Podcast Portal: Nerd Machine's Picking Favorites

Welcome to Podcast Portal: a spontaneous column that will highlight podcasts of all genres that are lesser known or new shows that are worth giving a listen. With the medium continuing to grow, it is hard to acknowledge all of them. However, I am going to try and find as many noteworthy titles as possible to share and hopefully expand your mind to the greatest growing medium out there. If you have any podcast that you feel is worth adding to the Podcast Portal, please make sure to inform me whether through the comments or through an e-mail (information in sidebar). 

SHOW: Nerd Machine's Picking Favorites
HOSTS: Zachary Levi, David Coleman, Tyler Labine, Razzle Dangerously
NETWORK: Wolfpop Network
EPISODE BEING DISCUSSED: "The Russian in Discussion"

*Note: For the next week (or until completion), I will be covering every single NEW podcast on the Wolfpop Network. I will not be covering older shows such as U Talkin' U2 to Me or How Did This Get Made. 

It was bound to happen. Much like there's shows on the Wolfpop Network exploring artier movies, there has to be a show that is more on a broad level. There isn't anything wrong with Picking Favorites, which essentially takes three topics and discusses their favorite items within it. In this case, there was talk of childhood cartoons and time travel movies. For those who are weary about hearing references to 80's culture, steer clear. This show has been described by the hosts as nothing but a therapeutic experience for their pop culture childhoods. Also, plenty of love for Back to the Future throughout the episode.

It is hard to properly talk about this episode because the show promises to be more interactive in the future. Right now, it is very stock answers and offers nothing to separate itself from competition, save for the familiar actors as hosts. There isn't much learned but instead serves as dropping in on four men talking about things that they liked as kids. This is fine, but it doesn't really offer much accessibility to everyone else. Of course, it is NERD Machine, but its topics are a little too isolating for me to get on board.

For the most part, I think that the show isn't appealing to me because I have no connection to the novelties that they speak of. Their childhood shows are from the 80's and are all titles I have personally and blindly mocked. This is for a generation that is probably a little older than me and has a fondness for Transformers or something. It is for those who get something out of going to Comic Con every year and meeting like-minded individuals. There's too much baggage built in to make me care.

Also, despite the free formed structure, I don't feel like the show is all that engaging. At best, the hosts can be described as tangential. They can definitely be described as passionate, but what does it all amount to? Like all first episodes, it's hard to predict what is going to stay and change over the course of its run. I personally think that the show will find its footing, especially when it begins interacting with its audience. However, I don't feel like I get much out of it, as its geared specifically towards a nostalgic audience that actually cares about these topics, which so far have been predictably the normative.

Rating: 3 out of 5

WORTH A SECOND GO?: It's not for me, personally. I get who would be interested in it, but I am not likely to ever check this show out again. The topics just don't interest me at all.