music and video has inarguably altered the landscape of the recording industry, as well as that of television and film producers. Most certainly, I appreciate the ability to go shopping for new songs on iTunes, download them nearly instantaneously, and transfer them to the iPod in a third of the time it would take to drive to Wal-Mart to buy a CD. However, cool as that is, my favorite use for the iTunes/iPod partnership isn't video or music or games.

It's podcasting.

I'm not sure, exactly, what it is about the worldwide dissemination of radio shows and amateur content that has me addicted. Perhaps it's the ability to "time-shift" my favorite programs, sort of a TiVo for Radio, so that I can take my time listening to one over several dog walks, or save up several episodes for a long car ride. Maybe it's the narrowcasting aspect, the fact that I can find a show about any sort of interest, no matter how obscure, and feel connected to like-minded listeners. There's also the ability to learn more about my favorite TV shows or musicians while driving or walking the dog or saving audio files. Most likely, I'm just sick of listening to The Kid's VeggieTales playlist.

As trips back and forth to New Jersey and New York and Boston have become more frequent, my collection of podcast subscriptions has grown significantly. Invariably, I'll be getting ready for a trip of some sort, and won't have any new episodes of my current favorites. So, I'll cruise over to iTunes to get some more. What the heck, they're free, right? Quality is generally good on all of these, but there is some significant variation in regards to polish, content, and professionalism. If you haven't heard of some of these, perhaps you might be interested in trying them out, and if you have heard of them, perhaps you can suggest something similar. I tend to run low at times.

Boardgames

The Dice Tower - Perhaps I'm a little biased, but The Dice Tower is the Cadillac of gaming podcasts. The interplay between Tom and Sam is only the beginning. An array of international contributors provide a dazzling assortment of viewpoints and interests, and the Top Ten lists are a great way to discover games that you may have overlooked. If there's a new episode of The Dice Tower on my computer, you can bet it will be the first thing I listen to.

The Spiel - I found The Spiel when they did a sort of crossover with The Dice Tower, and I've been hooked ever since. Dave and Stephen are a fun-loving pair, and they seem to delight in playing just about anything. The format of their show is a bit more structured than The Dice Tower, with segments like The List, Backshelf Spotlight, and The Game Sommelier appearing in nearly every episode. They also provide some pretty in-depth reviews in the bulk of the podcast. Plus, the Name That Game contest is a fascinating brain teaser.

Garrett's Games and Geekiness - Doug Garrett and his wife Shelley are teachers living in Mountain View, CA, and they play a lot of games. They also have a number of friends amongst the boardgaming elite, so they tend to know the latest information about releases from Essen, for example, or insider discussions with game designers. As a weekly podcast (the most prolific of all of my boardgame subscriptions), GG&G seems the most up-to-date. What I like the most, though, is the back and forth between Doug and Shelley when they talk about a particularly interesting game session. Plus, I won one of their contests, so that's pretty cool.

Boardgames to Go - Mark Johnson produces this "occasional and opinionated" podcast about pretty much whatever he wants to talk about. There's not a whole lot of structure here, just Mark chatting away for a bit. Often, he records the episode while driving, which is fine, once you get past the extra noise in the background. Still, his insights are interesting, and he tends to highlight older games, rather than submitting to the "cult of the new."

Television

GateWorld Podcast - GateWorld.net is the most complete and active Stargate fan site I know. Okay, it's the only Stargate fan site I know, but I've been reading the news updates from the site since the early 'aughts. When I saw that site runners Darren and David had a podcast on iTunes, I tried out a few episodes, and quickly became a subscriber. Each episode contains the latest news about the franchise (casting news about Stargate Universe is the current obsession), as well as a Main Discussion like "Atlantis Deconstructed" or "Are Replicators Alive?" These guys know their stuff, and they remind me of elements of the franchise that I've completely forgotten. Plus, I likes me a good dose of SGU hype.

Public Radio

Car Talk Podcast - Do I need to explain this one? Click and Clack? Car repair? The Puzzler? It's funny stuff.

Satire from The Ungar Report - Former Daily Show contributor Brian Ungar comments on the news of the day, as part of the Day to Day program. Pretty dry, but I got a good chuckle out of it every once in a while. This segment just released its last episode, but it may continue at Ungar's new website.

Sunday Puzzle Podcast - Will Shortz presides over a call-in word puzzle game. It's fun to play along at home, but some anagram puzzles just make my head spin.

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me - The NPR News Quiz, with the best current events comedy this side of the Daily Show. If I'm able to answer most of the lightning round questions correctly, I know I've been paying attention during the week.

Michael Feldman's What'Ya Know - I'm still evaluating this one. Feldman's show also centers around a quiz, but it's a much slower-paced affair then Wait Wait. The show also involves a talk-show style guest, a musical act or two, and lots of banter with the live audience. At two hours, this can really drag on, especially when the jokes center around some sort of local politics or geographical quirks that go over the head of the average listener. Years ago, while scanning the radio stations in the car on a weekend, I'd be disappointed if I hit this show (as opposed to Wait Wait or Car Talk), and I'm not sure if my opinion has changed yet. Still, it has a few good laughs, and works well for a long car ride.

This American Life - This too is a new addition to the subscription list, and I'm actually a little bummed I didn't start listening before now. Ira Glass presides over a collection of interviews, stories, and humor on a specific theme. I have to give major props to the show that spawned John Hodgman (his segment on what Star Wars Episode I should have been is simply amazing).

Comedy

The Adam Carolla Podcast - Carolla interviews celebrities from the comfort of his den. I'd say more, but I haven't had a chance to listen to more than one episode. At the rate Carolla's recording and releasing episodes, I'm not sure I'll ever catch up.

The Ricky Gervais Podcast - Once upon a time, there was a series of free podcasts starring Gervais, Stephen Merchant, and Karl Pilkington that was absurdly, gut-wrenchingly hilarious. If memory serves, it was one of the most downloaded podcasts of all time. Unsurprisingly, they decided to start charging for the podcast. So now, if you subscribe to the free stream, you get 10-minute samples of the latest "audiobook" release. Still, those ten minutes are pretty freaking funny.

Music

Rockapella Podcast - Only one episode of this has been produced so far, and it was essentially lightweight garbage. The guys weren't in the same room, communicating over Skype or another teleconference system. The interviewer didn't introduce himself, and simply read questions off a piece of paper. It was all very forced and unprofessional. I hope they make some improvements if they decide to continue the series.

Thrillercast - I just happened to come across this on iTunes, and subscribed out of pure curiosity. Thrillercast was a series of interviews with major names in the recording industry, talking about Michael Jackson's Thriller album. It was interesting, but started to get a little tiresome, everybody talking about how innovative the release was. Still, every once in a while, there was an interesting nugget or anecdote to be found, and one of the later episodes with "Weird Al" Yankovic was worth sitting through the mediocre ones previously. The series is over, but you might still be able to track them down if you look in the right place.

So there you have it. My Podcast Playlist. On a good day, I know I have plenty of listening options. And if I run out, I know where I can find more... any suggestions?