Listmania: My Top 50 Favorite Podcasts of 2012 (1-25)

The following is the conclusive look at my top 50 favorite podcasts of 2012. While many of these will be familiar to those that read my work with scrutiny, I'd like to think a few will surprise and hopefully get you to listen. There are a lot of new additions to the Top 10 especially and it will make 2013 a hard year for newcomers to break the mold. Without further ado, here is a look at the podcasts that helped make 2012 one of the best years of my life and also a great year for the ever evolving medium.

1. WTF with Marc Maron 

Quite possibly the forever reigning champion of podcasters for me. Marc Maron has gone from being the ventilating neurotic that saved my life to probably the best interviewer that I've heard. He isn't funny, but his painfully honest stories come from a place of honesty and the guests that he has manage to range from familiar faces to people with interesting stories. He continues to make me pursue different people simply because they gave a good interview. He continues to be an innovator, breaking news on Arrested Development and Party Down movies, and presenting the famous Todd Glass episode in which he came out of the closet in a very passionate and hopeful way that has probably elevated his career. He remains the comic who explores the psychology behind the humor and makes great interviews out of mediocre guests. Maron is amazing, and I wish him the best when the IFC show premieres next year.

2. Operation Kino 

Climbing up the list and probably cementing itself as my all time favorite movie podcast is Operation Kino. The simple format allows a lack of convolution and the four hosts each bring a unique perspective to the table that makes for an interesting evaluation. Everyone liked Silver Linings Playbook, but that doesn't mean one of these people did. It is always great to hear them argue, talk about New York culture, and whatever the news of the week is. For my money, this group has the best chemistry imaginable, and better yet, their youthful approach almost makes it a relief. Also, each embody different personality types that clash differently depending on the topic. It may not be as in-depth as some, but with occasional explorations into independent films, this is the perfect podcast for the more off kilter topics. You won't go a month without a great new recommendation that you otherwise wouldn't have heard of. There is a reason that these four critics have remained my go-to reference when I write posts. 

3. Dana Gould Hour

The highest new entry on this list is the Dana Gould Hour, which may be released sporadically and not enough, but it is also pretty entertaining. Gould is a veteran comedian, writer for the Simpsons, and has a love of old school culture. His show is about exploring the world through sketches, conversations, and what can only be described as history lessons. Almost every segment is well crafted with portions dedicated to exploring classic cinema and how some people got screwed over, including Planet of the Apes, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, and the Wolfman. He has created the ultimate podcast in that everything sounds succinct and you'll learn a thing or two. Most of all, Gould recognizes a denomination of nerds that have yet to be capitalized in the podcasting forum. For that, I consider his contributions to be some of the best.

4. Extra Hot Great 

This year was the end for a lot of my personal favorite things. In the podcasting world, it was Extra Hot Great. Somehow, I didn't realize how much I would miss it until weeks later when I noticed that nobody sounded like them. They had sound clips, music, cattiness, and just a bunch of lively energy. It was a show that may have been more cotton candy than information, but that doesn't mean that there was a great deal to take away. It brought the podcast movie medium to a unique place that hasn't quite been met since, and with the game time at the end of each episode, it served as the ultimate pointless fact dump that you ever got. While the team has moved onto other projects (Joe Reid has appeared with Katey Rich on the Film Experience a few times), it can only be hoped for that whatever happens with the upcoming Previously TV podcast will be half as great as what this short lived show achieved.

5. The Fogelnest Files 

What will probably be moving further up this list in 2013 is the commemoration show hosted by Jake Fogelnest. In 2012, he went from being an unknown to being my new favorite personality. Every week, he invites guests to look at the more absurd side of pop culture, usually through clips and videos from Youtube. He is consistently funny, the clips are amazing to listen to, and the themes are always ripe for conversation. The guests have managed to pad out the weaker areas and at very least, this is a great show to listen to if you are into what is wrong with pop culture and the world in general. He's even remembered stuff from the 80's that you would have never known. He is in many ways a genius. A quick listen to any episode will prove that he is one of the rising nerds of the current commemorative generation who find videos funny. Also, he may be the best new show that Earwolf has gotten a hold of in 2012. That is a fact.

6. International Waters

Jesse Thorn hosts this quiz show that pins the British against the Americans on a monthly basis and determines which side is better. It is not a traditional quiz show, as points can be received for ridiculous answers. However, the banter more than makes up for the show's lack of quality questions. Despite the lack of seriousness that the show possesses, it does manage to invigorate conversation and lead to interesting tangents. You may not learn a whole lot, but the challenge is not to be entertained by the performers, who often get patriotic for home countries and end up defending ridiculous things. While there are better quiz shows out there, very few are as fun as this one tends to be, especially in the live episodes.

7. Firewall and Iceberg 

When I need TV news, I usually turn to Dan Fienberg and Allen Sepinwall, two veteran critics who have war stories from TV press tour and can make conversations about dumb shows funny. Including dissections of weekly episodes of Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Homeland, the show encapsulates everything that needs to be known about modern TV in an informative way. It will make you watch the shows differently and while I tend to disagree, they have turned my opinion on some shows. They turned me on to Twenty Twelve and Unsupervised (okay, not exactly great shows), and their influence will probably continue as 2013 rolls around. I usually turn for them on advice on whether a show is worth my time, and usually they don't let me down. It may have a lot of segments that I skip, but what I do listen to is delightful, fun, and a perfect way to schedule your upcoming TV viewing.

8. Jonah Raydio 

I have a complicated relationship with Nerdist Industries podcasts. Usually I find them too rambling. Every single one seems to be more about random conversations than themes and outlines. I cannot fault them, because I do find each one an entertaining entity. However, the breakout star for me is Jonah Ray, who launched a music show and has made one of the most entertaining, sound effects heavy shows that I have heard. He discusses music, insults his sound man, and talks about guilty pleasures quite frequently. Ray is a charismatic host and his show is always a delight to listen to, even if the music kind of sucks. His guests, usually musicians like the Motion City Soundtrack drummer, are usually casual enough to just share stories and go along for the madness. Nerdist has finally founded a show that I really love, and I can only hope that it carries over into 2013 with more top notch episodes.

9. Talkin Toons with Rob Paulsen

Rob Paulsen is god. After seeing him at a Comic Con panel two years ago, I have been in awe of him. Once I found out that he had a podcast, that was kind of it. I had to listen in. He has talked to a lot of the great voice actors of our day, including John Dimaggio, Nancy Cartwright, Paul Rugg, Pamela Adlon, and the best episode of the year: Randy Rogel. With Rogel, he performed a lot of old Animaniacs songs live and explained the origin of most of them. It is an entertaining example of what a dedicated audience to voice acting legends sounds like. It also helps that Paulsen is the man of a million voices and stories. He may not always have deep conversations, but they always make you feel nostalgic and wanting to relive those cartoons that you loved over and over. If you have any appreciation for voice acting or would like to learn more, this is the ultimate show for you.

10. Dead Authors Podcast 

This is kind of a last minute entry, but one that I was blown away by. Every month, Paul F. Tompkins performs as author H.G. Wells as he travels through time to interview authors of note, including Mary Shelly, Aesop, and J.R.R. Tolkien. All played by famous comedians, the interviews are usually both loving dissections of the more ridiculous aspects of their literature as well as taking the personas into interesting, unorthodox directions. Tompkins really nails the role and lets the guest shine in unimaginable ways. It is a shame that it doesn't come out more frequently, but at the very least, it is a great way to learn about literature while making fun of it. One of the best live taped podcasts that I have heard this year.

11. Breaking Bad Insider Podcast

Want to know what goes into an average episode of Breaking Bad? Here is creator Vince Gilligan and editor Kelley Dixon to tell you. At this point, they have built a presence on the show and are easily able to mix in behind the scenes facts with humorous interviews with the cast and crew. A lot has been shared on an average episode, and it almost makes you appreciate the process more. Breaking Bad is an amazing show that features a lot of hard work. It is important to recognize the people behind it. The only sad thing is that this is a one of a kind show. Very few other creators, editors, writers, etc ever manage to make a show that explores their work in detail and makes the fans feel like they have a more intimate look into the process. Also, they win one of the better Rian Johnson interviews of the year, with runner up going to David Chen. Congrats on a great season, and I am looking forward to the final stretch of episodes not only for the reveals, but also to hear what Gilligan has to say about them.

12. How Did This Get Made 

The comedy podcast that destroys bad movies continues on with another, more consistent year of lampooning. I will admit that they are beginning to go more obscure with films like Barbarella and Sleepaway Camp, but they still remain entertaining skewers. Their warped perception of convoluted stories and terrible action pieces create comedy gold and have quickly made the show worthwhile just for Jason Mantzoukas' offbeat approach. There is no corner of the films left unexplored, and often popularize titles long after their relevance. They even have a segment with reviews from Amazon that counter their opinion, which only makes the episode a more endearing look at what makes a bad movie terrible. How Did This Get Made may be more about the jokes, but if LA Weekly thinks that they are the Best Podcast of the Year, then they are doing something right. At very least, they are producing consistently entertaining episodes, and even included an interview with Bad Ass star Danny Trejo. Now that is awesome.

13. Best Show on WFMU 

I love Tom Scharpling. I may not listen to him on a weekly basis, but if you count listening from the Best Show on WFMU and the retrospective Best Show Gems, you will understand why I love this curmudgeon and music fan. His call in show, especially in regards to calls with Jon Wurster, are amazingly crafted looks into a host that has had it and wants to point out how stupid the world is and reward what makes it great. That is Best Show in a nutshell, and there is no better honor than being able to talk to Scharpling for more than two minutes before he shouts "Heave ho!" He is an excellent skewer of pop culture and caller stupidity and his occasional collaborations with Marc Maron called the Marc and Tom Show would be at the top of my list, if it was released on a schedule instead of twice a year. Still, if you haven't heard what makes Scharpling brilliant, please take some time out of your life to do so. I don't care if it is the three hour show or the Best Show Gems, but you are missing out on some amazing comedy gold.

14. The Smartest Man in the World 

Going back to the Whose Line Is It Anyway days, I have always found Greg Proops to be a very funny, fluid comic who could talk his way out of any situation. With his free form podcast that rants about anything and everything ranging from politics to movies to his daily schedule, this is a fascinating look into an individual who can string words together better than you can. This year alone, he tackled an entire segment about how bad the opening Olympics ceremony was and tore it apart in such a manner that it needs to be heard to be believed. He is also very defensive of politics and even shares stories about travelling with the Whose Line gang. It may get a little long winded at times, but it is always a fascinating listen as you're never sure how you got to the next sentence 10 minutes later.

15. /Filmcast

The original podcast that got me into film criticism. It may have fallen down the list, but it isn't because of a dip in quality. David Chen, Devindra Hardawar, and Adam Quigley are still as bright as ever and dissecting movies one scene at a time. They even have a great new theme song set to music from How to Train Your Dragon. This show ranges in length, but usually is an essential listen for when you want to know what specific moments didn't work in a film. I've tried other shows, like Filmspotting, and they just don't work for me. I think it has a lot to do with just the tried and true idea: talk about the movie until you run out of things to say. To hell if it is more than two hours. Those that have an interest in film criticism must consider this an essential.

16. The Brian and Jill Show

In unfortunate news, the 25 year career of the Mark and Brian Show on KLOS came to an end this past summer. As a casual listener, I was devastated and couldn't accept anything different. Still, when it was announced that the co-hosts were moving on to do their own shows (Mark and Lynda, a relationship podcast, did not make the cut), I kind of felt like it was the acceptance of new media. I always felt like podcasts were the future of radio/conversational programming. To have people that you grew up with transferring into it is a sign of acceptance. It also helps that Brian Phelps is joined by Jill Whelan, who after a few weeks, has become a really fun and lively host. It may at times seem like a lite version of the KLOS show, but don't fool yourself, it is still a great daily look into news, games, humor, and a bunch of community interaction. Brian and Jill Show is an excellent antidote for those that miss the old show and just want to have a reason to laugh in the morning/afternoon/whenever you listen to it.

17. Wiretap

Topping out at a half hour, Wiretap is a written podcast that is supposed to be compiled from a collection of phone calls. However, it has since moved on to include so much more. It isn't a necessarily complex show, but with host Jonathan Goldstein, it explores relationships between people, often based on themes, in a very subtle yet argumentative way. It may be very Canadian in terms of humbleness, but that only adds to the brilliant humor that is provided on a weekly basis. It's a little low energy and sometimes the segments drag, but at only a half hour, you can't really complain too much for something that sounds like a well crafted skit. The results are just too impressive.

18. Doug Loves Movies 

I caved in with this one. Where it was towards the top of my list in the past, this year saw an unfortunate falling out. His shows haven't waned in quality, but they have in quantity. He began releasing multiple episodes a week, often within days of each other, and some even ranged more than the traditional hour-long format. This is what killed me. I cannot have time to listen to a sporadically released show. However, the show is still as fun as ever, with more guests coming on and a great appearance by Leonard Maltin and Chris Evans that actually helps to explain the ending of the Avengers. Many games were added and the tension rose on one of the best comedy podcasts that talks about movies. The only problem is that they don't always get around to the Leonard Maltin Game, which is another reason that this probably fell a few spots this year. Still looking forward to the 12 Guests of Christmas, though.

19. Gelmania 

Have you ever seen what mental illness, isolation, and depression look like in a sketch format? Well, look no further than Brett Gelman's perverse, dark look into the human psyche. This is one of the greatest acquired taste podcasts that dares you to determine what is not real and what is a man on the verge of a mental breakdown. Released with infrequent patterns, the show is an entertaining, often sympathetic show that is like no other. It is the perfect place to embrace your inner demonic nature and just vent about sex, politics, and depression. This show may often go too far and serves as the dark partner to the Pod F. Tompkast, but every time an episode comes out, it feels like a challenge to listen to. The reward is a sense of betterment in that you can accept the weirdness and acknowledge that your life is in some way also a little sad. The revolution will not be televised. The revolution will be... podcasted!

20. Movie B.S. with Bayer and Snider

One of the things that is hard to merit in critics podcast is an entertainment value. Where many of the shows feature hosts that can inform in an engaging way, very few are necessarily downright funny. The casual dissection on Movie B.S. is what sets it apart. They are experts who know everything that they are talking about, but it is usually done through a sarcastic approach, numerous theme songs, and clever games. The show may be more of a collection of short reviews, but very few compare to how entertaining the average review of a bad movie is. Also, this show made history when co-host Eric D. Snider wrote a fake review for the Dark Knight Rises and got kicked off Rotten Tomatoes. Now there is someone with bravery that can point out the hypocrisy of fans giving death threats to movies that they haven't seen. The rest of the show, somehow, is better.

21. Judge John Hodgman 

This is another ingenious concept of a podcast. The comedian, along with Jesse Thorn, takes a case weekly and determines who is correct. They usually involve domestic disputes over TV programming, if it is right for their child to carry around significant toys, and the rules behind spoiling TV shows like Breaking Bad. The show doesn't skimp on the humor, but it is a very engaging dissertation that wraps up the show that makes each episode feel like a lesson in moral ethics. It may be satirizing the criminal justice system, but through an odd way, it lovingly pays homage to it by itself being an effective look into the rights of daily life. Also, John Hodgman is an underrated gem of a comedian, whose brief catalog of media appearances rivals him as one of the true bona fide know-it-alls. That is all.

22. Good Job Brain 

Need more quizzes in your weekly life? This show is a great start to that. They are usually short episodes that form questions based on topics as broad as colors, candy, and pop culture. The hosts have great chemistry, but it is the questions that provide the real moments of zen. You will no doubt learn a thing or two by the episode's end and keep wishing that there was another round. Unlike International Waters, this show actually gives you the real answers with seriousness, but it is still in the same realm of fun. If you want a weekly way to challenge your brain, pick up a few new facts, this is one of the best ways to do just that.

23. Auteurcast

Probably one of the best anthology podcasts for movies that I have heard. Twice a week, the hosts tackle the work of a specific director by looking at each individual film. I discovered them around the time of the Master when they were doing Paul Thomas Anderson, and I have been hooked ever since. While they don't always do directors that I care for, I do listen when I find something that I want further knowledge on. They are usually well informed on the history and making of each film and can point out the small flaws that you probably missed. Some episodes may appear tedious, but for the few that cover movies that you like, it will be like the greatest essay on the film that you ever heard. Also, with a monthly column on the Oscar Best Picture winner, this show is constantly pushing out a great product. The only hope is that next year they will get around to directors that I like, including Danny Boyle and Darren Aronofsky.

24. Sklarbro Country

I hate to break it to everyone, but I do not care for sports. I loved watching Olympics coverage, but otherwise, sports hasn't appealed to me. However, there is something dynamic about Jason and Randy Sklar that makes me listen to Sklarbro Country with a large amount of frequency. It is their simple cadence and banter. They mix pop culture with sports headlines and they are in charge for introducing me to people like Bryant Gumble through sketches. Along with their new Sklarbro County, which looks at more general headlines with Dan Van Kirk, this show has some of the best conversations about things in general. They are so good that they have ranged guests from Maria Bamford to Richard Simmons. All of which are delightful. Well worth your time if you're a sports fan, and even if you're just into comedy, you'll not regret enjoying this show.

25. Pod F. Tompkast

While this went from being a monthly show to a sporadically released program, it is still one of the top tier podcasts that features Mr. Podcasts, Paul F. Tompkins sharing his thoughts on pop culture, and if Wes Anderson is the perfect director. His skits often have the flair and hilarity that he has become known for. The live show segments translate to podcasts very well. While it isn't as great as the Dead Authors, it is one of the top shows that continues to go strong with excellent use of piano by Ebin Schletter and guests that evolved from the typical Jen Kirman to a whole lot more. The only problem is that Tompkin's rambling can either be a good or a bad thing, as his average farewells take up a good 15 minutes. Very entertaining, sometimes choppy, but always worth checking out, if just to hear the continuity in his premiere running sketches.

Check out 26-50 here.


Also check out more of my work at http://nerdseyeviewpodcast.blogspot.com/ where I have a podcast called Nerd's Eye View.