As you may have heard, we’re in a “golden age” of TV, and, with the success of Serial and President Obama’s appearance on Marc Maron’s WTF, podcasts have never been more popular. It makes sense, then, that this is a prime time for TV podcasts.
It seems that almost every programme on the box is being nattered about somewhere, sometimes on more than one podcast. You can fill the months between Game of Thrones seasons by listening to Game of Owns, A Podcast of Ice and Fire or the terrifically titled Boars, Gore, and Swords, among others. Meanwhile, there are so many Doctor Who podcasts (153 at last count) that a loyal fan set up a website to keep track.
But a show doesn’t need to be on the air to inspire this level of scrutiny. Filmmaker Kevin Smith and comedy writer Matt Mira started Talk Salad and Scrambled Eggs as a forum to discuss their love of long-running Cheers spin-off Frasier. Every week they provide commentary on two episodes, as well as digressing into random topics. (As Mira once described it, “we’re here to talk bullshit and Frasier”.) They’ve also triggered the relaunch of original Frasier podcast The Frasier-Philes, with whom they maintain a good-natured rivalry.
The X-Files wasn’t yet back in production when superfan and Silicon Valley star Kumail Nanjiani started The X-Files Files podcast last June. But his enthusiasm has since been rewarded with a part in the new series and the chance to record stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny reminiscing for his podcast.
Any time a TV show finds a new audience, it’s likely that a podcast will follow in its wake. Gilmore Girls fan Kevin T Porter decided to launch a podcast when he found out that Netflix would be adding the series to its US service last October. He roped in his friend and GG virgin Demi Adejuyigbe to record Gilmore Guys, which features funny, feminist, episode-by-episode explorations of the show about a fast-talking mother and daughter in quirky, smalltown Connecticut. It’s been embraced by old and new fans alike, leading to sell-out live episodes and a write-up in the New York Times.
As much as podcasts can extend fans’ enjoyment of a show, you don’t need to have seen a programme to enjoy its accompanying podcast – and it certainly doesn’t need to be quality TV. For Go Bayside, comedian April Richardson invited a friend to her house every week to watch an episode of late 80s and early 90s teen sitcom Saved By the Bell and then discuss it on mic. (It ended last year after every episode had been dissected, but it’s still on iTunes.) Many of her guests had never seen the programme before, and their shock at the shoddy sets, questionable plots and egregious fashion choices often made for better comedy than the reactions of guests who knew exactly what they were getting in to.
Of course, all these in-depth audio analyses owe a debt to Television Without Pity, the cult site built on lengthy written recaps that was a fixture of internet criticism from the late 90s. Such was its influence that West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin based a snooty subplot on his distaste for the site’s comment moderation policy.
Twop’s founders Tara Ariano, Sarah D Bunting and David T Cole now have a new site, Previously.TV, which is home to three weekly TV podcasts (so far). There’s Extra Hot Great, a general discussion podcast; Show & Yell, where Tara and site contributor Joe Reid recap the Jane Lynch-hosted game show Hollywood Game Night; and the aptly named Again With This, which consists of Sarah and Tara picking apart the A and B plots of each episode of teen soap Beverly Hills 90210.
Despite my admiration for their work (and my adolescent crush on Jason Priestley), I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy listening, given that I remember 90210 so well. But there’s a special pleasure in reliving a show that reminds you of your childhood, especially in the (virtual) company of fellow fans who not only recognise its flaws but also have the same affection for it as you.
That show might not be for everyone, but there are podcasts devoted to all kinds of mainstream and cult favourites, from The Golden Girls to DuckTales. And yet, somehow, there are still notable gaps. As far as I know, no one has made a podcast about the brilliance of Veep, for example – and surely The Great British Bake Off’s nine million viewers knead (sorry) a portable post-show discussion.
So, what programmes do you think deserve a podcast? Let us know in the comments.
