If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you probably know that one of my guilty pleasures is podcasts. I subscribe to around fifty of them, but I don’t listen to every episode that comes out. Some I only download if the topic catches my interest.
But then there are the others, the ones I always check, the ones I never skip, the ones I download immediately.
These are those podcasts.
The Rewatchables
This has probably been my favorite podcast for the past few years. Hosted by Bill Simmons (who, apparently, also has a very popular sports podcast although I wouldn’t know), each episode focuses on a movie deemed endlessly rewatchable.
There’s a structure to every episode: a bit of background and behind-the-scenes trivia, followed by a series of categories. Some of my favorite categories include Most Rewatchable Scene, Half-Assed Internet Research, Best Use of Food or Drink, Picky Nits, and Unanswerable Questions. Since most of the movies are at least 15 years old, they also revisit what’s aged the best, and what’s aged the worst.
Even if I’ve never seen the movie, I’ll still listen. Episodes usually run over an hour, which makes them perfect for long walks.
Pop Culture Happy Hour
This show has been in my rotation for at least a decade. Created by NPR, it covers all corners of pop culture: new movies, TV shows, and broader conversations like Oscar recaps.
Episodes come out four days a week and are usually only 15–20 minutes long, which makes them perfect for short commutes or quick walks. And once again, even if I haven’t watched whatever they’re discussing, I’ll still happily listen.
Criminal
Criminal is hosted by Phoebe Judge, who may have the most soothing voice I’ve ever heard. This podcast tells stories about people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in between.
The range of stories is what makes this podcast so compelling. Some of my favorite episodes include one about a sea monster in Clearwater Beach, FL, another about people selling moon rocks, one about missing wolves, and a wild story involving a murder investigation at the La Brea Tar Pits.
The Thing About Austen
This podcast dives into all things Jane Austen, offering historical context that us modern readers might miss.
Episodes answer questions you didn’t even realize you had, like what Fordyce’s Sermons actually are, what white soup is in Pride and Prejudice, or what exactly a barouche-landau is in Emma. It’s incredibly well-researched and endlessly satisfying.
New episodes come out about once a month, so I always check to see if there’s a new one waiting.
Wilder on the Prairie
This is a newer addition to my rotation as I started listening a little over a year ago. Each episode walks through the Little House on the Prairie books one chapter at a time.
The episodes are short (rarely over ten minutes), which makes them easy to fit into any part of the day. Like The Thing About Austen, it adds helpful historical context to the world Laura Ingalls Wilder writes about.
Episodes come out weekly, though the host takes a break during the winter months.
Honorable Mentions
These are the podcasts I don’t always download immediately, but I always check.
How Did This Get Made?
Another movie podcast, but this one focuses on the best worst films ever made. The hosts are hilarious, and I love their commentary but I usually only listen if I’ve seen the movie. Otherwise, it can be a little hard to follow without context.
Scamfluencers
This podcast dives into stories of deception and the world’s most infamous scam artists. The episodes are always interesting (and often surprisingly funny), but I tend to download selectively depending on whether I’m familiar with the subject.
Fated Mates
Hosted by Sarah MacLean and Jen Prokop, this romance-focused podcast alternates between discussing specific books and exploring themes, like bodyguards or, yes, even horses. Episodes come out weekly and are usually around an hour and a half. I always check what the new episode is about, even if I don’t immediately download it.
Against the Odds
This podcast tells dramatized survival stories based on real events. While some elements (like dialogue) are imagined, everything is grounded in research and I always end up going down a Wikipedia rabbit hole afterward. I recently listened to a series about the January 1888 blizzard, something I’d never even heard of before. All the episodes in a season are not released at once so I like to wait until a full season is available so I can listen to all the episodes back-to-back.
With so many podcasts out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but these are the ones I come back to again and again.
I enjoy Wilder on the Prairie although I’m not caught up to current episodes yet.
The host just started talking about Little Town on the Prairie, one of my favorite books of the series.