Pride Month is here, and The Film Library: A Kanopy Podcast is celebrating with an episode that embraces some of the best LGBTQ+ movies now streaming on Kanopy.

With over 30,000 titles to choose from, Kanopy offers a terrific array of movies, TV shows, documentaries, and shorts. The Film Library's co-hosts, Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko and internet film critic Jeff Rauseo, make finding must-watch movies and TV shows even easier by highlighting the best of the batch.

Mashable offers watch guides for plenty of subscription streaming services, from Hulu to Netflix, and more, including the 75 best LGBTQ films to stream right now. But if you're looking for what you can stream with no fee, all you need for Kanopy access is your library card.

On this episode of The Film Library, Kristy and Jeff made their Pride picks, which include a groundbreaking drama, period romance, clever comedies, celebrated indies, and Oscar–nominated classics. Plus, Kristy gets personal with her appreciation of Frank Oz's 1997 comedy In & Out.

The Film Library: A Kanopy Podcast delivers new episodes twice per month, bringing new recommendations of hit films, hidden gems, misunderstood movies, and much, much more. Kanopy's catalog includes titles from BBC, Criterion, NEON, Samuel Goldwyn, HISTORY, A&E, The Great Courses, Kino Lorber, A24, and IFC Films. So, there's plenty to pick from whenever you log in!

How to watch: The Film Library: A Kanopy Podcast is available on Kanopy, YouTube, and wherever you download podcasts.

Mashable Say More is a video podcast where Mashable staffers interview your favorite actors, writers, directors, and more for long-form interviews that allow us to dig into their careers, latest projects, and internet obsessions. This week, Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko sat down in Mashable's New York City studio with Danny and Michael Philippou, the filmmaking brothers behind the new A24 horror movie Bring Her Back.

Two-time Academy Award–nominee Sally Hawkins stars as foster mom Laura. On the surface, she's all smiles and sunshine. But when nearly 18-year-old Andy (Billy Barratt) and his sister, Piper (Sora Wong), move into Laura's remote home, Andy begins to notice something suspicious in his new guardian's behavior. A lot of it revolves around how she treats her other foster child, Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips).

If the Philippou's feature film debut, Talk to Me, had you spooked, Bring Her Back will have you screaming. In my review of the film, I raved, "While I gasped and screamed at the Philippous' latest, I also held my breath and cried. While they have warned critics and audiences their new film is 'bleak,' I found it beautiful. Alongside a story of psychological torment, physical torture, and murder, Bring Her Back also offers a story of love beyond death, and how that can be a double-edged sword."

Mashable spoke with the brothers about their influences, their origins making online videos, what happened with their proposed Street Fighter movie, and what they'd like to tackle next — including Talk to Me 2.

For more on the Philippous and their love of horror, check out Senior Creative Producer Mark Stetson's video, in which he played Choose Your Squad, themed to Talk to Me.

Mashable Say More will have new episodes every Friday, viewable on Mashable and YouTube. You can subscribe to our podcast feed anywhere you download podcasts.

Believe it or not, it's time to look back at the podcasts that made our commutes, chores, and sundry daily tasks more entertaining, if not downright educational, in 2024. With topics ranging from nostalgic TV rewatches to dating hijinks, aging, life hacks, and long-form investigations into gun violence, there's something for everyone in our best-of list.

So peruse our list, and get ready to fill your podcast queue.

Here are the 20 best podcasts of 2024.

20. Life Kit

If you're looking for a primer on how to get things done, everything from the existential (dealing with climate anxiety) to the ordinary (eliminating fruit flies from your kitchen/life), then Life Kit is for you. In each episode, you'll hear from an expert who will answer your questions and help you tackle tasks and situations that you might be loath to ask for help with in real life. Life Kit is here to fortify your confidence when it comes to daily tasks, as well as those things you thought you were the only one who didn't know how to do. 

How to listen: Life Kit is on Apple Podcasts.

19. Chess Piece: The Elián González Story 

In November 1999, 5-year-old Elián González was rescued after he was found floating alone at sea on an inner tube, his mother and the other migrants he was traveling with from Cuba to Miami having died when their boat capsized. What ensued was a much-publicized custody battle between Gonzalez's relatives in Miami and those in Cuba. Chess Piece's host Peniley Ramirez talks to those directly involved in the events of November to March of 1999, when all eyes were on Gonzalez, when the question of whether or not he would return to Cuba was both a volatile political issue and a deeply personal one for Cuban-Americans, reviving questions of exile and identity. 

How to listen: Chess Piece: The Elián González Story is on Apple Podcasts.

18. Finally! A Show 

Here's a podcast that allows us to do the impossible: spy on someone else's life without getting in trouble for it. From creators Jane Marie and Joanna Solotaroff, Finally! A Show features women living extraordinary lives, and taking us along with them. In their own voices, these guests let us in on their stories of change, growth, and endurance. Hear from an abortion provider with the Satanic Temple, a very young chess master, a cat wrangler, and other women who spend their days doing things you might not even have thought were real. Each episode is reflective, intimate, funny, and unwaveringly real, so give yourself the gift of immersion into a new life, usually for far less than an hour. 

How to listen: Finally! A Show is on Apple Podcasts.

17. Flightless Bird 

How would you explain unique U.S. phenomena like Costco, storm chasers, and RVs to someone who doesn't live here? Journalist David Farrier, a New Zealander stuck in the U.S. due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, has some questions about what makes the States tick. What are these cultural phenomenon about? What's changing about them, and how is the country changing as a result? One thing that fascinates Farrier is the chain restaurant phenomenon, so check out the episode about Olive Garden, in which he asks people how they "emotionally" connect with it, summoning feelings of nostalgia, comfort, and familiarity — it may give you the strange yet understandable urge to tattoo a picture of cheese grater onto your body. 

How to listen: Flightless Bird is on Apple Podcasts.

16. Why Won't You Date Me? 

Nicole Byer wants to hear about the gory details of dating, plus all its moving parts and euphemisms. Every week, she talks to a different comedian, friend, and/or ex about ghosting, situationships, getting engaged/married/pregnant, having a life with kids, birth control, and so much more. Check out the episode with Riki Lindhome to hear about "dating scraps," fertility, and falling in love right before becoming a parent. It turns out that, in spite of us all thinking we're alone in our wild journeys "on the streets" of dating, there's probably someone who's been there — at least kind of.

How to listen: Why Won't You Date Me? is on Apple Podcasts.

15. My So-Called Midlife 

Every week, My So-Called Midlife host Reshma Saujani welcomes a guest to wonder along with her about the truth of midlife. What does it mean to "feel your age"? How often do women like Chelsea Clinton, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus really think about being middle-aged? Perhaps, Saujani suggests, the mindset that comes with middle age is keeping us trapped — we're so busy worrying about if we're irrelevant, if it's too late to do something that we'll never actually do it, and we need other voices to tell us that we can. Regardless of your age, My So-Called Midlife is an important listen, a funny and sobering reminder to be on your own team, regardless of whether or not you can still rage or take a red-eye like you used to.

How to listen: My So-Called Midlife is available on Apple Podcasts.

14. Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain is a podcast about human behavior — namely, why we do the things we do, even when we can't explain them. Host Shankar Vedantam dives deep into loneliness, trying too hard, feeling empty, balking when it comes to political conversations, and more. Every episode is a clever and comforting opportunity to glimpse the reasoning behind our most common, and complicated, experiences of being humans. 

How to listen: Hidden Brain is available on Spotify.

13. The Secrets We Keep

Is there something you've never told anyone? What would it take for you to reveal that secret? In this five-part series from New England Public Media, host Karen Brown talks to folks about the secrets they have around topics considered taboo, including abortion, money, and sexuality, and how keeping their secrets has impacted their lives, especially for those who come to occupy the political stage. Here's a podcast that can help us feel less alone as we ask ourselves the question: Do we ever have a responsibility to tell our secrets?

How to listen: The Secrets We Keep is available on Spotify.

12. How to Know What's Real

What are the things we've come to believe? Why do we believe them, even if and when we know we're constantly confronted with false information every second of the day? Join The Atlantic's Andrea Valdez and Megan Garber as they investigate how our brains process avalanches of disinformation and how we can become more critical. They tackle the idea of "prebunking," how not to perpetuate the spread of bad information, the role of emotion in getting us to click that link, and how your Vanderpump Rules addiction could be impacting your real-life relationships. In a world where we don't always know what to believe, Valdez, Garber, and their expert guests are here to give us the tools to read between the lines. 

How to listen: How to Know What's Real is available on Spotify.

11. Long Shadow: In Guns We Trust

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 134 mass shootings in the first four months of 2024. In the most recent season of Long Shadow, host Garrett Graff contemplates how we got here. Starting with the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, Graff traces the origins of the Second Amendment and the rise of the NRA and its response to widespread gun violence, as well as the impact on a generation of kids who were raised with lockdown drills. This season will surprise you, as it answers questions you didn't know you had about guns in the U.S. and why, when it comes to keeping each other safe, we can't seem to get out of our own way. 

How to listen: Long Shadow: In Guns We Trust is available on Spotify.

10. Playing Anne Frank 

In 1955, 10 years after the end of World War II and the Holocaust, the stage version of The Diary of Anne Frank premiered on Broadway. In seven episodes, the Forward's executive editor Adam Langer traces the movement of Frank's diary from the family's hiding place in Amsterdam to a piece of art that forced producers, directors, actors, and audiences alike into confrontation with the not-so-recent past, as well as questions of what it means to dramatize the life of a person who, in many ways, came to represent the murders of six million. Playing Anne Frank uses archival footage to introduce us to the makers and stars of the play, the film, and those who continue to revive it today, encouraging us to ponder how we view ourselves as consumers of art, culture and history.

How to listen: Playing Anne Frank is available on Apple Podcasts.

9. Fire Escape 

Fire Escape is a 10-part series about Amika Mota, a midwife and mom who, in 2008, awoke to find herself handcuffed to a hospital bed after a car accident that killed one man. During her time in the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, Mota eventually qualified to join the Fire Girls, a group of incarcerated women who work as first responders and firefighters in the prison and within 30 miles of it, thanks to a unique mutual-aid agreement with Madera County. The all-female team live together in Firehouse Five, which is still part of the prison but situated just outside the gates, and at the time Mota earned $.53 an hour for her work. In Fire Escape, Mota tells host/creator Anna Sussman how she struggled to navigate the everyday grief and trauma of being incarcerated, separated from her family, her identity suddenly changed from that of a trusted human to someone seen by others for only her crime. Fire Escape details how fire-fighting changed her ability to survive, how she came to understand justice, and what happened after she left Firehouse Five for good.

How to listen: Fire Escape is available on Wondery.

8. Radio Rental

Remember, if you can, the sound of a videotape sliding into a VCR (if you don't know what I'm talking about, here you go). If that sound makes you feel nostalgic and ready to watch some movies that will make your blood curdle, do yourself a favor and listen to this horror-comedy podcast. In it, Terry Carnation (Rainn Wilson) is the owner of Radio Rental, an '80s video store that houses a collection of strange, scary, and true stories told from the point of view of the people who experienced them. In each episode, Carnation narrates the goings-on inside the store — sometimes there's a void; sometimes a creepy little girl; almost always his very vocal cat, Malachi — setting the scene for tales of the macabre. So grab your fanny pack, get comfortable in your beanbag chair, and don't forget to rewind. 

How to listen: Radio Rental is available on Spotify.

7. Pretendians 

Why would you pretend to be someone you're not? Not in the "I lied about my height on my Hinge profile" sense, but in the "fabrication of a racial and/or ethnic identity" sense. That's the question Pretendian hosts Robert Jago (Kwantlen First Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe) and Angel Ellis (Muscogee (Creek) Nation) are exploring in this podcast about people who commit Indigenous identity fraud. Who are the people pretending to be Native, and what do they hope to gain? Jago and Ellis investigate and interview those who lead with an identity that's not their own, to the detriment of actual Native people. Pretendians is a vital listen for anyone who wants to understand how far people will go to hijack identity, why, and the implications for those whose lived existences are not up for debate or sale. 

How to listen: Pretendians is available on Apple Podcasts.

6. Hysterical 

In the fall of 2011, a group of teenage girls at the same high school in upstate New York began presenting with uncontrollable neurological symptoms — tics, barks, stutters, even screeches and meows. Was it somehow related to stress, or perhaps the effect of long-buried trauma? Was it an example of a mass psychogenic illness, also known as mass hysteria? Or was it very much none of the above? Get ready for a wild ride through a community facing a scary medical phenomenon that caused divisions as it continued to spread. Along the way, there are celebrity appearances, debates about salad, and reminders of the unrelenting tumult that is being a young girl. 

How to listen: Hysterical is available on Wondery.

5. Three

On July 6, 2012, 16-year-old Skylar Neese disappeared into the woods in Wayne Township, Pennsylvania, across the state line from her home in Star City, West Virginia. In December 2012, Neese's best friend, Rachel Shoaf, confessed that she, along with Neese's other best friend, Sheila Eddy, had stabbed Neese to death that night in July. Created and hosted by journalists Justine Harman and Holly Millea, Three is a 10-episode series about the events that led up to Neese's murder. Harman and Millea interview Skylar's family and close friends, as well as investigators on the case, about the chilling dynamic at the heart of this teen triangle — and how it reached its sinister pinnacle. 

How to listen: Three is available on Spotify.

4. Again With This

A great rewatch podcast enables a listener to engage with their nostalgia, while also making sure they don't take it too seriously. Again With This is hosted by Tara Ariano and Sarah D. Bunting, co-creators of Television Without Pity and Previously.TV; this podcast returns us to the days when our TVs brought us the weekly magic that was Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, and most recently, Dawson's Creek. Ariano and Bunting revisit every episode with an unflinchingly shrewd eye toward the details we either never noticed or pretended we didn't see (i.e., the felonious relationship between young Pacey Witter and his teacher). Prepare to see the blush fall off the rose of your youth, and get ready to laugh boisterously in public. 

How to listen: Again With This is available on Spotify.

3. We Live Here Now

Micki Witthoeft, mother of Ashli Babbitt, the only rioter killed by the Capitol Police on January 6th, moves into the same Washington, D.C. neighborhood as two journalists for The Atlantic, Lauren Ober and Hanna Rosin. Naturally, they decide to knock on Witthoeft's door and find out what she's up to. If it sounds like it should be the premise for a TV tragicomedy, that's because it already sort of is, and it might be again. The six parts of We Live Here Now dropped before Trump's recent re-election, which means it's both harder and even more important to hear. It's an examination of our collective memory, our neighborhoods, our fears and grief, and what we might be capable of as human beings who aspire to listen. 

How to listen: We Live Here Now is available on Apple Podcasts.

2. Sixteenth Minute (of Fame)

Do you remember that time a lot of people on the social media platform then known as Twitter got mad at a woman for her Tweet about how lovely it was to drink coffee in the morning with her husband? No? Good, you're probably better off. But also, consider having Sixteenth Minute (of Fame) host Jamie Loftus tell you all about it, what it actually says about women's ability to exist on the Internet, and people's desperate need to direct their ire at something or someone. In each episode of this podcast, Loftus examines those who became internet sensations, whether they meant to or not. Along with guests like journalist Taylor Lorenz, Loftus tackles the reality of the algorithm, the trap of online discourse, and the "internet rage machine." If you're chronically online, or just want to sound smart when talking to those who are, check this one out. 

How to listen: Sixteenth Minute (of Fame) is available on iHeart.

1. The Competition

Each year, 50 extraordinary young women (think researching cancer in your "spare time") from every state in the country spend two weeks in Mobile, Alabama, competing for a $40,000 scholarship and the title of Distinguished Young Woman. This — the desire to win it all combined with the desire to be liked by your peers while constantly being watched by moms and camera crews — is a fascinating premise for an investigative podcast. 

Journalist Shima Oliaee returned to Mobile to be a judge for the Distinguished Young Woman competition 20 years after she herself was the contestant from the state of Nevada. Then Roe v. Wade was overturned, shoving the nation — and these thoughtful, extraordinary teen girls — into political turmoil. There's nothing out there quite The Competition; with plenty of heart-tugging moments and quirks, you'll savor every detail in every riveting episode. 

How to listen: The Competition is available on Apple Podcasts.

Additional reporting by Jenni Miller.

Apple's list of top podcasts for the year is in and it's...not very surprising.

The most popular podcast of the year in the U.S., according to Apple, was the New York Times' The Daily, followed by Crime Junkie, and The Joe Rogan Experience in the third spot.

The full list is as follows:

Apple's top podcasts of 2024

1. The Daily

2. Crime Junkie

3. The Joe Rogan Experience

4. Dateline NBC

5. SmartLess

6. Huberman Lab

7. This American Life

8. New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

9. Up First from NPR

10. Morbid

Apple actually shared 10 different top lists, including the list of Top New Shows (headed by The Tucker Carlson Show), Top Series (with Serial on top), and Most Shared Shows (with the first places belonging to Huberman Lab).

You can check out all the 2024 top charts in the Browse tab in the Podcasts app. In some markets, you can also check out Apple's curated collection of "standout" shows called Shows We Love.

The company hasn't yet revealed the Show of the Year; that's coming on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Check out all of Apple's top lists (so far), below:

Apple's top new podcasts of 2024

1. The Tucker Carlson Show

2. Three

3. Mortal Sin

4. Drowning Creek

5. The Rise and Fall of Ruby Franke

6. Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings

7. Noble

8. Murder in the Hollywood Hills

9. Hysterical

10. Who Killed JFK?

Apple's top podcast series of 2024

1. Serial

2. Up and Vanished

3. Three

4. The Bakersfield Three

5. CounterClock

6. Something Was Wrong

7. Dr. Death

8. The Binge Cases

9. Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra

10. The Binge Crimes

Apple's top podcast episodes of 2024

1. Crime Junkie: “SERIAL KILLER: The Alphabet Murders Part 1”

2. The Joe Rogan Experience: “#2219 - Donald Trump”

3. The Daily: “Harris Baits Trump: Inside Their Fiery Debate”

4. Dateline NBC: “Dangerous Secret”

5. The Bakersfield Three: “Episode 1: Fight Like a Mother”

6. SmartLess: “Vince Vaughn”

7. Three: “Skylar Is Missing | Chapter 1”

8. Serial: “Serial S04 - Ep. 1: Poor Baby Raul”

9. Mortal Sin: “1 – Ashes to Ashes”

10. New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce: “Travis Wins on the Road, Jason Celebrates Shirtless and Full Divisional Round Recap | Ep 75”

Apple's most shared podcasts of 2024

1. Huberman Lab

2. Scamanda

3. Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus

4. The Daily

5. The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

6. The Bible Recap

7. The Mel Robbins Podcast

8. Sold a Story

9. Who Killed JFK?

10. Crime Junkie

Apple's most shared podcast episodes of 2024

1. The Tucker Carlson Show: “Calley & Casey Means: The Truth About Ozempic, the Pill, and How Big Pharma Keeps You Sick”

2. The Mel Robbins Podcast: “The #1 Menopause Doctor: How to Lose Belly Fat, Sleep Better, & Stop Suffering Now”

3. The Daily: “The Year of Taylor Swift”

4. Huberman Lab: “Dr. Stacy Sims: Female-Specific Exercise & Nutrition for Health, Performance & Longevity”

5. The Joe Rogan Experience: “#2219 - Donald Trump”

6. The Ezra Klein Show: “Is Tim Walz the Midwestern Dad Democrats Need?”

7. Honestly with Bari Weiss: “Why the Kids Aren’t Alright”

8. We Can Do Hard Things: “263. Healing from Emotionally Immature Parents with Lindsay C. Gibson”

9. Call Her Daddy: “Vice President Kamala Harris”

10. Good Inside with Dr. Becky: “The Anxious Generation with Jonathan Haidt”

Apple's most followed podcasts of 2024

1. The Joe Rogan Experience

2. New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

3. Huberman Lab

4. Call Her Daddy

5. The Tucker Carlson Show

6. The Mel Robbins Podcast

7. SmartLess

8. Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus

9. Crime Junkie

10. The Daily

Apple's top subscriber podcasts of 2024

1. Apple News+ Narrated

2. Morbid

3. Dateline NBC

4. The Rise and Fall of Ruby Franke

5. Dr. Death

6. SmartLess

7. Something Was Wrong

8. Scamtown

9. American Scandal

10. Mortal Sin

Apple's top podcast channels of 2024

1. Wondery

2. iHeartPodcasts

3. The New York Times

4. audiochuck

5. SiriusXM Podcasts

6. Dateline NBC

7. Dear Media

8. iHeart True Crime

9. Scicomm Media

10. Cumulus Podcast Network

In 2022, journalist Alexi Mostrous investigated the story of Kirat Assi, a 29-year-old London radio broadcaster who was romantically catfished for eight years in one of the most complex cases of false identity you'll ever hear. Tortoise Media's resulting true crime podcast Sweet Bobby saw millions tuning in. And now, Assi's story will be re-examined on Netflix.

Announced by the streaming service on Wednesday, the case at the heart of Sweet Bobby will be explored in a new documentary. It's being directed by Lyttanya Shannon (who directed BBC's exceptional, Steve McQueen-produced documentary Subnormal: A British Scandal), and produced by Raw and Kiran Sira (Murder, Mystery and My Family), and executive produced by Rebecca North (Netflix's American Nightmare).

Like the podcast, the documentary will trace how Assi met a man called "Bobby" on Facebook and formed a deep friendship and romantic relationship with him that would become controlling and manipulative. The whole time, Assi was being catfished — as Mashable's Chance Townsend defines it, "the act of creating a fake profile on social media or dating platforms to deceive others, often using someone else's pictures and information to create a false identity."

But who Bobby actually was would be a mind-boggling truth involving over 60 invented characters — and a deeply devastating revelation for Assi.

"It was a slow destruction of everything I had. Bobby targeted every part of my life – my career, my dreams, my hopes, my relationship with family, with friends, my studies," Assi told the Guardian in 2022. "I could have met someone real, had a baby during that time. But the other impact has been on my mental and physical health."

As CNN reported this year, "In the UK, while catfishing itself is not classified as a criminal offense, if the person using a fake profile engages in illegal activities, like financial gain or harassment, they can be punished by law."

Netflix hasn't announced a date for Sweet Bobby yet. Until then, here's our picks of the best true crime documentaries on Netflix.

Apple Podcasts have arrived to your browser of choice.

On Monday, Apple launched Apple Podcasts on the web, making its Podcasts available as a web app on major browsers including Safari, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. The service is available in more than 170 countries and regions, in their local language, the company has announced.

Podcasts were already available as a desktop app on the Mac, but now you can get a very similar experience on essentially any device or operating system. The web app starts in the familiar Home tab and offers access to top charts, and users can browse through podcasts and access their Library (provided they've signed into the app).

Apple Podcasts on the web are available at https://podcasts.apple.com/.

Yes, it's also available in dark mode. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable/Apple

Apple has recently started offering more of its apps in the form of web versions. In July, the company launched Apple Maps on the web, though that version launched as "beta" and without many of the features that Apple Maps offers as a desktop app.

In 2023, podcasts remained some of the best entertainment material while doing chores around the house or on your drive to work. Mashable has picked the best podcasts of 2023, but we also have specific selections for sex and relationship listens. Because who doesn't want a comedian or sexpert in your ears? Here are 11 shows to learn more about sexuality and/or laugh while doing it.

1. It's My Pleasure

Sex coach Danielle Savory dives into how the brain impacts our sex lives in her podcast It's My Pleasure. Your brain is an important sex organ, which you may have picked up on if you've ever tried to have sex while your mind is elsewhere (the sex isn't the hottest). Savory discusses how we can use neuroscience and psychology to induce more pleasure and thus have better sex.

How to listen: It's My Pleasure is available on Apple Podcasts.

2. Sex Ed with DB

Sex education in the United States is less than stellar, but teachers like Sex Ed with DB host Danielle Bezalel are here to help us bridge the gap. A repeat expert source here at Mashable (check out our article on TikTok removing sex ed videos), Bezalel is a sex-positive educator who takes an accessible, inclusive approach in her podcast. The conversations between Bezalel and her expert sources (many of them LGBTQ and BIPOC) provide an entertaining and informative resource for learning more about sex and our bodies.

How to listen: Sex Ed with DB is available on Apple Podcasts.

3. Seggs Talk Radio

If you're looking for conversations about sex and kink directly in your ears, look no further than Seggs Talk Radio. Host Thea Rose brings on guests like sex workers, activists, sex tech founders, and others in the sex industry to share candid insights about modern love and human sexuality. 

How to listen: Seggs Talk Radio is available on Apple Podcasts.

4. Sluts & Scholars

Sluts & Scholars host and marriage and family therapist Nicoletta Heidegger has been a source for Mashable stories about non-monogamy. She's also an expert on other aspects of sexuality, like kink, and digs deep into them on her show. Heidegger invites fellow sexperts to discuss topics like desires, sexual stigma, and more. If you live a queer or kinky life in particular, Sluts & Scholars is for you.

How to listen: Sluts & Scholars is available on Apple Podcasts.

5. Shan Boodram's Lovers and Friends

Bumble's sex and relationship expert and sexologist Shan Boodram doesn't hold anything back in her podcast Lovers and Friends. Join Boodram, who also has a YouTube channel with nearly 700,000 subscribers, as she and guests talk about sex and intimacy weekly. Recent episodes include regrets about dating older men, the orgasm gap, and being childfree — so there's truly something for everyone. 

How to listen: Shan Boodram's Lovers and Friends is available on Apple Podcasts.

6. The Queer Social

"Queer Mommy and Zaddy," aka married couple Jess and Andie Vanacore, started The Queer Social in March, and already have developed an audience 18,000 strong on Instagram. On The Queer Social, the two discuss love, relationships, and parenting through their perspectives. Come for the queerness, stay for the cute married banter.

How to listen: The Queer Social is available on Apple Podcasts.

7. Dates & Mates with Damona Hoffman

I might be biased, because I was once a guest on Dates & Mates, but this podcast is great for dating advice. Host and OkCupid dating coach Damona Hoffman has helped people find partners for over a decade, so she knows her stuff. Not only do episodes feature her advice but you often hear from experts as well, like Couples Therapy psychologist Dr. Orna Guralnik and matchmaker Rachel Russo (and yours truly, I suppose).

How to listen: Dates & Mates is available on Apple Podcasts.

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8. Seeing Other People

Seeing Other People host Ilana Dunn started the podcast after she lost her job as lead content creator at Hinge. Now, the podcast has been going strong for several years, and Dunn is a bonafide dating expert. Seeing Other People is all about navigating modern dating — which is the perfect subject for a former Hinge employee. Dunn invites on fellow experts on as well as anonymous daters, like those who are single for the first time in years or are having dating struggles.

How to listen: Seeing Other People is available on Apple Podcasts.

9. WHOREible Decisions

As former Mashable reporter Jess Joho wrote in a previous roundup of sexy podcasts, "We could listen to hosts Mandii B & WeezyWTF shoot the shit about literally anything. But in Whoreible Decisions, they grace us with all the very explicit details of their enviably adventurous sex and love lives." Whoreible Decisions is full of frank and funny yet thoughtful conversations about sex, either between themselves or with guests in the mix. It's like listening to your friends who are the "Samanthas" of the group.

How to listen: WHOREible Decisions is available on Apple Podcasts.

10. Two Dykes and a Mic

Two Dykes and a Mic may first be categorized as a comedy podcast, but what makes it so funny is hosts McKenzie Goodwin and Rachel Scanlon chatting about queer life and relationships. In between talking about pop culture — like Taylor Swift and The Bachelorette — the duo dish out relationship advice and reactions to dating horror stories. If that doesn't convince you, come for queer guests like actors E.R. Fightmaster and Mae Martin.

How to listen: Two Dykes and a Mic is available on Apple Podcasts.

11. She Wants More

While it only lasted a few months, She Wants More is worth binge-listening. Writer Jo Piazza, also host of the Committed podcast, speaks with women who cheat on their spouses and relationship experts to give more insight into why. Inspired by a statistic from the National Opinion Research Center that wives were 40 percent more likely to be cheating in 2010 than in 1990, Piazza and her guests discuss what led them to cheat, how they did it, and what came of it.

How to listen: She Wants More is available on Apple Podcasts.

If you're looking for some fuel to power you through your commute, to take with you on the road, or to listen to while taking care of daily tasks, there's truly excellent podcast content to choose from.

Each episode of these 16 shows — whether about the origins of the far right, the legalization of MDMA, Elon Musk's Twitter takeover, or one of the biggest lies someone could ever tell — is a gem. History nerds, true crime buffs, and story seekers alike will find something on this list to love. 

Most of these podcasts aired for the first time in 2023, though others began a new season this year, and one has finally restarted after a four-year break. 

Here are the best podcasts of 2023.

1. Ghosts in the Burbs 

If you like your paranormal tales on the cozy side, pay a visit to Wellesley, Massachusetts, where Ghosts in the Burbs creator, writer, and clairaudient Liz Sower interviews her very haunted neighbors about their encounters with specters, demons, cryptids, shadow people, harbingers, and more. While getting freaked out in the presence of coffee and baked goods, Sower makes important observations on parenting and privilege, as well as the intricacies of keeping secrets in a small town — plus, what to do when your house is really, really haunted. Listen with caution: Her latest batch of stories will render you extra leery of the woods, small children, and even your own kitchen. 

How to listen: Ghosts in the Burbs is available on Apple Podcasts.

2. Maintenance Phase 

Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes have concocted a podcast that's exactly the right combination of factual, hilarious, and infuriating. Maintenance Phase examines wellness and diet culture in all its nefarious manifestations, including orthorexia, the anti-vax movement, and the wellness-to-QAnon pipelines. Take a tour through Aubrey's collection of diet books, listen to Michael being thoroughly disgusted when discussing the effects of Olestra on one's nether regions, learn more about wellness influencers than you ever wanted to, and laugh until people move away as our hosts sample celery juice. (Which tastes "like a haunted swamp," in case you were wondering.) 

How to listen: Maintenance Phase is available on Apple Podcasts.

3. Trump's Trials 

What exactly is going on with Donald Trump right now? Specifically, with all those criminal and civil charges? NPR's Scott Detrow keeps us up to date with bite-sized installations of Trump's Trials, a podcast that walks listeners through Trump's four cases and their developments. Each episode clocks in at around 15 minutes, which includes a breakdown of the most recent news from a legal expert and an assessment of Trump's behavior on the stand, as well as that of his children and other allies to the Trump brand. What are the implications of each case, not just for Trump, but for those his actions impacted and, since he's also running again, for democracy? Whether you've already been keeping track of Trump's legal quandaries or you're looking to get caught up, this podcast is the one to follow. 

How to listen: Trump's Trials is available on Apple Podcasts.

4. Embedded: All the Only Ones 

Embedded is another great documentary podcast from NPR. In its previous 15 seasons, the team has explored the opioid crisis; the ongoing impact of the 2022 Tops supermarket shooting on a Black cheer team in Buffalo, New York; police misconduct; and more. All the Only Ones is Embedded's mini-series on the history of transgender youth in America. Host Laine Kaplan-Levenson juxtaposes stories of young trans people from the past — from the turn of the 20th century to the '60s and '70s — with those of current trans youth, who are striving to live full and true lives in spite of what seems daily attempts to legislate them out of existence. Kaplan-Levenson also interviews a doctor who has been helping people medically transition since the 1970s. All the Only Ones is urgent and required listening for anyone invested in what it means to live authentically. 

How to listen: Embedded: All the Only Ones is available on Apple Podcasts.

5. Heaven Bent 

Tara Jean Stevens, the host and creator of Heaven Bent, has been podcasting about the world of evangelical Christianity for four years and counting. In Season 4 of Heaven Bent, she's taking on the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri — a group with a 24/7 prayer room that was once housed in a series of trailers. IHOPKC is more than just an organization with a demanding time commitment, though. They're a brand targeting young people to become "forerunners," those preparing themselves to sit alongside God in a post-Second Coming world, as well as a mysterious death to contend with — the 2012 death of 27-year-old intern Bethany Deaton. Through her own immersive research, Stevens provides us with a thorough and uniquely intimate look into the dark corners of evangelical Christianity. 

How to listen: Heaven Bent is available on Apple Podcasts.

6. Infamous 

How do powerful people get taken down when they do something terrible? Journalists have a lot to do with it, but how does it happen? Infamous is a podcast about the journalists who take a hard look at the institutions around us and ask the questions about them most people don't want the answers to. Hosts Vanessa Grigoriadis and Gabriel Sherman and their guests trace the origins of scandals like the fall and attempted rebranding of the Victoria's Secret empire, the NXIVM sex cult, the Satanic Panic, and the Gwyneth Paltrow turtleneck sweater ski trial. What did it take to crack open these cases, and what were the repercussions for being the ones who did? If you've always wondered who and what exists on the other side of a scandal, check out Infamous. 

How to listen: Infamous is available on Apple Podcasts.

7. Scamanda

In 2012, Amanda Riley was diagnosed with cancer. Just ask her friends, family, or fellow members of her church. Riley documented her life on her blog (take a shot every time she uses the word "amazing"), including her ordeal with health insurance, which, she claimed, would not cover treatments for her Hodgkin's lymphoma once it advanced to stage four. Have you already guessed where this is going? Award-winning journalist Charlie Webster reveals the story of Amanda's audacious plan, including how she pulled people into her orbit, and how it all fell apart. It's a terrifying, fascinating ride, and if you're not already angry... Well, you've been warned. 

How to listen: Scamanda is available on Apple Podcasts.

8. Long Shadow: The Rise of the American Far Right 

White nationalism doesn't develop in isolation. Season 1 of Long Shadow covered unanswered questions about the 9/11 attacks. In Season 2, host Garrett Graff studies a series of modern-day events, including Waco, Ruby Ridge, and the January 6 riots, that have given a sense of empowerment to the far right. Check out the episode on the Oklahoma City bombing: The details of Timothy McVeigh's radicalization are vital to understanding the far-right mindset. Consider this podcast essential listening for anyone interested in where we are at this moment in U.S. history, how we got here, and what we need to do to get out. 

How to listen: Long Shadow: The Rise of the American Far Right is available on Apple Podcasts.

9. Holy Week 

Hosted by journalist Vann Newkirk, this podcast from The Atlantic delves into what happened in the week after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King on April 4, 1968. Newkirk looks at the collision of grief, frustration, anger, longing, and hope following King's murder, and how it birthed a new movement. The events of that week — riots in Chicago, Baltimore, Kansas City, Washington, D.C, Louisville, New York City, Wilmington, and elsewhere, along with desperate attempts by politicians to quell an uprising — have gone largely overlooked in mainstream accounts of history. Holy Week is an urgent merger of the recent past with the present realities, told through the eyes and the voices of the activists then and now. 

How to listen: Holy Week is available on Apple Podcasts.

10. Flipping the Bird: Elon vs. Twitter 

How, exactly, did Elon Musk end up at the helm of Twitter? This podcast from Wondery lays out the story of the meetings, threats, stock-buying, sketchy Airbnbs, and yes, the tweets that resulted in Elon Musk having the power to determine who merits a little blue check mark. What was/is his end game, other than to "free" the social media site? As the story unfolds in real time, this look at how the takeover happened, as well as the implications of it for the everyday user, and for anyone with an opinion, is more important than ever. 

How to listen: Flipping the Bird: Elon vs. Twitter is available on Apple Podcasts.

11. High Strange 

Payne Lindsey is primarily known as a true crime content creator, but in his latest project, he's taking a hard turn into a different kind of controversy — UFOs. What do we think about people who sincerely believe, or are even vaguely interested, in extraterrestrials? In High Strange,  Lindsey speaks with journalists, abductees, and those on a quest for contact while he attempts to get to the bottom of government denial, cover-ups, and acquiescence. All this while he tries to alleviate the stigma around our curiosity about life in the universe and the upheaval it could bring to the mundanity of our daily existence. 

How to listen: High Strange is available on Apple Podcasts.

12. Truth Be Told

In Season 5 of Truth Be Told, a podcast about Black liberation, host Tonya Mosley has some questions about drugs, specifically psychedelics. As the FDA moves toward the approval of MDMA for treating conditions like PTSD, depression, and other mental health conditions, Mosley contemplates the implications for these drugs in the context of racial trauma. Can a lifetime of being plagued by violence, microaggressions, and criminalization be addressed and potentially soothed in any way by psychedelic-assisted therapy? In this six-part series, Tonya journeys to Jamaica, examines how the War on Drugs and its unrelenting impact on the lives of Black people might impede freedom to be found in psychedelics, and, yes, takes mushrooms. 

How to listen: Truth Be Told is available on Apple Podcasts.

13. Grown, a podcast from The Moth 

Many of us love podcasts because we love storytelling, even the kinds of stories that make us cringe. Grown, a project from The Moth, brings us real-life tales of the in-between, those years during adolescence when we struggled to understand our bodies, our brains, and everyone else's. Hosts Aleeza Kazmi and Alfonso "Fonzo" Lacayo (two Moth storytellers) are our escorts through humiliation, joy, and confusion while we laugh, cry, and recognize ourselves in these stories and interviews. 

How to listen: Grown is available on Apple Podcasts.

14. Beef

Do you love a good (or an awful) tale of nemeses? Do you have recurring nightmares about a time when you not might be aware of every celebrity or corporate rivalry on the planet? Don't worry, just check out Beef and you can resume restful nights of sleep. Host Bridget Todd tells you about rivalries you probably haven't heard of (or at least haven't exhaustively researched), like James Brown vs. Joe Tex and Adidas vs. Puma. Todd also examines the hard truths about what happens to our identities when we're engaged in a rivalry or other ongoing competition. Who are we if we're not at odds with someone else? How essential is competition to the brand we're trying to create or manifest? This is a one-of-a-kind show, and you won't be able to get enough, so it's a good thing there's bonus content, including interviews with journalists and historians about those infamous feuds and their implications. 

How to listen: Beef is available on Apple Podcasts.

15. Ten Thousand Things with Shin Yu Pai 

What are the objects that tell the story of who we are? In these short episodes, poet and museologist Shin Yu Pai brings us stories of Asian Americans and the possessions they cherish, and sometimes are in conflict with, creating a necessary conversation about identity, culture, connection, and what it means to belong. Pai interviews people about their relationships with trout, clothing, and books. But these possessions aren't always tactile. Check out the episode called "Name," about Ebo Barton, whose relationship with the name they were born with and the name they chose drove them to explore and be nourished by language and creation. 

How to listen: Ten Thousand Things with Shin Yu Pai is available on Apple Podcasts.

16. More Perfect

More Perfect, a spin-off of Radiolab from WNYC Studios, is back after a four-year hiatus. In high school, host Julia Longoria became obsessed with the United States Supreme Court, which she was taught to regard as the hallmark of democracy and justice. Since then, of course, we've seen the overturn of Roe v. Wade (and that leaked draft of the decision), scandals surrounding Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh, and other problematic incidents that require a thorough and genuine interrogation of the body that's supposed to protect the well-being of Americans. The new season of More Perfect does just that, so dust off your pocket copy of the Constitution and start listening. 

How to listen: More Perfect is available on Apple Podcasts.

As your child heads back to school, you may be looking for appropriate ways to bolster the education they're getting in the classroom. But how do you determine what's suitable for their grade level while remaining inclusive and entertaining enough that they won't be bored to tears? Answer: Try podcasts.

There are many child-friendly podcasts out there that explore topics that aren't often included in traditional curricula. You can listen to them in the car on the way to school or sports practices, and they can spark questions around difficult topics like racism or identity — in an age-appropriate way.

Christine Elgersma, senior editor at Common Sense, a nonprofit that provides media resources for families and schools, can attest to this personally. She and her daughter often listen to podcasts together and discuss the issues they bring up. "The nice thing about podcasts is it's often a joint activity, so often parents and kids are listening together," Elgersma said.

Mashable spoke with Elgersma and scoured Common Sense Media's review guides to get the top recommendations for child-friendly and thought-provoking podcasts that cover a range of topics from history to politics to identity.

1. Flyest Fables, ages 7-12

This modern take on classic tales is structured as an interconnected fiction anthology. It explores a variety of characters, identities, and experiences, including that of a young boy who is being bullied and a military vet experiencing homelessness. Each episode sounds like a bedtime story, with colorful descriptions and a multitude of characters (all voiced by the host, Morgan Givens, who, in addition to being a writer and audio producer, is a voice actor). He approaches each episode in a sensitive, age-appropriate way, without downplaying serious topics.

Givens describes his podcast as "hopepunk," a term coined in 2017 by fantasy author Alexandra Rowland. Characters who embody hopepunk stand up for their convictions, support others, and work toward a kinder and more equitable world. Givens drops a big dose of hopepunk into each of his protagonists' hearts and minds.

The episodes range from about 10 to 25 minutes, perfect for your child to listen to before they fall asleep.

2. So Get Me, ages 9+

The 2019 podcast So Get Me explores a variety of identities and stories from real people, from 11-year-old Michaella, who is transgender, to Innosanto Nagara, who is a children's author and activist. Each episode is empowering, encouraging listeners to embrace different identities without any apologies. Like the podcast's title states, each person featured on the episodes tells the world to accept them for who they are.

The podcast is brought to you by the music group the Alphabet Rockers, a duo who attempts to create a just world through empowering hip-hop. Their Grammy-nominated album Rise Shine #Woke was "created to interrupt racial bias" and includes song titles like "Stand Up For You" and "I'm Proud."

One of the co-hosts, Kaitlin McGaw, has a degree in African American Studies from Harvard. Her musical partner, Tommy Shepherd, is an actor, composer, rapper, music producer, and more. The host, hip-hop dance teacher Samara Atkins, takes the listener on an engrossing and entertaining ride with McGaw, Shepherd, and the episodes' guests.

3. KidNuz, ages 8-14

Adults aren't the only ones who feel overwhelmed by the hectic and sobering news cycle. Kids feel it too. This podcast, chosen as a Common Sense Selection for families by Common Sense Media, breaks down the news in a kid-appropriate way through episodes that are under 10 minutes long. Past episodes have explored topics from climate change to sports to the presidential debates. Though it focuses heavily on American news, global news is included, too.

"It's a nice entry point if you're trying to discuss what's happening in the world, without exposing your kids to some of the tougher topics in a way that might be traumatizing or not kid-appropriate," Elgersma told Mashable. If you want your child to be informed about the news but not overwhelmed, try this podcast.

4. The Past and the Curious, ages 8-14

This podcast is a quirky and fun take on often-concealed pieces of history. Past episodes have delved into the story of the little-known prairie dog that accompanied Lewis and Clark; Emily Roebling, who unexpectedly became the Brooklyn Bridge's chief engineer; and the history of the hot dog.

Some episodes also tell the stories of women who have taken a backseat in history books, such as Maria Mitchell, the first American to discover a new comet. And to bring the story alive, historical figures are sometimes voiced by guests, who really take their voice acting seriously.

The podcast's host, professional museum educator Mick Sullivan, intersperses quizzes throughout some episodes to ensure kids are paying attention.

And along with Elgersma's suggestions, Mashable's offering a few more. The podcasts below have all received Common Sense recommendations. The shows dive into a wide array of stories and topics for kids of all ages.

5. But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids, all ages

But Why is a podcast designed to answer kids' most pressing questions, asked directly by kids themselves. Experts respond to kids' calls to address some of life's biggest questions of diversity, the environment, and the world at large.

The show, hosted by Vermont Public Radio, tackles just about everything a curious kid could ask their caregivers — questions like: Where does money come from? How does soap work? Why do we have to go to school? And even bigger topics that, OK, maybe not every kid is asking, but are still important: Why is there a big patch of garbage in the Pacific Ocean? Who makes the laws? Why can't kids vote? With the help of expert voices, the show answers the simple and the complex in kid-friendly terms.

Common Sense listed But Why among its Best Podcasts for Kids and recommended the show's quick biweekly episodes for all ages, parents included.

6. Brains On!, ages 7-12

Similar to But Why, this podcast by American Public Media answers kid-submitted science questions in an engaging, hands-on way. The show is co-hosted by a new kid each week. Brains On! even has subject-specific episode playlists covering big, complicated topics, like public health and COVID, and the environment and water. There's an "Exploration and Adventure" playlist featuring the stories of Australia's youngest female pilot, an investigation into underground cities, and interviews with kids who are exploring science in unique ways.

Common Sense named Brains On! one of the best podcasts for tackling the "summer slide" (a decline in academic proficiency during the school break). The organization describes the show as a successfully silly and entertaining science education for slightly older kids and tweens.

7. Stuff You Missed in History Class, ages 13+

iHeart Radio's Stuff You Missed in History Class highlights the weird, overlooked, and intentionally left-out history lessons from mainstream classrooms.

The stories cover complex and relevant science facts, like how smallpox was eradicated, and shares histories lost or manipulated over time, including the tale of Mildred Fish-Harnack, a Wisconsin-born resistance fighter against the Nazis, and the story of the Kerner Commission Report, presented to President Lyndon Johnson outlining reforms to achieve racial justice (he refused to accept it). Featured names span politics, science, and art.

Hosts Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Frey pay special attention to the histories of underrepresented groups, like the lives of artists Jo Nivison — an established painter whose story was second to her famous husband, Edward Hopper — and Berthe Morisot, a talented impressionist and close friend of famous artist Edouard Manet.

The show, which Common Sense says is best for "tweens and teens," dives into just about everything. During 2020's galvanized racial justice movement, Stuff You Missed in History Class also created a Twitter thread of every episode featuring important Black history.

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8. The best Code Switch episodes for kids, no age specified (up to parents' discretion)

NPR's Code Switch is an award-winning podcast that discusses race and racism through the voices of journalists of color — it's an honest, open look at how race affects every part of American life. In 2020, amid national conversations about racial justice and the struggle of pandemic at-home education, Code Switch created a playlist of kid-appropriate episodes to help parents start (and expand) the conversation. The list includes history lessons, current events, and even personal stories.

The episode "On the Shoulders of Giants" outlines a history of activism among Black athletes, from Olympic champion sprinter Wilma Rudolph to football player Colin Kaepernick's protests. In "Word Up", Code Switch explores a 1992 University of Kansas study that concluded children who grow up in poverty hear 30 million fewer words than children living in more affluent homes. The study is still cited in education years later, but it's misleading, maybe even just wrong. It was based on only 42 families, the numbers are approximations, and some researchers say it has inherent racial biases.

Important for kids transitioning out of elementary school, "Dispatches From the Schoolyard" shares stories from real middle and high schoolers about the struggles and triumphs of everyday life, including "periods, Deaf culture, juvenile detention, and being transgender."

The list was highlighted in Common Sense's Wide Open School curriculum, a program designed to help connect families, kids, and educators with additional education resources. Code Switch says every episode is "free of profanity, graphic references, and other adult content" and hopes the playlist encourages "bright young minds...just waiting to learn how to fight the power and advance racial justice."

9. Newsy Pooloozi, ages 7+

Newsy Pooloozi was created by mother-daughter podcasting duo Lyndee Prickitt and Leela Sivasankar Prickitt. The elder Prickitt is a journalist who started the show with her curious young daughter to encourage people of all ages to become more aware of current affairs. It's also been featured by Common Sense Media in its Common Sense Selections for children's podcasts.

This podcast is a great introductory source for children interested in international current events, or for parents seeking conversational entry points to talk to their kids about politics, science, and other newsworthy topics. The show doesn't skip over the big topics, either, with episodes focused on things like gun control treated in thoughtful, delicate ways for its young audience. For parents, the episodes also come with timestamp warnings for those who may want to skip certain news. Each episode also features both a child correspondent and an advising adult, who helps both listener and host better understand what's going on.

10. The Ten News, ages 8+

The Ten News podcast takes a succinct, but informative, route to sharing news, producing fast-paced 10-minute episodes that include rapid-fire questions, trivia, and other interactive moments created for kids to process what they're learning. The podcast's latest season is co-hosted by journalist Pamela Kirkland and filmmaker and writer Ryan Willard, who converse with kid reporters, experts, and other correspondents about what's going on in the world that day.

Common Sense Media describes the show as a news source that doesn't provoke fear for kids and their families, while still discussing important subjects like LGBTQ rights, environmental justice, and even global conflict. The review also notes a diversity of contributors and children's voices, and commends the show's ability to relate major social issues to the everyday lives of kids by highlighting young activists and positive role models.

11. A Kids Book About: The Podcast, ages 8+ (with some episodes recommended for 10+)

Based on the "A Kids Book About" book series, which offers kid-friendly explainers on big issues like systemic racism and mental health, this podcast chooses to address children directly about sensitive, important topics, in ways that foster ​​empathy, communication, compassion, courage, and curiosity, according to Common Sense Media's 5-star review.

The episodes covers issues that children face both in personal life, on the screen, and in the news, things like body image, racism, gender equality, sexuality, and even specific current and historical events, like anti-Asian racism, the climate crisis, and the Tulsa Race Massacre. The episodes are guided by kids and adults who have lived experiences with each topic, and the hosts invite listeners to send follow-up questions.

12. Mija Podcast, ages 8+

Mija Podcast was created by Lory Martinez, a daughter of Colombian immigrant parents who grew up in Queens, New York, and features fictionalized stories intended to highlight universalize experiences of multicultural and immigrant families. It was featured in Common Sense Media's Common Sense Selections, which awarded the podcast 5 stars across the board, noting for parents that the show includes descriptions of perilous experiences and racism.

The show is a multilingual podcast (available also in English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, and Arabic) focused on exploring identity through intergenerational family stories. Each podcast season focuses on the members and experiences of a different immigrant family, and in each episode, Martinez enlists the voice of a daughter ("mija" in Spanish) to tell her family's story. A follow-up season, Mija Música, features the single story of Mexican American immigrant and music lover Gavilán. There's also a spin-off, Mija on the Mike, a weekly talk show featuring the reflections of daughters of immigrants. It's great listening for children and families interesting in exposing themselves to diverse human experiences.

13. Forever Ago, ages 5+

From American Public Media's Brains On! Universe collection, Forever Ago is a quirky and entertaining podcast that teaches listeners about everyday history, focusing on topics, objects, and cultural trends that children are likely to come across. 

Another Common Sense Selection, the show received a glowing review for highlighting educational topics "in a way that will likely excite kids, without making learning seem like a chore." The show's host, Joy Dolo, is joined by child co-hosts, and Common Sense Media specifically notes the podcast's intentional diversity and inclusivity in the topics it covers.

Episodes range from the history of Black cowboys and the rainbow Pride flag to curiosities like the origin of " the weekend."

14. Culture Kids Podcast, ages 5+

Culture Kids Podcast is a multicultural journey through diverse cultures and locales around the world, co-hosted by Kristen Kim and her curious 6-year-old son Asher. Webby-nominated and rated 5 stars by Common Sense Media, the show features international foods, holiday celebrations, famous landmarks, and more, while centering topics that children will find most interesting.

Episodes span topics like the cuisine of Prague and Cantonese culture; sites like New York City's financial district and Pittsburgh's rich history; and fun music moments, like the discovery of hip-hop and the foundations of K-Pop.

UPDATE: Aug. 11, 2023, 5:00 a.m. EDT An original version of this story was published in August 2019 and has since been updated with additional reporting by Chase DiBenedetto.

With the writers strike still ongoing in Hollywood, late night shows like Late Night with Seth Meyers are on hold for the time being. But as Meyers says in the video above, "When life gives you lemons, you make a podcast."

Meyers' upcoming podcast, which he's made with his brother and fellow comedian Josh Meyers, is called Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers.

"It's a really fun podcast," the host says in the clip above. "We talk to our guests about the trips they took as kids, the trips they're taking as adults with their kids, really funny people like Amy Poehler, John Oliver, Colin Jost, Pete Davidson, Amy Schumer, my parents, Tom Holland — it drops this week."

With guests like that it probably doesn't matter too much what they're talking about, it's bound to be fun either way.

The first two episodes of Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers are available now.

It's been 75 years since the arrival of the MV Empire Windrush ship on the shores of Essex, England on June 22, 1948.

On the ship were hundreds of Caribbean citizens, migrating to the UK after World War II. Between that day and 1971, around half a million people travelled to England from Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Barbados. Those who arrived are collectively as "the Windrush generation".

Despite being invited to permanently live and work in the country as Commonwealth citizens — and taking on crucial jobs left vacant by a labour shortage, such as construction, public transport, and building the National Health Service (NHS) — the Windrush generation faced discrimination and hostility in their new lives in Britain.

This isn't something left to history; as recently as 2017, the British government's shameful Windrush scandal revealed thousands of people who had migrated to the UK from former British colonies weren't given the proper documentation (or it had been destroyed). Many were subsequently denied legal rights, like housing, benefits, and employment, and many others were wrongfully detained and deported. Through investigative reporting by the Guardian, it was found in 2018 that "the Home Office had destroyed thousands of landing card slips recording Windrush immigrants’ arrival dates in the UK, despite staff warnings that the move would make it harder to check the records of older Caribbean-born residents experiencing residency difficulties."

This unjust treatment of the Windrush generation has had very real effects on thousands of families.

Today, the impact and influence of the Windrush generation remains immense on British culture — on politics, migration, music, and society. Two new podcasts, Objeks and Tings and A Letter Home, are tracing and reflecting on this deeply embedded history, examining the legacy of Windrush 75 years later.

Objeks and Tings

The podcast focused on sentimental objects, representing history and heritage of the Carribean. Credit: Message Heard / Museumand.

A collaboration between podcast company Message Heard and Museumand, The National Caribbean Heritage Museum, Objeks and Tings dives into the objects that represent Caribbean history, heritage, and joy. Hosted by Museumand's founders, mother-daughter duo Catherine Ross and Lynda Burrell, the podcast runs for 12 episodes and tells various stories with the help of guests.

Objects examined in the podcast include a map of Barbados, a suitcase, and a Dutch Pot, the latter of which is the focus of the first episode. The introduction of these sentimental pieces of the past are used to tell wider stories about the Caribbean.

Mother-daughter duo Catherine Ross and Lynda Burrell host the podcast. Credit: Museumand / Message Heard.

The hosts said they curated the podcast to reflect and represent "various nationalities and Caribbean islands, classes, experiences and perspectives" of British-Caribbean people.

"The podcast will connect Caribbeans and others drawing them closer to the culture of the Caribbean, and is a great opportunity for everyone to share in. We hope people will listen, celebrate with us and take away a clear understanding of Caribbean history, heritage and culture."

How to listen: Objeks and Tings is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

A Letter Home

Led by young Black British hosts of Caribbean descent, A Letter Home: In Praise of Windrush 75 is a four-episode podcast from social enterprise The Black Curriculum and Spotify UK. Each 15-minute conversation delves into education, business, literature, food, and music passed down from the Windrush generation to young British people today.

NattyCanCook and his grandfather, who arrived in the UK at the age of 24 from Guyana. Credit: The Black Curriculum.

The podcast features JadeLB, author of Keisha the Sket, chef NattyCanCook, rapper Christale, and menswear designer Bianca Saunders. Two of the podcasts see hosts in intimate conversation with members of their families, including Natty's grandfather and Jade's aunt Nanette Benn.

Cristale, a rapper and storyteller, in conversation with artist Linett Kamala. Credit: The Black Curriculum.

"These podcasts showcase some of the best of young Black British talent," Lavinya Stennett, the founder of The Black Curriculum, says. "Seeing the seismic impact, the Black Caribbean communities continue to have on British culture and trends is a cause for celebration but also a time to reflect on challenges faced by the Windrush generation and what continues to need to be done to build a more cohesive and anti-racist society."

How to listen: A Letter Home is available to watch on YouTube.

Trevor Noah will soon host an original, weekly podcast on Spotify.

The podcast, set to launch later this year, will focus on "the hottest and most captivating topics of the moment", not unlike the subjects during Noah's stint hosting The Daily Show. Spotify announced the upcoming show at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, where Noah joined Spotify CEO Daniel Ek in a conversation about the future of storytelling.

"It’s really exciting to be joining Spotify on a fun new adventure where we’ll engage in interesting and meaningful conversations with some of the world’s most fascinating people," said Noah. "We’ll also probably fix every single issue humankind has ever faced so you definitely want to join us for every episode".

Julie McNamara, Spotify's VP of Head of Global Podcast Studios, described Noah as "one of the world’s most brilliant and distinctive voices".

"We are excited to collaborate with Trevor to create an original podcast that seamlessly combines his unique humor, insightful commentary, and consummate interview skills on a global scale," said McNamara.

Recently, Spotify's podcast business has seen significant changes. In early June, the company cut two percent of its podcast-focused workforce, laying off around 200 employees. And last week, in headline-grabbing news, Spotify ended its contract with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, severing a lucrative deal between the two parties.

The best friend vibes between Katie Lowes and Guillermo Diaz are going strong as the Scandal pals delve into the second episode of the show and establish a rhythm for the podcast. For their premiere episode, they had the unstoppable Shonda Rhimes as a guest. This week, Lowes and Diaz are by themselves, giving a more detailed breakdown of the episode they're rewatching, as well as more day-to-day behind-the-scenes details.

Huck reveals the bit of Scandal he took home. 

Credit: Shondaland / ABC Studios / Kobal / Shutterstock

The wall of cracked windows in the conference room is a centerpiece of the OPA office and was frequently used to tack up photos of clients or various suspects — a sort of highly symbolic (those cracks!) version of a yarn wall. Diaz got permission to take home a window panel as a memento, which he still has in his home.

"It's right at the entrance of the house, on the wall….It's one of my favorite things that I have in my house," he said. 

"It makes me sleep better at night, knowing that you have one of the window panes," Lowes declared. "And our OPA conference table desk is the main conference room table at Shondaland Offices in Hollywood… I was there once before COVID, and I walked past the big conference room, and it's the OPA conference table that you and I boned on!"

They cracked up. "We sure did," Diaz teased. But that's for a much, much later episode!

The writers' room was psychic, maybe.

"You know what's so lovely [about rewatching], I can see what the writers were seeing about Huck taking Quinn under his wing," Lowes said, "You can already see I always go to you. Abby's just so mean to Quinn, it's insane and great and lovely and I love it, and Harrison just doesn't have time because he's Mr. Man About Town, and you're really the only person — "

Diaz added, "Katie, do you remember we used to talk while we were filming the show, like, how do the writers know and how does Shonda know our relationships? Because you and I started to get really close, and then we'd be like, are there microphones in our trailers? And then we'd see it…reflected in the scripts, right? We were like, how did they know?!"

"They have got to have bugged the makeup trailer!" Lowes agreed. "On sets, makeup trailers are where a lot of shit-talking gets done, and that's mostly because you're there at 5 o'clock in the morning, your makeup and hair people are the ones that are closest to your face at all times — like, when you're on your period, when you've had a rough night… So, the makeup trailer just sort of becomes this place — and I was like, this shit has gotta be bugged! Because... we would have relationships forming and trust things happening, and then we would see them 100 percent reflected in scripts down the road."

How did Scandal find its breakneck pace?

Shonda Rhimes and the Scandal writers’ room had nothing on the Gilmore Girls when it came to packing a lot of information into not a lot of onscreen time. Lowes and Diaz discussed how much time they spent running lines behind the scenes and in their downtime.

"We were really studious, and we would drill lines [in the makeup trailers]!" laughed Lowes.

"We had to! We had to Scandal pace our dialogue," Diaz said. "It first started because the scripts were so long, right? And there were so many words that I think it was Shonda that said, 'You guys have to talk fast to get all this stuff out,' and that's, I think, where it started. But then we all discovered little by little that the faster you speak —  I mean, the intention [matters], and we're still acting under the fast pace, but every time it made the scene better. Every single time! Even beyond Scandal. Sometimes I'm on sets, I'm like, 'Y'all gotta speed that shit up!'"

Diaz admitted that although they had a lot of fun while filming, he spent a ton of time just running lines. "There was no room to mess up."

The secret about Lindsay Dwyer was there was no secret (yet).

Credit: Shondaland / ABV Studios / Kobal / Shutterstock

The ongoing subplot about Amanda Tanner requires Quinn to make a little confession to the young woman about having her own dark past, in an attempt to get Amanda to trust her — and return to OPA, natch. The title of the episode is, after all, "Dirty Little Secrets," and Quinn certainly has a few herself. 

Lowes recalled, "Amanda Tanner and I meet, I think, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and we get a glimpse into Quinn's past, which is Lindsay Dwyer, and I say, Quinn says something like, 'I was in trouble once. A lot of people wanted to…I was in trouble. I was alone, and it was awful.' Now, you think we're getting a glimpse into Quinn Perkins' past, but at that point, the writers' room did not know what Quinn's past was!"

"Nobody knew where that was gonna go!" Diaz exclaimed.

"They didn't know!" Lowes declared. "They didn't know! So what I think is interesting is that things were already being built, but I also sometimes wonder if I had played it differently. Like, I played it as truth, like, Quinn does have this thing, this secret. But I could have played it as like, I'm tricking her. Like I'm making it up —"

"Just to get her to be a client, yeah," Diaz agreed.

"Because Olivia told me to, and I always am like, wow, had I been playing [it like that], would things have been different? Who knows."

The secret behind shooting Scandal that fooled us all is right in plain sight. 

Most of Scandal was actually filmed in Los Angeles, on various soundstages, so scenes like the ones Lowes described above were filmed in local parks, with monuments later added with digital effects.

"When you see the Lincoln Memorial and other historical sites in DC, that’s all greenscreen! The team that did that were so freaking talented, too, because remember people would come up to us all the time like, 'You guys shoot the show in DC?'" Diaz gushed. 

"People still think that now!" Lowes exclaimed. (Uh, I certainly did!)

"We would always be outside in parks, all over L.A., and then they would have this massive greenscreen that they would then superimpose, like you're saying, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, whatever, the Mall, and we would be dressed in coats, sweating balls," Lowes laughed.

"In California, where it never gets cold, excerpt for today," Diaz agreed.

"And Lyn Paolo — we're going to have her on too, she's an amazing costume designer — Lyn Paolo, she I think just set the world. I don’t know if that was her choice or Shonda’s choice, that it was just a 'forever fall'... which means we're just like always in peacoats, a scarf. Olivia’s obviously in the most incredible gloves you've ever seen in your entire life that go up to her elbow, but a lot of times we'd be in 110 degrees, in a wool coat — the chafing that was going on in my pencil skirts! I deserve all the acting awards, people!" Lowes joked.

Unpacking the Toolbox wraps up with some other factoids about the show, a continuity error or two, and a look back at some tweets from when the show aired live. (Remember when live-tweeting was so fun because Twitter actually worked and wasn't a broken toy abandoned in a tantrum by its owner? Sigh!) 

New episodes of Unpacking the Toolbox drop every Thursday. Scandal is currently streaming on Hulu.

Here's the thing about being a true crime lover: Despite the endless sea of new podcasts being released on a weekly and monthly basis, it's never enough. You've probably already exhausted the many lists recommending the best true crime podcasts of all time. But it couldn't quench your insatiable thirst for more murder, unsolved cases, and investigations into the criminal justice system.

Luckily, there's certainly no shortage of new and recent true crime podcasts that provide more hours of binge-worthy listens. But with such a vast onslaught of true crime to potentially sink your teeth into, it can be overwhelming to sift through everything for quality assurance.

That's where we come in. We dove headfirst into that pile of gruesome content for you to compile a definitive list of the best new and most recent true crime podcasts to satisfy your binge needs.

Now, "new" and "recent" are relative terms when it comes to podcasts. Unlike movies and TV, the only really effective promotion for newcomers is word of mouth — and even die-hard podcast listeners come to new releases on their own time. So our stipulation for what counts as a "new" addition to the true crime genre is flexible, needing only to be published anytime from 2022 to 2023, although on this list, you'll also find some long-time creators who have continued to make critically acclaimed, quality content. Many other podcasts just came out, and a few recommendations are even still in the process of releasing new episodes and telling their stories.

Lastly, if your favorite podcasts are missing from here, it might be that we already covered them in our best true crime podcasts of all time and most binge-worthy limited series podcast roundups.

1. Truthers: Tiffany Dover is Dead* 

Why it's great or who it's for: Anyone in doubt about the power of conspiracy theorists and their narratives.

What it's about: When Tennessee nurse Tiffany Dover fainted on camera after getting the first COVID vaccine in December 2020, a firestorm began. Although Dover actually got up and went on with her day, the theory that she'd actually died from the shot had already taken root. When Dover disappeared soon afterward, anti-vaxxers and other conspiracy theorists went deep and wide with the rumors. In this five-part podcast, NBC News reporter Brandy Zadrony attempts to prove that Dover is alive but has been driven away from the public eye by those determined to assert their beliefs at any cost. The result is a deep dive into a terrifying and ever-evolving world of misinformation and manipulation. 

2. Sistas Who Kill 

Why it's great or who it's for: Cases you probably don't know about from women you should know. 

What it's about: Hosts and best friends MaRah and Taz are "not here to give out legal advice" (see their latest episode about Helen Frazier). They're here to talk about Black women who have killed, how the police handled — or didn't handle — the investigation of their crimes, and the outcome of each case. This includes a look at the treatment of the perpetrator and others in the context of a systemically racist legal system. After the case rundown, don't miss "I'm Not Black, I'm OJ," a multipart analysis of how they would get away with the crime if they'd done it. 

3. Walk Softly Children 

Why it's great or who it's for: A beautifully rendered show about a more than 30-year-old cold case that's warming up again.

What it's about: It's been 32 years since 12-year-old Doreen Vincent disappeared from her father's home in rural Wallingford, Connecticut. Attorney Jessica Fritz-Aguiar first investigated the case on the podcast Faded Out, hosted by Sarah DiMeo, and she continues to pursue answers about what might have happened to Doreen. In Walk Softly Children, she tunnels into dark corners occupied by her father, Mark, arrested in 2022 for illegally possessing a firearm, and those in the evangelical Christian circles he inhabits. That includes the staff at Milford Christian Academy, the former students of which are ready to talk about their experiences in its culture of humiliation, fear, and manipulation. If Doreen really did leave 1316 Whirlwind Hill Road on June 15, 1988, Fritz-Aguiar is on the verge of finding out what happened next. And that might mean restoring Doreen's narrative to her. 

4. Lost in Panama 

Why it's great or who it's for: A podcast bringing attention to an epidemic while searching for answers to a disturbing mystery. 

What it's about: Lisanne Froon and Kris Kremers, two students from the Netherlands, took a six-week vacation to Panama in March 2014. On April 1, they disappeared after embarking on a hike on the El Pianista trail. Their remains, along with their backpacks, a digital camera containing some creepy photos (90 taken in three hours!), and their phones (from which a number of 911 calls had been made), were discovered two months later. Yet to this day, no cause of death has ever been established. Eight years after Froon and Kremers vanished, journalists Mariana Atencio and Jeremy Kryt retrace their steps in an attempt to find out what might have happened to them. For Atencio, who was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and was herself violently attacked while hiking there, it's also a search to learn about the epidemic of femicide in Latin America. In the corridor of Panama where Froon and Kremers were traveling, Atencio and Kryt find more than 50 cases of missing women. 

5. RedHanded 

Why it's great or who it's for: People who like their true crime witty, in-depth, and with British accents. 

What it's about: Since 2017, Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala have been making episodes of RedHanded, a true crime podcast that's unafraid to fully lean into the monstrous. The winner of Listener's Choice at the British Podcast Awards in 2021 and 2022, Maguire and Bala have a book, merch, and a packed touring schedule with sold-out spots. Check out their recent coverage of the Idaho Student Murders, as well as their disturbing two-parter on Jefferey Epstein. 

In addition to the longer episodes, Maguire and Bala have also begun dropping smaller eps known as "Shorthand." Running about 20 minutes each instead of an hour plus, they're saturated with the same sarcasm, care, and extensive research as their regular counterparts. So, if you're looking for some macabre company, take them with you on a trip — perhaps to a well-lit area. 

6. Buried Bones 

Why it's great or who it's for: Those craving a new look at old crimes.

What it's about: What do you get when you cross a retired investigator (Paul Holes) with a journalist (Kate Winkler Dawson)? A smart and fresh take on really old cases, most of which you've probably never heard of — like the one with the Harvard professor and the janitor — and some you definitely know but can't hear enough about. Holes and Winkler Dawson are an entertaining and clever pair who bring a modern eye to these old cases, which often involve bodies that have never been identified, murders that have never been solved, and crime scenes that have been compromised by the elements. You can also take a look at some fascinating source material on the show's website. 

7. Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders 

Why it's great or who it's for: Fans of investigative journalism.

What it's about: Throughout September 1982, seven people, including three from the same family, died unexpectedly after taking Tylenol laced with potassium cyanide. Just as Chicago Tribune investigative reporters Christy Gutowski and Stacy St. Clair were about to drop the first episode of Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders, police moved in on their prime suspect, Jim Lewis. Lewis had been examined by police before, busted for extortion when he sent letters to Johnson & Johnson (as well as President Ronald Regan) claiming responsibility for the crimes, and demanding $1 million. Each episode is a well-crafted jump into each of the poisonings, with new details that will send you reeling — even if you think you know the case like the back of your hand. 

8. Bone Valley 

Why it's great or who it's for: Those interested in righting old wrongs — now.

What it's about: How do you correct an injustice that's gone unanswered for three decades? Michelle Schofield was 18 years old when she was found murdered in a phosphorus pit in Lakeland, Florida. Her husband, Leo, was charged with the crime and sentenced to life in prison. But 15 years later, a set of fingerprints turned out to belong to Jeremy Scott, who at the time of Michelle's murder was a teenager with a history of violence. In spite of this revelation, Leo Schofield remains in prison. Bone Valley is the account of host Gilbert King (author of Devil in the Grove, which won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction) and co-host/researcher Kelsey Decker as they dive into Scott's criminal history in an attempt to exonerate Schofield after more than 30 years in prison. 

9. The Fall Line

Why it's great or who it's for: It's doing the work. 

What it's about: The Fall Line covers cases that have received little to no attention from the media, usually those involving people of color and in the Southeastern US. Creators Brooke Hargrove and Laurah Norton tackle each case with a victim-first approach, taking care that the person whose case they're featuring isn't relegated to grisly media fodder, and interviewing the folks closest to them to paint a thorough picture of them as a human. These are cases that should make it to the level of a Dateline episode in terms of national exposure, but because they've been overlooked by mainstream news sources, you wouldn't hear about them if you didn't know about this podcast. So, now that you do know, have a listen. 

10. Going West 

Why it's great or who it's for: Anyone in search of their next regular listen. 

What it's about: Hosts Heath Merryman and Daphne Woolsoncroft have made over 200 episodes of Going West, which now drops episodes twice a week on cases about the missing and murdered, solved and unsolved, often suggested by listeners. They've covered the well-known (Maura Murray), the recently spotlighted (Shanquella Robinson), and those that haven't yet made it into mainstream attention  (Sequoya Vargas). Despite its dark materials, there's a comforting quality to this podcast. Maybe it's the jovial chemistry of the hosts, the variety in the cases, or the knowledge that you're going to get an update when there's an update to be had. It's one you'll want to include in your rotation of quality content. 

This is an update to 2020's Best True Crime Podcasts.

Here's the thing about being a true crime junkie: Despite the endless sea of new podcasts being released on a weekly and monthly basis, it's never enough. You've probably already exhausted the many lists recommending the best true crime podcasts of all time. But it couldn't quench your insatiable thirst for more murder, unsolved cases, and investigations into the criminal justice system.

Luckily there's certainly no shortage of new and recent true crime podcasts that provide more hours of binge-worthy listens. But with such a vast onslaught of true crime to potentially sink your teeth into, it can be overwhelming to sift through everything for quality assurance.

That's where we come in. We dove headfirst into that pile of gruesome content for you to compile a definitive list of the best new and most recent true crime podcasts to satisfy your binge needs.

Now, "new" and "recent" are relative terms when it comes to podcasts. Unlike movies and TV, the only really effective promotion for newcomers is word of mouth — and even die-hard podcast listeners come to new releases on their own time. So our stipulation for what counts as a "new" addition to the true crime genre is flexible, needing only to be published anytime from 2019 to 2020.

Some early 2019 entries are already pretty well-known, critically-acclaimed podcasts. But many other podcasts just came out, and a few recommendations are even still in the process of releasing new episodes and telling their stories.

Lastly, if your favorite podcasts are missing from here, it might be that we already covered them in our best true crime podcasts of all time and most binge-worthy limited series podcast roundups.

1. Selena: A Star Dies in Texas

Why it's great or who it's for: Those who want the real, even more dramatic story behind the 1997 classic film.

What it's about: Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez's tragic end came right at the cusp of her meteoric rise, a tale immortalized by a young Jennifer Lopez in the 1997 film Selena. But that movie, and her stardom, only captures a sliver of what was lost on the fatal day when a close friend and fan shot the 23-year-old girl dead. While the Vault Studio's podcast is only on its third episode as of this article's publication, we can already definitively say it's one of the best recent additions to the genre. With gripping audio from the day and interviews with friends and family, it paints a more detailed and immediate picture of the person behind this infamous case of superstardom that should have been.

2. Shrink Next Door

Why it's great or who it's for: A compelling yet relatively quaint true crime story that puts the power dynamic of therapy on trial.

What it's about: There's a reason why therapists must swear an oath to do no harm to their patients. In the wrong hands (and in very rare cases), this powerful relationship can put vulnerable people under the control of skilled manipulators. The unbelievable story of a wealthy New Yorker and his clout-chasing therapist is one such example. Journalist Joe Nocera contributes a first-hand account of his journey to discovering what was really happening in the Hamptons vacation house next to his, raising questions about who's really in control when you go to the absolute worst person possible while seeking help.

3. Somebody

Why it's great or who it's for: A gut-wrenching reminder of the struggle for survival, answers, and basic personhood that black Americans face.

What it's about: As yet another viral video of a black man's senseless killing launches an overdue criminal investigation, Shapearl Wells' Somebody dives into the complicated, conflicting, and sickening realities of grieving a loved one killed by a nation's broken systems. Her son Courtney Wells was found shot outside a Chicago police station, and the explanation for how it happened proves inconsistent at best. As a mother tirelessly investigating her own son's death, Wells also captures the exasperation of having to justify the worth of his life to the public — the double-edged sword of forcing people to care so you can get answers. The story is heart-wrenchingly personal yet culturally resonant. It's a must-listen for all who don't face the lived experience of this ever-present fear and threat.

4. Dating Game Killer

Why it's great or who it's for: The serial killer junkie who thought they'd exhausted all the deep-dives into America's worst monsters.

What it's about: For true crime obsessives, it's hard to come by any prolific American serial killer that hasn't been covered to death (excuse the pun). But with Rodney Alcala, the serial murder of countless young women and girls across the country, it becomes evident that there's no shortage of monsters left to unmask. Most chillingly, despite being caught and imprisoned various times for his crimes, Alcala still got onto a popular '70s dating show, winning the affections of the female contestants by using the same charm that beguiled his victims. From the folks who brought you Dirty John and Dr. Death, Wondery once again tells the gripping true crime tale of a psychopath who leaves a trail of bodies in the wake of his insatiable ego.

5. The Thing About Pam

Why it's great or who it's for: Dateline comfort food, complete with a sickening murder narrated by the dulcet tones of Keith Morrison.

What it's about: At this point you know you can trust Dateline to tell one helluva true crime tale. Keith Morrison pulls out all the stops for the case of Betsy Faria, a brutal 2011 murder at first pinned on her husband Russ. Tellingly, the case against Russ relied almost entirely on the testimony of Betsy's friend: Pam. But there's just something about Pam... The saga that unfolds doesn't only put said "friend" on trial, but also the police who seem to have ignored the lies standing right in front of them.

Related Video: From makeup to true crime: A look inside the weird world of YouTube mashups

6. Dig

Why it's great or who it's for: Rigorous local reporting with widespread national significance, Dig reveals a shocking truth about exactly how our systems let rapists get away without consequence.

What it's about: We've heard it before: It's hard to get a rapist convicted. But something uniquely strange is happening to the cases reported in Louisville, Kentucky, where a "success" rate is covering up a massive failure of the criminal justice system. Reporter Eleanor Klibanoff takes listeners on the infuriating journey to understand why, showing an underexamined flaw with wide-sweeping consequences for victims across the country. While a summary of Dig can sound too logistical to be interesting, superb storytelling and gutting personal accounts from survivors render these injustices impossible to turn away from. If you have even a passing interest in the issues brought to light by the Me Too movement, this is an essential (if enraging) podcast listen.

7. The Clearing

Why it's great or who it's for: Following the journey of an oft-overlooked victim of serial killers, the daughter of a murderer struggles to uncover just how big of a monster her father really was.

What it's about: A new entry into a recent and growing sub-genre of true crime podcasts, The Clearing captures the personal reckoning of a serial killer's family member. Host Josh Dean works alongside April, the daughter of Edward Wayne Edwards. She actually directly led to his capture for various murders years ago, but remains haunted by his yet uncovered crimes. Resurfacing the trauma of life with her abusive father, April hunts for potential clues buried in her childhood memories. On top of all that, she confronts the popular online conspiracy theory that pins nearly every major unsolved murder in America — from the Zodiac killings to JonBenét Ramsey — on her father. It's a podcast story that's as much about April's strength as it is about her father's villainy.

8. Man in the Window

Why it's great or who it's for: You've probably heard the story of the Golden State Killer before, but never like this.

What it's about: While the Golden State Killer case is an almost overdone staple of true crime at this point, the investigative reporting of Los Angeles Times journalist Paige St. John breaths new life into the notorious California murderer. She does this by focusing on the victims' points of view, putting listeners in their terrifying shoes rather than mythologizing the monstrous man who cut their lives short. This one's especially a must-listen for those familiar with Los Angeles, as the expert storytelling brings a sense of immediacy to these brutal killings that happened in our own backyards.

9. To Live and Die in LA

Why it's great or who it's for: Lovers of of-the-moment investigations into recent missing person cold cases.

What it's about: Another particularly poignant Los Angeles true crime story, Rolling Stone journalist Neil Strauss seeks to find answers for the 2018 murder of an aspiring actress in Hollywood. From the same folks who brought you Up & Vanished, it can sometimes eke into the territory of feeling exploitative of the grieving families for the sake of drama when the investigation surfaces new revelations. But all-in-all it's a gripping listen, and Strauss does a better job than most of being respectful toward the missing girl and her distraught family.

10. Over My Dead Body: Tally

Why it's great or who it's for: Who can resist what starts out as a love story and ends in a homicide?

What it's about: Another true crime hit from Wondery, the seven-part story begins with wealthy attorneys Dan and Wendi getting their picture-perfect wedding into the New York Times. We all know picturesque marriages are almost always hiding something, but what unravels from the pair's eventual divorce is beyond compare. Host and reporter Matthew Shaer dives into the plot twists and complicated fallout of two families left in shambles, and the haunting question of what you'd do for love. (Note: Originally, this was only Season 1 of Over My Dead Body, but has since been turned into a stand-alone with other seasons — like Joe Exotic: Tiger King — broken out into their own separate feeds.)

11. Down the Hill: The Delphi Murders

Why it's great or who it's for: A thoroughly reported investigation into an infamous double murder, made eerier by social media footage of the perpetrator captured by one of the victims.

What it's about: A few years ago, the murder of two teenage friends Abby and Libby in Delphi, Indiana gained notoriety because of a Snapchat video one of them took. By all appearances, it seems to be of their killer, right before he murdered them. The podcast's namesake comes from the infamous audio clip the police released, with the man instructing the girls to go "down the hill." Despite all this bone-chilling evidence, though, the murderer remains at large. CNN reporters Barbara MacDonald and Drew Iden go deep on the case, with extended interviews from those closest to the open case — from family members to friends and investigators. Even if you've heard it covered before, their on-the-ground reporting in Delphi provides a real sense of the small town that never recovered from the tragedy, making the widespread belief that the murder is a local even more unsettling.

12. Truth and Lies: Jeffrey Epstein

Why it's great or who it's for The factual deep-dive into Jeffrey Epstein's crimes that you needed to make some sense of it all.

What it's about: OK so an investigation from ABC News' Mark Remillard will never satisfy the (understandably) widespread belief that turned "Jeffrey Epstein didn't kill himself" into a rallying cry. But Truth and Lies does a thorough, fact-based, gripping breakdown of how Jeffrey Epstein became an influential financier, how he built his sickening empire of sex-trafficked underage girls, the criminally suspicious sweetheart deal he was given by prosecutors during his first trial, then finally how he was put behind bars. With accounts from survivors, lawyers, authorities, and workers in Epstein's orbit, it brings both clarity and the personal trauma he left in his wake into sharp relief.

13. The Officer's Wife

Why it's great or who it's for: What at first seems like a typical (if still horrifying) true crime tale of a marriage gone awry surprises with a jaw-dropping twist.

What it's about: Another recent contribution from Vault Studios, this is all about the case of Jessica Boynton. Wife to a police officer named Matthew in Georgia, she was found with a gunshot wound to the head from his service weapon, which he claims was self-inflicted. But both physical evidence and a very undeniable witness suggest otherwise. We won't spoil anything here, but rest assured that this isn't your run-of-the-mill case of a husband accused of murdering his wife.

14. Joe Exotic: Tiger King

Why it's great or who it's for: For all you cool cats and kittens who cannot get enough of the bizarre world revealed by Netflix's Tiger King documentary.

What it's about: Releasing before Netflix turned Joe Exotic into a household name, the podcast from reporter Justin Long goes more in-depth than the documentary dared to. We've already compiled a list of the biggest reveals from the podcast that the show omitted, but if you're still hankering for details and can't get those lingering questions out of your head, this is the listen for you.

15. Motive for Murder

Why it's great or who it's for: Another case of murder from Dateline that promises twists and turns that'll keep you on the edge of your seat.

What it's about: While only two episodes have been released at the time of this article's publication, we're already hooked on Dateline's latest contribution to the true crime podcast landscape. This time, host Josh Mankiewicz digs into two different murders in Houston. He uncovers not only the curious details but also hints at a confounding reason behind them that we can't wait to find out more about.

From the enduring appeal of true crime to a boom for podcasts trying to make sense of the political landscape, listeners have been gifted with too many high-quality podcasts to mention in 2022.

Narrowing them down to the best 20 was tough, but hours of listening gave us this eclectic list of the very best podcasts from the past year.

1. Disaster Trolls

Sadly the BBC’s disinformation correspondent Marianna Spring has unearthed some shocking trolls and bullies in this excellent podcast. She tracks down conspiracy theorist Richard D. Hall, who’s spread claims that the May 2017 Manchester Arena bombing didn’t happen and set up surveillance cameras outside a survivors’ house. But it’s the interviews with those on the receiving end of trolls’ abuse that are particularly moving.

2. Where There’s A Will, There’s A Wake

Fantasy football meets funeral planning in comedian Kathy Burke’s death-based podcast, filled with joy and the darkest of humour. Burke is at her bleak and hilarious best asking friends, including Vicar of Dibley actor Dawn French, Diane "Philomena Cunk" Morgan, and stand-up comic Jamali Maddix about their ideal death, funeral, and wake. You might be surprised to hear who’s insisting on a totally transparent coffin.

3. Fiasco: The AIDS Crisis

Hit history podcast Slow Burn’s Leon Neyfakh shows how far the world has come since the advent of AIDS, but doesn’t shy away from the mistakes made in this information-packed podcast. From the early whispers of a "gay plague," cruelty, and panic to the advent of vital medication, he speaks to people affected. Proof, if needed, that denial, blame, and mistrust of the medical establishment follow when an epidemic hits.

4. Welcome to Provincetown


Not so much a podcast as a life transformation for The Heart’s Mitra Kaboli, who heads to P-town, the LGBTQ community on the tip of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Although it’s billed as a reality series, Kaboli’s exploration of the characters becomes more personal as she can’t fail to be moved by a Summer of Sass (comedian and activist Kristen Becker’s camp) that will change young people’s lives too.

5. The Trojan Horse Affair

It’s the podcast that divided opinion. On one hand, you have S-Town’s Brian Reed and aspiring journalist Hamza Syed unveiling the story of an anonymous letter sent to a Birmingham, UK, councillor laying out a plot by Islamic extremists to infiltrate schools. Podcast catnip right there. But its detractors claimed it was problematic and one-sided, portraying the UK as a racist land plagued by bad food. Er... Listen and decide.

6. Will Be Wild

"Be there. Will be wild." Donald Trump’s tweet no doubt stoked the Jan. 6 insurrection, but were early warnings about the violent protest ignored? Trump Inc. hosts Andrea Bernstein and Ilya Marritz uncover many opportunities when the authorities might have prevented the attack in their compelling listen.

7. Slow Burn: Roe v Wade

Slate's timely look at the landmark abortion law was named Apple Podcasts' Show of the Year and for good reason. Host Susan Matthews tells the story of Shirley Wheeler, the first woman convicted of manslaughter for getting an abortion and Ann Hill, the law student who took on Connecticut’s ban, through the lens of eroding rights.

8. Big Spender

Violence, gangs, and politics all feature in this six-parter about notorious Hong Kong criminal Cheung Tze-keung. Listeners will be left open-mouthed at tales of his multiple heists and audacious kidnappings, as well as anecdotes about his glamorous lifestyle. You might already know the ending, but the action unravels beautifully. 

9. Scamfluencers 

Sarah Hagi and Scaachi Koul’s podcast has more scammers than Fyre Festival and the super-smart duo love unveiling stories of how the public have put their trust in influencers. If the sound of a bogus ballet school, a celebrity sports coach with secrets and a scammer who’s obsessed with interviewing serial killers sounds intriguing, dive right in.

10. Pig Iron

Many questions were left unanswered when aspiring war reporter Christopher Allen was killed in South Sudan, but journalist Basia Cummings aims to find out what really happened in this podcast from Tortoise. Was he a mercenary? Did he take unnecessary risks? Or was his death an accident? It’s meticulously covered and sensitively handled.

11. Case 63

Oscar Isaac plays a patient who claims he’s from the future and Julianne Moore is his cynical psychiatrist. Has he really returned from the year 2062 to save the world from annihilation? If he’s telling the truth, the future’s grim. Together, the two stars make this sci-fi podcast one of the most bingeable listens of the year, packed with twists.

12. Black British Lives Matter

Comedian Lenny Henry and journalist Marcus Ryder’s "jollof rice for the mind, jerk chicken for the spirit" opens conversations about what it means to be Black in Britain, moving through fashion, hair, food and more. Soul II Soul legend Jazzie B, designer Ozwald Boateng, and singer Beverley Knight are among the contributors bringing more barber shop laughs than po-faced discussion.

13. 28ish Days Later

Is progesterone "the Wednesday Addams of the hormone world"? Presenter India Rakusen thinks so – and if you only have a vague understanding of periods and cycles, listening to her 15-minute episodes will put them in a new light. Factual rather than squeamish, it’s a gem of biological knowledge. Oh, and did you know the ovary is the size of a walnut?

14. The News Agents

In a year when the headlines spun even more out of control than ever, political journalists Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel, and Lewis Goodall provided a solid analysis and dash of side-eye, analysing former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, that lettuce and much more. Nicknaming and smirking as they go, the trio’s half-hour daily episodes made as much sense of the news as anyone could.

15. The Witch Farm

Danny Robins has made a career out of scaring people (see also: The Battersea Poltergeist and Uncanny). The Witch Farm focuses on the true story of a couple who move into a remote Welsh farmhouse to find that no exorcist can rid it of a pesky ghost. Actors Alexandra Roach and Joseph Fiennes star in the dramatised sections.

16. Wild Things: Siegfried and Roy

The irresistible legend of the flamboyant German magicians, from their triumphant Vegas shows to Roy’s near-demise in the jaws of a tiger, is podcast gold. It’s easy to poke fun at the pair, but they spent nearly 50 years thrilling punters. Scandal, shootings, and speculation about why that tiger really went for its co-star are all covered in nine episodes.

17. Feast is Feast with Big Zuu

The irresistible Zuu has an easy way with his guests including lovable stand-up Mo Gilligan, Bake-Off’s Nadiya Hussain and the Re-Rewinder Craig David. And who doesn’t love talking about food? Zuu asks the right questions that draw out a wider discussion, demonstrated by Jermaine Jenas’ realisation that cooking gave him post-football confidence.

18. Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV

Journalists Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale delve into the genre they love to find out if reality TV really is "trashy, bottom feeding, and the end of civilisation". Even the most devoted fan will find something new here, as the duo so expertly cover the darker side of exploitation and aspiration with contributions from show insiders. 

19. Hot Money

No-one expects the porn industry to be squeaky clean, but The Financial Times’ Patricia Nilsson and Alex Barker’s investigation lays its profits and power players bare. Faceless tech bros make the big bucks, leaving the straight-talking on-screen talent angry and they’re ready to tell the hosts exactly how it is.

20. Jamie Winstone’s Greatest Night Ever

If you long for the halcyon days before filtered selfies at parties, you’ll love actor Winstone’s charming chats about big nights out. Pop dungeoness Charlotte Church, EastEnders’ Danny Dyer and DJ Nick Grimshaw are among the "massive ledges" busting out the anecdotes, but Bez wins with his tale of supporting New Order at the Hacienda, accompanied by 200 microdots. 

Is your favourite podcast in the list or are you furious about its omission? Take a look at more Best of 2022 lists here.

Do you prefer your true crime to be a little less…murder-y? Do you love a story about someone who cons people like it's their job (because it is)? Are you fascinated by the intricacies of pulling off the perfect scam?

Maybe your obsession with scamming began with fraudsters who ended up with Netflix deals like Dirty John, the tale of Debra Newell, whose new boyfriend John Meehan was too good to be true in the worst way possible. Or maybe it was with the tiny pinprick of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. Or Anna Sorokin, who defrauded her way into the upper echelons of society.

Podcasts about cons and the people who carry them out abound right now. So we've compiled a list of the best true crime scammer podcasts out there, everything ranging from the hilarious to the deeply unsettling to the mysterious and yes, even the highly fibrous.

1. Scam Goddess

Laci Mosley's podcast about scams is on many "best of" lists, and there's a reason for that. Every week, Mosley dissects the art of the con alongside a guest comedian.

The show has three parts: scams to watch out for, in which Mosley reads emails from listeners (members of her CONgregation) who have fallen victim to a con, followed by a dissection of a historical con, and concluding with hearing from her guest about cons they've been involved in, willingly or not, and every episode culminates in telling us the story of the Scammer of the Week.

Don't miss out on this one—you'll laugh your face off. 

2. Sweet Bobby

The good news: In the news more than ever is catfishing, the practice of creating a fictional persona, usually on social media, with the intention of targeting someone for money or just to be awful.

The bad news: People are still catfishing other people, even their relatives. Sweet Bobby is the story of British radio presenter Kirat Assi, who spent almost a decade in the grip of a scam perpetuated by "Bobby," who—spoiler alert—turned out to be her female cousin, Simran Bhogal.

While the fact that Assi's catfisher was a family member is shocking, knowing that going in doesn't take away from the experience of listening. Sweet Bobby isn't only a story about being scammed, it's a story of communities and their norms, victim blaming, and the question of whether or not justice is ever really achievable. 

3. Scamfluencers

If you're fascinated by stories of fraud and also love a good TikTok, Scamfluencers is the podcast for you.

Hosted by Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi, each episode is a look at an influencer whose life we can't help but envy, and who also convinces us to make them richer, at our own expense. There are imaginary luxury resorts, predatory yoga instructors, fake royals, and even the downfall of a Real Housewife.

Scamfluencers is a charming combination of sobering and funny, and it might have you checking your Instagram even more often, and with more skepticism. 

4. The Dream

Who doesn't love a good pyramid scheme, otherwise known as Multi-Level Marketing? Well, a lot of people, probably, especially those victimized by them.

Season One of The Dream goes deep into the world of MLM, including its history, strategies, downfalls, and host Jane Marie's personal connections to the scams—many of her female family members eat, breathe, and sleep them. It's a cozy and disarming examination of gender, socioeconomics, and relentlessly striving for success, even when it comes at the expense of your loved ones.

Season Two is also a great listen. It dives into the world of wellness, including essential oils, crystals, pills, powders, and other routes to becoming your most productive, most attractive, healthiest self. But is any of it regulated? Is it safe? And if we really can dietary supplement our way into living forever, at what cost? 

5. The Grift

Hosted by New Yorker writer Maria Konnikova, The Grift is a disturbing trip into the minds of con artists. From psychics to cults to art fraud and beyond, this podcast has something for everyone who wants to know how you get started in conning, how you sustain the con, how you get caught, and how you ruin people's lives.

It's not an Idiot's Guide to Scamming, though. Instead, each episode is a reminder that anyone can be lured into a scam, as long as the con artist can get them to let down their guard, by pressing down on the parts that are most tender.

In "The Religion of the Black Dog," Konnikova draws a direct and sturdy line between a scam and a cult. People are certain they're too smart to fall for both, but it's merely a matter of meeting the wrong person at the wrong, or maybe right, time. It's not a matter of intelligence, The Grift reminds us that it's the fact that everyone is lonely and vulnerable at some point, and that's when the scam swoops in. 

6. Fed Up

"Everyone is so happy and so goddamn full of fiber!," declares Casey Wilson, the host of Fed Up.

Of course, that means things were about to go downhill fast for Tanya Zuckerbrot. The celebrity dietitian and founder of the F-Factor diet promises "permanent" weight loss while maintaining a feeling of fullness, achieved by stuffing yourself with fiber (35 grams daily, 10 more than what's recommended for women) in the form whole grains, nuts, vegetables, and obviously, F-Factor bars and supplements. 

Fed Up follows the ongoing feud between Zuckerbrot and influencer and entrepreneur Emily Gellis. Gellis said she experienced a scary side effect after trying the GG cracker and a powder, staples of the diet, and ultimately decided it wasn't for her. Gellis learned about the experiences of other women on the F-Factor, including reported hair loss, allergic reactions, bloating, disordered eating, and even miscarriages, as well as allegations Zuckebrot advised those on the diet to stop taking their anti-anxiety medication in order to lose weight.

She used her social media platform to collect and post the often anonymous claims of F-Factor participants who got sick. Then came the articles, the threats, the lawsuits, the trolling, the catfishing, and a tale of how the very rich, the very connected, and the very powerful can gaslight us into believing almost anything. 

7. The Opportunist

Kast Media's The Opportunist zeroes in on the lives of the people we should probably fear the most: those who appear to be aggressively ordinary.

Everyone is just trying to get by, so why should we be suspicious of a family business or a small-town doctor? It's because opportunists are waiting for just the right moment to let down the guise of normalcy and pounce on the most vulnerable people, those on a perpetual quest for family, love, self-esteem, and security, causing not only a financial disaster, but an emotional one for those on the receiving end of the scam.

Host Hannah Smith unfurls each story with an eye for detail, and it's the attention to these details that often causes things to fall apart for the scammer. Check out the latest episode, where a Ferrari idles in front of a psychic shop for a bit too long.

8. The Perfect Scam

AARP (yes, that AARP) really does not want us to fall for scams, so they made a podcast about it. The Perfect Scam is about popular scams (10+ seasons worth), those that are so ordinary we might not even recognize them as such.

You might know not to answer a Robocall, but what happens if you do? Have you heard about the fake COVID test scam? What about pet scammers? There are work-from-home scams, GoFundMe scams, Zelle fraud, cryptocurrency, and of course, people pretending to have terminal illnesses.

In our day to day, we're on the verge of getting scammed all the time, and maybe it's only by sheer luck that we manage to avoid it, but for how long? 

9. Donor 9623

In this Audible Original podcast, host Dov Fox, a law professor who researches the legality of genetic privacy, investigates the repercussions of deceit.

Wendy Norman noticed something was wrong with her youngest child's mental health, but she didn't learn until years later, via a news broadcast, that it was connected to something much larger and more sinister.

Norman and her wife Janet, along with 36 other families, had obtained sperm from Donor 9623, a man whose profile at Xytex Corp., an Atlanta-based sperm bank, led them to believe he was intelligent, ambitious, and accomplished. Not only had he lied about what degrees he had, but he'd failed to disclose that he was also schizophrenic, according to reports.

It turns out that while Xytex claimed to verify what donors told them about themselves, they reportedly didn't, and there has been very little oversight when it comes to egg and sperm donation in general. So what happens to the families who fall victim to this particularly nefarious kind of fraud? The implications go far beyond what's considered legal. 

10. Scam City

Cass Alcide and Taylor Davis love getting down to the nitty-gritty of the scam, especially its implications in the larger context of race, class, and gender. There's the unbearable whiteness of the College Admissions Scandal, the entitled mess that is the Prosperity Gospel behind Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's Evangelical empire, and the glaring misogyny of the Hustlers scam.

Looking at scamming through a lens of intersectionality is essential to understanding how and why people get scammed, and how we might be able to prevent it before it happens. There aren't very many episodes of Scam City, so treasure what we do have, and let the much-needed analysis make you think. 

True crime podcast Serial podcast has released a new episode after a judge overturned the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, the subject of the famed podcast series.

The podcast, from the creators of This American Life, first aired eight years ago and quickly became a sensation. The 12-episode arc of the first season examined a case from 1999, when Syed, then a Baltimore high school senior, was convicted of the murder of fellow student Hae Min Lee.

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Serial host Sarah Koenig was on the ground in Baltimore on Monday, where Judge Melissa M. Phinn of Baltimore City Circuit Court vacated the conviction. Prosecutors (State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby and Sentencing Review Unit chief Becky Feldman) had filed a motion for the judge to overturn it last Wednesday. After a year-long investigation, Feldman and Syed's defense team (led by Erica J. Suter of the Office of the Public Defender and the University of Baltimore's Innocence Project), found evidence pointing to "alternative suspects."

According to the New York Times, Phinn declared prosecutors had failed to hand over existing evidence and had found new evidence that could have affected the outcome of Syed's trial. Prosecutors said, "The state no longer has confidence in the integrity of the conviction." They now reportedly have 30 days to decide to proceed with a new trial or not.

The much-awaited reversal of his conviction comes after Syed spent 23 years in prison — serving a life sentence — for a crime he said he did not commit.

The Innocence Project, an organization working to prevent wrongful convictions, welcomed the news in a statement, writing, "The integrity of the legal system requires accountability for not only Mr. Syed’s wrongful conviction but also the pain the State’s unlawful conduct caused to Hae Min Lee’s family."

The latest episode, running at around 16 minutes, features recordings from inside and outside the courtroom, including endless cheers from Syed's supporters. Koenig reports from the scene, also explaining the legal history of the conviction, the state's motion, and Syed's journey.

"Adnan's case was a mess. Is a mess. That’s pretty much where we were when we stopped reporting in 2014," says Keonig in the episode.

"Baltimore City Police have told the prosecutor’s office they’re going to put someone back on the case. Someone will try to talk to the two suspects Becky [Feldman] identified in the motion. I have zero predictions about what would come of that. But I do know that the chances of the State ever trying to prosecute Adnan again are remote at best."

Serial's new episode is now streaming Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora or wherever you listen to podcasts.

There's a bloody lot going on at present. Luckily, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders have a good joke about butt cheeks.

Released on Audible at the beginning of October 2020 during England's second lockdown, French and Saunders: Titting About was part of a swathe of UK comedy releases for Amazon's audiobook app including Steve Coogan's From the Oasthouse: The Alan Partridge Podcast. They were a welcome, hearty guffaw-inducing break from the sinking quagmire of anxiety that characterised heightened COVID-19 restrictions.

And now, Titting About is back for Season 3, with six new episodes released on Audible today.

Hosted by comedy legends French and Saunders (known together for their iconic comedy sketch series French and Saunders launched in the '80s, among sparkling solo careers), Titting About sees the whipsmart pair very loosely "choosing a theme and not really sticking to it," telling rollicking tales from their childhoods, lauded careers, and adventurous lives, all while valiantly attempting to stifle giggles.

If you've spent a lot of time loading up on news podcasts in a fried attempt to get across this hellscape, this mischievous, cheeky podcast allows you to take a break and eavesdrop on two brilliant women shooting the breeze about their school days, childhood family holidays, and the unexpected joy of cooking frozen peas in vermouth (you read correctly).

"Titting About with Fatty is the best fun I’ve had without my incontinence pants on. Which, on reflection, was a mistake. Some soft furnishings were damaged in the making of this series," said French in one of the finest press statements I've seen. Saunders' statement is equally sublime:

"I can’t imagine anything I’d rather be doing than titting about with Dawn. We both have tits after all."

With six episodes at 30 minutes each, Titting About is the podcast equivalent of sitting around for a quick, cheeky chat with a glass of wine in hand, musing over the fact that Saunders used to collect horse trading cards as a child. It brings the type of nonchalant conversational bliss I personally crave, deconstructing life's sillier but nonetheless important details for a moment before we dive back into perpetually dire headlines.

The topics covered include their best and worst comedy gigs; passions and hobbies (including the curse of being eternally gifted themed knick-knacks emblazoned with whatever dog breed you own); holidays and the art of packing only a kaftan; the Seven Deadly Sins and lusting after Idris Elba; food and last meals; and the ol' school days of super mature jokes like this:

French: "Can you believe that they're still together, after all that bloody shit?"

Saunders: "Who?"

French: "YOUR BUTT CHEEKS!"

If you can hear Bart Simpson-level cackling on the wind, I apologise but cannot stop. But it's moments of levity like this that are damn well needed in this day and age. I'd honesty listen to French and Saunders debate the pros and cons of cauliflower all day, which incidentally happens in the fifth episode.

If you've got an Audible subscription, you can listen to Titting About for free. If you don't have Audible and crave chatty podcasts to fill your home during lockdown, make your way through this cheerful list — and hang in there.

At one time or another everyone on set of The Office had to break. It was inevitable.

Since Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey started the Office Ladies podcast in October 2019 they've shared that cast members broke while filming the "Branch Wars" episode, during "Women's Appreciation," during "Money," and in many other hilarious scenes. When chatting about the Season 5 episode, "Framing Toby," however, Fischer finally revealed the two times she's laughed the hardest on set.

If you need a little refresher, "Framing Toby" was packed with engaging storylines: Toby's return from Costa Rica, an office fight over a dirty microwave, Ryan dumping of Kelly, and of course, Jim surprising Pam with news that he purchased his parents' house for them (Creepy clown painting and all!)

The creepy, comical clown painting

Let's talk about the scene in "Framing Toby" that made Fischer laugh the second hardest she'd ever laughed while filming.

"The scene where Jim is trying to take the clown painting off the wall for Pam is one of the hardest I've ever laughed on the show. It is the second hardest time," Fischer told Kinsey. (The first, she said, was when they filmed the plasma TV scene in "Dinner Party." Absolutely iconic.)

"This is the second. Every time John tried to lift the painting on the wall, I could not stop laughing. I don't know what it was. Tears, tears, choking on our laughter. We laughed so hard," she continued. "I looked for it in the bloopers and it's not there. And I'm so upset it's not there. It took us like an hour to shoot that tiny moment of him..."

"Trying to take that painting off the wall?" Kinsey asked? 

"Trying to take the painting off the wall," Fischer confirmed.

"John is also so funny at physical comedy," Kinsey added. "I laughed out loud when he pulled back that fake wood paneling and it kind of startled him."

"Yes. So then at the end of the scene in the garage, when we're hugging, I improvised the line, 'What about the clown?' And it made John laugh. And that's why he's like burying his head into my neck. And then when he said, 'Yeah, I can't do anything about that,' it made me laugh. And so I'm like smashing my face into his shoulder," Fischer explained. "You can totally tell we're breaking. And that's why. It was because we were still — any time we brought up the clown painting, we lost it."

Seriously, though. What was up with the clown?

At this point in time you likely still have questions about that clown painting. I know I do. Sadly, Fischer and Kinsey don't know the whole story, but they were able to share a few additional details.

"In the script, it just says, 'Jim examines a hideous painting of some clowns putting out a fire. He tries to pull it off with all his might. Nothing. Jim grimaces,'" Fischer said. "[Producer] Randy Cordray told me that that clown painting was provided. It was made original for us by one of [prop master] Phil Shea's go-to artists... But Randy said that the artist actually provided them with multiple preliminary choices and that Mindy [Kaling], Greg [Daniels], Paul [Feig], and Jen [Celotta] all had to stand and look at multiple clown paintings. And that's the one they chose."

"It cracked me up that it was on the wall like that and that he couldn't remove it because I feel like that's such a dad move," Kinsey said. "You know, it's like that moment where your mom is like, 'That painting is always tilted, it's always tilted.' And then your dad goes and superglues it to the wall because he's tired of it tilting. It just made me laugh. I want to know the story behind why they bolted it down."

"Yeah. What is the story there? There's a story. We don't know what it is exactly," Fischer said.

"We don't know," Kinsey confirmed.

What Office fans do know is that later on in the series Jim and Pam somehow get the creepy clown painting off the wall. In an amazing Easter egg, the work of art (?) was shown for sale at the warehouse in "Garage Sale," Episode 19 of Season 7.

TELL US HOW YOU REMOVED THE CLOWN. Credit: The office / NBC / Peacock

Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode for more behind-the-scenes details about Jim's childhood home and stories from filming "Framing Toby."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the Office Ladies podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

This story was originally published in July 2021 and was updated July 2022.

So far, the podcasting craze from the past few years is proving stronger than ever in 2022.

Based on popularity trends observed in 2021, consumer data company Statista even predicts that the industry will see tens of millions more podcast listeners in the years to come, forecasting approximately 160 million by 2023. But with so many new releases clamoring to meet that growing demand, you'll also need some guidance on which new audio journeys are worth your time.

Sure, we might've officially lost one longtime favorite podcast this year, with the remaining co-hosts of Reply All finally calling it quits back in May. But we also gained quite a lot of amazing newcomers.

While true crime once again dominates the digital airwaves, we've curated a diverse selection of new podcasts across all genres for you to check out. Please note: only brand spanking new podcasts or new seasons and limited series' released after December 2021 were considered eligible for our list. From Serial Productions' investigative journalism with a personal touch, or hard-hitting and vital reporting on the January 6 insurrection, to an audio virtual dating show from PRX, and even a fictional story about real-world superhero vigilantes — you'll find yourself binging these exceptional shows back-to-back if you're not careful.

1. Ghost Church

You may remember comedian/podcaster Jamie Loftus from any one of her previously critically acclaimed one-off shows, like 2019's My Year in Mensa, 2020's Lolita Podcast (which we loved), and 2021's Aack Cast. But the most recent, Ghost Church, is one of her weirdest, wildest, and most welcoming oddity deep dives yet.

This time, Loftus travels around America to chronicle the century-old religion called spiritualism, talking to modern-day believers of this Christian offshoot born out of old-timey seances put on by a pair of young twins who pretended to commune with the dead. Ghost Church displays just how much Loftus's unique podcasting craft has matured, with not only better storytelling and production, but also a deeper journalistic approach. While just as delightfully voice-y as previous podcasts, Loftus leaves a lot more room for the listener to draw their own conclusions. In contrast to My Year in Mensa, it's very much not about infiltrating and poking fun at a group of people. Like all of Loftus' oeuvre, Ghost Church instead explodes a very niche topic into a world of broader themes, tackling everything from grief, to religion, science, and existentialism.

2. Kuper Island

At the time of this article's publication, only half of this eight-part CBC series detailing the genocidal horrors suffered by the children forced to attend Canada's Catholic-run Kuper Island Indian Residential School has been released. But we're already prepared to call it one of the most vital listens of 2020. As the first episode's title states, this Vancouver institution tore first nation children from their families and communities, and threw them into a school they called Alcatraz. Only ceasing operations in 1975, it inflicted unimaginable torture on the indigenous students, many of whom died by suicide, or died trying to escape, or of starvation, disease, and mistreatment. The survivors interviewed describe enduring a constant onslaught of physical and emotional abuse, including sexual assault.

Though the podcast focuses on the stories of four students, one of whom did not survive the atrocities, host Duncan McCue also exposes the ripple effect this haunting trauma has had on every generation of first nation peoples since. This is far from an easy listen, but it also captures so much more than the pain and suffering that imperialist empires across the Americas inflicted upon this land's native peoples. There is also an abundance of collective communal resilience too, and an unbreakable spirit, seen in the way the story's subjects learn to find some semblance of peace by giving voice to — rather than burying — these irredeemable atrocities.

3. This is Dating

The pandemic sent many people's dating lives into freefall. But PRX's delightful, socially-distanced blind dating podcast This is Dating is here to catch that death spiral and send you back out there with hope in your heart. Hosts (match-makers?) Hiwote Getaneh and Jesse Baker gently guide romance seekers, often starting with relationship coach Logan Ury before sending them on a series of recorded first dates. While the couples do their thing, the co-hosts help steer the conversations when needed. Part elevated Netflix reality dating show, part Esther Perrel therapy session, This is Dating is not only riveting entertainment for all, but a genuinely heartening reflection of the modern dating scene, with lots of vulnerable moments and valuable lessons for us all.

4. Harsh Reality

You may have missed the 2004 reality TV show There's Something About Miriam — but you cannot miss this Wondery series' deep dive on its impact. The premise of the show was simple and cruel: Six cis male contestants competed for the affections of the gorgeous Miriam Rivera without knowing she was trans, until the producers revealed the information for maximum dramatic effect. An onslaught of abuse toward Miriam followed from the public, media, show contestants, and callous reality TV producers. Just about everyone lost all human dignity in the process, except that is for the ever-glamorous Miriam, who took it all in stride while never losing sight of her dream to become a star.

As the star of the first dating reality TV show centered on a trans woman, Miriam represented a lot of different thing to a lot of different folks. For mainstream heteronormative society, she was their earliest (if not first) intimate exposure to a trans person. In the trans community, she was a double-edged sword of long overdue representation steeped in a world of transphobia. But what podcast host Trace Lysette so artfully does in this series is focus on Miriam not only as a star or pioneering TV personality, but as a human being. Filled with gut-wrenching and sobering confrontations with transmisogyny as much as joyous celebrations of her glamorousness, Harsh Reality is a touching portrait of a woman subjected to some of the worst that exploitative 2000s TV had to offer. [From our Best Podcasts to Binge roundup]

5. Cover Story, Season 1: Power Trip

Season 1 of New York magazine's investigative podcast series (hosted by journalist iO Tillett Wright) is quite the trip — literally. Tackling the explosive mainstream attention that psychedelic therapy has been receiving over the past several years, the show's rigorous reporting brings some much-needed skepticism to the topic. The first half of the season dives into the wild west of the movement's early days as an underground, worldwide operation. You hear the shocking stories of multiple psychedelic therapy advocates-turned-survivors (including co-host Lily Kay Ross), whose hopeful belief in a possible cure for PTSD left them vulnerable to emotional and sexual abuse from leaders. While the first half is chilling enough, the second posits that a dangerously unquestioning push for these experimental psychological treatments to be integrated into legitimate institutions as quickly as possible threatens to subject even more to similar traumas.

6. Sympathy Pains

You probably recognize host and science journalist Laura Beil from her other hit podcast, Dr. Death, in which she tackles cases that straddle the intersection between medicine and true crime. Her new six-part series Sympathy Pains tells the equally riveting, jaw-dropping, and twisted tale of a scammer who abuses not only the medical system but the goodwill of vulnerable folks who believe her convoluted lies. For decades, Sarah Delashmit went to incredible lengths to infiltrate tight-knit support systems across a multitude of chronic illness and disability communities. From faking multiple terminal cancers, disabilities like muscular dystrophy, as well as a multitude of miscarriages, infant deaths, and much more — Delashmit's con robbed her victims of something far more personal than money. By preying on the best intentions of people who were already suffering, she robbed many of their trust in humanity and (in some cases) most treasured relationships. While stories of Munchausen's syndrome aren't new, you've probably never heard one quite as elaborate and far-reaching as this one.

7. Trojan Horse Affair

Continuing Serial Productions' reputation for exposing the universal poignance behind a seemingly self-contained true story, The Trojan Horse Affair investigates a local school board scandal that became an international news story. In Birmingham, England in 2013, an anonymous letter was delivered to a city counselor that claimed to contain documents detailing an elaborate Islamic extremist plot to infiltrate British school systems. The whole town was shocked by the allegations the letter levied against previously beloved administrators and community leaders who had helped a number of Muslim-majority schools begin to excel. Following the ouster of those accused administrators after the ensuing moral panic, media frenzy, and counterterrorism investigation, something didn't sit right with Birmingham local and aspiring journalist Hamza Syed.

Now, with S-Town's Brian Reed at his side, Syed dives back in to search for the answer to a nagging mystery no one ever bothered solving back in 2013: Who sent the Trojan Horse letter? The revealing eight-parter is a journey of inconvenient truths, shocking twists, and brave commitment to grappling with all the messy, multi-pronged realities of living with Islamophobia, xenophobia, and the pressure to assimilate.

8. Will Be Wild

The insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, left many asking the same question: How could this happen? This eight-parter by Pineapple Studios and Wondery does an excellent and deeply compelling job of answering that exact question. Hosts Andrea Bernstein and Ilya Marritz bring a sense of humanity to their coverage of the folks who were closest to the historic attack. Interviews range from the concerned family members who warned the FBI about the potential violence they were hearing about, to the government officials who listened and tried to sound alarms about the domestic terror threat to even some Trump supporters who attended the rally. If you think you've heard it all when it comes to this once-in-a-lifetime news story, Will Be Wild will reveal just how much we still need to learn about what happened that day — and what it means for the future of American democracy. [From our Best Podcasts to Binge roundup]

9. Normal Gossip

Admit it: We all live for the drama, at least a little. Luckily, this public service of a podcast is here to serve us all the drama that doesn't have anything to do with us. On each episode of Normal Gossip, host Kelsey McKinney is joined by a roster of hilarious guests, including ICYMI's Rachel Hampton and the Scam Goddess herself Laci Mosley. Both take generous sips of the spilled tea from a listener-submitted (anonymized) piece of gossip from the lives of total strangers. Check your guilt at the door, because this pure podcasting pleasure can even educate listeners on the historic importance of gossip as a whisper network — while also saying "fuck it" and just having some harmless, petty fun.

10. Sorry About The Kid

When a police car accidentally hit and killed Alex McKinnon's kid brother three decades ago, he was too young to process the trauma of losing his favorite person. So the young grieving boy resorted to burying those painful memories instead, not realizing that by doing so he also inadvertently started burying all the good memories of his brother too. As an adult — and with the help of therapy — McKinnon now seeks to regain a sense of the brother he fears forgetting more of with every passing year. In this gut-wrenching four-parter, he interviews everyone from his therapist to his parents and friends to finally face the grief he's outrun since childhood.

11. Wild Things

Back in 2003, the story of German-born magician Roy (from the iconic Siegfried & Roy duo) getting fatally attacked by one of his own tigers during a live Las Vegas performance took over the news cycle. But decades later, when journalist Steven Leckart did an investigative piece into all the unanswered questions left in the wake of the infamous incident, he discovered just how much we weren't told about what happened that night. This riveting eight-part exposé tries to find the truth hidden behind all the illusions, taking listeners through shocking discoveries revealed through interviews with close collaborates, case investigators, and even witnesses to that awful night in question.

12. Sweet Bobby

For years, radio presenter Kirat thought she was part of a tragically beautiful love story for the ages. Sure, her long-distance relationship with a good-looking doctor named Bobby had its ups and downs — namely, the litany of medical emergencies and illnesses that kept them physically separated. But nothing prepared her (and now her listeners) for the unbelievable truth behind the web of lies that was the most important romantic relationship of her life. We won't say much else to avoid the risk of spoiling. But trust us: You'll want to stick around for the end of this catfishing story to end all catfishing stories. Like Sympathy Pains, Sweet Bobby is part of a refreshing new true crime podcast trend that examines cons that feel criminal, but that the law unfortunately cannot help make right. There's no easy path to justice, other than perhaps to shed light on the irreparable damage the perpetrators have caused.

13. It's Lit

Let's be honest: Literature — from book clubs to publishing — tends to gatekeep far too many people of color from nurturing their love of reading. But those who've been kept out are now finding more and more ways to break through the walls of white literary snobbery. The It's Lit! podcast (hosted by Princess Weekes, an assistant editor at The Mary Sue) is the podcast spin-off of the popular PBS YouTube series by the same name. Covering a broad scope of genres, it offers refreshingly invigorating takes and far more relatable perspectives to literary discourse. The guests (who include Ibi Ziboi and Mikki Kendall) and conversations cover much of what traditional literary circles too often leave out (like whether "the classics fail us" or why diverse young adult fiction is so important), creating a bookish space that's as inviting as it is enthralling. [From our Best Podcasts for Writers roundup]

14. Conviction: Season 3, The Disappearance of Nuseiba Hasan

Gimlet's Conviction has never shied away from tough cases that reveal much larger, uglier realities about our society and culture. But Season 3 feels particularly poignant, personal, and unflinching, as investigative reporter Habiba Nosheen seeks to solve a cold case where a young Jordanian-Canadian woman went missing in 2006 under suspicious circumstances. The journalist finds herself enlisted by none other than the grown-up daughter who was left behind by the sudden disappearance of Nuseiba Hasan, and both appear equally determined to uncover the truth of this vanished but not forgotten mother.

15. The Super Hero Complex

The Super Hero Complex is a real-life example of deconstructing the modern superhero craze, bringing a true-crime (and PG) sensibility to what fictionalized deconstruction like Deadpool or Prime Video's The Boys do. While superpowers may not be real, the phenomenon of masked vigilantes who take on crime certainly has an illustrious history in our world. Journalist David Weinberg examines what this trend says about us as Americans by profiling the most famous self-declared heroes of all: Seatle's Phoenix Jones. Some say he's the only real-life superhero the world's ever known, while others like the police (and even members of his own team) point to drug charges that reveal a larger fraud behind his persona.

16. Chameleon Season 3: Wild Boys

Like a lot of the best true crime podcasts, Wild Boys welcomes listeners to join the host on a journey to unpack the truth behind a real-life story that they're personally connected to. That's the case for comedian and journalist Sam Mullins, who returns to his small hometown in Canada to understand the bizarre and curious incident that rocked residents back in 2003. When two extremely emaciated young brothers appeared in town out of nowhere, they told the well-intentioned locals who took them in that they'd been kicked out of their very reclusive family's home located deep in the woods. But as time went on, and officials began to question this shocking tale in which parents kept their kids in complete isolation from modern society, a far sadder secret is revealed through their lies.

17. Truthers: Tiffany Dover Is Dead

NBC News reporter Brandy Zadrozny has been on the frontlines of the viral misinformation and disinformation campaigns surrounding QAnon for years now. In this five-part series with an intentionally provocative title, Zadrozny uses those skills to tackle one specific monstrosity from the swamp of internet falsehoods, by disproving a favorite conspiracy theory of vaccine "truthers." Tiffany Dover was just a regular nurse from Tennessee back in December 2020, when she became one of the first healthcare workers to receive the new COVID-19 vaccine on live TV. But after Dover briefly fainted (only to then explain to those viewers moments later that it was a harmless byproduct of an unrelated medical condition), she stopped being a person and instead became a chess piece in QAnoners' unwinnable conspiratorial game. [From our Best Tech Podcasts roundup]

18. Broken Doors

Since the murder of Breonna Taylor (and the 2020 social justice uprisings her death helped spark), researchers and advocates for police reform have pointed to the enormous issue of no-knock warrants. In an award-winning database visualization series compiling the appalling statistics behind police shootings in America since 2015, the Washington Post found another chilling development in this trend: Increasingly, police are relying on these no-knock warrants to execute violent searches on private citizens' homes with little need for probable cause. As was the case with Taylor, these human rights violations can end fatally. Other victims accuse corrupt departments of using these searches for pure monetary profit. In this jaw-dropping six-part investigative series, reporters Jenn Abelson and Nicole Dungca shine a light on what this egregious abuse of power looks like through interviews with victims, their families, and whistleblowers from within the American justice system.

19. Violating Community Guidelines with Brittany Broski and Sarah Schauer

Podcasts from influencers are like the brightest stars in the sky: They tend to burn out the fastest. But unlike other influencer duos' experiments with podcasting, like H3H3'S Ethan Klein and Trisha Paytas' doomed Frenemies, this one is co-hosted by online celebrities with a much more stable bond. Brittany Broski (who many remember from the viral Kombucha TikTok) and Sarah Schauer describe themselves as "internet-hardened succubabes," and bring their front seats to the chaotic mess of the online world to their new podcast. Violating Community Guidelines covers everything from thirst traps to AI influencers with a personable casualness rather than expertise. The vibes are spot on, though be warned that this is more of deviating two-hour-long hangout sesh rather than a highly edited production. [From our Best Tech Podcasts roundup]

UPDATE: Jul. 5, 2022, 2:41 p.m. EDT The original version of this article mislabeled The Super Hero Complex as a fiction podcast and mischaracterized Duncan McCue's family history with Kuper Island. Mashable regrets these errors.

There's something a little bit magical about audiobooks. Hit play on a title, close your eyes, and this digital format can take you on a journey anywhere around the world, impart vast sums of knowledge, make you laugh out loud, and can cause you to well up with emotion. And thanks to a variety of easy-to-use apps, you can listen to audiobooks wherever you have your smartphone and a pair of headphones. Whether you want to listen to an audiobook on your commute, in the gym, while doing mundane household tasks, or simply lying in bed at night, we have an app that will help you do so. 

1. Audible

Credit: Screenshot / Apple

Audible can be credited with popularizing digital audiobooks. The platform transformed the marketplace, from cassette tapes and DVDs to simple downloads that could sit on your MP3 player or smartphone. Today, Audible, now owned by Amazon, is the United States' largest audiobook producer and retailer.

The Audible app, available for both iOS and Android, is as full-featured as you'd expect from such a pioneer in the marketplace. The app offers a handy widget that makes it quick and easy to get back into your last listen with simple access from the home screen. There's also the ability to listen offline by downloading, rather than streaming, titles. When you're signed in with your Amazon account you can enjoy cross-device listening with "Whispersync." 

While the Audible app is a free download, you need a membership plan to listen to content. An Audible Plus membership costs $7.95 a month and gets you access to podcasts, some meditation programs, and a selection of free titles. You can then choose to purchase additional content. 

For a monthly cost of $14.95 you can enjoy Audible Premium Plus membership which gets you into the bonus material in the Audible Plus catalog, and one title a month from a selection of best sellers and new releases. Currently, Amazon Prime members get any two titles free with an Audible Premium Plus trial.

Audible is available for download on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

2. Audiobooks.com

Credit: Audiobooks / Apple

Audiobooks.com is not as well known as Audible but it's a comprehensive audiobook platform that offers a nicely designed website, and decent iOS and Android apps. Audiobooks.com has been going since 2012, is based in Canada, and is run by "a bunch of book and tech nerds," according to its website.

It’s the same price as an Audible Premium Plus membership — $14.95 — but for that monthly fee you get not one, but two audiobooks: one from Audiobooks.com's entire library of over 300,000 titles, and a second is from their "VIP" library, which changes each month.

An Audiobooks.com membership also gets you access to exclusively curated audio news, audio magazines, audio summaries, and sleep and meditation content in the apps. It’s also a really strong player in the podcast marketplace, offering its members unlimited access to over 100+ million podcast episodes.

You can browse through the thousands of book titles available, and search for, and listen to, podcasts instantly. Audiobooks.com's patent-pending syncing technology means you can start a book on your smartphone, carry on reading it on your laptop, and then read it at home on a tablet. We particularly like the app's customizable sleep timer for bedtime reading.

Audiobooks.com is available for download on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

3. Barnes & Noble NOOK

Credit: Screenshot / Apple

NOOK was developed by Barnes & Noble as an Android-based e-reader platform, launched in late 2009. Barnes & Noble still produces NOOK devices, but the brand has branched out to offer software and content.

If you download the Nook app,  you can instantly explore over 75,000 free eBooks and more than 10,000 free audiobooks. For premium content, you’ll have to sign up for the paid "B&N Audiobooks" service. This is a monthly subscription that costs $14.99 and gets you one monthly audiobook credit.

Once you've downloaded the audiobook of your choice, it will sync to your NOOK app and you can start listening via the in-app player straight away. If you do have a standalone NOOK device, the app and your e-reader will stay synced while you listen. The app is CarPlay-compatible, offers bookmarking abilities, the option to set up sleep timers, and can change the speed of the narration. 

Barnes & Noble NOOK is available for download on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

4. Google Play Books

Credit: Screenshot / Apple

Google Play Books for iOS and Google Play Books & Audiobooks for Android are free apps that require no monthly commitment. This means they are strongly recommended apps for anyone who only occasionally listens to audiobooks, just when on holiday for example, or for anyone who isn't sure they are going to enjoy the audiobook experience and wants to try it out without signing up for a membership. 

With no monthly subscription required, you can browse the audiobooks available and choose to pay to download individual titles. For the iOS app, you need to purchase the titles on the Google Play Books webstore and they will sync to your mobile device. 

The apps are simple and make it easy to see what titles you have downloaded. The audiobooks themselves sync across all your devices, including in the car with CarPlay. Anyone who uses the Google Play Books iOS app can enjoy integration with Siri; you can use Siri Shortcuts, such as "Hey Siri, play my audiobook." 

A feature we like within the apps is the ability to skip back or forward 30 seconds — very handy if you missed a few words because of external noise, for example. There's also a smart sleep timer function that you can set for one hour, 30 minutes, 15 minutes, or until the end of the current chapter.

Google Play Books is available for download on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

5. Kobo Books

Credit: Screenshot / Apple

The Kobo Books platform is another that started with hardware; the original Kobo eReader was launched back in 2010. Rakuten Kobo still makes electronic reading tablets, but the apps, available for iOS and Android, can be used as standalone software on your existing smartphone. 

Kobo Books is currently the lowest priced of the big audiobook platforms, but despite the more affordable monthly cost, offers over six million eBooks and audiobooks. A Kobo Books membership will cost you $9.99 a month after an initial 30-day free trial. Each month, your monthly fee of $9.99 gets you one credit to use on a new audiobook, regardless of its listed price.

When you browse the Kobo Books site you can view titles by traditional categories, but Kobo Books also offers some interesting curated collections, such as "Audiobooks that will change your life", "Audiobooks that come alive through voice", and, "Exciting audiobooks for kids." Once you've bought an audiobook via the site, it will sync to your phone.

Kobo Books' audiobook player has a clean and uncluttered design. App features include the ability to adjust listening speed, the option to set a sleep timer, and a quick tap function to skip back or forwards ten seconds.

Kobo Books is available for download on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

Remember the male lactation consultant on The Office who looked at the camera hours after Pam gave birth, smiled, and said, "Got milk?" That was Jenna Fischer's actual husband.

On the latest episode of Stitcher's Office Ladies podcast, co-hosts Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 6 episode, "The Delivery" and welcomed two very special guests. First, Fischer's sister, Emily shared what it was like to have Jim and Pam's baby, Cece, named after her own daughter. Then Fischer's husband, Lee Kirk, called in to discuss his cameo as Clark, the male lactation consultant.

"I think our listeners know Lee as a person who makes amazing eggs and coffee. They also know that he's a writer/director. But what you might not know about him is that he did attend the Goodman School for Acting in Chicago," Fischer shared. "So acting in this episode was not too big of a leap for him, even though ultimately now he is a writer/director."

The rumors are true: This is Jenna's IRL husband. Credit: SCREENSHOT: THE OFFICE / NBC / PEACOCK

How Lee got his job on The Office

"We always ask our guests, 'How did you get your job on The Office?' But maybe I should kick this one off," Fischer said. "When the writers came up with this storyline of the lactation consultant, Paul Lieberstein approached me and said, 'Hey, Jenna. We have this really funny idea, but it involves a man kind of like squishing your breasts around. How do you feel about that? Like, that would be a guest actor. Are you OK with it?' And I said, 'Well, I think it would be maybe a little awkward now that you mention it.' And he said, 'Well, what if that person was your fiancée, Lee? What if Lee did it?'"

"You came home. You told me. I thought it sounded pretty funny, and I said, 'sure,'" Kirk recalled. "So of course they weren't just handing me the job. I had to go in to Allison Jones [The Office casting director] and read for the role and sort of prove that I could do it. Which I got to say, if there was ever a layup in the audition world, I mean, this was like a six foot hoop. It was like, 'Just please drop the ball in the basket and make everyone's life easier.'"

Kirk explained that he read for the role, had a good time, and got the part. Kinsey said that on the DVD commentary for the episode the crew said Kirk "crushed the audition."

"They said they loved how business you were as Clark. You just came in doing your thing. And when they were rewatching the scene, they said they loved how you would pump the hand sanitizer as you left or as you came up each time," Kinsey said. "It just cracked them up." 

"That hand sanitizer was like my go-to little security blanket in the scene," Kirk explained. "Like if I didn't know what to do, I'd just go pump some more hand sanitizer."

Credit: SCREENSHOT: THE OFFICE / NBC / PEACOCK

Preparing to play Clark

Now, the lactation consultant character was actually pitched to the writers by Kinsey based on personal experience. But at this point in life, Fischer and Lee didn't have any kids, so they had no firsthand experiences to inspire them.

"I sort of looked up what a lactation consultant was," Kirk explained. "It's funny because we did not have kids then, so I'd never experienced a lactation consultant or the saga of breastfeeding up till then, you know? So looking back, I think I probably, had I known how difficult breastfeeding can be and had I met some lactation consultants, I probably would have played Clark a little differently. Once we had kids and Jenna was breastfeeding both of them we were learning how it can be very stressful and difficult. And then you meet these lactation consultants that come in and they're just filled with empathy. And they know that the mom is stressed out and they're oozing empathy. And I probably would have played Clark with a little more of that."

"You know, if had I known, I probably would have given him a little bit more of — hmm, 'got milk?'" Kirk said. "I just decided to play him very straight. You know, I knew the joke. The joke was, here's a male lactation consultant. And the humor is going to come from Jim's reaction to that. And so I just kind of I just tried to lay the pipe there and let John do all the heavy lifting."

On working with his pal John Krasinski

Speaking of Jim, Kirk also shared what it was like working with John Krasinski, his IRL pal.

"I remember that because you and John were friends that John was really trying to make you laugh. A lot. Like he was, he was, like, coming for you," Fischer recalled.

"Yeah, he was laying it on pretty good. And it was really it was hard. It was hard to not break," Kirk said. "If I looked over at him because he was — he'd hold that pamphlet up and just his eyes would be looking at me. And it was hard not to break, but we did it. I think we did break a few times, didn't we, Jenna?"

"We did. Yeah, it was, it was difficult because he was definitely — he was milking it," Fischer said.

"Oh, Lord. There it is," Kinsey chimed in.

The jealous Jim shrug. Credit: SCREENSHOT: THE OFFICE / NBC / PEACOCK

Lee's greatest Office memory

Working with his wife and friends were obviously huge pluses, but what Kirk remembers most about his day shooting on The Office was Harold Ramis directing.

"I don't know if you guys have mentioned this, but we shot this scene on Groundhog Day. Do you remember that?" Kirk asked. 

"Yes, it was incredible. The director of Groundhog Day the movie, Harold Ramis, was directing us on Groundhog Day," Fischer said. "I remember in the morning we were all just like, 'When can we go up to Harold and be like, happy Groundhog Day?'"

• The story behind Jim and Pam's baby's name

• Steve Carell improvised one of the best lines in Season 5 of The Office

• The Office cast recalls an Emmy-worthy scene that made them break

• The Office almost had a very different theme song: A legendary pop hit.

"Yeah. Well, I remember when you went up to him, we all had sort of — I think everyone was thinking it — and finally you said it," Kirk explained. "And when he started to talk about Groundhog Day, everyone just kind of came over. We all just moved over and just sat there and listened to him talk about it. It was really, really fun — really exciting." 

"He was amazing like that," Kinsey added. "There was a day we all talked to him about Ghostbusters, but he was just so, so cool. I was bummed because I wasn't working that day. And I remember Jenna calling me and saying, 'Ange, I worked with Harold Ramis on Groundhog Day!' Like you geeked out about it." Understandable!

Kirk also directed the Season 9 episode of The Office, "Vandalism," so he'll return to the podcast to discuss that in the future. Be sure to check out the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "The Delivery, Part 2."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Jim and Pam's firstborn, Cecelia Marie Halpert, has quite the story behind her name.

On the latest episode of Stitcher's Office Ladies podcast, co-hosts Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 6 episode, "The Delivery." They welcomed two special guests to the podcast: Fischer's husband, Lee Kirk, and her sister, Emily Fischer. And they shared some delightful context about why the name "Cece" was chosen for JAM's baby.

"Fast fact number one: Pam and Jim's baby is named after my niece," Fischer explained.

Now, diehard fans of The Office may have known this first part already, but for those who don't here's a quick recap.

The baby name inspo

"So, the same week that we were shooting this episode, my sister Emily gave birth to her first child, a daughter. It was so crazy," Fischer said. "Literally the day we shot Pam going to the hospital was the day my sister came home from the hospital. So in my family — I was going to say my parents would joke that they had one kid doing it for real and one kid pretending all at the same time. So my sister had told me ahead of time what they were planning to name their daughter. So I went to the writers and I asked if we could name Pam and Jim's baby after my niece, and they said yes."

Though the writers approved Fischer's request, she decided to keep it a secret until the episode aired. She didn't tell her sister, her parents, or anyone in her family. They all found out baby Halpert's name live, along with the rest of the show's fans.

"I remember sitting at home that night that the episode aired, and I just kept watching the clock," Fischer said. "And sure enough, like 30 seconds after it went live, my phone started ringing and it was my sister. And she was just screaming into the phone." 

Jenna Fischer's sister Emily on learning Cece Halpert's name

In prepping for the podcast, Fischer reached out to her sister Emily and asked her to send over a voice recording of her reaction to the Cece reveal. Here's what she had to say.

"So I can remember back when we were watching the episode where Pam and Jim have their baby. I remember thinking ahead of time like, 'Oh, I wonder what they're going to name the baby.' And I wanted to ask Jenna, but we had an agreement ever since the show started that she would never give me any spoilers, because I wanted to find out when everybody else did what was going to happen on the show," Emily said. "And so that was kind of like our — I shouldn't say unspoken rule — but that was kind of the agreement that we had from the day that the show started."

Emily explained that since she was a sleep-deprived new mom, it took a few seconds for the Halpert baby name to register with her, but once it did, she was overjoyed.

"At that time we were watching The Office and I was like so excited in anticipation. I'm like, 'Oh, I wonder what it's going to be.' And then all of a sudden, Jim walked out and he was like, 'Cecelia Marie Halpert.' And I was like, 'Aww!' And I was like, 'Oh my God! Oh my gosh! That's our daughter's name! Oh my gosh! Did they name the baby after our Cecilia Marie?' And I got so excited to call my sister right away. And I was like, 'Wait a second!' And she just started laughing, and she was like, 'Yeah, is that OK that we did that?'" Emily recalled.

"And of course, I was like crying. And I was like, 'Oh, my gosh, that's so cool.' And so after that episode aired all the articles and everything came out about how they'd named the Cece on the show after my Cece. And we saved all those articles. We put them in my daughter's baby book," she shared. "And I still remember for quite some time after that, people were like, 'Oh, do you watch that show The Office? Did you name your baby after Pam and Jim's baby?' And I always enjoyed setting people straight. I was like, 'Oh, no, no, no, no. I'm sorry. See, Pam and Jim's baby was named after my baby.' So that was always really fun to do after the [episode] aired."

The real-life Cecelia Marie has even more Office connections

For the rest of time, the real-life Cecelia Marie and The Office will be linked. And not just because JAM's baby was named after her.

"So my niece, Cece, she is the age that Cece Halpert would be. And whenever we go out together and I'm calling her Cece and people see us together, it like is a real mind bender for them," Fischer explained. "I didn't think about that part."

Fischer also explained that the baby photo on Pam's desk for the remainder of the series is a baby photo of her niece Cece.

"That is so sweet," Kinsey said.

"It's like a really special thing in our family," Fischer replied. "But here's another thing that's funny. Cece's dad's name in real life is Dwight. And her grandpa's name is Jim."

"This is craziness," Kinsey laughed.

"So we've really created something there for that family," Fischer said. "So. Yeah." 

Be sure to check out the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "The Delivery, Part 2."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

The Office was so funny to film that actors frequently broke down in laughter on set.

By now, that statement is a universally known truth amongst fans. But learning new lines and scenes that caused the actors to break character never gets old. On a recent episode of Stitcher's Office Ladies podcast, co-hosts Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted about two such instances from the Season 6 episode "The Delivery."

The two-part episode shows Pam (Fischer) going into labor in the office, refusing to leave for the hospital for a very long time, and eventually giving birth to JAM's first child, Cecelia Marie Halpert, aka Cece. Before they got to shoot those hospital scenes, however, the cast shared some hearty laughs back at the office.

We've heard about other giggle-inducing scenes from the "Women's Appreciation" episode, "Money," and "Branch Wars." And who could forget that John Krasinski and Rainn Wilson laughed so hard filming "Lecture Circuit: Part 1" that the show shut down production for 20 minutes? But here are two moments from "The Delivery, Part 1" that made The Office cast break.

The Kevin line that made the whole office cackle

There's a conference room scene in "The Delivery, Part 1" where Michael (Steve Carell) tries to distract Pam from her worsening contractions. He asks employees to come up with a list of things that make people go into labor, so they can do the opposite to slow Pam's labor down. Classic.

Michael shares that he once heard nipple stimulation can move labor along, so he starts by asking nobody touch Pam's nipples. But Kevin's suggestion, or rather Brian Baumgartner's delivery of the suggestion, is what sent the room into a comedic uproar.

Via Giphy

"Kevin throws out spicy foods," Kinsey explains. "Yeah. Because one of the things that can induce labor is eating spicy foods," Fischer adds.

After Kevin said, "Eat spicy foods," Michael asked, "What is the opposite of that?"

Fischer explains that in the shooting draft, Kevin was supposed to say, "shove spicy food up her butt." But on the day of filming the line changed. "On the day, there was the pitch that Kevin say, "make spicy food come out of her," and that so tickled us that we couldn't get through it," she said. 

Fischer and Kinsey played three takes from the bloopers that proved they truly couldn't stop laughing on set. After the last clip played, she laughed and said, "By that point we were just all anticipating it." 

Steve Carell's unintelligible pep talk

Later in the episode, the Dunder Mifflin men are attempt to comfort Pam by placing their hands on her stomach and delivering a pep talk. Shortly after that touching moment, Carell delivered another line that made the room burst into giggles.

"I absolutely love this next scene in the break room. Pam is determined to have her ultra feast with Kevin, and Jim is like, 'No, it's time to go to the hospital,'" Kinsey recapped. "Michael's like, 'It's time to go to the hospital.' And Pam just loses it and is like, 'I'm not going! I'm not going.' And then she finally admits she's scared to go. And all the men in the room put their hands on her belly and give her a pep talk."

"This was one of my favorite scenes to shoot of all time on The Office," Fischer said. "I think my favorite thing is that Kevin is there. It made it even funnier. He is the straight man in the scene."

"I know! How crazy is that?" Kinsey asked. "Jenna, as I watched it, I loved your performance so much. I also don't know how you kept a straight face. Because when they all put their hands on Pam's pregger belly and they were like, 'You got this,' they were being so sincere, but they were all touching Pam's belly."

Via Giphy

"Believe it or not, that is not the moment that made us break," Fischer said. "We were able to get through that...But the moment we couldn't get through is when Jim is freaking out and Michael kind of pins him up against the door and says, 'Hold it together!' Every time Steve did that line a little bit more like [unintelligible noises]. Like he did a weird take on it."

"Michael's saying, 'Hold it together!' but he's clearly losing it," Kinsey laughed. "It's so funny. I love the chaos in the moment, too. Oh, man."

"We had so much fun doing that scene. I don't even think we wanted it to end," Fischer said. "They probably have so much footage from it because we were so milking it."

Be sure to check out the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "The Delivery, Part 1."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Jessica Cordova Kramer is the CEO and co-founder of award-winning podcast network Lemonada Media. She is also the executive producer of one Lemonada's new shows Being Trans, a podcast that uses a bold new reality-style format to follow the lives of four trans people in Los Angeles.

"We started Being Trans, because it's one of the most misunderstood and complex issues of our time and there was a massive interest from our audience," says Cordova Kramer, "in particular feeling and learning something that was unlike their own personal experience and knowing that they were oftentimes parenting children who were having complex gender questions or friends or family members."

For Cordova Kramer, podcasting is a powerful medium for shows like Being Trans. It can travel with you throughout your day, there's no camera involved (which allows people to open up), and the path to producing a story that feels urgent is much easier than say, making a documentary. Lastly, the intimacy of audio allows the listener to immersive themselves in someone else's world.

If you've been bitten by the podcast bug, you know this wholeheartedly. But it can be daunting to get started. Don't worry, Cordova Kramer has some ideas. Since co-founding Lemonada with Stephanie Wittels Wachs in 2019, the network has produced 22 shows, so it's safe to say Cordova Kramer knows what she's talking about. Here's her advice on how to start a podcast.

1. Know that your voice matters.

Nowadays it seems like everyone has a podcast. But Cordova Kramer doesn't think that's a bad thing.

"Everyone says there's too many podcasts, but there are not too many podcasts. There's no such thing as too much content," says Cordova Kramer. "Your weird quirky thing is probably someone else's weird, quirky thing. So if you're passionate about it, go do it."

2. You don't actually need much to get started

It can be intimidating if you've seen veteran podcasters recording in a state-of-the-art studio, but these days you don't need fancy equipment to make a professional-sounding podcast. "There's products out there like SoundCloud and Zencastr that are really easy and accessible," says Cordova Kramer. "And you can do right from your laptop and talk to someone who's across the globe without tons of expensive equipment just to get a proof of concept going."

Once you get your podcast off the ground, you can think about investing in nice equipment. If it's a simple talk show format you might not ever need more than a computer and editing software. "There's just lots of ways you can get into the game pretty quickly."

3. Keep the scope manageable.

Don't mistake getting into the game quickly for overcommitting to a new project that hasn't been tested yet. "I always tell people to try it first and see if it has legs for a weekly podcast." Cordova Kramer suggests making six episodes and see how it goes. You might find that a weekly pace is too demanding, or get to episode five and realize you have nothing left to talk about.

"If you get to episode five, and you're like, 'Man, I could talk about this for the rest of my life,' great, do it," says Cordova Kramer. "But set yourself up for success and not 'I am going to do this podcast for the rest of eternity,' because you don't know what it's gonna feel like."

4. Monetize from the beginning.

So you survived making six episodes and you want to keep going. That's only half the battle, because now you have to get your podcast out there. "See if you can partner with someone who's interested in the same message that you are and see if you can offset the costs of the equipment and distributing it in some way," says Cordova Kramer.

"It may not be a big moneymaker from the start, but thinking about how you might monetize it, or at least offset costs early can help it feel more sustainable over time."

5. Invest in marketing.

In order to monetize, you need to market your podcast, but in order to market your podcast, you need money. Basically monetization and marketing need simultaneous attention, so it's a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg situation. But instead of marketing/monetization as competing factors, think about them as part of the bigger objective which is getting people to listen to your podcast.

"We really think about the entire experience that someone might have discovering the show," says Cordova Kramer. "We think about the art, does it make sense? Does the title make sense? Is it going to tell people what the show is about? When they click the art? Does the description make sense? Does it pull them in? What problems is it solving for people? Or what interest is it piquing for people?"

Other aspects to think about are episode descriptions for SEO and how to categorize the podcast for discovery. If you have a comedy podcast, the comedy category is notoriously competitive, so maybe put it in arts where it can be found more easily.

6. Think strategically about promotion timing.

Once you've established a rock-solid brand identity you can promote your show through channels that align with your interests. Cordova Kramer says to take advantage of promo tools on platforms like Apple and Spotify that are "wonderful and are really looking for interesting, diverse content."

She also recommends thinking about thematic times of the year. "If you have a Filipino food podcast, for example, Asian American History Month is a great time to try to get some promotion," says Cordova Kramer. "That's in May, so you want to start in March or February to get some interest in your show."

Another way to promote your show is through cross promotion with similar podcasts. Cordova Kramer says it could be anything from a casual shout-out to an ad-swap, which is a more formal agreement to play each other's trailer or excerpt.

Cross promotion is super effective and is something that Cordova Kramer still uses today, because "audio converts to audio," she says. "Someone who already listens to podcasts is the most likely person to go and listen to a new podcast."

7. Find your people.

The beauty of podcasts is that there are always going to be people who connect with your weird idea and those are the ones that you need to seek out. "Find your people, think about your your core listener and go out from there. And just don't be discouraged. It's a really nice medium, and it's it's very forgiving."

There are tons of great resources to support you in your podcast journey. Here are some of Cordova Kramer's favorites:

• Recording and streaming platforms

  Riverside, Zencastr, SoundCloud

• Communities and newsletters

  AIR, Podnews, Hot Pod

• Conferences

  Podcast Movement, Third Coast

• Monthly reports of top 100 podcasts

  Triton Digital’s Podcast Report

So your favorite tech podcast imploded after two beloved figures were accused of an anti-union push that contributed to a workplace culture of discrimination against colleagues of color. Then, after a lengthy hiatus, the remaining co-hosts announced they were also stepping down and that this iteration of the podcast was officially over.

Now what?

At the time of publication, we have no idea what will become of Reply All after Alex Goldman and Emmanuel Dzotsi leave the show in June. Back in March 2021, their Bon Appétit series delving into the company's unfair treatment of marginalized staff members ended prematurely after some former Gimlet colleagues revealed that the call was also coming inside their own house at Reply All. ln response, co-host P. J. Vogt and producer/occasional host Sruthi Pinnamaneni stepped down from the show (full disclosure: the writer of this article briefly interacted with Reply All core staff for an interview that appeared on this episode). While we haven't heard much from them since, in April 2022 Vogt did quietly launch his own independent podcast, Crypto Island.

But all is not lost now that Reply All as we knew it is officially gone forever.

For one, there are vital lessons to learn from the issues raised regarding the pervasive harms that diversity initiatives can inadvertently cause within white-dominated workplaces. For another, Reply All is far from the only great tech podcast out there. Perhaps the end of our long-reigning favorite can be an opportunity to broaden our horizons and check out some other fantastic shows that didn't get much attention while Reply All soaked up the genre's limelight.

From podcasts that center on women and other marginalized folks' experiences of digital culture to philosophical critiques of tech idealism to informative weekly dissections of the biggest news in Silicone Valley — there are so many awesome podcasts that are worthy of being your guide into this increasingly tech-dominated existence.

And, hey, many of them have just as much cute co-host banter, too.

So let's do our own version of a Super Tech Support, with a special round of Yes-Yes-No on tech podcasts you might not have heard of yet, but should know about now.

1. There Are No Girls on the Internet

Let's face it: a show about the internet hosted by three dudes is bound to leave out some crucial perspectives. But in this phenomenal weekly podcast, host Bridget Todd gives the under-recognized women and people of color who define online culture a much-needed spotlight through interviews as well as her own critical analysis. Since launching in 2020, There Are No Girls on the Internet quickly became one of the most essential tech podcasts out there. Case in point: the ongoing disinformation series tackling everything from QAnon to Joe Rogan. But you'll also find informative discussions on content moderation and fascinating angles into digital history. [Adapted from our Best Feminist Podcasts and Best Podcasts on Disinformation and Misinformation roundup]

2. Get Wired

Get Wired is a singular show in the world of tech podcasts. Hosted by Lauren Goode, each 30-minute episode goes down an internet rabbit hole you probably never thought to explore before, inspiring the same crazed need to know more that comes with falling down a K-hole. From episodes on the women composers who scored many of the seminal early video game soundtracks to the fall of sextech's most hyped robotic vibrator, Get Wired tells the incredible tech stories that too often fall through the cracks. (Full disclosure: the writer of this article was featured in an interview on this podcast.)

Sadly, in January 2021, Goode tweeted that publisher Condé Nast had inexplicably and unceremoniously failed to renew their audio team's contracts, and the feed has not been updated with new original content since.

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3. Rabbit Hole

I know, I know. The Gray Lady hasn't typically been seen as a publication that's especially hip to internet culture. But with limited series Rabbit Hole, host Kevin Roose, a New York Times reporter, paints an impressively comprehensive, complex, clear, and compelling portrait of how online platforms are fueling this era of political and cultural chaos. From the alt-right's rise from the ashes of gamergate to PewDiePie finally going on record about his endless controversies — and even interviews with YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki on the platform's role in radicalizing users — Roose brings all the big guns you'd expect from the Times into his analysis on the digital age. Importantly, the podcast highlights how YouTube has been vital to the misinformation infrastructure, which a lot of post-Capitol coverage of Big Tech underestimated. [Adapted from our Best New Podcasts of 2020 roundup]

4. Land of Giants

When historians look back on this time in human history, they will point to a new era — a new species, really — of imperial regimes. Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Netflix: the tech giants that dominate our culture, economy, and even politics demand a thorough understanding and investigation. That's exactly what Recode's Land of the Giants delivers, explaining how the most powerful companies came to be and at what cost to the rest of us. In its most recent season, host Peter Kafka tackles the tech empire behind the devices that changed humanity's relationship to computing forever.

5. ICYMI

Slate's new digital culture podcast ICYMI is here to digest all the latest chaos, trends, and #drama from the web — so you don't have to. And for that, we thank hosts Madison Malone Kircher and Rachelle Hampton for their service. This bi-weekly podcast goes beyond the surface of our screens, covering not only what trouble the newest viral main character of social media got into, but also why it matters. It's incisive, insightful, and miraculously always finds a way to cut through the static noise of our digital void to find the human side of it all. [From our Best New Podcasts of 2021 roundup]

6. QAnon Anonymous

Do you want to keep up-to-date with all the developments of QAnon, without needing to actually wade through the dark underworld of those parts of the internet? QAnon Anonymous is your answer. Giving the most in-depth, wide-sweeping view of every individual facet of this conspiratorial beast, hosts Julian Feeld, Travis View, and Jake Rockatansky also balance out the harsh coverage with a mixture of humor and empathy. [From our Best Podcasts on Disinformation and Misinformation roundup]

7. Pivot

Kara Swisher, a treasure to tech journalism, is joined by NYU Professor Scott Galloway to paint both the more granular and bigger pictures involved with all the biggest trending news stories. While sometimes broader than just tech, most roads these days eventually lead back there, and the co-hosts do a fantastic job of outlining how in layman's terms. They bring fair but critical perspectives to the table, as well as predictions for the industry's biggest winners and losers every Tuesday and Friday.

8. Future of Sex

When people think of sextech, they often just imagine sex robots or high-tech Bluetooth vibrators. But the collision of sexuality and technology is so much deeper than that, and in increasingly relevant ways to us all (especially after years of physical isolation during the pandemic). Host Bryony Cole interviews the biggest leaders in this rapidly growing, multi-billion-dollar industry, discussing everything from the stigma around male sex toys to the craft of astrosexologists, covering the wide breadth of topics we need to talk about in order to understand our horny futures.

9. Daily Tech News Show

More and more, you need to know the ins and outs of tech and Silicon Valley if you have any hope of staying on top of what's happening in the world. Unfortunately, a lot of old-guard journalism is not well-equipped to understand the minutiae of technology and the industry's consequences. Hosts Tom Merritt and Sarah Lane, along with a pretty diverse cast of guests and co-hosts, distill all the tech news in a way that's both digestible and comprehensive. [Adapted from our Best Daily Podcasts roundup]

10. Endless Thread

Named after the Reddit phenomenon of a feed that never ends, WBUR's tech podcast dives into the digital deep end of the internet by focusing on its most fascinating communities, oddities, curiosities, and mysteries. From audio porn (which, full disclosure, the writer of this article was interviewed for) to cyberwitches, it explores many of the phenomenons you've heard about but didn't know how to even begin to understand. Hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson bring that certain NPR-ness in their tone, reporting, and excellent production to digital culture, bridging a gap between the extremely online and the Luddite.

11. How I Built This

Ever wonder how innovative brands like Spanx, Airbnb, and Edible Arrangements — built on concepts that seemed unusual at first, but we can’t imagine a world without now — got their start? NPR’s How I Built This goes behind the scenes with their founders and many more to talk about their journey from small biz to international recognition. Hosted by Guy Raz, you’ll learn how to succeed in business but even more about how to fail, making this podcast essential listening for new and established ‘treps. [From our Best Business Podcasts roundup]

12. Tech Won't Save Us

Tech Won't Save Us, as the title implies, is a healthy counter dose to the nauseating tech utopia idealism that typically surrounds Silicon Valley and its enthusiast press coverage. A left-leaning podcast, it digs into philosophical discussions about the underbelly of both the industry and digital culture. You'll find conversations on Elon Musk and the problematic history he invokes while championing space colonization, or why Bill Gates' nonprofit foundation raises huge issues around the "good billionaire" myth. While the sound quality isn't as polished as others on this list, that doesn't detract from it as a vital voice in the discourse with a perspective too often left out of conversations around tech news.

13. Darknet Diaries

When we hear stories about the "darknet," it feels like it's stuff that happens in a totally different dimension. But in reality, the darknet and adjacent worlds of cybercrime impact all our lives in very real ways on a daily basis. Host Jack Rhysider is your perfect guide into this shady yet fascinating parallel universe to the world wide web most of us live in.

14. Violating Community Guidelines with Brittany Broski and Sarah Schauer

Podcasts from influencers are like the brightest stars in the sky: They tend to burn out the fastest. But unlike other influencer duos' experiments with podcasting, like H3H3'S Ethan Klein and Trisha Paytas' doomed Frenemies, this one is co-hosted by online celebrities with a much more stable bond. Brittany Broski (who many remember from the viral Kombucha TikTok) and Sarah Schauer describe themselves as "internet-hardened succubabes," and bring their front seats to the chaotic mess of the online world to their new podcast. Violating Community Guidelines covers everything from thirst traps to AI influencers with a personable casualness rather than expertise. The vibes are spot on, though be warned that this is more of deviating two-hour-long hangout sesh rather than a highly edited production.

15. Boom/Bust: HQ Trivia

Remember HQ Trivia? You know, that digital trivia game show that spread like wildfire a few years back before, seemingly overnight, imploding in on itself? The Ringer's Boom/Bust, hosted by Alyssa Bereznak, tells the riveting tale behind exactly how this wildly popular and seemingly wholesome app turned into yet another tech darling's spectacular fall from grace. Aside from the rigorous reporting and insightful interviews from the likes of Scott (aka Quiz Daddy) himself, Bereznak also offers her own analysis into why we loved HQ Trivia, how it filled a void in digital culture, and what its demise says about the tech industry at large.

16. Truthers: Tiffany Dover Is Dead

NBC News reporter Brandy Zadrozny has been on the frontlines of the viral misinformation and disinformation campaigns surrounding QAnon for years now. In this five-part series with an intentionally provocative title, Zadrozny uses those skills to tackle one specific monstrosity from the swamp of internet falsehoods, by disproving a favorite conspiracy theory of vaccine "truthers." Tiffany Dover was just a regular nurse from Tennessee back in December 2020, when she became one of the first healthcare workers to receive the new COVID-19 vaccines on live TV. But after Dover briefly fainted (only to then explain to those viewers moments later that it was a harmless byproduct of an unrelated medical condition), she stopped being a person and instead became a chess piece in QAnoners' unwinnable conspiratorial game.

Despite ample evidence and multiple on-camera attempts to disprove it, so-called "truthers" still insist to this day that Tiffany Dover is dead. But in Zadrozny's quest to track Dover down and definitively prove that she is indeed alive, the reporter is faced with larger existential and ethical questions. What do we do to fight disinformation when the facts will never be enough? Though the five-parter suffers a bit from the classic final act problem many investigative reporting podcasts share, the lack of a definitive conclusion does not detract from the lessons learned from this valiant attempt to defeat one hydra of online disinformation.

17. Sway with Kara Swisher

In case it wasn't already clear, we're kinda Kara Swisher stans. Sway, a podcast where the New York Times writer unflinchingly interviews many of the most powerful figures in Silicon Valley (and other dominant industries), is all you need to understand why. The podcast tagline describes it as "power, unpacked," perfectly summing up what makes her interviews such an important public service. Swisher takes everyone — from Apple's Tim Cook to Parler chief executive John Matze (an interview that occurred on the day of the Capitol riot) — to task in a way few other journalists in the space dare.

18. Accidental Tech Podcast

The Accidental Tech Podcast certainly isn't for the beginner or casual techie, as it is by far the most nuts and bolts podcast on our list. But that's by design and not a drawback for the right audience. What distinguishes it from other bi-weekly tech news podcasts we've gone over is how it's hosted not by journalists or analysts, but by actual tech workers. Hosts Marco Arment, Casey Liss, and John Siracusa give their insider perspectives as developers and programmers involved in making the things everyone's talking about. This granular expertise enables them to call out the blindspots of prevailing tech discourse, whether from laypeople, tech journalists, or Silicon Valley execs. Sadly, like the industry itself and most other tech podcasts, it's notably lacking diversity among its hosts, which is unfortunate since that'd allow them to call out more blindspots. It can admittedly be a bit dry at times. But it's always done in a charming way, and with a camaraderie between the hosts that's pretty infectious.

19. Decoder with Nilay Patel

Another big ideas tech podcast, the Verge’s Decoder, hosted by editor-in-chief Nilay Patel, gives a great birds-eye-view of the tech landscape. While episodes are often tied to a topic circulating in the news, the interviews and roundtable discussions are more evergreen than timely. This is the podcast to go to if, for example, you’re still perplexed by NFTs and want to hear experts on opposing ends of the debate duke it out through nitty-gritty details. While a bit less beginner-friendly than is typical for the Verge, there’s bound to be something personally interesting to you in the wide breadth of topics covered, which all start from a place of more universal appeal. The micro approach to such big, macro topics makes for a comprehensive listen, too.

20. The Gateway

Though this podcast was released in 2018, it was a canary in the coal mine spotlighting the ever-thinning line between influencers with online "followings" and cult leaders with dangerously devoted followers. The investigative Gizmodo miniseries reveals the sinister side of Teal Swan, a YouTube wellness guru who has admitted to algorithmically targeting people at their lowest point of suicidal ideation — only to push her personal ideology that, among other things, doesn't discourage suicide and sometimes even encourages it. Swan's story has since continued far beyond what this six-part series covers (with a following that's only grown and deviated into COVID disinformation). But it remains an essential listen for understanding how her cult following began, and the grey area she represents between online spirituality and dangerous misinformation. [Adapted from our Best Podcasts to Binge roundup]

21. Vergecast

If buzzwords like "NFT" and "LIDAR technology" make your eyes glaze over, then the Vergecast is the right podcast for you. This bi-weekly show from hosts Nilay Patel and David Pierce (along with other guest contributors and star interviews) distills even the most seemingly impenetrable techy nerd BS into something everyone can not only understand but enjoy. Vergecast brings highly informed and big picture perspectives to coverage of Apple rumors, gadget releases, tech trends, and other Silicon Valley news items — all through honest, personable, and down-to-earth conversations. They're still total dorks, don't get me wrong. But they're dorks you definitely want to hang out with.

22. Future of Storytelling

OK, so remember those old Warner Classic cable TV movie marathons where decorated hosts would present each film with a 10-minute preamble on its significance to culture? Well, that's the energy that The Future of Storytelling podcast greets you with, especially in how host and organization founder Charlie Melcher introduces his guests. Each interviewee is an innovator bringing art, media, and technology together somehow. If you can make it past the cringe-y (yet still endearing) level of decorum from the intro, you'll be privy to fascinating conversations with creators who are leading the way in interactive theater, immersive digital art, stop-motion animation, augmented reality games, and so much more.

UPDATE: May. 24, 2022, 10:44 a.m. EDT This article was originally published in April 2021 and updated in May 2022.

Great podcasts always transport us, but there's something unique about the limited series that inspires an even more ravenous audio binge.

Podcasts are already an ideal storytelling medium, bringing us back to one of humanity's most ancient forms of entertainment through oral traditions. But the constraints of a limited series only enhance those qualities that can make podcasts such transportive, binge-worthy experiences.

With definitive beginnings, middles, and ends, the limited-series podcast as we define it is a contained story told over five or more episodes. Many of those on our list have other seasons tackling different subject matters. But we're highlighting the best of the best.

Evidently, the genres of true crime and documentary dominate the limited-series podcasting category (and the medium as a whole, really). But we've gone out of our way to include entries from many genres, including fiction, history, culture, and comedy.

Whether you're looking to binge while deep cleaning, gaming, taking a bath, commuting, hunkering down for a long flight or road trip, or you just need a distraction, we guarantee these recommendations will do wonders to pass the time.

1. Will Be Wild

What it is or who it's for: An essential breakdown of January 6, featuring a wide range of perspectives from the people who were there in the lead-up, during the attack, and in the thick of its aftermath.

What it's about: The insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, left many asking the same question: How could this happen? This eight-parter by Pineapple Studios and Wondery does an excellent and deeply compelling job of answering that exact question. Hosts Andrea Bernstein and Ilya Marritz bring a sense of humanity to their coverage of the folks who were closest to the historic attack. Interviews range from the concerned family members who warned the FBI about the potential violence they were hearing about to the government officials who listened and tried to send out alarms about the domestic terror threat to even some Trump supporters who attended the rally. If you think you've heard it all when it comes to this once-in-a-lifetime news story, Will Be Wild will reveal just how much we still need to learn about what happened that day — and what it means for the future of American democracy.

Length: Eight 40- to 45-minute episodes.

2. Root of Evil

What it is or who it's for: A jaw-dropping and uniquely personal investigation into one of the most infamous murders in American history.

What it's about: Despite being a connoisseur of grisly true crime content, I've never encountered anything like Root of Evil before. It left this murder-story aficionado both audibly gasping and uncontrollably weeping. Root of Evil is as much a firsthand account of devastating generational family trauma as it is a riveting investigation into the infamous Black Dahlia murder that rocked Los Angeles in 1947. Sisters Rasha Pecoraro and Yvette Gentile take us along on their journey to unravel the web of fatal lies and horrifying abuses that has haunted their family for decades. At the center of it all is George Hodel; the sisters raise questions about not only his own evil but of what being born into evil means for the innocent people raised by it. Don't worry if you find the first couple episodes hard to follow; it's all part of experiencing this disorienting family saga.

Length: Eight 35- to 60-minute episodes.

3. Rabbit Hole

What it is or who it's for: Anyone who spends time on the internet and wants to understand how tech is fueling IRL cultural and political divides.

What it's about: I know, I know. The Gray Lady hasn't typically been seen as a publication that's especially hip to internet culture. But with Rabbit Hole, host Kevin Roose, a New York Times reporter, paints an impressively comprehensive, complex, clear, and compelling portrait of how online platforms are fueling this era of political and cultural chaos. From the alt-right's rise from the ashes of gamergate to PewDiePie finally going on record about his endless controversies — and even interviews with YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki on the platform's role in radicalizing users — Roose brings all the big guns you'd expect from the Times into his analysis on the digital age. Importantly, the podcast highlights how YouTube has been vital to the misinformation infrastructure, which a lot of post-Capitol coverage of Big Tech underestimated. [Adapted from our Best Podcasts on Misinformation and Conspiracy Theories and Best New Podcasts of 2020 lists]

Length: Seven 30-minute-long episodes

4. Soft Voice

What it is or who it's for: Folks who think fiction podcasts aren't for them but love surrealist mysteries (with a dash of feminist undertones).

What it's about: Whatever you think you can expect from QCODE's Soft Voice fictional podcast, think again. Several episodes in, we're still not entirely sure what's going on, but we know that it's an absolute trip. Featuring a trifecta of British talent you'll probably recognize (Naomi Scott, Olivia Cooke, and Bel Powley), it tells the story of Lydia, who lives what appears to be an ideal life because she always listens to Soft Voice, the controlling little dictator inside her head insisting on perfection and conformity. Then, one day, it's gone. We'll leave it at that, but buckle up for a wild, sapphic, and mind-melting journey best listened to with headphones. Do note the disclaimer in the beginning, which warns of sensitive topics broached that might be triggering to some. [Adapted from our Best New Podcasts of 2021 list]

Length: 10 parts, each about 30 minutes.

5. The Habitat

What it is or who it's for: Those who want to escape to a different planet without getting too far away from home.

What it's about: At its essence, The Habitat is like if NASA did a season of Big Brother. Six contestants (aka volunteers) elect to participate in an experiment where they play the part of a crew of astronauts living on Mars. For a full year, these six strangers share very close quarters while simulating a space mission that's actually stationed on a remote mountain in Hawaii. Host Lynn Levy takes us through their experiences using the audio diaries each had to log daily. It's a mix of existential contemplations and some good-old-fashioned reality TV human drama.

Length: Seven 30-minute episodes (with one bonus episode).

6. Chameleon: Season 1, Hollywood Con Queen

What it is or who it's for: The people living for the scammer era of true crime

What it's about: There's an Anna Delvey-level fraudster out there whose story you probably haven't heard yet but really should. In Season 1 of Chameleon, journalist Josh Dean unravels one of the most elaborate, bizarre, wild, and sometimes even heartbreaking scams preying upon Hollywood's most vulnerable workers. Nicknamed the Hollywood Con Queen, the fake big-time producer that this podcast investigates has tricked countless gig workers like aspiring makeup artists and Hollywood personal trainers into taking nonexistent jobs in Indonesia. While this story contains more bewildering questions than answers, it's full of gripping twists, turns, and examinations of power dynamics embedded into the industry across gender, race, and status. What sets this one apart from so many other scam stories is how money or wealth doesn't seem to be the main goal at all. What this fraudster takes from victims is much more personal than just their cash, robbing them of not only their dignity but also faith in themselves and their dreams.

Length: 10 full-length 30- to 45-minute episodes, with two bonus 30-minute episodes.

7. 1619

What it is or who it's for: Every American.

What it's about: As all-encompassing as it is powerfully specific and personal, 1619 is the story of modern America — and the people who built it through blood, sweat, tears, and hope. It's a version of the story a great many of us never hear, purposefully kept hidden in the margins of U.S. history books. But 1619 isn't just a podcast about the history of slavery as the genesis of almost every aspect of American society and culture today. By weaving the historical with the personal and the poetic, the Pulitzer Prize-winning project by Nikole Hannah-Jones (alongside other guest hosts) paints a viscerally captivating portrait of Black Americans' lived experience — and the simultaneous struggle, strength, oppression, ambition, pain, and humor needed to survive. 1619 is a story about race and the inequalities embedded into a system predicated on its conceit. But above all it's a story about us, the people we were then and still are now.

Length: Six 35- to 45-minute episodes.

8. Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera

What it is or who it's for: Reality TV junkies who know that there's much more to early 2000s trash TV than we once thought.

What it's about: You may have missed the 2004 reality TV show There's Something About Miriam — but you cannot miss this Wondery series' deep dive on its impact. The premise of the show was simple and cruel: Six cis male contestants competed for the affections of the gorgeous Miriam Rivera without knowing she was trans, until the producers revealed the information for maximum dramatic effect. An onslaught of abuse toward Miriam followed from the public, media, show contestants, and callous reality TV producers. Just about everyone lost all human dignity in the process, except that is for the ever-glamorous Miriam, who took it all in stride while never losing sight of her dream to become a star.

As the star of the first dating reality TV show centered on a trans woman, Miriam represented a lot of different thing to a lot of different folks. For mainstream heteronormative society, she was their earliest (if not first) intimate exposure to a trans person. In the trans community, she was a double-edged sword of long overdue representation steeped in a world of transphobia. But what podcast host Trace Lysette so artfully does in this series is focus on Miriam not only as a star or pioneering TV personality, but as a human being. Filled with gut-wrenching and sobering confrontations with transmisogyny as much as joyous celebrations of her glamorousness, Harsh Reality is a touching portrait of a woman subjected to some of the worst that exploitative 2000s TV had to offer.

Length: Six 40- to 45-minute episodes, with one bonus episode.

9. This Is Branchburg

What it is or who it's for: Lovers of the strange stylings of sketch comedy like The Tim & Eric Show and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson.

What it's about: This Is Branchburg is an experiment into sketch comedy podcasting from Brendan O’Hare and Cory Snearowski, co-produced by Tim Heidecker (of Tim & Eric fame). Each 15- to 20-minute episode offers various windows into the lives of fictional citizens from a small New Jersey town — like an existential milkman contemplating being the last of his kind and pining for the good old days when people used to respect that the government recommended eight glasses of milk a day. In the same way podcasts like Comedy Bang! Bang! paved a path for improv in comedy podcasting, This Is Branchburg feels like it could do the same for scripted sketch shows.

Length: 20 episodes, each abbout 15- to 20-minutes.

10. Floodlines

What it is or who it's for: Americans seeking to know the truth about one of the most misunderstood national tragedies in our recent history.

What it's about: No matter how much you think you know about Hurricane Katrina, Floodlines reveals that America has only reached the surface of reckoning with this deep national wound. Through interviews with survivors and reporting that addresses the media misinformation and government incompetence around the catastrophe, host Vann R. Newkirk II shows how the storm that devastated New Orleans was part of the same one that's been brewing in America for centuries.

Understanding the forces of systemic racism is at the heart of comprehending what happened, and how the ripple effect of those systems fuels so much of America's past, present, and future. Floodlines was released prior to the country-wide protests ignited by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. But the same issues persist in the news coverage of police brutality and protests against it now. Like Katrina in 2005, many media reports focus on pockets of looting rather than the unconscionable suffering of Black people, with authorities victim-blaming them for their own oppression and the total failure of the government to protect and care about the lives of its own people. [Adapted from our Best New Podcasts of 2020 list]

Length: Eight 30- to 40-minute episodes.

11. Limetown

What it is or who it's for: True crime lovers who think they don't like fiction podcasts.

What it's about: Limetown nails the true crime investigative podcast vibe so thoroughly it's easy to get so immersed you actually start believing this audio drama is real. Fictional reporter Lia Haddock takes you on her perilous journey to get to the bottom of what happened in a small Tennessee town after a mysterious incident years ago caused the sudden disappearance of all 300 of its residents. We won't spoil any more of this horror podcast's gripping plot. But trust us when we say this bit of horror fiction is perfect for those who love true crime but usually struggle to get into fictional podcasts. While a second season released in 2018 (three years after the first one), the original story felt most complete on its own. [Adapted from our Best Podcasts for Horror Fans roundup]

Length: Six 30- to 40-minute episodes, with some brief bonus episodes.

12. The Mystery Show

What it is or who it's for: A delightfully alternative way of seeing the world's (seemingly) unanswerable questions.

What it's about: The antithesis of your typical unsolved mystery or conspiracy podcast, The Mystery Show turns mundane cases of the unexplained into riveting, hilarious, and deeply human radio. This American Life veteran Starlee Kine is a fearless mystery-solver unlike any other, with evidently endless amounts of curiosity and dedication to figuring out the most innocuous unexplained phenomenons that keep her up at night. Sadly, Gimlet canceled the podcast before Season 2 was finished and it remains unclear if it will live again through a different network.

Length: Six 25- to 60-minute episodes.

13. Anything for Selena

What it is or who it's for: While especially close to the heart for Latin Americans, this is a story for anyone interested in understanding the melting pot that this nation represents.

What it's about: Anything for Selena isn't just about the beloved Mexican-American singer who was tragically murdered at the height of her career. Like Selena's music, this podcast touches on the beating heart of Latin-American identity itself. Host Maria Garcia combines the cultural context behind Selena's significance to the community with her own personal narrative, seeking to understand more about herself through the pop star who helped many who straddle a multicultural background feel so seen. As intimate as it is all-encompassing, the nine-part series offers both an English and Spanish version of each episode. [From our Best New Podcasts of 2021 list]

Length: Nine 45-minute episodes, with two bonus episodes.

14. Broken Harts

What it is or who it's for: An unimaginable, fatal tragedy peeled back like layers of an onion to reveal the larger social ills at play.

What it's about: In 2018, a car carrying the six adopted Black children of a white lesbian couple was found crashed at the bottom of a cliff on California Highway 1. None of the Hart family, including the adoptive parents, survived. If that story sounds vaguely familiar, you probably watched the fictionalized version of it that was the basis for Atlanta Season 5's premiere episode. By unraveling the events and people that lead to what was later deemed a murder-suicide, the podcast digs into an array of complicated and important social issues we face today. It depicts the very real human cost of too often abstracted problems, like identity politics, virtue signaling, America's broken foster care system, underreported domestic abuse in LGBTQ relationships, and even the pretty lies we tell on social media to cover it all up.

Length: Nine 30- to 45-minute episodes.

15. 9/12

What it is or who it's for: Anyone interested in one of the biggest cultural shifts in American society in recent memory.

What it's about: Despite the ominous promise to "never forget," it’s hard to remember exactly how much 9/11 changed the U.S. That’s what Pineapple Street Studios’ 9/12 is all about, as host Dan Taberski examines all the new realities people found themselves in after the attacks. From The Onion’s struggle to recalibrate what humor meant post-9/11 to the long-lasting explosion of Islamophobia that traumatized so many in America, there are plenty of things we need to remember about the post-9/11 decades we’re still going through now. But what matters more than anything is rethinking and re-processing the nationalistic narratives we were fed for decades. [Adapted from our Best New Podcasts of 2021 list]

Length: Seven 30-45 minute episodes, with a couple bonus episodes.

16. You Must Remember This: Charles Manson's Hollywood

What it is and who it's for: For those who think they know everything about the Manson murders but are missing the fascinating Hollywood history at its center.

What it's about: We've seen so many different iterations of the infamous 1969 Manson murders, from the countless movie and TV adaptations to a litany of true crime documentaries and books. But with all due respect to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, it's this 12-part podcast series that offers one of the most refreshingly unique and revealing takes on Charles Manson. Host Karina Longworth uses her unmatched storytelling and journalistic skills to tell the story of the Manson Family through the perspective of Hollywood history. Cutting through all the monster mythologizing and aggrandizing bullshit, Longworth gets to the truth of Manson as a fame-hungry grifter with middling musical talents. What's more damning, she dives into the California music scene whose stars — like Beach Boy Dennis Wilson — were foolish enough to invite him in. More than just a portrait of the man, You Must Remember This gets at the unique cultural circumstances behind the tragedy and its long-lasting impact on the glitz and glamour of seemingly untouchable stardom.

Length: Twelve 35- to 60-minute episodes.

17. Missing & Murdered: Finding Cleo

What it is or who it's for: Exposing the disproportionate under-reported crimes and injustices committed against Indigenous women.

What it's about: Missing & Murdered threads the line between the deeply personal and the all-encompassing. Each season, CBC reporter Connie Walker (a First Nation woman herself) investigates the case of a missing or murdered indigenous woman in Ontario, Canada. But each victim unearths a chasm of family and generational trauma, historic injustices with viscerally ongoing systemic repercussions, and an entire continent's refusal to reckon with the victims they'd rather forget. Both seasons are phenomenal. But the second season's hunt to find Cleo Semaganis Nicotine — a young girl murdered in the 1970s, her biological family was told — crystallized the podcast as one of the greatest. Missing & Murdered ultimately reveals how the blood is on the hands of all who continue to benefit from the deaths of First Nation people to this day while ignoring the untold suffering of those who survived it. [From our Best True Crime Podcasts of All Time list]

Length: Eight 35- to 60-minute episodes, with a couple bonus episodes.

18. Dr. Death Season 3: Miracle Man

What it is or who it's for: A unique cross between true crime and medical scandal.

What it's about: When it comes to serial killers, we've grown accustomed to straightforward tales of bogeymen who hunt their victims through methods that feel totally removed from everyday life and society. But Dr. Death is a series that explores how those tasked with saving lives can wind up taking away more lives than those infamous criminals. While every season of the show hosted by Laura Beil is gripping, Miracle Man is one of the most riveting. It begins with the too-good-to-be-true love story between an NBC reporter and a world-renowned surgeon making unbelievable breakthroughs in medicine. What follows is a wild, twisted story that reveals the human cost of a man who not only wants to play God with patients' lives, but who is seductive enough to fool so many others into believing his myths.

Length: Six 35- to 45-minute episodes, with a couple bonus episodes.

19. A Very Fatal Murder

What it is or who it's for: A must-listen true-crime parody podcast from Onion Public Radio, perfect for crime and comedy aficionados alike.

What it's about: Jumping on the true-crime podcast success bandwagon (some of which we've covered here), A Very Fatal Murder is a pitch-perfect satire of the phenomenon. This Onion podcast goes after everyone — from self-aggrandizing cold-case solvers like Up and Vanished's Payne Lindsey to the sometimes overwrought Bigger Picture Cultural Analysis popularized by Serial and S-Town and, above all, the deeply uncomfortable question of victim exploitation embedded in our obsession with true crime. Like an audio version of Netflix's similarly brilliant American Vandal, A Very Fatal Murder is a hilarious yet necessarily harsh look in the mirror.

Length: Seven 10- to 15-minute episodes. There is a Season 2 fake-out of sorts, but it's basically just a parody on the phenomenon of second season, born out of nothing but the first story's success.

20. Last Podcast on the Left: JFK Mini-Series

What it is or who it's for: Those who've been pulled into the JFK conspiracy theories, or wish to understand the origins of modern conspiracy theory culture.

What it's about: Last Podcast on the Left outdid itself with this deep dive into the 1963 JFK assassination. The five-parter will surely go down as a definitive source on the details, facts, and countless conspiracy theories born from the event — and also includes what they believe to be the most compelling theory about what really happened. It’s an especially poignant topic right now, too, getting into the psychology of why people love conspiracy theories and why the real answers are often far less satisfying than any of that.

Last Podcast on the Left is made up of a ragtag team of comedians who became true crime podcasting monoliths by doing heavily researched deep dives into all things serial killers, cults, conspiracies, and the "spooky gooky." They enjoy covering true crime with a cavalier tone that often veers into flat-out revolting gross-out humor, which either is or is not for you. Admittedly an acquired taste, Last Podcast on the Left goes places few other true crime podcasts would touch with a 10-foot pole (maybe for good reason) — and they've been doing it for longer than really anyone else on this list. While you shouldn't take anything hosts Henry Zebrowski, Ben Kissel, or Marcus Parks say too seriously, they take their jobs very seriously with their own brand of rigor.

[Adapted from our Best True Crime Podcasts of All Time and Best New Podcasts of 2020 list]

Length: Five episodes that are about one to two hours each.

21. The Gateway: Teal Swan

What it is or who it's for: A chilling deep dive into the terrifying power of a figure who some are calling the first YouTube cult leader.

What it's about: Though this podcast was released in 2018, it was a canary in the coal mine spotlighting the ever-thinning line between influencers with online "followings" and cult leaders with dangerously devoted followers. The investigative Gizmodo miniseries reveals the sinister side of Teal Swan, a YouTube wellness guru who has admitted to algorithmically targeting people at their lowest point of suicidal ideation — only to push her personal ideology that, far from discouraging suicide, sometimes even encourages it. While Swan's story continues beyond what this six-parter covers (her following has only grown since), it's an essential listen for understanding the grey area between online spirituality and dangerous misinformation.

Length: Six 35- to 40-minute episodes.

Honorable mentions (or obvious givens)

• Serial: Season One

• S-Town

• Believed

• Articles of Interest

• The Dream

• The Missionary

UPDATE: May. 16, 2022, 6:10 p.m. EDT This post was originally published in April 2020 and updated in May 2022.

Stories from the set of The Office are famously upbeat and lighthearted, but in their new book The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted about one dreadful, disastrous, downright dangerous day on set.

In Chapter 12, titled "Death Bus," the former co-stars and current co-hosts of Stitcher's Office Ladies podcast shared that the cast almost died (twice!) while filming the Season 9 episode, "Work Bus," which was directed by Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston.

"We want you to know that we see the irony that Bryan Cranston, aka Walter White Sr. or 'Heisenberg' as he was known in crystal methamphetamine circles, was an accessory to almost murdering the entire cast of The Office," Kinsey wrote. "I assure you this is pure coincidence."

"The plot went this way: In the hopes of getting some free vacation days, Jim tricks Dwight — who now owns the building that houses Dunder Mifflin — into thinking that the office is unsafe and in need of repairs," Fischer explained. "Dwight agrees, but instead of sending everyone home, he calls Jim's bluff and presents the employees with a 'mobile office' to use while the repairs are being made. The majority of the episode occurs on the bus that Dwight has transformed into a mobile workplace. Of course, this is a very Dwight move."

Fischer said the "small airport shuttle" was loaded with 14 actors, four crew members, several desks, chairs, lamps, printers, a watercooler, a microwave, a giant-screen TV, and a coffeemaker. Cozy! Not at all cramped! Sounds safe!

"What could go wrong? Who could have predicted that Ellie Kemper would pee her pants, or that the entire cast would almost be killed — twice?" she wrote. (Note: The Ellie Kemper story, while amazing, is for another time. We're here to get the near-death details right now.)

The BFFs recalled that filming started off fine, but things took a real turn (literally) when the bus left the Dunder Mifflin parking lot and rolled out onto the open road.

"In the story, Jim convinces Andy that since they are stuck on this work bus, he should take everyone to get pie at the best place in town, Laverne's Pies Tires Fixed Also. Andy agrees, and so it was time to roll," Kinsey explained. The producers wanted to film some scenes on the moving bus, which may have sounded simple, but a few major (literally life-threatening) hiccups got in the way.

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"It was a very hot day and whenever we started filming, the air-conditioning on the bus had to be turned off because it was too noisy. We were basically in a moving hot tin can with no air. I thought Brian [Baumgartner] and Creed [Bratton] were going to melt. Oscar [Nunez] looked dead inside. Plus, it was a very curvy road. Jenna was getting a little carsick even though she had a forward-facing chair," Kinsey wrote. "At that point, the heat and the nausea seemed like our worst obstacles."

Spoiler alert: They weren't.

When it came time to capture a scene that "involved Dwight driving like a maniac" things went from bad to worse. The bus was hooked up to a rig and the actors initially pretended to fall to each side of the vehicle while Dwight fake swerved, but the scenes didn't look authentic enough. The bus was then "detached from the rig and a stunt driver climbed on board," Fischer wrote. "There were no stunt actors, however. We stayed on and were told to keep doing what we'd been doing. And off we went."

Via Giphy

"We were all bouncing down the road, blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. We were saying our lines and everything was going smoothly when all of a sudden, we heard the assistant director yell, 'Swerve!'" Kinsey explained. "The stunt driver swerved HARD. I mean he cranked that wheel like Cole Trickle in Days of Thunder. As a result, the entire cast and contents of the bus went flying into the side of the party bus! What no one had considered when they told this stunt driver to swerve as hard as he could without flipping the bus over was that none of our office furniture, props, or set decorations were securely tied down."

Fishcer recalled that she was was pinned against the side of the bus with Leslie David Baker (Stanley) on top of her. "Creed, John, lamps, laptops, chairs were all on top of Phyllis [Smith]," she continued.

"We were all smushed up against the side of the bus. Ellie's chair crashed into Jake [Lacy]'s. Jake's crashed into mine, and I was shoved against the glass window. Papers were everywhere. I caught our desk lamp as it slid into my lap. A few people fell on the bus floor, and we could barely see them because so many things had fallen on top of them," Kinsey explained.

Via Giphy

The cast thankfully survived the stunt, and they took a much-needed lunch break before getting back on the bus. Unfortunately, the "Death Bus" struck again.

"They had somehow gotten a portable air-conditioning unit! 'We can pull it behind the bus with a hose that goes through the sunroof. It's totally quiet. So this afternoon, the bus won't be so hot.' We were thrilled, and as we loaded back onto the cool, reorganized bus, everyone relaxed and decided to put the morning behind us," Fischer wrote.

"Off we went. No more laughing fits. No more peeing. We were nailing our shots. That's when I noticed a funny smell," Fischer said. She continued to raise the concern but was repeatedly dismissed, until others started to agree. "We began debating whether the bus smelled funny. Then our camera operator spoke up. She didn't feel well. She stumbled and set down her camera."

"Guess what?" Fischer wrote. "The portable air-conditioning unit's INTAKE hose was right next to the EXHAUST pipe on the bus. So that hose was sucking in exhaust and blowing it straight into the sunroof of the bus. We were all being slowly poisoned. Or not so slowly, actually."

Some might say that Fischer's nose saved more than a dozen lives AND a beloved show that day. And those people would be correct as far as I'm concerned. Thankfully, the cast finally got to eat some pie.

They finally got their pie, though. Credit: Chris Haston / NBCU Photo Bank / NBCUniversal via Getty Images

What an episode to have (barely) lived through. And what an episode to have directed — literally one for the books.

"Poor Bryan Cranston. I gave him a big hug," Kinsey wrote later in the chapter. "He was so calm and kind even as the wheels were literally coming off the Dunder Mifflin bus."

Be sure to read The Office BFFs for the full "Death Bus" story and more behind the scenes moments from The Office. Thanks to Fischer and Kinsey, you can listen to the first chapter below.

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the Office Ladies podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Spotify has a new top podcast in the U.S., with the narrative Spotify Original Batman Unburied finally dethroning The Joe Rogan Experience. It makes sense — most people would probably rather listen to Batman than Joe Rogan.

According to The Podcast Charts by Spotify, Batman Unburied is now the No. 1 podcast in the U.S., bumping The Joe Rogan Experience to second place. The Joe Rogan Experience was Spotify's No. 1 podcast of 2021, after a $200 million deal in 2020 made it exclusive to the platform. The highly controversial podcast and its titular host have repeatedly come under fire for platforming COVID-19 misinformation and using the N-word, with respected artists such as Joni Mitchell and Neil Young criticising Spotify for hosting Rogan.

It isn't unlikely that Rogan's podcast will eventually retake the top position when Batman Unburied is no longer the shiny new podcast on the block. Still, for now the public has apparently decided it prefers caped crusades to COVID misinformation.

Launched with two episodes on May 3, Batman Unburied is a fiction podcast telling the story of Bruce Wayne, a forensic pathologist working on the victims of a serial killer known as The Harvester. As you can probably guess, Batman Unburied's Gotham isn't quite the same city we're all familiar with, and Bruce's occupation isn't the only change. Significantly, Batman's famously dead parents aren't quite as dead in this series, with Thomas and Martha Wayne showing up to urge their son to go to therapy.

Bruce's alter ego Batman will make an appearance though, so how much his therapist actually helps remains to be seen.

Written and executive produced by David S. Goyer, Batman Unburied stars Winston Duke as Bruce Wayne — most popularly known for his role as M'Baku in Marvel's Black Panther, and Gabe in Jordan Peele's Us. The podcast also features a bunch of other big names, including Jason Isaacs as Alfred, Hasan Minhaj as The Riddler, Gina Rodriguez as Barbara Gordon, John Rhys-Davies as Dr. Hunter, and Ashly Burch as Vicki Vale. Lance Reddick and Toks Olagundoye play Thomas and Martha Wayne respectively.

Batman Unburied is the first podcast to come out of a 2020 licensing deal between Warner Bros. and Spotify, which will see the creation of podcasts featuring iconic DC Comics characters. Other Warner Bros. characters and franchises are also on the table.

Some people can't even commit to brushing their teeth once a day. Meanwhile, others find it in them to podcast on a daily basis, providing the perfect weekday companion to help listeners power through their commutes and morning routines.

Daily podcasts, though not considered their own genre, are a growing phenomenon. Ever since the news made every 24 hours feel like a thousand years, a cottage industry of morning recap shows have sprung up in the on-demand radio scene.

But not all daily podcast series are restricted to political news (thankfully). From pop culture to tech or even witchcraft, you can find any number of topics that someone has decided warrants covering at least five times a week.

In the time warp of our current existence, the daily podcast is a lifeline. Even if every episode isn't perfectly polished, they're there for you, rain or shine — a reminder that tomorrow is always another day.

1. What A Day

A daily news podcast from the Pod Save America team, What A Day is headed up by a rotating lineup of co-hosts, including Gideon Resnick, Josie Duffy Rice, Tre'vell Anderson, and Priyanka Aribindi. In a sea of white dude daily news podcasts, the What A Day hosts often cover the more marginalized political stories that slip through the cracks elsewhere. [Adapted from our Best Podcasts with Black Hosts roundup]

2. The Daily Zeitgeist

An evolution of the popular Cracked podcast, this mixture of comedy, politics, internet, and pop culture news is one of the best ways to wake up. Day in and day out, co-hosts Jack O'Brien and Miles Gray bring on a special guest to laugh through the pain. While many of the biggest news items are covered, you'll love The Daily Zeitgeist for its more offbeat interests — like the latest monstrosity to come out of trash fast food companies. They self-deprecatingly call themselves a second-rate podcast, but we think they're one of the best pods with "daily" in the title.

3. Up First

In a similar vein, Up First from NPR is a show designed to inform you about the day ahead. It gives you the three biggest stories of the day in just 10 minutes. You know what’s up, then you move on with your day. Cannot beat that. [From our Best Politics Podcasts roundup]

4. Your Daily Drive

OK, this is a bit of a cheat because Your Daily Drive isn't technically a podcast. But this customized Spotify playlist combines a mixture of daily news pods and music geared specifically to your tastes. As the title implies, it's supposed to serve as a companion to your daily commute (even if many of us aren't commuting right now). You can find your own customized playlist by clicking this link or search for Your Daily Drive playlist on Spotify.

5. Today in True Crime

Surprisingly illuminating, educational, and entertaining, the Today in True Crime podcast takes listeners back to some of the biggest criminal and justice-related incidents that happened on a given day. A step above most other time-machine-style podcasts, it expands the often narrow definition of true crime to include topics like Anita Hill's testimony during Clarence Thomas's Supreme Court confirmation. Other episodes go much further back in time and overseas to cover a wide breadth of crime history.

6. Democracy Now!

A radio program up there with the best of NPR, Democracy Now! delivers daily global news with the same immediacy as the day it launched. Hosts Juan González and Amy Goodman cover the most pressing humanitarian and progressive issues, with a focus on the United States. It's also available in Spanish.

7. The Daily Meditation Podcast

Listen, there are better meditation guides and exercises out there. Admittedly, I was more than a little taken aback by interjections of sponsors and (on one episode) a quote from the decidedly not zen Colin Powell. But casually practicing with someone else can be key to incorporating habitual mediation into your every lifestyle. Mutual dedication between host and listener is what makes this podcast valuable to your meditation journey.

8. Consider This

So you love NPR, but you don't have an hour of your time to give it every day. Well, consider Consider This. A host of various NPR staples recap the day's biggest stories in about 10-15 minutes, but with all the rigor and polish you've come to expect from the public radio titan. What's more, the final few minutes are spent on local news — an integral but often overlooked aspect of a healthy news diet.

9. Vox's Today, Explained

Today, Explained might seem like just another political podcast. But actually, it covers a much wider spectrum of brass-tacks daily culture and society stories (which, often, is unfortunately dominated by politics). A number of great hosts zero in on one story for 20-30 minutes, whether it's a crafty magician saving theater during the pandemic or the class of college kids graduating during the pandemic.

10. Stuff You Should Know

A favorite of many podcast listeners, the long-running Stuff You Should Know was so popular it spawned its own dedicated network (including other daily podcasts in a similar vein, like Stuff You Missed in History Class.) Since it covers everything under the sun, it's important to note that hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant admit to not being experts on all these topics. Some with deep knowledge of certain subjects might even find their summaries frustratingly surface level. But they do a great job of at least sparking interest in a lot of important things we should all know about, which hopefully inspires listeners to research beyond what can be tackled in an hour.

11. The Daily

The New York Times' The Daily is pretty much an obligatory inclusion on this list. It delivers the news you have to know each day, which is often filtered through a political lens. Political journalist Michael Barbaro hosts the show and while it’s often kind of a downer — the news isn’t great these days — it is also a good primer for the day. [From our Best Politics Podcasts roundup]

12. The Daily Witch Show

By this point — after you've listened to a lot of essential but exhausting news — you could probably use a break from reality. That's where The Daily Witch comes in. While not the highest production endeavor, it's a charming magical addition to your feed with news from the witch community, relevant topics for practitioners, and resource recommendations. Also, there's tea. Lots of tea.

13. BBC's Global News

If you can believe it, this is actually a twice-a-day podcast from the venerated BBC that summarizes the top world news of the day in under 30 minutes. More than ever, it's easy for Americans to lose sight of the importance of being citizens of the globe rather than just our clusterfuck of a country. Global News is a needed reminder of everything else happening that national media organizations generally don't cover, from many of the best correspondents around the world.

14. BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour

Admittedly, this radio show's tagline of "a female perspective on the news" sounds pretty cringe at first blush. But in reality, BBC Radio's Woman's Hour offers a much-needed coalescence of current events affecting women around the world. If anything, by highlighting news for and about women, it only goes to show exactly how excluded women are from every other hour of news reporting. [From our Best Feminist Podcasts roundup]

15. Daily Tech News Show

Increasingly, you need to know the ins and outs of tech and Silicon Valley if you have any hope of staying on top of what's happening in the world. Unfortunately, a lot of old-guard journalism is not well-equipped to understand the minutiae of tech and the industry's consequences. Host Tom Merritt is joined by a rotating roster of co-hosts (including Sarah Lane, Justin Robert Young, and Roger Chang) to distill all the tech news in a way that's digestible to the layperson.

16. Poem A Day

Providing a needed and fruitful break from the onslaught of life, the Academy of American Poets' official podcast delivers a wonderful assortment of unpublished but talented poets reading their own work. Usually, episodes are no more than 2-5 minutes, and often feature marginalized voices, with a special 2020 summer series centered around Black poets.

17. Fresh Air

Yet another NPR essential, Fresh Air focuses on interviews with the biggest names in contemporary art, culture, academia, and social issues. Hosted by the legendary Terry Gross, it offers uniquely intimate conversations with big names that offer a lot of grounded insights into otherwise esoteric topics.

18. The Indicator

Fans of Planet Money probably already know that its smaller, daily sister podcast is a knockout. But for those a little less interested in talk of money stuff, NPR's The Indicator is a great gateway drug. Tackling smaller yet still robust and integral stories related to work, business, and the economy, you'll be surprised by how much crucial information you can gain in just 10 minutes.

19. Curiosity Daily

Curiosity Daily is kind of like the r/TodayILearned subreddit but in podcast form. Every weekday, you can learn something new from co-hosts Nate Bonham and Calli Gade. They offer 10-15 minute summaries of interesting, research-backed news and facts relevant to our everyday lives from the science, psychology, and technology fields.

20. What Next

Slate offers the latest addition to the daily news podcasting scene, with a similar approach to The Daily that dives into one main story each weekday. However, rather than a more narrow focus on the biggest headline, host Mary Harris tackles timely yet lesser-known and more specific subjects.

21. This Day in History Class

If you like Stuff You Missed in History Class but don't have an hour to devote to it, this abbreviated 5-10 minute version of the show is for you. It flashes back to important events that happened on this specific day, like a little audio time machine.

22. The Writer's Almanac

There's some comfort to be found in brief dalliances with the (for lack of a better term) Old Fart's conceit of capital "L" Literature. The Writer's Almanac by Prairie Home Productions is a daily five-minute podcast that feels about as antiquated as the notable historical and literary events it covers from that given day's past (like the sinking of the Titanic or recording of Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit"). You can practically hear the host's handlebar mustache as he ends each episode with a classic poetry reading. As a quick teleportation into the past, it makes a lovely and unintrusive addition to one's daily pre-writing podcast roster (if that's what you're into). [From our Best Podcasts for Writers list]

You can't fit all of these into your daily routine. But with such a wide and increasingly diverse array of topics covered, there's a podcast for everyone to enjoy on an everyday basis.

UPDATE: May. 5, 2022, 5:50 p.m. EDT This story was originally published in Oct. 2020 and updated in May 2022.

Facebook is shutting down its podcast platform.

According to Bloomberg, Facebook will remove podcasts from its service starting June 3. The company will shut down the ability for users to add podcasts as early as this week.

If the question you have right now is "wait, Facebook had podcasts?" we hear you, and that's probably why the service is shutting down. Facebook added podcasts to its site while the market was hot (perhaps too hot), in April last year. You may remember the news of Spotify paying a massive amount of money to Joe Rogan to switch to their podcast platform in May 2020, and Amazon acquiring podcast platform Wondery in December 2020.

Facebook confirmed the news to Bloomberg, though it wouldn't say when, exactly, the podcasts were being shut down. As for Audio Rooms, which is a related feature that let users launch audio chats, it will be integrated into Facebook Live, which will simply display an option to go live with video and audio, or audio only.

Soundbites, which allows users to share short audio messages, is also being shut down.

Facebook and its parent company Meta seem much more interested in immersive experiences and video than audio formats right now. The company has recently launched Reels, a short video format previously available on Instagram, globally on Facebook, promoting it strongly inside the app.

Most folks love learning, regardless of whether or not school is "their thing." Sometimes it's just a matter of finding the right teacher for your learning style — or maybe even the right medium.

For auditory learners, podcasts can be excellent vehicles for processing knowledge that'd be less digestible in more visual mediums like video or even the written word. The American education system tends to fail students in myriad ways, requiring lots of self-education after school is over to learn the real truth in spite of what we were taught in history, art, science, language, literature, and math. That's especially true for marginalized groups, whose perspectives and acceptance are often denied entry by that gilded ivory tower.

Podcasts radically shift the dynamics around who gets to teach, and who gets to learn. A lot of the most beloved and popular shows, like Radiolab and Dan Carlin's Hardcore History, basically boil down to what you wish your science or history class had been like in the first place. Many others, like 1619 and You're Wrong About, aim to correct the misinformation in many accepted cultural narratives from both our near and distant pasts.

Obviously, podcasts can't replace a world-class, bona fide, IRL, teacher-to-student relationships. But they can teach us more than a few vital lessons. Here are a few of our most educational favorites.

1. Unexplainable

While Vox is known for explaining complicated ideas in easily understandable ways, its new podcast Unexplainable flips that premise on its head. Instead of demystifying the daily information onslaught, Unexplainable sits with the most mystifying unknowns of all time. From questioning whether everything we thought we knew about psychology is wrong to the quest to understand what the hell dark matter is, Unexplainable teaches us to get comfortable with the idea that human knowledge has many limits. And that's kinda awesome.

2. You're Wrong About

You're Wrong About is doing God's work by correcting the record on everything we misremember or misunderstand in our collective cultural memory. Each week, journalist Sarah Marshall is joined by an assortment of guests to debunk popular myths, misconceptions, and mischaracterizations of figures like Tonya Harding and Marie Antoinette, or topics like sex trafficking and events like the O.J. Simpson trial. While previously co-hosted by Michael Hobbes, he's gone on to focus on the equally great diet and health debunking podcast Maintenance Phase [Adapted from our Best Feminist Podcasts roundup.]

3. 1619

As all-encompassing as it is powerfully specific and personal, 1619 is the story of modern America — and the people who built it through blood, sweat, tears, and hope. It's a version of the story a great many of us never hear, purposefully kept hidden in the margins of U.S. history books. But 1619 isn't just a podcast about the history of slavery as the genesis of almost every aspect of American society and culture today. This isn't just a sobering lesson, or hard pill to swallow. By weaving the historical with the personal and the poetic, Nikole Hannah-Jones (alongside other guest hosts) paints a viscerally captivating portrait of Black Americans' lived experience, and all the simultaneous struggle, strength, oppression, ambition, pain, and humor needed to survive. 1619 is a story about race and the inequalities embedded into a system predicated on its conceit. But above all it's a story about us, the people we were then and still are now. [From our Best Limited-Series Podcasts to Binge roundup.]

4. Womanica

History class often paints a portrait of the world that excludes about half of its population. That's what Wonder Media Network's Womanica sets out to fix, by releasing 5- to 10-minute episodes on women who made history in a certain field. Each month focuses on a different area of expertise, which most recently included activism and music. [From our Best Feminist Podcasts roundup.]

5. You Are Not So Smart

There's a kind of fallacy that comes with being knowledgeable or well-educated: You can start to think you know everything. In reality, human knowledge is always flawed, a work in progress rather than an end goal in itself. That's the backbone of this psychology podcast, which dives into the ways we think and why they're often faulty or misunderstood.

6. 99% Invisible

Invisible forces increasingly rule our world, and this legacy podcast is determined to reveal exactly how and why. Host Roman Mars uncovers a different facet of the hidden world of design in every episode, whether it's the user experience of an app on your phone or your entire home's architecture.

7. Radiolab

NPR’s Peabody-winning, textbook example of rich, expertly-produced documentary podcast-making was started by Jad Abumrad way back in 2002. Hosted by Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, Radiolab tasks itself broadly with "investigating a strange world." It’s constantly referred to in the same breath as their friends at This American Life, but tends toward the more science-related topics. [From our Best Science Podcasts roundup.]

8. Every Little Thing

Like the teacher who encouraged you to ask all the questions, Gimlet's Every Little Thing seeks to answer listeners' questions about, well, everything. Whether it's trying to determine if a listener's very specific early childhood memory is real, or investigating why we cry, there's no quest for understanding too small or too big for this podcast.

9. Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

Dan Carlin is the history teacher we all wish we'd had in grade school, able to turn the most fascinating and dramatic episodes of our past into multi-part epic sagas. Tuning into Hardcore History's three hour-long behemoth episodes transports your imagination. As informative as they are enthralling, each deep dive can transform what you thought you knew about both ancient and modern history.

10. Lolita Podcast

The influence of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita can’t be overstated. From fashion to music to film to sexual expression itself, the novel’s impact on society far exceeds literary circles, affecting the mainstream in ways you may not even be aware of. You don’t need to have read Lolita — a cautionary tale about a predator grooming, kidnapping, and repeatedly raping a child — to be riveted by the podcast, which is more focused on tracing its ripple effects on the zeitgeist. Comedian, podcaster, and writer Jamie Loftus wrestles with this tangled nexus of significance in a society that perpetually sexualizes young girls. Weaving in her own personal experiences and analysis with expert interviews and source materials, Loftus leaves no stone unturned — no matter how uncomfortable. Diving headfirst into a minefield of impossible yet crucial questions, Lolita Podcast delivers nuanced perspectives that only unfurl more layers of complexity rather than offering easy answers. [From our Best Podcasts of 2020 roundup.]

11. Grammar Girl

Delving into the ins and outs of grammar can be pretty boring sometimes. (Apologies to our editors.) But this beloved show from host Mignon Fogarty brings a much-needed lack of judgment, accessibility, and fun to learning about the nitty-gritty of the English language. It's an essential resource for writers of all sorts, diving into not only the rules but the historical and cultural contexts behind them.

12. Ologies

If you want to dig into the niches of study that professionals choose to dedicate their lives to, check out Ologies with science correspondent and humorist Alie Ward. Each episode, Ward takes on a different 'ology,' from conventional ones like paleontology and molecular neurobiology, to more niche ones like philematology (the study of kissing). [From our Best Science Podcasts roundup.]

13. Planet Money

Planet Money’s success lies in how it tackles complex subjects with great storytelling. A financial instrument like a Collateralized Debt Obligation (CDO) may sound impossibly boring, but Planet Money routinely makes these types of things the heart of a thrilling narrative. The team continues to explore the financial collapse, but they’ve expanded their scope to include all aspects of the global economy. [From our Best Back to School Podcasts roundup.]

Alternatively, for those a little less interested in talk of money stuff, NPR's The Indicator is a great gateway drug. Tackling smaller yet still robust and integral stories related to work, business, and the economy, you'll be surprised by how much crucial information you can gain in just 10 minutes. [From our Best Daily Podcasts roundup.]

14. Hidden Brain

NPR's popular podcast hosted by social science correspondent Shankar Vedantam delves into the recesses of the human mind, and questions why the hell we do and think the things we do. Vedantam conducts excellent, well-researched interviews with experts on complex topics that are made simple to understand, and will have you really getting in your own head. [From our Best Science Podcasts roundup.]

15. Floodlines

No matter how much you think you know about Hurricane Katrina, Floodlines reveals how America has only reached the surface of reckoning with this deep national wound. Through interviews with survivors and reporting that addresses the media misinformation and government incompetence around the catastrophe, host Vann R. Newkirk II shows how the real storm that devastated New Orleans was the same one that's been brewing in America for centuries. [From our Best New Podcasts of 2020 roundup.]

16. The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Happiness is a tricky goal, especially when we think about it in terms of things that will finally make us happier. But no "thing" can make you happy except yourself, and achieving that state of mind takes daily work. That's what Dr. Laurie Santos, who studied the science of happiness at Yale and has a doctorate in psychology, makes clear in her podcast tackling the wide range of questions about how to live a life with more joy in spite of, well, all of it. While many other podcasts tackle similar topics, Dr. Santos sets this one apart by taking them to panels of experts and researchers in psychology, behavioral science, and more. [From our Best Self-Improvement Podcasts roundup.]

17. Nice White Parents

Nice White Parents, released on July 30, is a five-part limited series from [Serial,] the team that redefined podcasting back in 2014. Instead of complex true-crime cases, however, Nice White Parents puts a different criminal on trial: the white liberalism that has helped perpetuate the segregation of public schools in America for decades under the guise of progressive ideals. This American Life producer Chana Joffe-Walt tells the story through an on-the-ground investigation into the School for International Studies (SIS), a New York City public school that was predominantly serving students of color. That is, until a flood of white parents who couldn't get their kids into preferred white schools instead decided to enroll them there, causing it to become a battleground of racial tensions and inequalities. It’s a story that comes from a personal place for Joffe-Walt. She began reporting on it after shopping around for schools as a new parent herself, only to discover she was part of a larger history of white parents who have shaped our public school education system into what it is today — which is to say, a system that overwhelming and repeatedly fails students of color. [From our full review.]

18. Philosophize This!

Philosophy, aka that insufferable elective you skipped each week in college, can get a bad rap for being elitist and impenetrable. But Stephen West makes Philosophize This! precisely for those who want to delve into the nuanced ideas of our great thinkers, only without all the BS. Meant to be consumed somewhat in chronological order, you'll gain a working, buildable knowledge of everything from media theory studies to multiple theories of justice.

19. Making Gay History

History isn't often told through a gay lens, and Making Gay History looks to change that, telling the stories of the people who fought for decades for LGBTQ civil rights. Many of them have largely gone uncelebrated — until now. [From our Best History Podcast roundup.]

20. The Experiment

The American experiment, often repackaged as the American dream, is one of the biggest sources of miseducation in our country. In this WNYC Studios and Atlantic collaboration, host Julia Longoria applies the ideals of America's past that were held to be self-evident, then measures them up against our current reality. Bringing the high ideals of this country's founding to everyday experiences, The Experiment can even find lessons in trash reality TV shows like 90 Day Fiancé.

21. Let's Talk About Myths, Baby!

Host Liv Albert, an author who studied classical civilizations and English literature at Concordia University, does an amazing job of rendering the ancient texts both accessible and exciting, without sacrificing nuance. Deeply researched yet conversationally casual, the podcast analyzes the gods, heroes, and creatures of Greek myth through a variety of modern lenses, from feminism to queerness and even neurodivergence. The formatting ranges from solo episodes with multi-part-series deep dives around a theme to more broad conversations with other mythology experts. While you've definitely heard of these myths before, you've never heard them told quite like this. [From our Best Podcasts for Writers roundup]

22. ArtCurious

Art history isn't for everyone, but curator and art history student Jennifer Dasal is definitely the one who could spark your interest. With a distinct theme for every season, she brings what might otherwise be dry material to life by telling the strangest and most enthralling stories behind the art. Season 9, which is all about cursed art, feels especially right for the general vibe of the past several years.

23. Blowback

OK, first a disclaimer: Blowback is an unapologetically left-wing podcast. Like very left-wing. If that's not cool with you, then it's not the podcast for you. It tells the story of the Iraq War from that leftist point of view, and it's both fascinating and necessary. Much of the Iraq War, as the American public knew it, was laundered through a right-wing government, and it was some time before anyone was open to admitting the disastrous war was just that. Blowback details how horrific and wrongheaded the Iraq War was, how its tentacles still shape America today, and how few consequences befell the people who sold it to the public. [From our Best History Podcast roundup.]

24. Coffee Break Spanish (or other languages)

Not everyone vibes with language learning apps like Duolingo. Alternatively, what's great about podcasts like Coffee Break from Radio Lingua Network is just how casual it feels — digestible enough to compliment your coffee break (as the name suggests). The lesson plans in each successive season increase in difficulty, with Season 1 being for true beginners. But the podcast really sings in its travel log episodes, applying those lessons to a conversational grasp of the language. There are versions in French, Italian, German, Chinese, and Swedish available too.

25. Curiosity Daily

Curiosity Daily is kind of like the r/TodayILearned subreddit but in podcast form. Every weekday, you can learn something new from hosts Cody Gough, Ashley Hamer, and Natalia Reagan. They offer 10- to 15-minute summaries of interesting, research-backed news and facts relevant to our everyday lives from the science, psychology, and technology fields. [From our Best Daily Podcasts roundup.]

26. Spotify Original Audiobooks: Hear the Classics

Let's be real: many of us skipped the reading when we were in school, only to regret it later on. That's why Spotify's list of original audiobooks, some even voiced by A-list actors like Hilary Swank, is a great treasure trove of educational audio. Currently, it offers many of the classics for free, like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the memoir Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. They even have a separate podcast for unpacking the literature called Sitting with the Classics. You can check out the full collection here.

27. Science Vs.

If you’re hearing a lot of noise about something in your feed — whether it’s the effects of 5G, the war on plastic straws, or anti-vaxxers — and you’d like someone to clear up the facts for you with absolute glee, Science Vs is your jam. The podcast and its infectiously enthusiastic host/science journalist Wendy Zuckerman were snapped up by Gimlet Media from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2015, and it is hands down one of the best science podcasts in the game. They’ve done a heap of episodes about the coronavirus, debunking misinformation and fear-mongering rumors. There's also a shorter version called Shots of Science Vs if you need just a tiny hit of science in your day. [From our Best Science Podcasts roundup]

28. Diversifying

When you reach adulthood, you realize just how absurd it is that school never gave us the financial education that is more vital to everyday life than anything we learned in math class. CNN's Diversifying podcast seeks to change that by not only teaching listeners about how to tackle today's biggest money hurdles — from student loans to investing to taxes — but also the emotional side of reclaiming your financial independence. Host Delyanne Barros (aka, the Money Coach) is a Brazilian immigrant who, like many immigrants, grew up with an immense pressure to succeed at the American dream. But after accruing six figures in student loan debts and achieving everything she was supposed to, she realized it made her miserable and decided to make her own path instead.

This podcast is about reckoning with a financial system that is stacked against so many, especially people of color (and women). Barros found her true calling and success by quitting her corporate job and devoting her life to helping others like herself navigate the systemic oppression baked into America's financial institutions. With the help of some excellent guests, she makes these hard lessons not only approachable and engaging, but truly a humanizing experience.

29. Noble Blood

I don't know about you, but right now I'm feeling especially inclined to stories about the rich getting eaten (or just generally murdered). Every other week, Dana Schwartz's Noble Blood tells a true story of murder, betrayal, and blood to come out of noble classes from all around the world and across history. Unfortunately, it's not always the rich who wind up bloodied, since they're often the ones with the power to act brutally without impunity. Regardless, each 30-minute tale is a piece of well-crafted storytelling guaranteed to take you outside the hell of our present-day autocracy. [From our Best Podcasts to Distract Yourself With]

30. It's Lit!

Let's be honest: Literature — from book clubs to publishing — tends to gatekeep far too many people of color from nurturing their love of reading. But those who've been kept out are now finding more and more ways to break through the walls of white literary snobbery. The It's Lit! podcast (hosted by Princess Weekes, an assistant editor at The Mary Sue) is the podcast spin-off of the popular PBS YouTube series by the same name. Covering a broad scope of genres, it offers refreshingly invigorating takes and far more relatable perspectives to literary discourse. The guests (who include Ibi Ziboi and Mikki Kendall) and conversations cover much of what traditional literary circles too often leave out (like whether "the classics fail us" or why diverse young adult fiction is so important), creating a bookish space that's as inviting as it is enthralling. [From our Best Podcasts for Writers roundup]

UPDATE: Apr. 29, 2022, 11:45 a.m. EDT This story was originally published in Feb. 2021 and updated in April 2022.

It's no secret that The Office had a stacked main cast, but over the years the show welcomed its fair share of big names to the set for cameos as well.

We've chatted about about cameos from Amy Adams and Robert Pine (Chris Pine's dad), but on the latest episode of Stitcher's Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey rewatched the Season 6 episode "The Banker," which features another familiar face: David Costabile.

You likely know the actor, who's been in everything from The Wire to Suits to Billions, as chemist/meth cook Gale Boetticher on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Costabile also played the titular banker named Eric Ward in "The Banker" episode of The Office, so he reflected on his role for the podcast.

How did David Costabile get cast on The Office?

"The story with me in The Office is that I had known Rainn Wilson since college and we became lifelong friends," Costabile explained. "We had created this play called The New Bozena. And that's actually what brought us out to Los Angeles. We had been doing it in New York, and we had done it off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theater. And then we came to Los Angeles to do the show and to also see if we could sell it and make it into a TV show or movie or something, which we ended up doing — selling it, but not making it. And around that time we were out there, Rainn — and in fact, all of us — got auditions to go in for the pilot of The Office. Which we did. So it was incredibly fun."

Costabile shared that he auditioned for the pilot of The Office, but it was clear that Rainn was born to play Dwight. "Then throughout the years, I would go in and audition for a bunch of things, and Allison Jones [casting director for The Office] always looked out for me, and it was very exciting to be able to to think that I could get on that show. And I really, really, really wanted to," Costabile said. "Rainn was always... every season he would ask Allison. He would be like, 'Can you put him on? Can you put him on?' And so they finally got me on the show."

• Steve Carell improvised one of the best lines in Season 5 of The Office

• The Office cast recalls an Emmy-worthy scene that made them break

• The Office stars finally reveal the identity of Jan's sperm donor

• The Office almost had a very different theme song: A legendary pop hit.

A dynamic duo: Costabile and Lieberstein

The episode features a number of standout scenes, especially considering it was a clips episode full of old callbacks, but Fischer and Kinsey gave a special shoutout to the moments when Eric the banker and Toby shared the screen.

"I like that Toby is working so hard to defend the company. And when I was trading messages with David, I asked him if there was anything he remembered in particular about shooting this episode, and he mentioned these scenes between him and Paul [Lieberstein]," Fischer said.

"One of the things that I remember so strongly was I had a scene with Paul, and I wanted so badly to see if I could be drier and even more understated than Paul and sadly, I couldn't do it," Costabile said. "And I tried my hardest to do it, and I really, really wanted to because I love Paul's acting, and I thought he was hilarious in the show and I wanted to see if I could actually go underneath where he was. And as I did it, I realized like, 'Oh no. He has so many other levels that he could even ratchet back.' And he did. He smoked me out, clearly, as we were doing the scene, because then as I was trying to get below him, he would just get lower and lower and smaller and smaller. And it was an incredibly fun game to try to play as we were shooting the scene." 

"It was like these two guys trying to out-bore each other," Kinsey mused. "I thought it was so great. Their energy and tone was so perfect. I would like to see more of them."

Via Giphy

Be sure to check out the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "The Banker."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Audio can be a bit of a contentious subject among written word lovers. But we're not here to re-litigate the age-old debate over whether listening to audiobooks counts as "reading" (it does, by the way).

Writing can be a lonely profession (or currently unpaid passion, until it can become your profession). But podcasts can bring listeners a sense of community no matter how isolated they are in their interests, both emotionally or geographically. As the illustrious history of famous literary circles goes to show, it often takes a village to produce the singular creative geniuses of an era.

So for established authors or amateur creative writers with big aspirations alike, there's a lot to be gained from the virtual book clubs and writer communities behind the podcasts listed below. Whether you're looking for guidance on the writing process, seeking to learn the fundamentals of great literature or about the publishing industry, or looking for muses to refill your well of inspiration, we've got you covered. From fiction to memoir, screenwriting to playwriting, and prose to poetry, there's an endless world of audio storytellers just waiting to fill your ears with the written word.

1. It's Lit

Let's be honest: Literature — from book clubs to publishing — tends to gatekeep far too many people of color from nurturing their love of reading. But those who've been kept out are now finding more and more ways to break through the walls of white literary snobbery. The It's Lit! podcast (hosted by Princess Weekes, an assistant editor at The Mary Sue) is the podcast spin-off of the popular PBS YouTube series by the same name. Covering a broad scope of genres, it offers refreshingly invigorating takes and far more relatable perspectives to literary discourse. The guests (who include Ibi Ziboi and Mikki Kendall) and conversations cover much of what traditional literary circles too often leave out (like whether "the classics fail us" or why diverse young adult fiction is so important), creating a bookish space that's as inviting as it is enthralling.

2. Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

Delving into the ins and outs of grammar can be, shall we say, boring. (Apologies to our editors.) But this beloved show from host and author Mignon Fogarty (formerly a science writer and journalism professor at the University of Nevada), brings a much-needed lack of judgment along with accessibility and actual fun to learning about the nitty-gritty of the English language. It's an essential resource for writers of all sorts, diving into not only the rules (and how and when and why you can break them) but also the historical and cultural contexts behind them. [Adapted from our Best Educational Podcasts list]

3. Let's Talk About Myths, Baby!

Academics trace many of the modern Western storytelling conventions back to Greek mythology, from act structure to archetypes. This podcast allows writers to familiarize themselves with that foundational source of their craft. Host Liv Albert, an author who studied classical civilizations and English literature at Concordia University, does an amazing job of rendering the ancient texts both accessible and exciting, without sacrificing nuance. Deeply researched yet conversationally casual, the podcast analyzes the gods, heroes, and creatures of Greek myth through a variety of modern lenses, from feminism to queerness and even neurodivergence. The formatting ranges from solo episodes with multi-part-series deep dives around a theme to more broad conversations with other mythology experts. While you've definitely heard of these myths before, you've never heard them told quite like this.

4. Lore

Host and author Aaron Mankhe sets the tone for the quiet grimness of this phenomenal oral storytelling podcast, his somber narration of folklore (both ancient and contemporary) intermingling with melancholic piano notes. Each episode explores a compendium of hauntingly beautiful tales both real and imagined, from human monsters like serial killer H. H. Holmes to more mysterious myths like that of the alleged werewolf of Bedburg, Germany. The common thread is our collective unconscious, with the moral of the story always coming back to a central aspect of the human condition and the existential questions that have haunted us for ages. [Adapted from our Best Podcasts for Horror Fans list]

5. Unpublished

The creative writer's life is a series of ego battles that we mostly face alone, so it's vital to remember that, actually, countless others are also fighting in those same trenches. The simple yet powerful purpose of Unpublished with Amie McNee (author of The Rules Upheld by No One) and James Winestock (a research student at the University of Sydney currently working on three yet-to-be published novels) is to give you a space to unabashedly "take your art seriously." Through insights from them and their occasional guests (like social psychologist and author Dr. Devon Price), you learn about the many different ways to tackle all the barriers to practicing the craft, whether emotional or practical. From abandoning false concepts of "laziness" to handling failure, the more stigmatized parts of the writer's journey are brought into the light through intimate and informative discussions.

6. What Should I Read Next?

It's the question that looms over every avid reader as they begin to reach those final pages of a good book. What the hell am I going to read next? Word of mouth can often be one of the best ways of finding new books to love. But in the absence of an IRL book club or literary community, there's this great podcast. Every week, author and blogger Anne Bogel (perhaps better known as Modern Mrs. Darcy) picks a listener, often an author themselves, to talk about their work and get some help on their next book-finding hunt. After asking them about what they like, dislike, and want to get out of their next read, she makes personal recommendations across all genres. It's not only a clever way to give listeners ideas about what to read next, but also inevitably turns into a discussion about all the different reasons people love to read. And that's vital information for a writer as much as it is for a reader. You can submit your own reading recommendation request to the What Should I Read Next? podcast via the show's website.

7. The Moth

The Moth has been around for decades, though not necessarily in audio form. The New York City-based nonprofit started with live storytelling events and contests (StorySLAMs with themes like "Saved," "Scars," and "Gratitude") in 1997, and now exists as a podcast featuring short stories from the speakers' real lives, performed in front of a live audience. What makes the podcast so great is its simple format: people sharing their stories. The tales are heartfelt, humorous, original, and sincere, and they're told by everyone, from comedians to professional storytellers, like Hari Kondabolu and Elna Baker. You'll hear of exotic dancing, heartbreaking high school rejections, and experiences with Australian wildlife that will make you laugh, cry, and everything between. [Adapted from our Best Storytelling Podcasts list]

8. The Creative Writer's Toolbelt

If you're in the market for both interview-style and more lecture-like advice on everything from the fundamentals of story structure to the nuts and bolts of technique, genre, process, and industry navigation, this is the podcast for you. Host Andy Chamberlain, author of the science-fiction book The Centauri Survivors, provides lessons on how to improve your writing. Other episodes tap a range of successful writers who work in a variety of different mediums, from TV to comic books. Featuring authors, journalists, playwrights, poets, etc., the podcast provides a unique perspective on how to approach a specific craft. And with a short 30- to 45-minute run time per episode, it's easy to incorporate into your own routine.

9. Write-Minded

This is yet another conversational shop-talking podcast, but Write-Minded stands apart thanks to its hosts, two seminal community-builders who created some of the most important resources for new writers. Since 2012, Brooke Warner has helped women break through sexist barriers to entry around publishing with the popular She Writes online community and She Writes Press. Meanwhile, Grant Faulkner leads National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), the competition that's been the catalyst for hundreds of thousands of authors to take the plunge and write a 50,000-word original work of fiction in a single month. Their podcast is one of the more soul-bearing and honest on this list, and ideal for writers who lack a support system or writers' group to not only discuss the difficulties of the craft but to exchange ideas and inspiration. Topics range from the titillating world of erotica storytelling to helping set your writing free of expectations to finding your own voice.

10. Snap Judgment

Snap Judgment, like The Moth, is based off a live storytelling show. The difference is that Snap Judgment, which is produced by NPR and hosted by beloved radio personality Glynn Washington, adds musical accompaniment to stories, usually making for an experience more along the lines of slam poetry. Public listening risks public tears, thanks to Snap Judgment's moving and affecting stories. It's a perfect well of inspiration for writers, and to the keen observer can be a fantastic teacher on immersive storytelling. [Adapted from our Best Storytelling Podcasts list]

11. Writer's Routine

Writers often have a near-obsessive fascination with process and routine, whether it's min-maxing their own or learning the details how successful authors approach it. Dan Simpson's (author and poet-in-residence at Imperial College and St Albans Cathedral) interview podcast is by far the most nitty-gritty on this list. Award-winning and best-seller guests (including Bridget Collins and Trent Dalton) get asked about everything from their work schedule to the layout of their writing room and even preferred font. None ever give the same answers, and listening to the total chaos of even New York Times best-selling authors' day-to-day routines is a comfort to all who are insecure about their own.

12. Well-Read Black Girl

Glory Edim began her online book club catered to Black women and girls back in 2015, but only recently brought that wonderful community to the podcasting world. This weekly show features intimate and joyous interviews with powerhouses like the 1619 Project's Nikole Hannah-Jones and Me Too founder Tarana Burke to discuss not only their own books, but also relationships to literature and "what it means to be well-read" as a Black woman in America. Whether you're hunting for your next book recommendation or just craving a sense of community that avoids literature's notorious gatekeeping, Well-Read Black Girl will make you feel seen and at home.

13. Phoebe Reads a Mystery

We here at Mashable are unapologetic Phoebe Judge stans. If you fell in love with the award-winning journalist and beloved podcaster's ASMR-esque voice (which inspires calm even while she's describing violent crimes in her podcast Criminal), you'll love this new one, too. Throw Agatha Christie into the mix, and you've got one of the best new podcasts to fall asleep to or enjoy while otherwise relaxing. Phoebe Reads a Mystery is exactly what it sounds like, and began by taking listeners through Christie's The Murder on the Links through daily episodes that average about 20 minutes each. While it's moved beyond just mysteries, the sonic and literary joy of her readings remain the same. [Adapted from our Best New Podcasts of 2020 list]

14. Written Off

Often, the most unheard voices of society have the most powerful things to say. That's certainly true on Written Off, a podcast where the work of formerly incarcerated writers is spotlighted, capturing not only their striking lived experiences but also sheer raw talent. Each episode begins with host Walter Thompson-Hernández, author of The Compton Cowboys, speaking to the author about their work in a sort of preamble, before a cast of influential voices like Keke Palmer and John Legend bring that work to life in a reading. In a final debrief segment, Thompson-Hernández converses with the author about the experience of having their work read — and finally given the respect and recognition it deserves. The podcast is overflowing with a tangible sense of humanity, reveling in joy while never shying away from pain. It leaves all who listen with a renewed faith in the power of words to heal, process, and connect us.

15. The Writer's Almanac

There's some comfort to be found in brief dalliances with the (for lack of a better term) Old Fart's conceit of capital "L" Literature. The Writer's Almanac by Prairie Home Productions is a daily five-minute podcast that feels about as antiquated as the notable historical and literary events it covers from that given day's past (like the sinking of the Titanic or recording of Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit"). You can practically hear the host's handlebar mustache as he ends each episode with a classic poetry reading. As a quick teleportation into the past, it makes a lovely and unintrusive addition to one's daily pre-writing podcast roster (if that's what you're into).

16. Spotify Original Audiobooks: Hear the Classics

Every writer has that one classic they skipped the reading on when they were in school, only to regret it later on. That's why Spotify's list of original audiobooks, some even voiced by A-list actors like Hilary Swank, is a great treasure trove. Currently, it offers many of the classics for free, like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the memoir Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. They even have a separate podcast for unpacking the literature called Sitting with the Classics. [Adapted from our Best Educational Podcasts list]

17. Helping Writers Become Authors

Exactly as the title describes, this podcast is all about how to turn the aspiring writer into a published author. Covering the same breadth of topics as other how-to advice podcasts on this list, this one is notably more accessible to beginners or folks who just don't have an hour of more to devote to the topic. By offering 15- to 20-minute lessons on story structure, scene building, editing advice, character development, stress tests, and industry best practices, K. M. Weiland (author of several writer's guidebooks and historical/fantasy fiction novels) distills huge chunks of information into very digestible bites.

18. Imaginary Worlds

Ironically, Eric Molinsky's Imaginary Worlds — exploring fantasy and science-fiction storytelling across all mediums — is one of the podcasts most firmly grounded in our real world. But that's exactly what makes it so great. By diving into the real-world forces that underpin our most beloved fictional universes, Molinsky, an NPR alum and audio fiction storyteller, helps us grapple with crucial social issues ranging from fascism to racism. But it's all done from the safe distance of make-believe. Escapism, he proves, is hardly ever about turning away from our harsh realities. If anything, it's about seeing them from a different perspective, so we can learn something about our world, ourselves, and each other in the process. [Adapted from our Best Podcast to Relax To list]

19. The Creative Penn Podcast for Writers

As one of the most long-standing podcasts on this list, The Creative Penn is a real tried-and-tested resource for indie writers carving their own path outside traditional publishing. Through weekly interviews and solo segments, host Joanna Penn, author of several nonfiction guidebooks and thriller fictions under the name J.F. Penn, provides some of the most essential guidance you'll need to navigate the ever-shifting present and future of self-publishing. While there's some craft and process talk, the podcast stands out as a business and marketing-oriented how-to that makes the less-loved aspects of full-time writing actually exciting to think about. Covering cutting-edge debates around the arrival of NFTs in the literary world to publishing fiction on Substack and authors using Kickstarter to fund their books, it's a podcast that never allows itself (or you) to get stuck in its way.

20. One Upon a Time at Bennington College

For such a tiny college hidden away in the woods of Vermont, Bennington has produced a disproportionate amount of award-winning contemporary literary titans (full disclosure, it's also my alma mater). This limited series from the Once Upon a Time podcast specifically tells the sordid story of the undergraduate friend group who would later become renowned authors Donna Tartt (The Goldfinch), Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho), and Jonathan Lethem (Motherless Brooklyn). Full of drugs, sex, greed, literature, and even murder, this riveting expose unravels the unwieldy madness and magic behind some of the most influential writers of Gen X.

21. Overdue

With a name that embodies the anxiety of never returning that library book you meant to read, Overdue is all about absolving you of your book debts. From the classics like Don Quixote to more offbeat must-reads like the Calvin and Hobbes comic strips, this podcast is a cheat sheet to getting through conversations with snobs who will shame you for not knowing about one seminal work or another. With over 500 episodes (and counting), Craig Getting (education director at Lantern Theater Company) and Andrew Cunningham (author of thrillers like Wisdom Spring) summarize whatever it is they read so you don't have to, taking time to analyze themes or the larger cultural context for why it's considered Important. They're the kinda hosts who aren't afraid to describe Faulkner as a slog, bringing the ivory tower of literary elitism down a peg.

22. Poetry Unbound

While our list is targeted at helping prose writers, there is always room to be made for more poetry in all our lives — writer or otherwise. On Being Studio's Poetry Unbound podcast is like a meditation for the creative writer's soul, where host Pádraig Ó Tuama, an Irish poet himself, reads a poem (with permission from the poet) every Monday and Friday. Unlike a lot of other poetry podcasts, the reading imbues the words with the aliveness that makes poetry so universal, offering your mind a brief rest from laboring over the written word to instead become recharged by it.

23. The Book Review

It's an age-old wisdom that, in order to write well, one must first read well. That's what the New York Times' Book Review podcast is for. As the authority on what books are worthwhile, the podcast adds actual interviews with the authors of notable new releases highlighted by the paper of record, and the critics tasked with reviewing them. Hosted by various editors of The New York Times Book Review section, it's perfect for avid readers of the New York Times best-seller list — and those who one day hope to be an author featured in it.

24. The Big Gay Fiction Podcast

Queerness has always been part of literature's history, despite often needing to be expressed covertly, or getting erased throughout time, or even leading to the persecution of various iconic LGBTQ authors. But there's arguably never been a better time to be a queer author and reader, as more and more explicitly LGBTQ books begin to dominate best-seller lists. Big Gay Fiction Podcast hosts Jeff Adams and Will Knauss (the authors of several gay fiction books themselves) are here for it all, as your guides to gay romance novels and authors. Episodes feature exclusive interviews with authors like Ariella Zoelle, as well as a variety of queer book and pop culture recommendations.

25. But That's Another Story

Most writers pick up the craft because they once read a book that changed their life forever, and they want to have that sort of impact on their readers. This magic moment is what But That's Another Story seeks to capture, as host Will Schwalbe (author of The End of Your Life Book Club) interviews guests like Jodie Foster and Min Jin Lee on the novels that transformed them in one way or another. While, sadly, this podcast ended in 2020, there's a treasure trove of episodes available that are sure to reignite your belief in the power of books to shape the world, one person at a time.

The Office stars are professionals, but sometimes the show was too funny for even them to handle.

On the latest episode of Stitcher's Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 6 episode, "Secret Santa," which featured a scene so funny that the entire cast broke while filming. We've heard about other giggle-inducing scenes, including several from the "Women's Appreciation" episode, the whomever/whoever conference room scene in "Money," and three scenes in "Branch Wars." And who could forget that John Krasinski and Rainn Wilson laughed so hard filming "Lecture Circuit: Part 1" that the show had to shut down production for 20 minutes? We know laughter on set wasn't a rarity, but according to Fischer and Kinsey, it was really something to see the entire cast break during one scene.

In addition to chatting with Green Day's lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong about Dwight and Andy's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" karaoke scene, Fischer and Kinsey discussed the funniest moment of the episode: When Kevin sat on Michael's lap.

As a refresher, both Phyllis and Michael showed up to the office holiday party dressed as Santa. Michael was in a mood because he felt Phyllis was stealing his Christmas thunder, so he staged his own Santa photo op by sitting in a chair across from reception and invited Kevin to sit on his lap. 

"Kevin sits on Michael's lap. Michael's like, 'Well, what would you like for Christmas, little boy?' And Kevin's like, 'I don't know. I didn't know you were going to ask me that.' And Michael's like, 'What did you think was going to happen?' And Kevin's like, 'I don't know. No one's ever let me sit on their lap before,'" Kinsey recalled. "Michael's really struggling now. He's like, 'Just tell me what toys you want.' And Kevin's taking a long time to think about it."

You can rewatch the full, delightful scene here.

Robbie V, an Office Ladies fan in South Korea, wrote in to the podcast to say, "At 7:56, if you pause, you can clearly see Ed Helms and Mindy Kaling breaking so hard. A few seconds later, B.J. Novak started to break. They were all laughing so hard, Ed needed to hide from the camera."

Fischer and Kinsey confirmed that filming the scene was funny as hell.

"I would say overwhelmingly this was one time where the entire cast broke. The entire cast," Kinsey said. "I've read so many interviews in prepping for this episode where John, Ed, and Brian all talk about how they were all breaking. I read where Veda [Semarne], our script supervisor, said how she would have to mark whenever someone laughed in a take and it was like everyone."

"They didn't have any footage of us not laughing," Fischer said. "They didn't have any. We never got it. That's why all the footage shows us breaking in the background." 

"That's exactly right. On the commentary, Claire Scanlon, who was our editor, talked about how difficult it was to edit this scene because someone was constantly laughing," Kinsey explained. "And if you watch you guys all see Mindy break. Ed literally had to go behind the wall. There was like a plant and a wall, and you watch him go and hide. There are a lot of bloopers from this..."

Now go back to that clip above, start at 1:30, and rewatch to see if you can spot anyone breaking.

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"John dives out of frame. Like, we're all losing it," Kinsey said.

"You notice in those scenes there are no like cutaways to the reverse. There are no reaction shots," Fischer added. "There were the people who were like stationed behind this action and they had to try to hold it together. The rest of us, we were all there. We're all watching. You don't see us because we couldn't ever act."

"No, we were just all laughing," Kinsey agreed."That like took me back. Watching it and reading everyone's like stories from that day. It was so much fun." 

Via Giphy

Be sure to check out the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "Secret Santa."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Green Day's lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, is just like us. He loves The Office.

On the latest episode of Stitcher's Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 6 episode, "Secret Santa," which features the popular Green Day song, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." Since Fischer is close personal friends with Armstrong, she reached out to him to chat about the episode. On the podcast he read the "Secret Santa" episode summary for Office Ladies listeners, and later shared how he felt watching Dwight and Andy sing Green Day karaoke.

"Hello, Office Ladies listeners. This is Billie Joe Armstrong. Here's your summary for 'Secret Santa,'" he began. "It's Christmas time at Dunder Mifflin. Jim and Dwight are in charge of this year's Christmas party, and they're doing a pretty good job. Jim tells Phyllis she can play Santa, something she's wanted to do for years. This naturally causes Michael to spiral. Meanwhile, Oscar has a crush on a new warehouse worker, and Pam plays matchmaker. Andy has Erin in the Secret Santa gift exchange, but so far it's not going well. She's mostly just been attacked by birds. There is some potentially devastating news from corporate hanging over everyone's heads, but in the end, it's a great party with karaoke, a marching band, and even a little snow."

Armstrong then closed the summary by singing, (!!!) "I'll walk a lonely road. We all walk a lonely road." Swoon!

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• It cost 'The Office' $45,000 to make this comical music moment happen

• You'll never guess who played Jim Halpert's dad on 'The Office'

Later in the episode when Fischer and Kinsey got to Dwight and Andy's big karaoke scene, they heard from Armstrong again.

"Dwight is singing 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' by Green Day," Fischer explains. "Andy joins in with some perfect harmony. 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' is from Green Day's 2004 album American Idiot. So something that I know, because I'm friends with Billie Joe Armstrong. I cannot say it enough."

"I'm just so tickled every time I can say that. Billy had seen The Office, but he recently in 2019 did a big rewatch of the whole series," she continued. "And I asked him, 'When you did your rewatch, did you remember that you had given us permission to use this song?'" 

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"I was binge-watching The Office for the first time, and I was watching that episode and then all of a sudden the song came on and I was completely taken by surprise," Armstrong admitted. "And like, I think my face started to get red and Andy...he started singing harmonies, which was almost like — we do have a musical for American Idiot, and he sang the same exact harmony that's in the musical. So it was, it was good."

"I just love it that he was surprised by his own song during that rewatch," Fischer said. Kinsey agreed, then explained there was a musical interlude to the karaoke that Ed Helms and Rainn Wilson had to vamp during.

"It's so funny. It's in the extended producer's cut," she said.

"I mean, I know they already produced the musical version of American Idiot, but I'm saying, if you bring it back to the stage, you might want to add this 'riddit dit dit do.' You might want to because it's pretty great," Fischer mused. 

"We've all been there. We've all picked a song for karaoke and then there's a big musical interlude and you're like, "What do I do?'" Kinsey said. "I'm just kinda bobbing my head. I mean, Ed crushed it."

Be sure to check out the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "Secret Santa."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

It's a universally known truth amongst Office fans: "Scott's Tots" is cringeworthy as hell.

On the latest episode of Stitcher's Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the painful Season 6 episode with director B.J. Novak, who was also a writer on the show and starred as Ryan Howard.

In case you've (understandably) blocked the premise of "Scott's Tots" from your mind, let us quickly refresh. Ten years have passed since Michel made a huge promise to a group of 15 elementary school students. Assuming he'd be rich in the future, he told them all he'd pay for their college tuition if they graduated high school. Welp, they're all graduating, and Michael can't actually fund their education, so he has to break the news to them. But don't worry, he offers everyone lithium laptop batteries to make up for it. AHH!!!! Just thinking about it hurts.

"Scott's Tots" was actually Novak's directorial debut (aside from Office webinars), which made him a perfect person to look back on all the cringe.

"Just so we get clear, did you bring me on to answer for 'Scott's Tots'? To apologize?" Novak asked to kick off the convo. His pals lightheartedly assured him they didn't. They just wanted to talk. But Fischer did ask if he knew at the time that he was directing what would become the cringiest episode of The Office.

"I had no idea. It seemed great. You know, I was assigned the script, loved it, and it was only much later.... I think it's a sign of how deep into the show I was, or we all were, that we did not have a foot in the real world. Not that that was an unrealistic episode...that's exactly what Michael would do. That's exactly what Michael would feel," Novak said. "I also think that we can talk about it creatively. It makes a lot of sense to me. I don't know if people are responding to — it seems like no one's responding to it saying, 'It's a bad episode' or 'Michael wouldn't do that.' It's more just like, 'It's so hard to watch.' So it is consistent, I think, with the show."

Novak explained that though the episode is a tough watch, the key to the story was that "Michael was so sure that he would be successful; that he could make this promise."

"To me it's not about the lie. It's not about what ended up being a lie or a broken promise," Novak explained. "It's Michael — he got carried away with his generosity, with his belief in himself. I mean, maybe this is what people cringe about. It's a very, very lovable version of Michael Scott, as well as a heartbreaking version of Michael Scott. And it's sort of the whole series in an incredibly distilled, uncomfortable way from the Michael Scott point of view when you look at it like that."

B.J. Novak, Prince of Darkness?

While "Scott's Tots" was written by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, Novak did have a huge role as director, and Fischer noted that he also wrote some of the show's other cringiest episodes, including "Prince Family Paper," "Diversity Day," "Sexual Harassment," and "Chair Model." The three recalled the latter episode, in which Michael falls in love with a chair model in a magazine only to discover she's dead. He and Dwight then go to the woman's grave to pay their respects and mourn her loss.

"Paul Lieberstein wrote a lot. I love that episode. Paul is the source of the darkness on that one," Novak explained. "And look, I wrote a lot of very joyous stuff, too. I wrote a lot of the Jim and Pam. I wrote 'Threat Level Midnight,' which is a very joyful episode. So I'm not — it's not like I'm the Prince of Darkness on this show. And also, look, there were what? How many hundred episodes? I worked on like more than half of them. So it's not.... I'm not just this dark figure. I'm proud of it."

Kinsey then joked that the Mashable article that would come out after this episode should be titled "B.J. Novak, Prince of Darkness of The Office." It's a stunning headline, but we needed to get "Scott's Tots" in there for search purposes. Plus, Novak's admittedly less dark now, and though he wrote several other dark episodes, many do consider this to be the darkest. So he's spared the title. It seems he's more like the Temp of Darkness. 😏

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"I think the dark is important, and I remember after Season 1, which was six episodes, and I think all of them ended pretty darkly, right? I mean, we had that nice moment at the end of 'Diversity Day,' but the pilot, 'Hot Girl,' 'Healthcare' — extremely dark," Novak said. "'Office Olympics' and 'Basketball' maybe were a little more positive endings. But we had sort of a big group meeting that Greg [Daniels, show runner] led about, 'OK, what are we going to do differently in Season 2?' And there's a lot different. And one of [the things] was three out of four endings should be positive. And then one is just for us, meaning Paul. He was like, 'We're not going to totally sell out.' But the British [version] had ended dark every time, more or less, and we had been ending dark every time, more or less. And so I guess 'Scott's Tots' was definitely one of those [ones for us]."

Though Novak agrees that the episode is "very difficult," he regards Stupnitsky and Eisenberg as "two of the most brilliant writers" and "the backbone of the show." He also feels "Scott's Tots" is an interesting, deep look at Michael Scott's pure motivations.

"He is such a believer, you know? And so his belief got ahead of him. And this is by far, you know...this is the biggest consequence of all," Novak said. He then references this Michael quote from the episode: "I've made some empty promises in my life, but hands down, that was the most generous."

"That is sort of this incredible distillation of why we love Michael so much and why he's made everyone's life so impossibly difficult, which is sort of the heart and the comedy of the series. But it's not usually that intense, you know?" he said. 

Be sure to check out the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "Scott's Tots," along with directing advice, acting advice, and info on Novak's new film, Vengeance.

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

There's no denying that Recyclops — Dwight Schrute's memorable Earth-loving (and eventually Earth-hating) alter ego — is one of the most influential fictional change makers of our time.

On the latest episode of Stitcher's Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 6 episode "Shareholder Meeting," which introduces Recyclops to the world. They recalled that the episode ran on Nov. 19, 2019, as part of NBC's "Green Week" (aka "Green is Universal"), the network's week-long lineup of programs made to increase environmental awareness. And they also chatted about the idea for Recyclops and spoke with the show's costume designer Alysia Raycraft about Dwight's intense wardrobe evolution.

"Our contribution to 'Green Week' was Recyclops. We have a whole cold open," Fischer began.

"Oh, Rainn [Wilson] as Recyclops. He really got into it," Kinsey said. "The show starts with Dwight entering dressed as a robot and demands everyone bow down before Recyclops. It's time to recycle, guys." 

"It's very over the top," Fischer noted. "And then Jim has the talking head where he explains that five years ago, Dwight started dressing up as this Recyclops character [because] corporate had this mandated recycling program and this is Dwight's answer to that."

For those who need a refresher, the cold open kicks off a series of flashbacks that show Recyclops evolving over five years. We first see him as a chill dude wishing everyone "Happy Earth Day" and sharing the following fun fact: "Did you know that an old milk carton can be sawed in half and used as a planter?" Helpful! Harmless! Great!

The next year, Dwight adds to his costume a bit and Recyclops frustratedly asks, "Who has put a #7 plastic in a #4 bin?" Then things take a turn. Recyclops steps up his costume game and gets more aggressive with his environmental demands. After tragedy strikes his fictional planet, Recyclops renounces Earth Day and vows to destroy the planet. He shows up to work in a full suit of black armor, sprays aerosol, and trashes the workplace.

"The thing I like most about Recyclops is that he's creating a different world for our child. A world where you truly can be anything you want," Pam says. "God bless you, Recyclops, and your cold robot heart," Jim jokes.

You can relive all the Recyclops cold open glory below, starting at around 3:47.

Bringing Recyclops to life

Like every good hero (or villain), Recyclops had quite the wardrobe change over the years. Fischer connected with costume designer Alicia Raycraft and got the inside scoop on Recyclops' stunning transformation.

"I found out [Raycraft] worked in the theatre, and this is why she was so talented at building these costumes. She worked for Blue Man Group and she did the puppet maintenance on The Lion King on Broadway," Fischer revealed. "To get started on this, she told me that she would take a picture of Rainn and then she would sketch like an overlay on top of it, so she could really see what Rainn would look like in all these different costumes. The first thing she would do is show her sketches to the writer."

She shared that Raycraft's initial concern was the Recyclops description reminded her of 30 Rock's environmentally conscious superhero Greenzo, played by David Schwimmer. A valid fear!

"When she was sketching out Dwight's first costume, she wanted to make sure no one was going to think this was Greenzo," Fischer said. "So then the script said 'Earth Day, 2006. Dwight is wearing a 'love Earth' T-shirt, a cape, wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads, moon boots, a full motorcycle helmet, and a larger eye in the middle of his forehead as he lectures everyone in the office. And in Alicia's notes, she wrote this, which I found hilarious. She wrote, 'I don't think this has anything to do with Earth Day anymore for Dwight.'"

Raycraft wanted the costume to reflect that disconnect, so she started making things up.

Fischer explained that the present-day Recyclops was scripted as follows:

"He wears heavy green body armor, which makes it difficult to walk. There is a blinking LED display on his chest. He has aerosol cans taped to his hands, which spray a red mist. A weapon belt holds Chinese stars, boomerangs, a samurai sword, fencing épée. On his head he wears a helmet with a hole in the middle, showing his one giant eye."

To execute this look, Fischer said Raycraft researched skateboarding, hockey, and lacrosse equipment.

"She also said there was a lot of back and forth about what the LED box should say. And then they finally settled on 'kill.' And that is how Recyclops evolved and ultimately came to be," Fischer concluded.

Via Giphy

Rainn Wilson channeling his inner Recyclops (the early years)

In case you didn't know, in real life Rainn Wilson is a passionate advocate for the environment. In 2020, he chatted with Mashable about "An Idiot's Guide to Climate Change," a six-part YouTube docuseries he created with SoulPancake, the digital media/entertainment company he co-founded in 2009 that focuses on creating positive, impactful content.

When asked about his Office alter ego, Wilson had this to say: "I think Dwight is part right-wing nutjob, but he's a diehard environmentalist. And he would never let party override his passion for the science and his passion for the planet, as witnessed by his dedication to Recyclops."

Be sure to check out the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "Shareholder Meeting."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Many people think Jim Halpert is the coolest guy on The Office, but those fans are clearly forgetting about Paul Faust, aka Cool Guy Paul, one of the bosses of Scranton Business Park's five families.

In the Season 4 episode, "Chair Model," Kevin explains that Paul Faust is the boss at Disaster Kits Limited, and calls on Michael to arrange a meeting with Faust, Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration, WB Jones of WB Jones Heating and Air, and Bill Kress of Kress Tool and Dye. In Kevin's mind, assembling the five business park families is the only way to solve a major issue with parking, and you know what? Kevin was not wrong.

Anyway, on the latest episode of Stitcher's Office Ladies podcast Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the "Chair Model" episode and spoke with real life man, Paul Faust, who unexpectedly wound up playing himself on the show after a visit to set.

As Fischer explained, the way Faust landed a cameo on the show was truly "bonkers," so grab some popcorn and get ready to learn how he became this Cool Guy character.

From set to screen: The tale of two Paul Fausts

"This is an amazing story, and it all starts when an actual man named Paul Faust came to visit the set of The Office," Fischer began.

Kinsey, who's known Faust for years and used to be related to him by marriage, reached out to get the full scoop from the Cool Guy himself, and here's what he had to say.

"So I was out in LA on business and decided to visit the set because my cousins are part of The Office. And when I was out there I met the writers, and I kind of told them one of my companies and what I did, which was a company that sells disaster kits," Faust explained ."And Greg [Daniels] said, 'This is my cousin. He's a little nuts. Tell them what you do.' I told them about the company. And when I walked out of the room, unbeknownst to me, B.J. Novak said, 'That guy's got to be a character on the show.'"

Via Giphy

For those who don't know, Novak wrote the "Chair Model" episode, and was able to craft a part based on Faust. The only issue was, they didn't cast the part in time.

"The day before they shot the scene they hadn't found an actor to play the part," the real Faust explained. "So I got a call asking me if I wanted to audition to play the part. And long story short, I got the part, got to fly out and be part of the awesome show, and played myself. So that's how I got to be on the on the show — it's really a story that only can happen in Hollywood."

Cool Guy Paul really was that cool

After hearing Faust's audition story, both Fischer and Kinsey were blown away.

"I mean, that's bonkers," Fischer said. "He's literally playing himself, but what's bonkers to me about it was that they did hold auditions. They held auditions for this role. And the night before, they just had not found someone who could play Paul Faust. So they're like, 'How about Paul Faust?'" 

Kinsey went on to marvel over the fact that real Faust, like the character, really does sells disaster kits. "That's real. That is his company," Kinsey said.

Confused what selling disaster kits entails? Same. But fear not, Faust explained a bit.

"I think one of the most unique things about me being in The Office was that I actually played myself. When I went out to LA and I was listening and I went to the set, I talked about one of the businesses I run, which is a company called 1800prepare.com, where we actually sell disaster kits and preparedness kits," Faust said.

"So I talked about it, and that's what BJ had picked up on. And so he wrote a part called about Cool Guy Paul, the owner of Disaster Kits Limited. And yes, I still own that company. We still sell disaster kits. So I think I'm one of the few people who played himself on TV with his real name in a real business that he runs, which was kind of cool," he continued. (Faust told Mashable in a DM that he's also the president and co-founder of a custom phone number company, RingBoost. This dude's busy!)

Was that really Paul's motorcycle?

Cool Guy Paul wouldn't be so cool without that photo of him posing on a motorcycle, but Real Faust wants to clear things up and let fans know it wasn't his bike.

"I believe it was the motorcycle of one of the camera guys. He happens to ride motorcycles. So he brought his motorcycle around. I sat on it. We took a bunch of pictures and that just became the shot associated with Cool Guy Paul," Faust explained.

What was filming The Office like?

Faust wasn't actually an actor, which makes his performance even more impressive, but being a fan of the show meant that being on set was a little stressful.

"I remember the first time we were about to shoot, they say, 'OK, quiet on the set. Cameras rolling.' And I will never forget it but Brian says, 'OK, nobody eff up, Paul.' And he looks at me, and, you know, he was messing around, but it was so funny. And then the entire time we shot the scene, I had my lines to say, but we shot it about 20 or 30 times. And every single time, Brian and Ed said different things. And I happen to think they're super funny. And it was very hard to keep a straight face. I never knew what was going to come out of their mouths," Faust explained. "They were making faces at me, trying to get me to laugh, and I had to sit there and be dead serious. I didn't want to be the guy to mess up the scene."

"So working with people who were literally comic geniuses in their delivery and their timing and having to sit there and being the new guy on set and trying to keep a straight face and not to mess up was a challenge," he explained. "But such a life experience and just so funny to do. And I'm so honored to be a small little part of The Office."  

Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode for more behind-the-scenes stories about "Chair Model" and Paul Faust's experience on set.

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Want more Office Ladies? We've got you covered.

• 'The Office' stars chat about that famous finger guns meme

• 'Koi Pond' episode of 'The Office' was inspired by an IRL mishap

• You'll never guess who played Jim Halpert's dad on 'The Office'

• Jenna Fischer fought hard to cut this storyline from 'The Office' (and won)

• Explore Jim and Pam's long-lost wedding website from 'The Office'

This article originally published in March 2021 and was updated in March 2022.

Some of the greatest Office tidbits come from the show's DVD commentary.

On the latest episode of Stitcher's Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 6 episode "Murder," which featured that famous Office finger guns meme and a song that cost $45,000 to use. They also shared a hilarious tech fail involving Michael's computer that they learned about from the episode's DVD commentary.

As noted in our previous article, five minutes into "Murder," Michael is spiraling alone in his office. He's drowning out his fears that Dunder Mifflin will file for bankruptcy by blasting the 1998 banger "Lullaby" by Shawn Mullins, which, again, cost the show a whopping $45,000 to use. Once Michael's music becomes disruptive to the office, Jim walks in and turns it down. He has a brief chat with Michael, then Michael turns the music back up. Did you catch the tech fail? Neither did we...at first.

Jim turning down the sound on Michael's computer. Listen closely. Credit: SCREENSHOT: THE OFFICE / NBC / PEACOCK

"Well, I have a background catch at 5:29," Kinsey explains. "Michael says he needs more Mullins, and he hits the volume button on his keyboard repeatedly. Greg [Daniels, show runner] shared that they worked really hard in editing to get that sound to match Steve hitting the keyboard. And Danny [Chun, writer] shared that after the episode aired, the comment boards were full of people saying that that was a Mac sound. And Michael is using a PC."

"Oh my gosh," Fischer said. "Oh wow. They picked the wrong volume up sound."

"Isn't that funny?" Kinsey replied.

Sadly, there's no clip that shows the scene online. But I watched the episode on Peacock and clearly heard the Apple-esque sound effect. Though the sound doesn't exactly match the ones available on my MacBook Pro at the moment, the "Murder" episode aired in November 2009, and Apple fans know that macOS sounds are updated and changed over the years.

Be sure to listen closely on your next rewatch and check out the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "Murder."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Michael Scott loves a good music moment, and his taste isn't cheap.

On the latest episode of Stitcher's Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 6 episode "Murder." In case you need an episode refresher, Michael has the Scranton branch play a murder-mystery game to distract them from rumors that Dunder Mifflin is filing for bankruptcy.

During the podcast episode, Fischer and Kinsey chatted about everything from that famous Office finger guns meme to yet another memorable music moment in Michael's office.

Five minutes into "Murder," Michael is spiraling alone in his office. He's blasting music to drown out his bankruptcy fears, and once it's clear his behavior is stressing out his colleagues, Jim walks in and turns off the tune.

The song Michael's blasting is the 1998 banger "Lullaby" by Shawn Mullins. And apparently it cost a pretty penny to have Michael wallow to (and eventually sing) the catchy lyrics, "Everything is gonna be all right. Rockabye. Rockabye."

The Office's line producer Randy Cordray told Fischer that the show paid $45,000 just to use that song in the episode.

Honestly? Worth it. The song absolutely made the scene.

The Office Ladies podcast has been a delightful source of financial filming tidbits. In past episodes, Fischer and Kinsey revealed that a song from the "Café Disco" episode of The Office cost $40,000, one of Michael's jokes from "A Benihana Christmas" cost $60,000, and Jim's gas station proposal to Pam (the most expensive scene in Office history) cost a whopping $250,000 to pull off. Dang.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "Murder."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

I do declare the "Murder" episode of The Office gave fans one of the show's greatest memes.

On the latest episode of Stitcher's Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 6 episode, "Murder," which blessed the world with the popular "finger guns" meme. The meme features Michael, Dwight, Andy, and at one point Pam, pointing their harmless hand weapons at each other in a conference room standoff.

For those who need a refresher, "Murder," shows Dunder Mifflin's Scranton employees partaking in a murder-mystery game. Michael uses the game to distract everyone from rumors that Dunder Mifflin is filing for bankruptcy, but some (read: him, Andy, Dwight, and at one point Pam) clearly get more into the festivities than others.

The episode ends with a memorable "shootout" in the conference room, which looks a whole lot like that Spiderman pointing meme when screenshotted. Before we hear the story behind the iconic scene, please take a moment to rewatch it in all its unhinged, overly dramatic glory.

Alright, now that you're in the "murder in Savannah" mood, let's hear what Fischer and Kinsey had to say about the levels of improv present in that scene.

"I'll tell you what. In the script, it ends with Pam backing out of the conference room," Fischer said. "It was supposed to just end on a standoff. And then on the day they started doing the shoot out, all shooting each other. And this is how it ended up being."

"Greg [Daniels, showrunner] shared that when the guys fell on the ground and were like convulsing and everything, that was just them," Kinsey added. "They were just having fun. He said it was like little kids getting to play."

It's hard to imagine this scene without that final shootout, which is SNL's "Dear Sister"-level entertaining, so I'm once again thankful that this show not only embraced improv, but used so much of it in final edits. It looked like Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, and Ed Helms had a blast filming this scene, and they weren't the only ones.

Via Giphy

"At 20 minutes, 44 seconds, I wanted to point out one thing," Kinsey said. "The reveal of Pam is so great. And Greg shared what really made that happen was our camera operator, Matt Sohn. His ability to whip around in a circle like that is what really captured the moment. Matt and Randall [Einhorn, director] were so amazing, so whenever we can give a shout out to them — way to go, Matt Sohn."

"It was so fun and it's like a very popular meme of me," Fischer said of her role in the standoff. "You know that [line] 'I'm not going down for this?' It was so funny. I remember the direction from Greg was like, 'You need to act like you are 100 percent invested in this. Like, this is real in your mind. You have to get out. You have to get out and you're going to get out safe.' I was like, 'All right, let's do it.'"

Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "Murder."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

TL;DR: A one-year subscription to Podomatic PRO Plus is just $9.99, down a whopping 91% from its regular price of $119, as of March 22.

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Normally, one year of access to Podomatic retails for $119, since you get enrolled in the Pro Plus plan that grants you 3GB of storage, design tools, support tools, and much more. But for a limited time, you can shave 91% off of the regular retail price and get a year of access for just $9.99 — that's less than the cost of lunch. 

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Downton fans, rejoice! There's now an official Downton Abbey podcast.

The podcast features interviews with the cast and filmmakers behind the beloved show, including Hugh Bonneville (Earl of Grantham), Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary), Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith), Elizabeth McGovern (Lady Cora), as well as Downton Abbey: A New Era star Dominic West and director Simon Curtis.

The podcast launches ahead of the second movie installment, which is set to arrive in cinemas on April 29 in the UK and May 20 in the U.S..

The weekly re-watch podcast will be hosted by Rotten Tomatoes editor Jacqueline Coley and BBC Woman's Hour presenter Anita Rani.

You can expect to hear from Allen Leech (Tom Branson), Lesley Nicol (Mrs Patmore), Kevin Doyle (Mr Molesley), Penelope Wilton (Isobel Crawley), Michael Fox (Andrew Parker), plus writer Julian Fellowes, producers Gareth Neame and Liz Trubridge, historical consultant Alastair Bruce, costume designer Anna Mary Scott Robbins, production designer Donal Woods, and casting director Jill Trevellick.

The podcast, which launches today, is available on all major podcast platforms.

Want more?

• 'Downton Abbey: A New Era' teaser trailer has Maggie Smith spilling secrets about her 'mysterious past'

• The 'Downton Abbey' movie is the horniest PG-rated film ever

• Everything you need to know about the history behind 'The Gilded Age'

Sure, embarrassing moments are mortifying. But they usually make great stories down the line.

If you need proof, look no further than The Office — specifically the Season 6 episode "Koi Pond," which was inspired by one man's real-life slip into an office building koi pond.

On the latest episode of Stitcher's Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted with "Koi Pond" writers Warren Lieberstein and Halsted Sullivan about the inspiration behind Michael's embarrassing koi pond dip.

Turns out Lieberstein himself had his own koi pond mishap ahead of a very important meeting. Before you hear the story, however, we highly recommend you get in the mood by rewatching Michael in all his clumsy, dramatic, sopping wet glory. All done? OK, let's hear it.

"The idea for the story stemmed from my falling into a koi pond," Lieberstein told Fischer and Kinsey. "What happened was our agents set up a meeting for Halstead and I on the Westside of Los Angeles. It was in this nice two-story office building. There was a marble reception, an open atrium lobby. There were these dark travertine floors. So we enter into this building for the meeting and I'm chewing gum. And I can't go to a meeting chewing gum. That's horribly unprofessional. And so I'm immediately looking for a trash can."

"Warren and I walk in for this meeting and you know, I head over to the receptionist just to announce our names and Warren says, 'Oh, I'm going to go throw away my gum,'" Sullivan recalled.

Lieberstein made his way over to a trash can near the staircase. After he tossed his gum, he went to pivot on his right foot and head back to Sullivan, who was still at the reception desk checking in. What came next was a huge splash. 

"So my right foot doesn't find the floor, and I lose my balance, and I'm falling backwards," Lieberstein says. "At this point, the real concern is that I'm falling to my death, down an open stairwell or whatever. My legs hit first and I have no idea what size tank of water I'm falling into. In this millisecond, I now believe I'm falling into a shark tank and I'm definitely going to die by shark attack. But after a second or so, I realize obviously I'm in a koi pond. I just 'Nestea plunged' into it. I am drenched. And all I can say over and over again is, 'Oh my god.'"

The writers went on to explain that everyone on the first floor of the building came out of their offices to see what the commotion was. The lobby floor was soaked, as was Lieberstein, so a well-meaning onlooker tried to assist.

"Someone comes up to us with a roll of those brown paper towels that you get from the bathroom. You know, they're just basically made of manila paper and have zero absorbency. And it's like, OK, thanks," Sullivan recalled.

After Lieberstein took a moment to fully comprehend what just happened they jumped into problem-solving mode.

"We know that around the corner is a sporting goods store, so we go there," Sullivan said.

"I'm sopping wet. There are these two women working there and I looked insane, like Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura when he comes out of the bathroom. Water is pouring all over their floor and I just say, 'I need one of everything,'" Lieberstein shared. "We go back to the meeting and Halstead looks great per usual, you know, in his normal meeting outfit. And I look like a rap star from the '80s. It was a sports clothing store so, you know, all I could get really was a tracksuit. But we take the meeting. And of course, all we can really talk about is me falling into the koi pond. And the puns were flying. They kept asking if I needed more water, you know, all of it. And we we used all that in the script."

After the meeting, Lieberstein's agent called and said, "I heard you made a splash at the meeting," and they gave that exact line to Erin in The Office episode. Amazing.

"So that is the koi pond story," Lieberstein said. "Life imitates art, art imitates life, and you make an Office episode out of it."

Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "Koi Pond."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

It's been more than 15 years since The Office first aired on NBC, but fans are still learning mind-blowing new facts about the show every week.

On a recent episode of the Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the two-part Season 6 episode, "Niagara." They spoke with showrunner Greg Daniels about a scrapped storyline involving Pam's ex Roy crashing the ceremony on horseback, they reminisced over Jim and Pam's long-lost wedding website, and they shared what it was like to film the episode scene by scene.

After the Dunder Mifflin crew makes their way to Niagara Falls for the big celebration, they meet Jim and Pam's parents at the rehearsal dinner.

Pam's mom, Helene (who was played by Shannon Cochran in Season 2), is played by Linda Purl in "Niagara." Pam's dad, William, is played by Rick Overton. Jim's mom, Betsy, is played by Perry Smith. And Jim's dad? Gerald Halpert is played by one Robert Pine, the father of Chris Pine. Yes, Chris Pine of Star Trek, Spider Man: Into the Spiderverse, Just My Luck, Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, and The Four Chrises fame. That Chris Pine!

Did everyone know this? Because I certainly didn't! I gasped when I found out, then told five of my colleagues (all of whom are big fans of The Office and several who are big fans of Chris Pine). They were all equally shocked.

Now, Robert Pine's career spans decades, with too many iconic credits to list. Perhaps you know him from CHiPS or The Bold and the Beautiful, or maybe you recognize him from appearances in Grey's Anatomy, Veep, Parks and Recreation, or Superstore. His IMDB page is overwhelmingly large, so you likely know him from something besides The Office. I certainly do, I just didn't know he was Chris Pine's dad!

Anyway, Kinsey said that "people were so excited" to work with Pine on the set of The Office. "We were a little bit excited," Fischer confirmed, and the two proceeded to sing Pine's praises.

"First of all, he's a lovely, lovely person and was so nice to everyone," Kinsey said. "But there were a few folks excited that Chris Pine's dad was there."

"It's true," Fischer said. "Even though Robert Pine is like an incredibly successful actor in his own right." 

Unfortunately, the two didn't share which cast members were Team Chris Pine, but if I had to guess, I'd say Mindy Kaling was probably living for this cameo.

Is Chris Pine a fan of The Office? Does he consider himself and Jim Halpert brothers in a sense? I have so many questions.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "Niagara: Part 1."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

The series finale of The Office was an absolute tearjerker, but the show's final moments might not have been as sweet had Jenna Fischer not fought to cut a controversial storyline from Season 6.

The last five minutes of the series finale include a montage of Dunder Mifflin employees leaving the office, saying farewell to each other, and recording their final talking heads with the documentary crew. In a particularly touching moment, Pam removes her famous watercolor painting of their office building from the wall.

We later see a flashback to the Season 3 scene in which Michael proudly hangs the painting, which he bought from Pam's art show. Pam says, "There's a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn't that kind of the point?" and the show masterfully transitions from the watercolor painting of the building to an image of the actual building. And then it's over.

OK! Now that we're all crying, let's find out what deleted Season 6 storyline would have completely changed the end of the series, shall we? On the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 6 episode, "Mafia," and called out a deleted scene involving Pam's sentimental watercolor painting that Fischer fought hard to get cut.

"Erin was supposed to be cleaning Pam's watercolor, her famous watercolor that Michael bought from her art show. She sprays the glass with this cleaner, and then Creed kind of distracts her by chatting her up, and the spray seeps under the glass and the watercolor is ruined," Fischer explained. "Erin destroys Pam's watercolor while she's on her honeymoon was the storyline."

"If you watch the deleted scenes, you watch it melt. Like all the colors slide down to the bottom of the frame," Kinsey said. "And I literally [gasped]. Like, I forgot it was in the story at one point."

(You can watch part of the painful watercolor destruction scene here.)

Via Giphy

Fischer said that in another watercolor-related deleted scene, Erin asked Kelly to help her save the painting. As you can imagine, that didn't go well.

"There's another deleted scene where [Erin] asks Kelly to help her fix it, and Kelly is like, 'Oh yeah, I can do watercolor.' But what Kelly does is she like adds a rainbow and a sunshine. But the painting is still totally melty. And then in the end, Erin calls Pam on her honeymoon and says she ruined it. And Pam has this line where she says, 'You know what? I will be mad at you about ruining my painting when I get back. Stop calling me. Tell people to stop calling us,'" Fischer recalled.

Fischer went on to explain that during the table read for this episode she felt outraged when she first read the watercolor scenes. She decided to speak up, and after her concerns were shot down, she didn't give up the fight.

"I was like, 'Listen, you cannot destroy Pam's painting. You can't do it. It's the heartbeat of the show. It's on the wall. It's her relationship with Michael. It's hope. It's so many things you don't understand. You can't make this a gag,'" Fischer said. "And Paul Lieberstein was like, 'I think it's funny. What are you talking about?' And it was a battle.'"

After Lieberstein rejected the cut, Fischer called showrunner Greg Daniels, who also shot her request down.

"They were like, 'I'm sorry, it's staying in. We really like this gag. We think it's great. We like it,'" she said. But she wasn't ready to give up.

After they fully shot the scene, Fischer went into the edit bay and asked everyone there to remove the scene.

"I appealed to [editor] Dave Rogers. I appealed to [writer and producer] Brent Forrester. I would not shut up about it," she said. "Finally, in the end, they took it out. They took it out, and I was so relieved. But you'll see next week Pam's watercolor [isn't] on the wall because that was the week they were editing and still deciding. So if you look, Pam's watercolor is missing for a couple of episodes and we just sneakily put it back on the wall without saying anything." 

Fischer and Kinsey acknowledged that the entire series ends on Pam's watercolor painting, and they can't imagine it ending any other way. For those wondering if Fischer brought up her heroic Season 6 efforts after the series ended, of course she did. As she should have!

"You better believe that I marched right up to Paul Lieberstein when I read that ending of the finale and I was like, 'Paul, do you see now why Erin couldn't destroy the watercolor? Do you see?'" she said. "There were two things in the series that I fought hard for. I would consistently fight that there be no infidelity in Jim and Pam's relationship... And this was the other thing. Don't destroy the painting."

Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode for behind-the-scenes stories about filming "Mafia" and those deleted watercolor scenes. But before you go, we'll leave you with one final intriguing tidbit.

Fischer says that at 20:49 in "Mafia" you can see proof of the deleted watercolor scene over Michael's shoulder.

"As he's bragging to the bullpen about standing up to this mobster, you can see that there is a replacement painting on the wall where Pam's watercolor would have been. It says, 'Being Cleaned,' and it has stars and smiley faces all around it," she said. "This is something that Erin put up on the wall. Now, in the next episode, that's going to be replaced with something else. But we'll get to it."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly got married more than 10 years ago, but if you'd like to check out their wedding website today, that's absolutely a thing you can do.

On the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey spoke with showrunner Greg Daniels about the two-part Season 6 episode, "Niagara," which shows Jim and Pam's wedding at Niagara Falls. Daniels spoke in great detail about a scrapped "Niagara" storyline that involved Pam's ex Roy crashing the ceremony on horseback and Dwight accidentally sending said horse over the falls. Then Fischer kept the Niagara tidbits coming, sharing a link to Jim and Pam's long-lost wedding website to her Instagram Stories.

Though you may have missed your chance to explore the site when it was live, you can relive some of that JAM wedding glory thanks to the internet archives.

Halpertbeesly.com lives on in pieces (74 screenshots from September 2009 to September 2020, to be exact) and takes you to a beautifully cheesy homepage that features a Jim and Pam engagement photo alongside what look like three wedding-related stock photos. Perfection.

Click the "About Us" tab to read a sassy love story of two paper salesman. Check out "Guest Info" for one (1) fun thing to do in the area and "Location" to learn more about Niagara Falls, New York, a place where Pam's parents frequently took her for family vacations.

Major Pam sass. Credit: SCREENSHOT / HALPERTBEESLY.COM

Sadly, the Beesly/Halpert video blog won't load for me and the (very blunt) registry only has three items on it, one of which is a Porsche 911 Carrera, but you can still check out their photo gallery and a few guest book signatures. Let's read some of those heartfelt notes, shall we?

• "Congrats you guys, good to see Pam taking my sloppy seconds, just kidding, hehe." —Meredith Palmer

• "You're so lucky Pam! Jim is going to be a very handsome groom. You're very very lucky." —Phyllis Lapin-Vance

• "Pam, you are like a daughter to me, and Jim is like a son. I'm so proud that my son and daughter are to be wed! Tis a thing of beauty! Glory be!!!" —Michael Scott

• "I can't believe you're getting married before I am...I guess it makes sense - you are older. Congratulations!" —Kelly Kapoor

Ah, beautiful. Not at all creepy or rude.

Be sure to explore the site to catch all the intricate little Jim and Pam details, and listen to the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "Niagara: Part 1."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

When it came time to write one of most important episodes of The Office, showrunner Greg Daniels couldn't stop horsing around.

On the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey spoke with Daniels about writing the Season 6 episode "Niagara: Part 1" with Mindy Kaling and a truly bizarre horse-related storyline that ultimately got scrapped. As a refresher, the two-part "Niagara" episode showed Jim and Pam's highly anticipated wedding, which took place at Niagara Falls. It's a fan-favorite for sure, but had the horse storyline made it in, I'm not so sure the episode would be as beloved as it is today. Thankfully, we had Mindy Kaling, famous lover of rom-coms, to assist with the script.

"OK. How do we even set it up?" Kinsey said. "Roy, and the horse, and the falls? Greg, you have to tell the whole story."

"So much of it was balancing how much comedy to put in and how much joy to put in," Daniels said. "And definitely I wanted to have that theme of, 'There's all these things going wrong in the wedding, but Pam and Jim managed to carve out this beautiful private moment anyway,' right? So the table draft had an act break where, to top off all these things that had been going wrong, like finding out about the pregnancy and..."

"Andy's scrotum?" Fischer said.

"Michael and Pam's mom," Kinsey added.

"Yeah... To top it all off, like, Roy shows up on a horse to try and make a grand gesture of 'take me back,' and it just goes terribly. And, you know, this was a card that we had on the board early on about when those things happen in romantic comedy movies, they usually work. And how awkward is it when that doesn't work, and nobody wanted it, and nobody was rooting for it. And you know, you have to just ride your horse away," Daniels said.

In the table read draft, Kinsey recalled that Roy was going to ride a horse into the church while Jim was in the middle of his vows, and Pam was going to shut Roy down. Hard.

Absolutely they do. Credit: Chris Haston / NBC / NBCU Photo Bank

"I think what it was in that script was it was ordered differently," Daniels said. "It was like, everything goes wrong at the wedding, and then Michael's having the worst day, and then Jim gets the idea: I'm going to take Pam away and do it right. And he leaves Michael in charge. And then in the script there were like sort of two montages. There was the montage of Jim and Pam getting married on the Maid of the Mist [boat tour of Niagara Falls]. And then there was the montage of Michael kind of killing it as being put in charge of the party."

Notice what's missing from that script? The Dunder Mifflin crew's iconic "Forever" dance. But we'll get to that in a bit.

"I have to mention the other part about the horse," Daniels said. "There was a runner in that version where Dwight was fascinated, being at Niagara Falls, about the 1800s and the history of people going over the falls in a barrel, and animals surviving going over the falls in a way that that people couldn't. And so after Roy does this whole thing, Dwight sees a free horse and decides he's going to test this out and he takes the horse into the river and then he starts getting swept toward the falls and he panics and he has to be rescued. But the horse goes over the falls..."

Don't worry, the horse SURVIVED in this alt storyline and was shown swimming away from the falls. But viewers would have seen a falling horse in back of Jim and Pam as they were getting married on the Maid of the Mist tour, which arguably would have made the scene much less romantic.

If you're wondering what made Daniels finally cut ties with the chaotic storyline, we have the cast and crew to thank.

"We read it at the table," Daniels recalled. "There was an awful lot of comedy in the script, and I think we had just sort of over-stacked the comedy and under-stacked the joy, because there were just too many bad things happening to poor Pam and Jim. And they had their great moment on the Maid of the Mist still, but everything that was public was kind of a disaster. And I think there was this very smart feeling from, you know, everybody — especially cast — that that was not cool. Like, 'You got to give them more joy.'"

"The emotional balance in the episode was off. And also, like, I think the cast were all friends, and we had done so many episodes of them sort of turning into a family that it was — you just didn't want to be that negative and play them all as problems for Pam and Jim, right? So that was sort of the message after the table read," he said.

Ultimately, they decided no horse. But they got terrifyingly close to filming the goofy scenes.

"I was still producing, and I remember going to scout the tank at Universal where the horse was going to be filmed in the water, because that was like a big, big deal," Daniels said. "And like, I knew that we had to fix this, but I was still having to produce the version until until it got changed. And I came back from that and Paul [Lieberstein] luckily had pulled this other card that we had had about the YouTube sensation 'Forever' song, and figured out a way to put that in at the end."

The "Forever" dance, which got intercut with Jim and Pam's more intimate second wedding, absolutely made the episode. And, crucially, it got rid of Roy and Dwight on horseback.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode to hear more behind-the-scenes stories about filming the episode, "Niagara: Part 1."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

TL;DR: As of Feb. 7, you can get the SLIDE Broadcaster Kit: Podcasting Mic Package, which normally retails for $59, for 51% off. You'll pay just $28.99.

Starting a podcast is easier than you think. So, if you've ever listened to one and thought "my friends and I are funnier," you can finally prove it to the world. Really, all you need to start a podcast is a great idea, endless topics, and the right gear. And as of Feb. 7, the gear part can be taken care of with this starter kit on sale for 51% off.

The Slide Broadcaster Kit comes with some essential tools you'll need to produce your own podcasts at home. There's a condenser mic, a mini tripod, a shock mount, an acoustic pop filter, and a TRS adapter. The adapter lets you connect your mic directly to your phone, laptop, camera, or anything else you need to run it through. Because the adapter runs from 3.5mm TRS to 3.5mm TRRS, you can upload and post your show as soon as it's done recording.

Your podcast will get its high-quality sound from the condenser mic itself. Because it's omnidirectional, it picks up noise from all sides, including from background instruments, different people, videos you're playing, and more. The acoustic pop filter that lays flat over the mic cuts out extraneous sound issues, so you can produce clean and crisp episodes. And if you set it all up on the 180-degree mini tripod, you'll be able to sit back, relax, and do your thing with ease.

The Slide Broadcasting kit retails for $59, but you can shave 51% off for a limited time. That means you can bring it home and get started on your very own podcast for just $28.99.

Prices subject to change.

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Credit: Slide

SLIDE Broadcaster Kit: Podcasting Mic Package

 

Get Deal

Spotify would like everyone to think its policy issues have been solved.

The company is currently facing a double-edged exodus as, on the one hand, celebrated artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell are pulling their work off the platform while, on the other hand, so many users are canceling their paid Premium subscriptions that the unsubscribe feature is reportedly struggling to keep up. It's certainly possible that the twin happenings aren't directly linked, but Young laid his decision (which Mitchell supported in solidarity) at the feet of Joe Rogan, the controversial Spotify-exclusive podcaster who speaks to a millions-strong audience.

In the midst of all this upheaval, Spotify responded on Sunday with a publicly available version of its platform rules and a clarification on how it will treat podcast discussions of COVID-19 moving forward.

The reason for the move is articulated best in an open letter that circulated recently in which more than 250 "scientists, medical professionals, professors, and science communicators" signed off on a call for the company to clarify its policies and "take action against the mass-misinformation events which continue to occur on its platform." The letter specifically cites the Joe Rogan Experience podcast and its host, who has perpetuated inaccurate or false information about the ongoing global pandemic.

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Spotify's Sunday announcement, which co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek shared on Twitter, makes no mention of Rogan or his podcast nor does it address the specifics of any recent events that led to the move.

"You've had a lot of questions over the last few days about our platform policies and the lines we have drawn between what is acceptable and what is not," the post reads. "We have had rules in place for many years but admittedly, we haven't been transparent around the policies that guide our content more broadly. This, in turn, led to questions around their application to serious issues including COVID-19."

The post goes on to acknowledge that Spotify has "an obligation to do more to provide balance and access to widely-accepted information from the medical and scientific communities guiding us through this unprecedented time." In that spirit, the company landed on one concrete step aimed at COVID specifically.

"We are working to add a content advisory to any podcast episode that includes any discussion about COVID-19. This advisory will direct listeners to our dedicated COVID-19 Hub, a resource that provides easy access to data-driven facts, up-to-date information as shared by scientists, physicians, academics, and public health authorities around the world, as well as links to trusted sources." The post goes on to note that the advisories mark a "new effort to combat misinformation" on the platform.

The COVID-19 Hub, which is already live, is something akin to a Spotify playlist. Rather than linking to outside sources, the hub gathers together podcast series from BBC World Service, Politico, CNN en Español, ABC News, and Bloomberg that all focus on public health matters generally and the pandemic specifically. Rogan's podcast is not included, obviously.

There's nothing inherently wrong with directing users toward educational content that has the potential to clear up misunderstandings about the facts of the pandemic. But Spotify's approach is eyebrow-raising nonetheless, since this would-be "new effort to combat misinformation" doesn't... really... do that?

By flagging every single COVID-related podcast discussion with an advisory, Spotify is implicitly putting Rogan's proclivity for junk science on the same footing as any deeply researched, science-first podcast tackling the same topic. It's a dodge: By lumping all COVID discussions together under one umbrella, Spotify gets to say, essentially, "Some of this is right and some of this isn't, and we're giving you the tools to decide for yourself."

A noble idea, perhaps, but one that doesn't quite live up to its ideal in reality. This might not be true of every listener in Rogan's audience, but plenty of people are willing to simply take what's said by him and his guests at face value. Many of those same people have spent years, whether they realize it or not, as soldiers in a war on truth and reality. And since they've already bought into Rogan's ignorance-fueled worldview, sticking a bunch of fact-filled audio hours in front of them ain't it.

Spotify's newly published platform rules don't exactly promise a safer and more truth-centric environment, either. The "dangerous content" section of the rules that govern COVID-19 is filled with vague, easily subverted language that reads like a bunch of loopholes for people like Rogan to leap through.

Content creators are barred from calling COVID-19 or certain other diseases "a hoax or not real." They're not permitted to encourage "the consumption of bleach products to cure various illnesses and diseases." They also can't suggest that approved vaccines "are designed to cause death" nor can they encourage people to get themselves infected on purpose, to build immunity.

It all sounds great until you look closer. Content creators may not be able to call COVID a hoax, but that doesn't prevent them from, say, drawing an equivalency between the illness at the heart of our global pandemic and the seasonal flu. (Only one of those has killed more than 5.6 million people since 2019, and it ain't the flu.) Similarly, disallowing any suggestion that the vaccines are "designed to cause death" won't actually disrupt efforts to make people doubt vaccine effectiveness or safety. And the bleach thing... that was one dumb news moment of many for Donald Trump, but it's also something that was quickly denounced pretty much everywhere.

The calls for Spotify to take action may be framed around the company's sorely lacking public-facing platform rules and policies, but the intent behind those calls when it comes to purveyors of bullshit like Rogan is much simpler and more straightforward: de-platforming. Young made it clear when he called for his own music to be taken down: "They can have Rogan or Young. Not both."

That's a step Spotify is apparently unwilling to take, and it's left the company dealing with a mess of its own making. Content advisories do little to clean that up. Rogan could easily bounce back from a de-platforming; his podcast was massively popular before the Spotify deal, and it's not like he's the only podcaster who preys on people's ignorance. Steve Bannon's show, for example, can still be found on Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and elsewhere — ironically, Spotify kicked out Bannon in 2020.

Rogan's commitment to spreading harmful ideas and false understandings is a public menace. Even if a de-platforming fails to shut him down completely, the controversial host who commands a loyal audience that brings in millions of weekly listeners will continue to be treated like a serious person for as long as platforms like Spotify continue to give him oxygen.

I've lost track of how many dizzying, sleep-deprived days I've endured since March 2020. I've struggled with occasional insomnia for years, but as the stress of the pandemic set in, my eyelids began fluttering open at ungodly hours of the morning much more frequently. Sleeping through the night became a rarity as illness, mortality, and the future of humanity consumed my every thought. These past few years I've spent countless nights tossing, turning, and staring at the ceiling while contemplating chaos in solitude.

One random Wednesday last August, however, a writer, a comedian, an Emmy winner, a film scholar, and an all-around savior of humanity called Brett Goldstein unexpectedly saved me from yet another pre-sunrise spiral.

Mere minutes after my usual 4 a.m. wakeup that day, I committed the cardinal sin of insomniacs and grabbed my phone to scroll through Twitter, where my groggy eyes zeroed in on two words: Free Willy. Goldstein had just tweeted a new episode of the podcast he started in 2018, Films To Be Buried With, which I'd been meaning to check out for months. Before bothering to read the rest of the tweet or learn what exactly the episode was about, I smashed play. I needed a distraction, and the thought of his alluring voice discussing one of my favorite childhood films for an hour sounded idyllic. I lowered my iPhone's volume to a whisper, held the speaker to my ear, and prepared for what I assumed would be a relaxing, nostalgic discussion about a boy who befriends an orca. Instead, Goldstein and his guest, comedian Camille Ucan, launched into a deep conversation about…death. 

Films To Be Buried With has a delightfully unique, albeit morbid, premise. "Every week I invite a special guest over, I tell them they've died, then I get them to discuss their life through the films that meant the most to them," Goldstein explains at the top of each episode. He asks famous actors, directors, comedians, and other prominent figures in entertainment how they think they'll die, if they fear death, how often they mull over mortality, and if they believe in some sort of afterlife.

After all that heavy shit, Goldstein lightheartedly welcomes his guests to Films To Be Buried With heaven, where all your favorite things are present and everyone's obsessed with cinema. Then he talks to his guests about the most formative, memorable, impactful movies in their lives through his list of thought-provoking questions, which include, "What's a film other people hate but you love?" and "What's the film that means the most to you?" and "What film made you cry the most?" Finally, he asks each guest to choose one flick they'd bring with them to their grave to show at heaven's movie night. 

That August morning, while listening to the podcast for the first time, I heard Ucan tell Goldstein about the death anxiety she's had since she was a child, and how the pandemic, the rapidly rising global death toll, and the feeling that danger lurked around every corner had taken her fears to another level.

She was just like me, only she had a name for what she was experiencing.

Death anxiety, also known as thanatophobia, is its own specific form of anxiety brought on by contemplating death, the process of dying, and all mortality-related unknowns. While already common, a study published by Cambridge University in 2020 found that death anxiety around the world has surged in response to the pandemic. 

As I listened, I heard my own fears about mortality articulated for the first time. It was a topic that terrified me, yet listening to people speak so openly about it comforted me in ways I never anticipated. I rarely find time for podcasts, but in the weeks following that early morning listening session I started taking three walks a day and consuming Films To Be Buried With episodes in 15- to 20-minute chunks. I fell more in love with the podcast each episode, and rewound to start at the beginning and work my way up through all 182 episodes (and counting).

I found the philosophical-yet-funny discussions about mortality, chased with meaningful conversation about films — from critically acclaimed classics like The Godfather and scarring horror films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to Goldstein's underrated favorites like The Muppet Christmas Carol and Grease 2 — created a perfect balance.

Hearing others reflect on death anxiety and afterlife uncertainties not only broadened my own perspectives, but helped me feel less alone in my fears. As the pandemic raged on, new variants emerged, and more and more people I knew contracted COVID, listening to Films To Be Buried With became a surprising act of self-care.

Listening to thoughtful artists discuss their own imagined death scenarios helped get me out of my head, if only for an hour a day.

"Oh, shit. You've died."

As an overly-cautious only child who's always watched way too much television, I think about death more than a person probably should. I do my best to avoid perilous situations, but I still find myself worrying about everything outside of my control: car crashes, being attacked, getting shot, This Is Us-level slow cooker fires, every wild occurrence from the Ryan Murphy series 9-1-1, and, you know, global pandemics.

There's something about making light of one's death, however gruesome, that wrests its power away. In an early episode, Ricky Gervais imagines he meets death while trying to avoid a cliché comedy ending, like a safe falling from the sky. In doing so, however, he falls onto a spike that pierces his rear and exits through his mouth. Brutal. Later, Succession star Sarah Snook dreams of dying a hero so it'll cushion the blow for her loved ones: She perishes in a space accident on a mission to save the planet. These episodes made me do the previously unthinkable: laugh at the thought of death.

Others force me to consider mortality through a more realistic lens, normalizing my fears. Actors Toheeb Jimoh and Yvette Nicole Brown claim the dream death: peacefully in one's sleep at a very old age. Others touch on a number of very real and relatable scenarios, from getting pushed into the path of an oncoming train to dying from a broken heart, which is apparently a real thing that can happen. Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins, like many of us, fears dying in some sort of aviation catastrophe.

Another guest simultaneously echoed, challenged, and reshaped my views on death. In March last year, actor, comedian, and living angel Yvette Nicole Brown tells Goldstein that she used to think about how she'd die a lot.

"I don't do things that could lead to it," she explains. "I don't go into large bodies of water, I don't like flying over large bodies of water, I don't bungee jump, I don't ski, I don't fence, I don't accept duels."

Then she reveals she simply stopped worrying about it.

"Real life became so perilous with COVID, and we had Donald Trump for a while, and there's been racial unrest here, and just so many other things. I was like, 'I can't worry about dying and worry every single day about living…I have to just let one of them go,'" she said. "So I put all of my energy and worry into living."

Simple, yet profound. Death is inevitable, and worrying about how, when, and why it will happen takes a ton of energy — energy that could be better spent trying to live life to the fullest. 

Accepting the unknown

The uncertainty of what happens after death has long loomed in the back of my mind, and I've never let myself sit with the thought for long — that is, before my Personal Journey of Enlightenment With Brett Goldstein. Now I've imagined it all.

Several podcast guests are convinced that death is final and that no sort of afterlife awaits. Even if eternal life were an option, they fear it would come with agonizing boredom, restlessness, and inevitable eventual discontent. 

"I don't believe in heaven and hell," Gervais says. "I think my reward is here and now. I think it's finite, and beautiful, and amazing. We never live again. The chances of us being here at all are 400 trillion to one. That's incredible."

Others don't care if there's an afterlife. Instead, they wonder if they're living their best life here on Earth. Comedian Pete Holmes reminds listeners of the futility of waiting around for something better: "This is it. This is it. And it's enough."

Some, like Jenkins and Snook, aren't quite sure what awaits us, but feel it would be presumptuous to assume there's nothing else out there. Brown and Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, on the other hand, are certain an afterlife exists.

"I don't even know how to live my life not believing that there's a grander plan for all of us," Brown says.

Waddingham wonders, "How can we be such balls of energy—For the body to break down, that energy has to go somewhere."

Listening to talented people whom I respect and admire discuss important ideas that so rarely come up in interviews (or daily life at all, really) has been enlightening. Hearing some of them confidently place faith in an afterlife gives me extra solace in my many moments of fear and doubt. The podcast has no definitive answers for listeners, but simply listening to artists talk through ideas, articulate their own confusion, and share their personal beliefs is both calming and compelling.

Such wisdom is not limited to the pod. In a well-timed-for-me-personally episode of Ted Lasso Season 2, the team attends a funeral and lots of my favorite characters opine on their mortality. Goldstein's character, the gruff Roy Kent, is initially kind of a dick about it all, but later hits us with the following truth bomb.

"When my granddad died I spent every single night for a whole year praying that I could just talk to him just once or see him just one more time like he was Obi-Wan Kenobi or some shit, and I got fuck all," Roy says. "But it did make me realize we only got this one life and I don't want to waste a second of it."

Same, Roy. Same.

'Til death do us part ... or not?

Despite what you may assume from the title, Films To Be Buried With is a fun, uplifting, genuinely insightful podcast about films, life, and, yes, death. I started listening to it at 4 a.m. that day because I adore movies and Brett Goldstein, and those two things dominate each episode. The discussions about death are relatively brief and almost always buoyed by jokes, but they add a layer of depth that sets the podcast apart from any other I've heard.

Before I started listening to Films To Be Buried With, pandemic-related death anxiety weighed on my mind like an anvil. This isn't to say that Goldstein or his podcast have completely eliminated my fear of dying (or that any of it is a substitute for care from a trained professional if you're feeling overwhelmed).

It's done a hell of a lot, however, to help me process and unpack the dense, daunting subject of mortality during this pandemic while also making me laugh and providing a plethora of solid film recommendations. 

When I desperately needed help making sense of the utterly nonsensical, the podcast's thoughtful discussions challenged me to keep an open mind and reminded me that death is inevitable, so we should make the most of life. For that I'll always be grateful.

We might not know what happens after we die, but now, rather than stressing over endless possibilities, I find some peace thinking of Brett Goldstein's daffy idea that "when you go to the other side it's movie night every night."

I still don't know which movie I'm bringing, but I'm having fun, and feeling a little less afraid, while I figure it out.

Whether we're ready for it or not, the end of 2021 is here. With 2022 fast-approaching, the pressure to process not one but two calendar years of a global pandemic mounts—not to mention all the usual stressors of the holiday season, too.

My burnt out brain's too exhausted to even begin to unpack all the stuff I had to compartmentalize just to get through the past year, and you may be feeling the same. Luckily though, we're not alone. 

For every fresh or ongoing trauma that 2021 collectively wrought upon us, there's at least one podcast out there hoping to help us cope with it together. 

From the pandemic wall that evaporated into the thick pandemic fog, to the Great Resignation of a workforce being asked to clock in while the apocalypse rages on, or the racial trauma of more police brutality and its perpetrators' historic days in court, or political divides that tore our democracy and families apart, or another year of rising sea levels and climate anxiety—it's too much to handle alone. If 2020 was like a car crash, then 2021 was our first agonizing wave of pain after the adrenaline that'd kept it at bay wore off. 

Now, no podcast can solve the multitude of crises that come with facing the third calendar year of a global pandemic. But as one of our most intimate and least screen-heavy mediums of entertainment, they are uniquely equipped to help in ways TV and movies can't.

Of course, no piece of entertainment media can ever do the work of a mental health professional. The podcasts below are not replacements or even supplements to professional therapy and/or counseling, which should be the priority for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis. These hosts are everyday people, comedians, journalists, writers — and even the licensed therapists emphasize their shows are not therapy (and offer resources for finding one). Also, while Mashable vetted every recommended episode, we cannot speak to advice given elsewhere on these shows. 

Lastly, remember that processing grief and trauma is different for everyone. So if you try one and start to feel not-so-great, skip it. There are plenty of other pods in the sea that'll better suit your headspace.

1. Life Kit

What it is: "A guide to being a person that fits in your pocket, Life Kit truly delivers on the promise of its wide-sweeping name. A rotating host of NPR favorites give you a Swiss Army Knife of life skills and solutions from experts with advice on timely day-to-day issues and questions. Topics run the gamut of existence, and there are even specialized feeds for parenting, health, and money." [From our Best Podcasts for Your 2021 New Year's Resolutions roundup]

How and what it can help you process: Breaking down the biggest hurdles of 2021 into manageably bite-sized yet thoroughly comprehensive solutions. 

Recommended episodes:

• "Caught in pandemic limbo? Here's how to rebound from life's interruptions"

• "How to process grief during the holidays"

• "The Importance Of Mourning Losses (Even When They Seem Small)"

• "Anxiety from climate change isn't going away. Here's how you can manage it"

• "The Compounding Effects Of Racial Trauma, A Year After George Floyd's Murder"

• "Do We Even Know How To Socialize Anymore?"

• "Too Much Focusing Is Draining. Here's A Better Strategy"

• "Burnout Isn't Just Exhaustion. Here's How To Deal With It"

2. Depresh Mode

What it is: "John Moe, host of the popular podcast The Hilarious World of Depression, is once again back to talk about and laugh through our pain. Every week guests talk about both their personal and our collective mental state as a larger culture. Often, these guests are well-known comedians, musicians, and actors like Patton Oswalt, who speak candidly about struggles with the oh-so-common yet still taboo issues of depression, anxiety, grief, mental illness, and trauma. But Moe makes equal room for mental health experts, covering everything from post-COVID PTSD to burnout." [From our Best Podcasts to Distract and Relax roundups]

How and what it can help you process: It's hard to feel alone when even your favorite comedians are struggling with your same mental hardships — and they've brought experts along to help.

Recommended episodes: 

• "What To Expect When The Virus Is Gone But COVID Trauma Goes On"

• "If You’re Miserable At Work, Maybe It’s Not Your Fault"

• "School is Starting, Kids are Psychologically Messed Up, and We All Need to Help"

3. Tara Brach: "Facing Fear in a Traumatized World" (YouTube video version)

What it is: Psychologist Tara Brach is the Buddhist teacher for intellectually skeptical (yet still curious) meditation students. Rather than just diving straight into the namaste of it all, she begins each weekly meditation with a lesson on the philosophical and (when available) scientific grounding for the practice she guides you through. Each meditation is both specific to a uniquely of-the-moment collective struggle. While we haven't tried them all, her compilation of pandemic-focused meditations range from rediscovering aliveness to radical acceptance. For more visual learners, Brach's YouTube channel also has video versions of each podcast.

How and what it can help you process: Intellectually understanding our feelings is an important step in healing. But learning how to sit with how those tough emotions feel in our bodies is another part of the battle.

4. Terrible, Thanks For Asking

What it is: Terrible, Thanks for Asking is, "a place for processing trauma and how terrible we're all doing through individual people's stories... Author and self-described notable widow Nora McInerny hosts a weekly interview podcast talking through different guests' pain, life trauma, and mental health struggles. It's a podcast that isn't afraid to sit with the feeling of not being OK and that's oddly comforting — especially now." [From our Best Feminist Podcasts roundup] 

How and what it can help you process: You know that friend you call when you feel like utter shit and you can count on them to go, "same — wanna come over and cry about it?" This is that, but in podcast form.

Recommended episodes: 

• "A Life Interrupted with Suleika Jaouad"

• "From the Edge"

• "That's So Chad"

• "Fairplay at Home"

5. Throughline: "Stories of How to Cope with Chaos"

What it is: "There is, of course, that famous idiom about how those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it. Throughline looks to correct any gaps in folks' knowledge. The NPR show seeks to connect the past with the present. It takes current headlines and parses how we got there by revisiting historical events." [From our Best History Podcasts roundup]

How and what it can help you process: This episode sparks hope like the eye of the storm in the middle of a hurricane through three gorgeous pieces of immersive audio storytelling.

6. Shelter in Place

What it is: This narrative podcast began as a nonfiction narrative audio diary for Bay Area writer Laura Joyce Davis as she, like the rest of us, wrestled with what it meant to "shelter in place" when nothing felt safe or in her control. Since then, it's evolved and expanded alongside our collective pandemic experience, becoming a self-described "virtual home" for others to tell their own stories too, both through audio memoirs and interviews.

How and what it can help you process: Season 3 is all about reclaiming what home means to us now, with the show's overall approach being grounded in the concept of using creativity as a way to process pandemic trauma.

Recommended episodes:

• "Stuck on the Staircase"

• "Lost & Found Part 1"

• "Letting the Light in"

7. The Cut

What it is:  "The Cut is a powerhouse of women's voices tackling a wide range of subjects, whether pop culture, the internet, style, sex, relationships, or politics. Hosted by Avery Trufelman, each episode follows a fascinating line of inquiry that only sparks more curiosity and even bigger questions than you started out with." [From our Best Feminist Podcasts roundup]

How and what it can help you process: Though its perspective is distinctly more cosmopolitan than others on this list, The Cut offers an intimate experience of working through the complex emotions of how that lifestyle has changed over the past two years.

Recommended episodes: 

• "Would You Move Back Home? Could You?"

• "Here We Go Aftertimes"

• "We Are All Burnt Out"

• "Maybe You Should Go Outside"

• "The Anti-Vaxxers in Your Life"

• "How Do I Make Friends Now?"

8. How's Work? With Esther Perel: "Breaking News Has Broken Us"

What it is:  "How's Work extends sex and relationship therapist Esther Perel's expertise into the workplace. There are endless struggles embedded into the promise of work-life balance, where relationship dynamics should stay professional but are often no less emotionally and socially complex than the personal. From couples who work together to colleagues in relationship-centric fields, work can demand as much therapeutic labor as your home life." [From our Best Podcasts for Your 2021 New Year's Resolutions roundup]

How and what it can help you process: While this episode is about helping a newsroom of journalists cope with the collective trauma of not being able to turn away from the horror of current events, it bears lessons for all of us who've been forced to bear witness. If this one doesn't resonate with you, though, check out Season 2's "If I Quit What Will People Say?" That episode tackles the toll working in 2021 has had on our personal relationships.

9. How it Happened: "Trump's Last Stand" series

What it is: "The unparalleled reporting of Axios' Jonathan Swan (best known on the web for his highly memed Trump interview focusing on his COVID-19 response)... dissects the final days of the Trump administration with incredible in-the-room-where-it-happened details on the most stunning behind-the-scenes moments with the former president leading up to the Capitol insurrection. While the reporting requires some skepticism and leaps of faith in trusting anonymous sources, both Swan and Axios' reputability speak for themselves." [From our Best New Podcasts of 2021 roundup]

How and what it can help you process: Bringing clarity to the lingering questions of how the Capitol riot happened, from inside the Trump administration.

10. Therapy for Black Girls

What it is: "Black women are one of the most underserved demographics in American society, especially when it comes to medical care. That's why host and licensed psychologist Dr. Joy Harden Bradford's Therapy for Black Girls is so vital. Dr. Harden Bradford, who has a Ph.D. in counseling psychology, provides informal therapy sessions on a wide spectrum of mental health issues and strategies for everything from processing communal grief to finding agency through pleasure. Episodes are structured around interviews with an expert and then a listener advice segment. Dr. Harden Bradford is careful to start with a disclaimer that the podcast is no substitute for actual one-on-one therapy, offering resources for how to find one on the Therapy for Black Girls website." [From our Best Feminist Podcasts roundup]

How and what it can help you process: Black women deserve their own space for coping with the specific intersections of misogynoir's traumas.

Recommended episodes:

• "A Loving Reminder: When the News Is Difficult"

• "How Our Sex Lives Changed During the Pandemic" 

• "Black Women Athletes Reimagining Sports"

• "One Year Later"

• "ADHD Diagnosis Later In Life"

11. The Experiment

What it is: "The American experiment, often repackaged as the American dream, is one of the biggest sources of miseducation in our country. In this WNYC Studios and Atlantic collaboration, host Julia Longoria applies the ideals of America's past that were held to be self-evident, then measures them up against our current reality. Bringing the high ideals of this country's founding to everyday experiences, The Experiment can even find lessons in trash reality TV shows like 90 Day Fiance." [From our Best Educational Podcasts roundup]

How and what it can help you process: The pandemic is forcing many Americans to reckon with the unique traumas of living in this country, and this podcast unpacks not only their origins in our history but also how its ramifications plague us to this day.

Recommended episodes:

• Protecting the Capitol One Year After January 6

• Dr. Ruth on Hot Vax Summer

• The Ashes on the Lawn

• The Original Anti-Vaxxer

12. Latino USA: "Masks Off With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez"

What it is: The Peabody award-winning Latino USA, hosted by legendary journalist Maria Hinojosa, dives deep into the stories impacting the Latin American diaspora in all its multiplicities. Through rigorous reporting on the news and experiences too often overlooked by other American media organizations, it gets at the beating heart of a range of topics relevant to many Latin American communities, from human experiences to politics to art and history.

How and what it can help you process: As a prominent Latina congresswoman, AOC is both the loudest voice against and greatest target of the singular traumas experienced by Latinas in America. In this vulnerable interview months after her close brush with Capitol rioters calling for her execution, Ocasio-Cortez speaks to how she's recovering post-Trump by breaking free from Latin community stigmas and speaking up about her mental health struggles.

13. We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle

What it is: Glennon Doyle experienced the rare pandemic glow up, when her memoir Untamed launched in Spring 2020 and resonated with countless others struggling through the crisis. This podcast, co-hosted with sister Amanda Doyle and often other spectacular guests like Simone Biles, was born out of the prevailing mantra that readers gravitated to most: the insistence that We Can Do Hard Things. It’s the kind of motivational podcast that rolls its eyes at the cheesy toxic positivity of other motivational podcasts, with frank, honest, practical, conversational, no-bullshit advice about how to trust yourself to get through the stuff we thought would break us.

How and what it can help you process: If you’re on the market for casual yet thoughtful pep talks — especially related to addiction, parenting, and lady stuff — with Cool Aunt energy, then We Can Do Hard Things is the right one for you.

Recommended episodes: 

• "YOUR HOLIDAY PEP TALK: 'We ask no questions of this day.'"

• “QUITTING: When is it time to let something or someone go?”

• “You’re NOT A MESS. The world is.”

• "HOW TO SAY NO with Simone Biles and Laurie Hernandez"

14. 9/12

What it is: "Despite the ominous promise to 'never forget,' it's hard to remember exactly how much 9/11 changed the U.S. That’s what Pineapple Street Studios’ 9/12 is all about, as host Dan Taberski examines all the new realities people found themselves in after the attacks. From The Onion’s struggle to recalibrate what humor meant post-9/11 to the long-lasting explosion of Islamophobia that traumatized so many in America, there are plenty of things we need to remember in this 20th anniversary year of 9/11. But what matters more than anything is rethinking and re-processing the nationalistic narratives we were fed for decades." [From our Best New Podcasts of 2021 roundup]

How and what it can help you process: Anniversaries carry a lot of psychological weight in the grieving process. Twenty years later, it's time we faced the full true scope of what we lost on 9/11, both collectively and individually.

15. The Ezra Klein Show: "The Case Against Loving Your Job"

What it is: Hosted by Rogé Karma while Ezra Klein is away on sabbatical, this interview with author Sarah Jafee tackles a uniquely millennial and Gen Z facet of 2021's Great Resignation. Generations of young people were taught to strive to do what they love no matter the personal cost, which Jafee argues only primed us to have our labor abused and exploited by a capitalist system that only cares about turning your passion into their profit.

How and what it can help you process: Free yourself of the lie that's trapped generations of young folks into believing the toxic work culture that 2021's Great Resignation now rejects.

16. Close to Death

What it is: Nobody likes to think about death. But after 2020, a lot of us really need to talk about it. Yet talking about death doesn’t need to be a gruesome or drab affair, either. Each week, Close to Death gives a different comedian, reporter, or writer the opportunity to explore an aspect of death that compels them. From trying to learn how to write your own perfect obituary, to meeting a witch who claims to commune with the deceased, or the ins-and-outs of a human compost farm, each episode’s journey is a rollercoaster of hilarity and vulnerability, pragmatism and hope. It’s the perfect podcast to help shift discussions of death away from the unmentionable and into the normal." [From our Best New Podcasts of 2021 roundup]

How and what it can help you process: When you look at mortality from a multiplicity of different perspectives and new angles, it feels a lot less scary and a lot less lonely. This one is best for folks who prefer to cope with trauma by armoring themselves with knowledge and humor.

Recommended episodes: 

• "Obits"

• "Home Funerals"

17. Death, Sex, & Money

What it is: "As the title suggests, this WNYC podcast centers around openly talking about the most private parts of our lives. Host Anna Sale is a calming voice who dives into the most personal (often difficult) moments of a person's life with incredible compassion and delicacy." [From our Best Sex, Dating, and Erotica Podcasts roundup]

How and what it can help you process: If two years of a pandemic taught us anything, it's that no struggle is too taboo for us to work through together. That's why Anna Sale's intimate interviews felt more essential than ever, particularly when it comes to coping with the psychological and emotional baggage that makes many of us avoid our finances. 

Recommended episodes:

• Financial Therapy: Meet Amanda Clayman

• Ugh, Dating Right Now

• Decision Fatigue Is Real. We Called For Backup.

• Order Up, Tapped Out: Life After Restaurant Burnout

18. Radiolab: "The Queen of Dying"

What it is: The Five Stages of Grief, created from the work of Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, is one of the most well-known yet misunderstood concepts to come out of psychology. NPR host Rachael Cusick came face to face with both its salience and limitations as a kid while grieving her mother. As an adult, she set out to understand the truth of how we came to pigeonhole the tumultuously uncontrollable and individual experience of grief into five neat one-size-fits-all categories. By going back to the source of Kübler-Ross' work, though, she discovers something incredible: The stages were never meant to be applied to the living, but instead described the process of dying. At a time when our collective grief has started to feel like a slow death in itself, it's a story that couldn't feel more salient to 2021.

How and what it can help you process: If 2020 was our year in grief, then 2021 has been our year in violently vacillating between its five (or more) stages. If you've felt out of sync with how you're "supposed" to feel while coping with pandemic losses, then this one's for you.

19. Consider This: "Their family members are QAnon followers"

What it is: "QAnon isn't just devastating our democracy or people vulnerable to the conspiracy. It's leading a lot of loved ones to experience grief for family members who are still alive but ostensibly dead to them. Interviews with those folks bring the human cost of QAnon into sharp relief." [From our Best Podcasts on Disinformation and Conspiracy Theories roundup]

How and what it can help you process: American democracy survived the Capitol riot, but many relationships with loved ones who were sympathetic to it did not. This heartbreaking episode offers no solutions to that loss, but a deep catharsis in knowing it's a shared pain.

20. On Being with Krista Tippett

What it is: "Krista Tippett wants to get to the bottom of everything human, from the spiritual to the scientific. Every week she interviews a new person who can speak to vastly different aspects of life's biggest questions. The podcast and interview style Is best suited to people who enjoy something conversational rather than a crafted narrative." [From our Best Podcasts to Fall Asleep To roundup] 

How and what it can help you process: No one is better at getting to the heart of existing like Tippett, who always manages to find the beauty in the struggle without sugar-coating its harsh realities.

Recommended episodes:

• "Katherine May — How 'Wintering' Replenishes"

• "Bessel van der Kolk — Trauma, the Body, and 2021"

• "Sharon Salzberg — The Healing Is In The Return"

21. Last Podcast on the Left: "The Black Death" mini-series

What it is:  "You might think you’ve tired of hearing about global pandemics in 2021, but you need to give this five-part series from one of our favorite true crime podcasts of all time a try. Launched over Last Podcast on the Left’s history-themed summer, their heavily researched yet endlessly entertaining deep dive into the Black Death shows just how much we haven’t changed in our collective response to mass death from disease. There’s a lot of pertinent lessons to be learned from the most catastrophic plague in human history. While some might find the humor at the core of this show jarring, the approach can make those lessons easier to swallow, as the hosts trace the plague's seemingly unstoppable tear across the world over centuries, upending society while claiming millions of lives." [From our Best New Podcasts of 2021 roundup]

How and what it can help you process: Sometimes the only way to process a global pandemic is to stare the beast in its ugly, diseased, monstrous face — and laugh about it from the comfortable distance of history.

22. New Yorker Radio Hour: "Millennial Writers Reflect on a Generation's Despair"

What it is: Maybe it's year two of the pandemic, maybe it's getting the new label of "geriatric millennials," maybe it's the Gen Z TikTok bullying, maybe it's being the poorest generation in recent American history — but millennials went through it in 2021. In this gut-wrenching personal essay tackling religious trauma, queerness, Blackness, and generational despair, Ngofeen Mputubwele captures the singular grief that's now hitting millennials like a freight train. After asking five peers from different walks of life the simple question of why they feel so hopeless, Mputubwele somehow manages to find beauty beneath our rotting souls (and youth). And that's just so wonderfully millennial.

How and what it can help you process: Millennials got the raw end of almost every deal that's been struck throughout our lifetimes. But this reflection on the end of our collective youth also celebrates the resilience of a generation that needed to learn how to parent themselves through being the first to grow up in the internet age (and multiple financial and political crises).

If you want to talk to someone or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, Crisis Text Line provides free, confidential support 24/7. Text CRISIS to 741741 to be connected to a crisis counselor. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Here is a list of international resources.

We're nearing the end of 2021 and, for many, life continues to be a constant flux of unpredictable changes. But for lovers of well-made audio storytelling, there's one thing that never seems to change: There's always a great new podcast to ground yourself in amid the chaos.

Last year, podcasts gained even more relevance, as one of the only safe ways to make entertainment during the pandemic and as a type of sorely-needed companionship. 2021 was both a return to the previous role podcasting used to fill in our pre-pandemic lives, yet also an expansion of the medium's growing cultural importance.

Maybe you're back to commuting, or maybe you're still leaning on podcasts for companionship that's less anxiety-inducing than the return to IRL friendship. Regardless, podcasts continue to thrive, with countless new gems across every genre: from the mega popularity of true crime to deep-dive investigative reporting and riveting storytelling (both fiction and non-fiction).

Though there are always great new podcasts to discover or that one can miss, these are the ones we loved most in 2021. Only titles or new seasons and mini-series released this year were considered for inclusion.

1. Through the Cracks

What it's about: True crime, systemic racism, injustice, generational trauma, personal narrative

Why it's great: Even in this golden age of true crime, the stories of victims from certain demographics are still so often left untold. But in this poignant series, host Jonquilyn Hill ensures the case of 8-year-old Relisha Rudd — whose disappearance from a D.C. homeless shelter in 2014 went unnoticed for 18 days — will never be forgotten again. Less of a whodunit and more of a how-could-we-let-this-happen, Hill covers the case with equal parts journalistic rigor and empathy. Can any single family member be blamed, really, when our entire society has systematically failed to protect Black girls and women from falling through the cracks?

2. How it Happened

What it's about: Trump, American politics, the pandemic, the Capitol riots

Why it's great: I don't know about you, but I've got a lot more processing to do about everything that happened from 2020 to January 2021. That's what the unparalleled reporting of Axios' Jonathan Swan (best known on the web for his highly memed Trump interview focusing on his COVID-19 response). Swan dissects the final days of the Trump administration with incredible in-the-room-where-it-happened details on the most stunning behind-the-scenes moments with the former president leading up to the Capitol insurrection. While the reporting requires some skepticism and leaps of faith in trusting anonymous sources, both Swan and Axios' reputability speak for themselves.

3. Anything For Selena

What it's about: Selena, Latinx identity, culture, art, racism, personal narrative

Why it's great: Selena and Me isn't just about the beloved Mexican-American singer who was tragically murdered at the height of her career. Like Selena's music this podcast touches on the beating heart of Latin-American identity itself. Host Maria Garcia combines the cultural context behind Selena's significance to the community with her own personal narrative, seeking to understand more about herself through the pop star who helped many who straddle a multicultural background feel so seen. As intimate as it is all-encompassing, the nine-part series offers both an English and Spanish version of each episode.

4. Unexplainable

What it's about: Science, mysteries, space, the universe, technology, innovation

Why it's great: "While Vox is known for explaining complicated ideas in easily understandable ways, its new podcast Unexplainable flips that premise on its head. Instead of demystifying the daily information onslaught, Unexplainable sits with the most mystifying unknowns of all time. From questioning whether everything we thought we knew about psychology is wrong to the quest to understand what the hell dark matter is, Unexplainable teaches us to get comfortable with the idea that human knowledge has many limits. And that's kinda awesome." [From our Best Educational Podcasts roundup]

5. Welcome to your Fantasy

What it's about: True crime, sexuality, greed, gender politics, corruption, the '80s, sex work

Why it's great: Murder, male strippers, and discourse about female desire in the '80s—what's not to love about Welcome To Your Fantasy? This new Gimlet true crime series bares all about the strange, scandalous, seedy, and surprisingly dark origins of the Chippendales dancers, which is all fun, games, and gG-strings until it ends with the awful murder of one of its primary founders.

6. Stolen: The Search for Jermain

What it's about: True crime, injustice, Indigenous women and girls, domestic violence

Why it's great: We're big fans of CBC reporter Connie Walker's work. Her previous true crime podcast Missing & Murdered shone a spotlight on not only one Indigenous woman's disappearance but also the larger systemic injustices behind it. In Stolen, Walker similarly dives into the murder of Jermain Charlo, a 28-year-old mother who went missing from her home on a Montana reservation in 2018. But once again, Walker contextualizes her individual case in larger cultural injustices, revealing the disproportionate amount of violence that Indigenous women in America face — whether from the justice system established by colonizers, their own communities, or (in Charlo's case) their own life partners.

7. ICYMI

What it's about: Digital culture, social media trend and drama, influencers, society, tech

Why it's great: Slate's new digital culture podcast ICYMI is here to digest all the latest chaos, trends, and #drama from the web — so you don't have to. And for that, we thank hosts Madison Malone Kircher and Rachelle Hampton for their service. This bi-weekly podcast goes beyond the surface of our screens, covering not only what trouble the newest viral main character of social media got into, but also why it matters. It's incisive, insightful, and miraculously always finds a way to cut through the static noise of the digital void to find the human side of it all.

8. Unraveled: Long Island Serial Killer

What it's about: True crime, serial killers, police corruption, investigative journalism

Why it's great: If you're a true crime aficionado, you've probably heard of the Long Island Serial Killer (aka LISK) more than enough times. But no other podcast has done the level of rigorous investigative work that cohosts Alexis Linkletter and Billy Jensen bring to the table. In the latest thrilling season of Unraveled, the two uncover never-before-heard evidence, finding bread crumbs of new information that help chip away at the inexplicable puzzle that is the LISK case. Digging through mountains of unknowns to reveal a pattern of evidence that could potentially implicate the very police force tasked with solving the murder of 11 victims buried for over a decade on a beach, it's a season with twists and turns you won't want to miss.

9. The Experiment

What it's about: America, history, social inequalities, society, current events

Why it's great: "The American experiment, often repackaged as the American dream, is one of the biggest sources of miseducation in our country. In this WNYC Studios and Atlantic collaboration, host Julia Longoria applies the ideals of America's past that were held to be self-evident, then measures them up against our current reality. Bringing the high ideals of this country's founding to everyday experiences, The Experiment can even find lessons in trash reality TV shows like 90 Day Fiance." [From our Best Educational Podcasts roundup]

10. Soft Voice

What it's about: Fiction, women's experiences, consciousness, mental illness

Why it's great: Whatever you think you can expect from QCODE's new Soft Voice fictional podcast, think again. Several episodes in, we're still not entirely sure what's going on, but we know that it's an absolute trip. Featuring a trifecta of British talent you'll probably recognize (Naomi Scott, Olivia Cooke, and Bel Powley) it tells the story of Lydia, who lives what seems to be an ideal life because she always listens to Soft Voice, the controlling little dictator inside her head insisting on perfection and conformity. Then, one day, it's gone. We'll leave it at that, but buckle up for a wild, sapphic, and mind-melting journey best listened to with headphones. Do note the disclaimer in the beginning, though, which warns of sensitive topics broached that might be triggering to some.

11. Depresh Mode

What it's about: Mental well-being, self-care struggles, mental illness, comedy

Why it's great: John Moe, host of the popular podcast The Hilarious World of Depression, is once again back to talk about and laugh through our pain. Every week guests talk about both their personal and our collective mental state as a larger culture. Often, these guests are well-known comedians, musicians, and actors like Patton Oswalt, who speak candidly about struggles with the oh-so-common yet still taboo issues of depression, anxiety, grief, mental illness, and trauma. But Moe makes equal room for mental health experts, covering everything from post-COVID PTSD to burnout.

12. Under the Influence with Jo Piazza

What it's about: Digital culture, influencer economy, social media, gender inequity, motherhood, work culture, personal narrative

Why it's great: Jo Piazza is a staple of the podcasting world for a reason. Host of Committed, in her Under the Influence series Piazza tackles another under-discussed narrative in media: the power and innovation of mommy bloggers. Through a mixture of personal narrative and a long-overdue deep dive into the oft dismissed billion-dollar industry, it's a podcast about navigating social media's influence on our lives, aspirations, self-worth, and business. After experiencing job insecurity and disillusionment with her career in media, Piazza sets out to both understand and even become the Instagram-perfect (and financially dependent) ideal of a mommy blogger. But this isn't a podcast that seeks to judge or diminish, and it is certainly not just "for women." If you have any interest in the internet, digital culture, the influencer economy, and wrestling with the impact these unstoppable forces have on us, then this is a must-listen.

13. Be Antiracist with Ibram X. Kendi 

What it's about: Inequity and inequality, racism, sexism, ableism, anti-Blackness, politics, society, education

Why it's great: When historian and author Ibram X. Kendi is involved, you know you're in for a journey of learning about our greatest untold injustices but also finding our common humanity. In his new podcast — which features both personal narrative and interviews with renowned guests across academia, activism, journalism, and politics — he tackles all the facets of what it means to be antiracist. A term you might've heard but never fully understood, this highly accessible guide is an invaluable resource to all (no matter your race, ethnicity, class, or gender) on how we can build a world beyond the systems of oppression that alienate us from ourselves and each other.

14. Spectacle

What it's about: Reality TV, society and culture, gender and race politics, media history

Why it's great: We have not even begun to reckon with the enormous societal shift we're currently experiencing after the golden age of early 2000s reality TV. That is what host Mariah Smith sets out to do with Spectacle, unpacking everything from reality TV's most telling history, moments, and stars. With the help of a host of other insightful experts, it leaves no facet of this influential cultural force unturned.

15. Dark History

What it's about: True crime, macabre history, humor

Why it's great: If you're big into true crime and YouTube, you definitely know Dark History's fabulous host Bailey Sarian. She's known for her popular "Murder, Mystery & Makeup" series, in which she not only does her make-up fabulously but simultaneously recaps true crime cases. Sarian brings all that personality and humor that made her a vlogging hit to Dark History, which covers dark and spooky stories from the past that don't necessarily fit the typical true crime mold but scratch that same itch.

16. Counterclock Season 3

What it's about: True crime, investigative journalism, murder

Why it's great: Crime Junkie fans, you know the drill. This Audiochuck podcast, hosted by investigative journalist Delia D'Ambra but executive produced by the popular true-crime podcast creator Ashley Flowers, had a whirlwind of a third season. D'Ambra brings the original reporting that some have criticized podcasts like Crime Junkie for lacking, with a year-long probe into the infamous case of the Pelley family. In 2006, police convicted Jeff Pelley, the very son of the Floridian pastor who was brutally murdered along with most of their other family members. But new evidence — and D'Ambra's own reporting — calls a lot of what folks thought they knew into question.

17. Internet Urban Legends

What it's about: Paranormal, internet culture, social media, ghosts, murder, true crime, conspiracy theories

Why it's great: Another pair of YouTubers making the leap from the small screen to audio, Loey Lane and Eleanor Snitchery are probably best known for vlogging about the web's greatest mysteries. In this new Parcast and Spotify original, they take their vast knowledge of spooky online culture to the airwaves, covering everything from the Momo Challenge to Horror TikTok (which we actually also did a deep dive on). If you've ever come across something scary on the web and wondered "is this real?" this podcast is here to try and find the answer.

18. Unread

What it's about: Grief, digital culture, stan culture, mental health, suicide, Britney Spears, personal narrative

Why it's great: Unread is not for the faint of heart. The mini-series has an unflinching determination to cope with grief, trauma, depression, loneliness, and the need to reach across the screen for connection. Host Chris Stedman takes listeners on his personal journey as he follows the breadcrumbs left behind by his enigmatic, Brittany Spears-loving friend Alex. In 2019, Alex died by suicide, but not before sending out emails to all his friends that started with: "i am writing to let you know that when you receive this scheduled email, i will no longer be alive." As much a loving eulogy as it is an internet mystery, the podcast is really an ode to all of us lost souls who must turn to the internet for acceptance. Note the disclaimer up top about covering sensitive topics related to mental health struggles, though.

19. You Must Remember This: Gossip Girls

What it's about: Hollywood history, gender and race politics, media history

Why it's great: "You Must Remember This tells the strange and forgotten history of old Hollywood. Host and producer Karina Longworth researches the stories deeply and weaves interesting, narrative-driven tales," we wrote in our Best History Podcasts roundup. In the latest 'Gossip Girls' series, the inimitable Longworth dives into the stories of Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper, two celebrity columnists who pioneered the format in the 1940s. Come along for a hell of a ride full of feuds, hot (old Hollywood) goss, industry corruption, gender politics, racism, and ultimately the incredible story of how two women on parallel tracks gained unprecedented power in male-dominated Tinsel Town.

20. On Our Watch

What it's about: Police corruption, law enforcement, systemic injustice, issues of race and gender

Why it's great: At this point, you probably think you have quite a good grasp on police corruption. But KQED and NPR's On Our Watch reveals just how bottomless law enforcement misconduct really goes, making it clear (if it wasn't already) just how this institutional violation to protect and serve infringes upon every citizen's rights, regardless of race. After a recent California law gave journalists like host Sukey Lewis access to a mountain of police documents departments never thought would see the light of day, they're shining a light on the fuller picture of these "bad apples" rot, and how the entire justice system evades accountability. With essential and fearlessly rigorous reporting, the team goes beyond the more widely known forms of police brutality to reveal more endemic issues, ones that intersect with ableism and other types of violence such as sexual harassment and assault. It's as much a podcast highlighting injustice as it is a call for supporting the investigative (especially local) reporting that is usually our greatest (sometimes only) weapon to demand the truth.

21. Truer Crime

What it covers: True crime, social justice, criminal justice, racism, sexism, homophobia

Why it's great: [From our Q&A interview with Celisia Stanton] With each passing year — especially since the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 — the uglier parts of true crime have become harder to ignore. Enter Celisia Stanton: Wedding photographer, high school debate coach, prison abolitionist, and first-time podcaster. Truer Crime, which Stanton launched in May, tackles the laundry list of ethical critiques lobbed at the genre — and then some. It covers some of the classic, popular true crime stories, like that of Darlie Routier (the mother convicted of murdering her two sons) and the Jonestown Massacre (with over 900 members of a predominantly Black civil rights group forced to poison themselves by their white leader Jim Jones). But you've never heard them told like this before. On top of that, the podcast even has a TikTok page that's helping to make TrueCrimeTok a less toxic, white-focused space. In a genre with far too many false narratives, Stanton stands out by revealing the truth of crime in America and getting at the heart of those most victimized by systems that exacerbate the violence.

22. If I Go Missing the Witches Did It

What it covers: Fiction, humor, satire, true crime, horror, literature, social commentary, racism, sexism, storytelling

Why it's great: Satires are a woefully underrated podcast niche, and Realm’s If I Go Missing the Witches Did It is one of the best introductions to it we’ve ever heard. This genre parody by Pia Wilson is like if everyone's favorite white lady true crime podcast met 2020’s The Craft remake and the hilarious yet boundary-pushing comedic stylings of Ziwe. A white podcast host fights for her life in the struggle to be a True Ally to a missing Black woman writer she’s selflessly trying to save by exploiting the voice memos she recorded before her disappearance for clout. On top of being biting social commentary on racism and sexism in posi-vibes manifest destiny trendy witch influencer culture, the show is also just a super compelling binge-worthy thriller.

23. Close to Death

What it covers: Death, humor, society, grief

Why it's great: Nobody likes to think about death. But after 2020, a lot of us really need to talk about it. Yet talking about death doesn’t need to be a gruesome or drab affair, either. Each week, Close to Death gives a different comedian, reporter, or writer the opportunity to explore an aspect of death that compels them. From trying to learn how to write your own perfect obituary, to meeting a witch who claims to commune with the deceased, or the ins-and-outs of a human compost farm, each episode’s journey is a rollercoaster of hilarity and vulnerability, pragmatism and hope. It’s the perfect podcast to help shift discussions of death away from the unmentionable and into the normal.

24. Land of Giants: Google, Season 4

What it covers: Big tech, internet culture, Silicon Valley, current events

Why it's great: [From our Best Tech Podcasts roundup] When historians look back on this time in human history, they will point to a new era — a new species, really — of imperial regimes. Google, Amazon, Facebook, Netflix: the tech giants that dominate our culture, economy, and even politics demand thorough understanding and investigation. That's exactly what Recode's Land of the Giants delivers, explaining how the most powerful companies came to be and at what cost to the rest of us. Season 3 kicked off with hosts Shirin Ghaffary and Alex Kantrowitz tackle the first and most prevailing emperor of big tech, searching far and wide for the story behind Google (and by extension YouTube.)​​

25. Last Podcast on the Left: Black Death mini-series

What it covers True crime, comedy, pandemics, history, death

Why it's great: You might think you’ve tired of hearing about global pandemics in 2021, but you need to give this five-part series from one of our favorite true crime podcasts of all time a try. Launched over Last Podcast on the Left’s history-themed summer, their heavily researched yet endlessly entertaining deep dive into the Black Death shows just how much we haven’t changed in our collective response to mass death from disease. There’s a lot of pertinent lessons to be learned from the most catastrophic plague in human history. While some might find the humor at the core of this show jarring, the approach can make those lessons easier to swallow, as the hosts trace the plagues seemingly unstoppable tear across the world over centuries, upending society while claiming millions of lives.

26. StraightioLabs

What it covers: Queerness, humor, culture, society

Why it's great: I’m not usually a fan of freewheeling conversational podcasts on loose topics, where the main draw is the feeling of just hangin’ out with friends. But that’s before I experienced the parasocial friendship of comedians George Civeris and Sam Taggart, whose irressitably entertaining StraightioLabs offers the kind of light, fun, and queer space many LGBTQ folks crave but struggle to find IRL. Selling itself as "the only podcast about straight culture" with a wink and nod, it’s of course the opposite. With hysterical segments like Straight Shooter, guests join to bond over the ridiculousness in mainstream hetero culture and queer culture alike. A podcast serving that gay agenda your youth pastor warned about, it just feels like home.

27. Your Magic

What it covers: Spirituality, occult, modern witchcraft, alt culture, art

Why it's great: [From our Best Astrology Podcasts roundup] Your Magic is the new Spotify Original podcast that those who are down with all things mystical absolutely cannot miss out on. Hosted by author and poet Michelle Tea, it explores personal journeys through the lens of cosmic spirituality — but also, it's far less pompous than all that. One of the most beginner-friendly shows on our list, every episode centers around a celebrity guest interview, with folks like Phoebe Bridgers coming on to discuss their magical practices as well as a tarot reading that digs into whatever they're currently going through. But each week also offers one lucky listener their own tarot reading from Tea, and also offers a spell, affirmation, or manifestations you can try out yourself.

28. Murdaugh Murders Podcast

What it covers: True crime, investigative reporting, murder, police corruption

Why it's great: If you’re part of any online true crime community (guilty as charged), then you’ve probably heard a lot about the Murdaugh family in 2021, and the string of suspicious deaths and murder allegations that have surrounded this powerful South Carolina family dynasty. Yet unlike most others hopping on the bandwagon now, host Mandy Matney of FITSNews (a local independent online media outlet) has been reporting on this complex case full of twists, turns, conspiracies, and corruption for years, offering the kind of investigative journalism most true crime podcasts lack. While it’s no Serial (and doesn’t pretend to be), the Murdaugh Murders Podcast is one of the more honest and ethical approaches to real-time investigative true crime podcasting out there.

29. Dr. Death: Miracle Man Season 3

What it covers: True crime, medical malpractice, thriller

Why it's great: After a very successful first two seasons, this popular Wondery series released arguably its most fascinating and horrifying season yet with the case of once world-renowned surgeon Dr. Paolo Macchiarini. From NBC TV news producer Benita Alexander to a prestigious Swedish medical institution, Macchiarini charmed countless people into crossing serious ethical boundaries in his pursuit of a supposedly ground-breaking procedure. Even as the bodies and lies of grandeur piled up, many found themselves willing to excuse Macchiarini’s atrocities in his pathologically ambitious pursuit of inspiring medical innovation. Told mostly through Benita Alexander’s perspective as she’s seduced into compromising her journalistic integrity for the fabulously romantic fairytale Macchiarini spins, this season adds a personal layer of betrayal that hits especially hard.

30. 9/12

What it covers: Culture, society, recent history, politics, racism, America

Why it's great: Despite the ominous promise to "never forget," it’s hard to remember exactly how much 9/11 changed the U.S. That’s what Pineapple Street Studios’ 9/12 is all about, as host Dan Taberski examines all the new realities people found themselves in after the attacks. From The Onion’s struggle to recalibrate what humor meant post-9/11 to the longlasting explosion of Islamophobia that traumatized so many in America, there plenty of things we need to remember in this 20th anniversary year of 9/11. But what matters more than anything is rethinking and re-processing the nationalistic narratives we were fed for decades.

31. Deathbed Confessions

What it covers: True crime, murder, conspiracy, mystery, thriller

Why it's great: Life’s too short to die with secrets, which is perhaps why the deathbed can often become like a religious confessional, unburdening souls of what they promised to take to the crave. This Parcast Spotify Original tells the stories of the most dramatic final reveals of people's lives, with lifelong held secrets that may help unravel everything from the truth of an unsolved Hollywood murder to Jimmy Hoffa’s infamous "disappearance." Combining gossip with true crime and a sprinkle of human drama, the podcast is a good bit of scandalizing fun.

32. Sounds Like a Cult

What it covers: Pop culture, society, sociology, celebrity, internet culture, modern zeitgeist

Why it's great: In case you haven’t been paying attention, cult mentality has casually seeped into an unprecedented amount of mainstream culture. It’s becoming increasingly hard to tell the difference between what is and isn’t a legit cult, which is where Sounds Like a Cult comes in. Different from most other recent podcasts diving into the topic of conspiracies and cults, looking beyond the Q Anon of it all to find the culty warning flags in everything from Soul Cycle to stan culture to the cult of personality driving influencers' rise. Author of Cultish, Amanda Montell, and documentarian/comedian Isabela Medina bring a non-judgmental attitude to analyzing the variety of fanatical subgroups we all find ourselves in today to unpack exactly how culty (or concerning) they are or not.

33. Nice Try! Interior, Season Two

What it covers: Society, sociology, history, psychology, domesticity, consumerism, women’s issues, technology

Why it's great: Last season, Nice Try! host Avery Trufelman explored the many different ways human beings have sought utopia across the world and throughout history. But in the podcast’s fascinating new season, Trufelman zooms in on one of the most universal visions of utopia still being universally sought today that’s sure to hit close to home: the domestic sphere. By talking to historians and experts about the overlooked impacts of inventions like the doorbell and vacuum, Trufelman reveals how much the interiors of our homes reflect and shape the interiors of our humanity. She takes it a step further into the future, too, looking at what the home and lifestyle tech seeking to improve our interiors say about contemporary society.

34. Not Past It

What it covers: History, society, culture, America, injustice, racism, xenophobia, sexism

Why it's great: Each week, this Gimlet podcast revisits a historical event that happened in the past on that very same week. While this format isn’t new for history podcasts, host Simone Polanen brings that compelling je ne sais quoi needed which truly connects history to the now in a way that makes it come alive for modern audiences. Covering everything from the racist atrocities that really haunt the sensationalized Lake Lanier to the immigrant woman who was tried as a witch in 1930s Detroit, Not Past It focuses on the part of America’s past it’d rather forget. But as the title suggests, there’s a reason why so many want to ensure these stories remain present in our memories so they’re not repeated in the future.

35. I’m Not a Monster

What it covers: Politics, war, family, ISIS

Why it's great: A new limited series from Frontline PBS and BBC Panorama, this investigative podcast tells the shocking story of how one American family wound up in the heart of ISIS. Journalist Josh Baker takes listeners on his own harrowing four-year journey investigating an American mother who moved to Syria, leading to a now-infamous 2017 ISIS propaganda video of her 10-year-old son training to be a soldier and threatening then President Trump. With direct access to the family, Baker unravels their winding, wrought, and poignant story filled with unanswerable questions.

36. The Slit Verse

What it covers: Fiction, horror, fantasy, immersive storytelling

Why it's great: If you’re a fan of expansive, unsettling fiction podcasts in the tradition of Tanis or Welcome to Nightvale, then the Slit Verses will be right up your alley. A self-described "weird fiction" and "folks horror" audio journey, it builds its alternate fantasy world slowly and deliberately, starting small with two characters on a mysterious mission before expanding out. Immersing you in a mesmerizingly eerie soundscape, it’s sure to get your heart racing and keep your mind hypnotized.

37. Human Resources

What it covers: History, slavery, injustice, British culture

Why it's great: History, especially horrifyingly painful history, is too often removed from the humanity of the people who lived through it and inherit its consequences. But for host Moya Lothian-McLean, a British journalist who is also descended from enslaved Black Africans and their white oppressors, the conflicts of the past are still very present in day-to-day life. In this Broccoli Productions series, Lothian-McLean talks to historians and experts to understand the full scope and human cost of British participation in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. From chocolate production to the tradition of country manors, Lothian-McLean reveals how every aspect of British culture remains steeped in a past that many would rather forget.

This post was originally published on June 19, 2021. It was updated with more podcast recommendations and republished on Nov. 23, 2021.

Not every cold open on The Office was meticulously planned.

We knew that Jim popping Dwight's exercise ball at the start of the Season 2 episode, "Performance Review," was accidental. But on the 100th (!!!) episode of the Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey revealed that the memorably goofy cold open from the Season 5 episode, "Heavy Competition," was the product of sheer exhaustion in the writers room.

You know the one, trust us. It involved cheese balls.

The cold open shows Michael, Ryan, and Pam (employees of the newly launched Michael Scott Paper Company) settling into their new office by tossing cheese balls into each other's mouths like so:

It's a brilliant yet simple introduction to an episode, but according to "Heavy Competition" writer Ryan Koh, the idea was super last-minute and involved no real thought at all. (Fans of the Office Ladies podcast may also know Koh as the writer who had a speed radar accident during "The Duel.") The idea, he says, was "most of all a product of exhaustion."

Koh explained that his first draft of the episode featured a cold open in which Ryan thought Pam had a crush on him. The writers' room ultimately decided to toss it, so they needed to think of something new. Unfortunately, everyone was too burnt out to think of a good replacement.

"At this point in the season, all the writers were really exhausted. In Season 5, as you recall, we did 28 episodes and they were shot in 10 consecutive weeks of production, then a break so Steve could do a movie, and then 18 straight weeks of production," he said. "Other shows I've been on, I've told them that there was a stretch of 18 straight weeks of production and they do not believe we did that."

The writers were mentally drained, the actors were worn out, and Koh described it as a "rough time."

"So anyway, we were all very spent and we were trying to come up with a new cold open, and it was either [writer] Aaron Shure or Paul [Lieberstein, writer/actor/co-showrunner]. They were both the guys that were really good at making something out of nothing," Koh explained. One of them said, 'I don't know. They're throwing cheeseballs at each other?' And everyone's like, 'Great. We don't have to write anything. That's awesome. OK, that's the cold open. Cheese balls. All right, next.'"

Via Giphy

The cop-out ultimately resulted in a hilarious, genuinely impressive series of cheese ball tosses and mouth catches, which Fischer assures viewers were all real.

"I want everyone to know those are real cheese balls. We had the best time shooting this," Fischer said.

The cheese puff sequence took a full afternoon to film, but it should come as no surprise that the most demanding shot was the one where all three actors tossed cheese balls into each other's mouths. In the end, they pulled it off, and the reactions shown onscreen were genuine.

"That was the hardest one. You know that reaction that you see at the end when we finally make it?" Fischer asked. "That was real. I think you can see the look on my face. I knew I caught mine and then I had to look and see if they really caught theirs and then we were genuinely excited. That was the only time we ever got that toss correct."

Via Giphy

The cold open was "without a doubt" one of her favorite sequences to shoot on The Office, and she feels like all that cheese ball throwing really bonded her, Steve Carell, and BJ Novak.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast to hear more behind-the-scenes stories from filming "Heavy Competition."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Crack some eggs and slip on your Crocs, everyone. It's time to unpack another memorable line from The Office.

On the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 5 episode, "Dream Team." Turns out one of the funniest lines from "Dream Team" was a classic Steve Carell improv.

*Dwight Schrute voice* It's true!

Remember on the first day of the Michael Scott Paper Company when Pam found Michael cooking french toast in his apartment? She tried to convince him to get to work, the two got into a little disagreement, and Michael accidentally spilled egg all over his robed self. Then he leaned against the counter in defeat and announced, "I have egg in my Crocs."

Those six words were all Carell.

"I will say that Steve did improvise the line, 'I have egg in my Crocs.' It was very hard not to laugh, but it's true," Fischer revealed. "We couldn't get the egg to splash in the same way every time, so I could not laugh because this was a one-er. We would have to use a whole take. We couldn't cut between different takes, because the egg would be different."

"Oh, so much pressure," Kinsey replied, acknowledging how hard it is not to laugh when sharing a scene with Carell.

Though Fischer managed to keep a straight face while filming, upon rewatching the episode she thinks everyone can tell she's about to break.

"Do you look constipated or something?" Kinsey questioned.

"Yeah, I do. I look like — you can tell I'm like tensely holding in," Fischer replied.

The camera crew shot several takes of the egg-filled kitchen exchange between Michael and Pam, but in the end they decided to use the one with Carell's improv.

"We did do several takes of this, and it was a big reset every time because we would have to clean up all the eggs in the kitchen, we'd have to clean up all the eggs on Steve, [and] he would have to change his bathrobe," Fischer explained. "But this one was perfect. This was the time he improvised that line, and the egg just went everywhere. So I also knew as I was standing there, 'This is the one. Do not mess this up.'"

Via Giphy

Kinsey also pointed out that since Carell improvised the "eggs in my Crocs" line, the camera operator also had to improvise by panning the camera down to Michael's feet.

"That wouldn't have been planned, but it sells the joke," she said. "Such a great two-hander."

So there you have it, folks. Sometimes your favorite moments on The Office came together because of a little cast and crew improv.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast to hear more behind-the-scenes stories from filming "Dream Team" and check out our list of 15 stories all superfans of The Office need to read.

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

If you're a fan of The Office, you probably love the Apple TV+ comedy Ted Lasso, too.

Both shows are laugh-out-loud funny and have you rooting for hapless fictional characters, and if you look hard enough you may even see some parallels between Michael Scott and Ted Lasso.

On the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about Season 5 episode, "New Boss," and made some pretty on-point Ted Lasso comparisons. Turns out the two pals are huge fans of Jason Sudeikis's Emmy-winning comedy, and one Office scene in particular sparked their discussion.

Via Giphy

For those who need a refresher, "New Boss" features a very special guest star: Idris Elba. The actor and DJ plays Charles Miner, Michael's new boss. In an attempt to welcome Charles to the office, Michael prepares a breakfast of C-shaped bagels, which are just regular bagels with chunks cut out of them so they resemble the letter "C." (Of course, C stands for Charles.)

It's an extremely Michael move, but ask yourself: Would Ted Lasso do the same?

"I have to say, when I saw this, I thought this was a very Ted Lasso move. Couldn't you see Ted Lasso like making all the bagels into like a certain letter? Am I crazy?" Fischer asked.

"[Ted] and Beard doing something like this," Kinsey replied. "It's a Ted Lasso. I can see it."

"And this just got my brain sort of thinking about how there are actually a lot of things that Michael does that Ted Lasso also kind of does," Fischer continued.

"But he does it better and more appropriate," Kinsey laughed. "You guys, we're talking about the show Ted Lasso with Jason Sudeikis. Bill Lawrence executive produced the show — he's amazing."

"It just won a gazillion Emmys," Fischer, now in full fangirl mode, said before arguing her case a bit more.

"I was just watching an episode the other day where Ted Lasso is like riding a lawn mower with a guy. Couldn't you see Michael Scott doing that?" she asked.

"Michael and Dwight," Kinsey replied. 

Via Giphy

"I was seeing some parallels and it was kind of charming me. And I think also because I thought it was kind of cute that [Michael] made the bagels into a C," Fischer said.

"I did, too," Kinsey said before noting that Michael's build up for the bagels was a bit over the top.

"His presentation of it was so sad. It was just on a bunch of paper towels," Fischer noted. "Ted would have had them on a tray, and that would have made the difference."

"Yeah. And he's also Ted and not Michael. Anyway, we both love Ted Lasso, if you can't tell," Kinsey said.

"Clearly, we just like it," Fischer concluded.

What do you think Office and Ted Lasso fans? Do the two main men share some similarities?

Be sure to listen to the full podcast to hear more behind-the-scenes stories from filming "New Boss."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Grab your magnifying glass and get ready to investigate as Mashable uncovers Big/Little Mysteries.

True crime is one of the most popular genres ever. It's also going through a huge identity crisis.

In podcasting especially, the genre is almost exclusively made by women, for women (mostly). Many wildly popular true crime shows even claim to have lofty goals, of preparing folks so they don't become the next victim or of confronting the gender-based traumas of misogynistic violence.

But large swaths of the true crime community ignore the plethora of other systemic issues plaguing America's criminal justice system, namely when it's related to race. The stench of copaganda is all over this all-too-white phenomenon, as podcast hosts simultaneously try to camouflage victim exploitation as something honorable.

With each passing year — especially since the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 — the uglier parts of true crime have become harder to ignore. Enter Celisia Stanton: Wedding photographer, high school debate coach, prison abolitionist, and first-time podcaster.

Truer Crime, which Stanton launched in May, tackles the laundry list of ethical critiques lobbed at the genre — and then some. It covers some of the classic, popular true crime stories, like that of Darlie Routier (the mother convicted of murdering her two sons) and the Jonestown Massacre (with over 900 members of a predominantly Black civil rights group forced to poison themselves by their white leader Jim Jones). But you've never heard them told like this before. On top of that, the podcast even has a TikTok page that's helping to make TrueCrimeTok a less toxic, white-focused space.

In a genre with far too many false narratives, Stanton stands out by revealing the truth of crime in America and getting at the heart of those most victimized by systems that exacerbate the violence.

Editor's Note: This interview was edited for clarity and length.

Mashable: What inspired you to start making Truer Crime?

Celisia Stanton: A few things led me to become a podcaster, or more specifically a true crime podcaster.

One thing was living in Minneapolis. I don't live very far at all from where George Floyd was murdered. The uprisings over the summer of 2020 were obviously impactful to everyone globally, but it especially impacted the local community.

As a full-time wedding photographer, my social media presence was always a big part of the job. I was always told that, as an entrepreneur, you need to keep business and politics very separate. You don't want to run off potential clients and stakes are high when you don't have a guaranteed, regular paycheck.

But I always felt like my whole life was political — as a Black woman, raised by gay parents, living in the Midwest. And I'm a high school debate coach. So everybody who knows me in regular life knows I'm outspoken about my strongly held beliefs on social issues. There was this disconnect between my professional, sanitized persona on social media, and who I am in my personal interactions.

So when George Floyd was murdered, it was an opportunity to put my views out there publicly. A few of my posts online went viral at the time. I started gaining a following, going from about a thousand followers on Instagram to 40,000 in the span of a few months. It was an, uh, interesting situation that happened to multiple people then, when all eyes were on listening to Black folks. There's a lot to say about that moment of interest. But the overwhelmingly positive response to sharing my thoughts and views disproved this idea of not being able to talk about anything publicly.

Another big thing was that after the murder of George Floyd, during the pandemic in the fall of 2020, I was the victim of fraud from a financial adviser who was a Black man I really trusted and thought shared my values. I ended up talking to the FBI and discovered he'd defrauded about 25 clients of millions of dollars for frivolous things like a second million-dollar home, cruises, fancy jewelry. Black men aren't the typical perpetrators of financial crimes at all. So it was really life-altering. People don't think about financial crimes too significantly. We tend to focus on violent crimes, which are obviously awful. But this person stole multiple people's retirement savings. Financial crimes impact people in very tangible, long-term ways.

In the aftermath, I got pretty depressed. Then it was the holiday season, when no one's getting married in Minnesota, so I wasn't able to work. So I started filling that time with listening to lots of true crime while doing puzzles.

Out of all that — the mass consumption of George Floyd's murder, and my own experience as a crime victim — came the idea for my podcast I'd later start Truer Crime.

Mashable: Before making Truer Crime, what was your relationship to the true crime podcast phenomenon? Were you listening to the Crime Junkies and My Favorite Murders of the world? Or was that not your bag?

C.S: No, I definitely was.

Serial was the first podcast that got me into podcasts, which is true for a lot of people. My friend and I re-listened to the whole thing on a trip just so we could talk about it. I was interested in them as a social phenomenon. Then we listened to a bunch of My Favorite Murder. But I never consumed quite as much as I did during that pandemic holiday. It was basically all day.

Mashable: In general, what were some of your biggest criticisms of the typical approach to true crime? Like, what were its biggest harms that you saw as unethical practices?

It was wild because I'd just continue to pause whatever I was listening to and go off on my boyfriend about all my issues with it—and that ended up pushing me to create Truer Crime. After one of these rants, he was like, “Why don't you make a podcast that doesn't do all that?”

One of my main issues was that, as a crime victim who went through the criminal legal system, I had this experience that gave me a critical perspective that true crime podcasts were just missing.

So much true crime pretends to be victim-centered when it isn't. A lot of people seem to think that if you talk about how bad the perpetrator was and talk about how great the victim was and why they didn't deserve it, then it's victim-centered.

But it's also victim-centered to talk about the root causes of why and how these crimes occur, so you can help prevent this sort of thing from happening to future victims. In a real way, not in the way of scaring everybody about crimes that don't actually happen a lot. That's very reactive, and that reactivity is at the root of not only the problem with true crime media, but the criminal legal system itself.

The reason why I call it the criminal legal system is because, in the U.S., it's not actually about obtaining justice.

Then there's some true crime media that is just straight-up disrespectful. In general, true crime media produced by men felt way worse at making jokes — about the victim, even. In general, the blend of comedy in true crime is weird to me.

At the end of the day, everybody likes things that are problematic. It is what it is. I'm not saying you have to be ethically pure. But when we've used TikTok to promote the show and our critiques of true crime, it turned out a lot of people share them. But the comedy one gets pushback with people saying, "I like comedy with true crime because it helps take some of the horror away from it. It's easier for me to hear it, I'd be too uncomfortable otherwise." But for me, it's just like, well, yeah. It's supposed to be uncomfortable. These are people's real-life traumas.

One person commented about how a lot of people use humor as a coping mechanism, like when folks of color use side chatter and make jokes during a horror movie to feel better about the uncomfortable, horrific things on-screen — specifically if it has to do with race. But that's a fictional movie. It's also one thing to use humor to deal with your own trauma. I don't understand it as a coping mechanism for some stranger's trauma because you don't have to listen to true crime podcasts. You could cope by disengaging from it entirely.

Then there's that over fixation on crimes that are the least likely to happen.

Being the victim of a crime in general, especially of extremely violent crimes like the murders often covered by true crime media, is pretty rare. There are subsets of the population who are more likely to be victims of those violent crimes. But they're disproportionately Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other folks of color. Yet the primary focus of true crime media is white women.

If you listen to a lot of true crime, you start to believe in this distorted worldview that's not actually the reality. You start to feel like certain people are more likely to be criminals, and certain people are more likely to be victims, and it's not the truth.

The last major issue I had was how nobody ever talked about systems. The stories always seemed to end with, "Then they found the bad guy," or "we didn't find the bad guy, so if you know anything please contact agencies like the police or FBI or whatever so we can serve justice." Which is really wild to me.

If somebody is murdered, finding that perpetrator can sometimes bring the family peace. But I don't know that justice or relief can ever be given to relatives or close friends of the victim of something as violent as murder. There's so many other things at play there that we could address but we obsess over punishing the "bad guy." Never was there discussion about the ways in which the systems of society create the conditions for these crimes to happen, or the ways in which punishment of the perpetrators doesn't seem to prevent these events from happening over and over again.

Take policing. If you listen to any true crime podcast, every episode is like, "Oh well just by chance the police couldn't help — Isn't that so wild?" or "They botched this — isn't that messed up?" At what point does it stop becoming surprising every time and instead become a pattern of behavior actually embedded into the system? Is there something really wrong here that's worth interrogating more?

But it's always, "At the end of the day, even though the cops flubbed this one yet again, hopefully there's some good Samaritans out there or some good cops that'll save the day next time." Which just feels so naive — especially when it happens practically every other episode.

Mashable: I call it the girlboss-ification of true crime. It might be slightly better when women tell the narrative, but it's mostly white women like you said. As a white woman who isn't vulnerable to the injustices of America's legal system, even I feel a bit triggered by those calls to action. I can't imagine what someone who's vulnerable to police brutality and wrongful conviction feels when the hosts of Crime Junkie galvanize their Season of Justice charity for more genetic testing to help solve cold cases. Especially after listening to your episode that got into the flaws of genetic and DNA evidence.

How is Truer Crime course-correcting away from that white woman #girlboss approach to the genre?

C.S.: Yeah it is really wild to me, especially the example of DNA evidence you brought up, just knowing more about how often it's misused after researching the Josiah Sutton case.

So much of the problem with that type of true crime comes back to exploitation. That's a big thing for me and the show.

With the girlboss-ification that you're talking about: So often, they're searching for a purpose because they don't want to be "canceled" or problematic. So they'll say stuff like, "We care about the victims, it's about putting their stories out there" or "it's about making sure the same doesn't happen to you." That's a little disingenuous to me.

You all have that same exact mission, but nothing changes. Meanwhile, people are just becoming more desensitized to true crime stories, not even seeing victims as real people. At what point can we admit that's not an actual justification for what you're doing? Because what you're creating is just pure entertainment. And it's monetized, obviously.

That's where the exploitation comes in.

Some victims and families might not be happy having their stories covered by these podcasts. Exposure is important for some folks and families, like in unsolved cases, or to have their family member remembered. But it's even sadder to think about how that's their only option. You either have it covered this way, or not covered at all.

It's a hard thing, including for me, to continuously navigate, to toe that line of exploitation. On some level, all media is entertainment. I'm not gonna deny that my podcast is a piece of entertainment. It's just facts. But how do you make it a net positive for the world, instead of harmful to victims, family members, all that?

You make the real person the center of the stories.

Our first episode on Darlie Routier is one of those very popular true crime cases covered by everyone. So I wanted the challenge of finding something unique to share about it. I was astonished — got really upset, even going through all of the evidence myself and reading what her and her family had to say. There's so much left out to craft her narrative in a way that maximizes entertainment value, to make it a whodunit mystery, good for theories on her guilt or innocence.

But Darlie Routier is currently on death row right now, and she and her entire family have been claiming her innocence for about 25 years. You need to be extremely desensitized to the fact that she's an actual person, that her family members are real people, to the fact that her living son is a real person, to instead only care about swapping theories.

As much as possible, I don't want the people in these cases to just become yet another character in a true crime story. People say all the time that they binged all our episodes. And, OK, that's how people consume content. I did the same thing — like a lot. A couple of the hundreds of episodes I listened to stuck with me, but most didn't because of how coldly it's covered and the way I was consuming it.

I want every episode of Truer Crime to feel impactful.

With Darlie, there was this 911 call she makes the night her two older sons were killed, and it's super famous — a lot of true crime media plays that public access audio to speculate on her tone, what she says wrong, what she should've said, why she's guilty. But when I listened, it just sounded like the most terrible moment in somebody's — in a whole family's life.

I went back and forth on whether using the audio was an invasion of privacy. Long story short, I put a small bit in because it's a big part of her story, and her family and supporters are still trying to recapture the narrative about it to show people the true emotion behind how she sounded. Framing it that way felt like a more positive impact.

Mashable: Another major question hanging over these issues around true crime media is: Why aren't George Floyd or Breonna Taylor covered?

C.S.: Those [stories] get labeled political, social justice, or historical. And that's only because of people's framing of what true crime is. Overwhelmingly, true crime is when a white, pretty blonde woman gets murdered by a stranger.

And people are nervous to cover them. If you've already attracted an established audience over the years that's pretty pro-law enforcement, maybe more conservative in their thinking, not just politically but generally — that's a big risk. Even if your audience is a mix of people, since I believe all different types of people consume true crime. But George Floyd or Breonna Taylor could still potentially alienate lots of customers.

It's weird because we're in this phase after the Minneapolis uprising where it's like, "Oh shoot we have to be 'woke.'" So people are toeing the line by covering cases about Black people, but never a case of someone being murdered by police or anything flagged as political. Others are just scared to talk about these issues, especially since white folks are overwhelmingly the true crime media creators. They fear saying the wrong thing, being critiqued.

When people are critical of the true crime genre, their conclusion is usually that it just shouldn't be consumed. But first off: People aren't going to stop. It's by far one of the most popular podcast genres, with new documentaries and specials on Netflix, Hulu, all the platforms literally every other day. People are fascinated by it. And there's real reasons why: These are important stories.

History gets this special classification as important, while true crime is treated as more frivolous. But they're so often the same. People criticized our Tulsa Race Massacre episode on Truer Crime for being history. But it's also a true crime story, of crimes committed against Black folks in Tulsa. So those true crime stories speak to vital issues within our society.

One of the things that the murder of George Floyd drove home is how stories are crucial to catalyzing movements that inspire change. What happened to George Floyd had happened many times before. Yet it was this particular instance, this sort of perfect sequence of events that led to a global uprising and movement.

If one event can spark that level of outrage, then that means telling stories about injustice is crucial. For me, that means there's a high obligation to create true crime media that has a real purpose.

Mashable: Would you ever cover George Floyd and Breonna Taylor?

C.S.: I would never say no. But with everything I cover on the show, I want to make sure I have a unique perspective to offer in the telling of that story. With both being so recent, I think I would need more time to reflect.

We are already planning for Season 2 and Season 3, though, with crimes that are related to George Floyd. Not to his murder, but to the events that transpired.

Mashable: True Crime — especially podcasts — are largely seen as this guilty pleasure. But what do you think the genre can contribute to conversations about justice?

C.S.: From the beginning, my vision was not to be the social justice podcast. I wanted to be a true crime podcast. That's why we call it Truer Crime, because it gets to the core of what I'm trying to do: I don't want to be outside of the genre. I want to shift the genre.

These stories aren't just extremely important. They also have mass appeal. Tons of people are listening to it, especially women and femme folks. So meet folks exactly where they're at, where they're listening — specifically those who love true crime podcasts. With Truer Crime, I of course want people who are social justice-oriented, who are leftists, activists, abolitionists to listen and like it. But I also wanted people who were also maybe liberals, maybe pretty apolitical, even folks who are a bit more conservative to find something in the show too.

I want to create a show that doesn't feel like it's lecturing people, telling them what they should believe. Instead, I meet them with a format they're already familiar with, where I can provide evidence for what I say and believe, and why I question. It's a way for people to more comfortably engage with the difficulties around justice, the legal system, crime, criminality — all that.

True crime stories are important because they reveal so much more than just what's directly related to the criminal legal system. Every facet of society impacts the ways we punish people, be it sexism, racism, homophobia, whatever — these systems of how we interact with each other feed into it.

I believe that, if you just add something extra to the food people already love, it'll makes those ideas a lot more consumable.

Mashable: I love how you have a section at the end of each episode with action items to combat the issues you've raised or support the victims. Why was that important for you?

C.S.: When I was writing the show, Tamir Rice's mom was in the news. She spoke out condemning activists she felt had used her son's story for their own benefit and platform, without engaging with her or supporting her family and their community. I found many of her points valid. Even if those activists didn't feel that's what they were doing, or had a different opinion, or there were nuances to each person she called out — the argument she made was important.

For me, it opened up this question about who owns these stories? If you are the victim or a close family or friend, obviously that story is very personal to you. You feel a connection, a claim, certain ownership over it. But the problem is that stories take on a life of their own. To use Breonna Taylor or George Floyd as an example — their stories are still their families. But with George Floyd especially, they now have zero control over how their loved one's story is now global. Obviously George Floyd as an individual, his personality, who he was — that all still belongs to them. But the story of what happened to him also came to mean something to a lot of other people too. So how do you connect that?

If I'm going to tell these true crime stories, then I'm essentially doing exactly what Tamir Rice's mom critiqued activists for — unless I take special steps to ensure I'm always centering those most directly affected. Given that I'm just one person, it's not always possible for me to get in contact with the victims or family members. But we try a lot. So at the end of each episode, when the listener feels emotionally connected to these individuals and what happened to them, to their community — how can we direct that energy in a way that actually helps them?

With the Jonestown episode, I found all this information on the People's Temple with survivors' contact information. When I reached out, I didn't ask them for an interview, because they'd made plenty of primary sources available to me already.

What I asked instead was: Where would you like us to direct support? They weren't interested in having a conversation, but they did appreciate being asked that. Sometimes, victims' families don't want resources directed to them. In the case of Jonestown, one survivor wanted to write a book and support for that. Another wanted people to donate to the memorial and Black Lives Matter because, ultimately, the People's Temple was a racial justice organization. That's what it meant to many of the folks that were in it.

Adding that piece became a critical part of the story creation process. I found that as I reached out to people to figure out ways to direct support, the story often shifted too.

Mashable: On that note, what's the best way people can support the podcast?

C.S.: We have to be able to to gain some support financially for the show because it's very expensive, takes a lot of labor, we're a really small team, and I still have a full-time job. Patreon is the number one way to support it financially, with $5 a month getting you different behind-the-scenes and bonus content, like the uncut interview with Carol Batie, the mother of Josiah Sutton.

But the biggest thing that can be done to support the show is to listen and to share it with friends and family.

There's no better platform for getting as much organic reach without needing to spend any money than TikTok. The increase we've had in listeners since making ours is huge. It more than doubled our listens in three weeks, even while we're offseason, not even producing episodes weekly. We had fewer listeners then than do now, which is wild.

But in order to be a show that actually does its mission of shifting the genre — we need so many more people listening.

UPDATE: Oct. 18, 2021, 9:50 a.m. EDT An earlier version of this article included a transcription error that mistook the word "wild" for "vile." The misquote has been corrected.

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Fans of The Office know the show wouldn't be half as good without Dwight K. Schrute. And Dwight wouldn't be such a good character if he were played by anyone other than Rainn Wilson.

On the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted with Wilson about his time on the show, his new pet peacock (how NBC of him), the "Golden Ticket" episode in Season 5, and more.

The full conversation was a delight, but if you're looking for a rundown, here are four standout moments from the mini Office reunion.

1. How Rainn Wilson got cast on The Office

The Office Ladies hosts love to ask guests how they got involved with the beloved workplace comedy, and Wilson had quite the tale to tell. He was all set to work on a Janeane Garofalo show called Slice o' Life, but after it was canceled post-pilot table read, he asked to audition for The Office.

"I called my agent. I was like, 'I'd really like to audition for [The] Office.' And I was the first person to audition on the very first day," he shared. "Allison Jones, the casting director, kind of knew me from Six Feet Under and some other things. I was so excited. And I auditioned for both Dwight and Michael on that first day."

"[Jones] keeps threatening to release my Michael Scott audition. It is truly terrible because I just did a Ricky Gervais impersonation. I didn't know what else to do, so I was kind of pulling on my tie a lot," Wilson explained. "But Dwight I knew. I was like, 'This is completely in my wheelhouse. I know exactly who this person is. This guy is in my DNA. I have cousins who are really not that different from Dwight Schrute.' And the rest is history."

Wilson recalled being paired with Fischer during screen tests, and the two shared how much admiration they had for each other during that early interview process.

2. The joy of working with Steve Carell

As Kinsey explained, Wilson had the remarkable experience of being part of a comedy duo with Steve Carell for years. When asked what it was like to work with the man behind Michael Scott, Wilson had only wonderful things to say about his former on-screen boss. 

"Let me just say that, you know, when I look back on that work with Steve, I'm just so grateful because he's obviously like one of the greatest actors — comedy actors, but even just actors like ever. And the fact that I got to do so much work with him was just such a gift," Wilson said.

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Unlike Carell, Wilson didn't come from an improv background, but he said he loved when the two would play around with scenes on set.

"...Steve was incredible at that, no matter what I did — and I sometimes I would try to go really out of the box. Steve would completely react in character and accept what was being proposed," Wilson said. "I mean, we would do the script. We would shoot the script and make sure we got it scripted correctly. and then we would improvise."

Wilson learned a lot from the improv process on set, and he explained that Carell always encouraged out-of-the-box behavior.

"He never got kind of like, 'God damn it, Rainn, why are you being so weird and so silly? Stay on the point of the scene.' We can go way off kilter, you know, way off the path. And he would just be right there all the time. It was really a privilege to work with him," Wilson said.

3. What Rainn Wilson took from The Office set

Another popular question on the podcast is "What did you take from set?" And for Wilson, the answer was essentially not nearly as many things as he'd wished he'd taken.

"Oh, this breaks my heart. I should have taken so much more, I should have fleeced NBC Universal," he said. "I took Dwight's glasses, I took his little desk plate that said Dwight Schrute on it. I took his stapler. And one or two other things I can't quite remember, I have to look around and see, but I had a whole list of things I gave to Phil Shea [prop master], and I said, 'Phil, pull these aside for me and I'll get them from you later. And it was Dwight's briefcase, and this, and that, and the other thing, and blah, blah, blah.'"

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Sadly, Wilson didn't end up getting the items on his list and said he heard that crew members were threatened and told they'd be fired and never work for NBC Universal again if they were caught trying to swipe any Office props from set. Yikes.

Wilson didn't even get Dwight's original desk bobblehead. Can you believe?

"I got one of the rejected bobbleheads that doesn't look anything like the bobblehead. I did not get my original bobblehead," he said.

4. Breaking character with John Krasinski

As faithful Office Ladies listeners and Mashable readers know, cast members of The Office were constantly breaking character on set. Before he hopped off the podcast, Wilson recalled that he and John Krasinski had a particularly hard time getting through the "Golden Ticket" cold open without catching the giggles.

"…God, what a what an amazing pleasure it was watching 'Golden Ticket' again. That's really that cold open too, the KGB and the knock knock jokes, it was so good. There's so many classic Office moments throughout it,” he said.

"People always ask, like, 'How do you keep a straight face?' It's like, I didn't keep a straight face," he continued. "I just laughed all the time, especially John and I. We would just make each other laugh. We could look at each other's eyes and know a laugh was coming," Wilson revealed. "...I am certain that especially that little last section when John was like doing the KGB — I'm sure I was crying with laughter and we had to cut, you know, at least a dozen times."

SEE ALSO: 9 of the best travel coffee mugs for your daily caffeine fix

Never forget that Wilson and Krasinski once shared a scene so funny that it shut down production for 20 minutes. Iconic.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast to hear all of Wilson's comments and learn more behind-the-scenes stories from filming "Golden Ticket."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

There's one thing fans of The Office repeatedly hear from people who've worked on the show: Steve Carell is freakin' great.

Carell's former colleagues have gushed about his talent, professionalism, and respectful nature many times before — both on the Office Ladies podcast and in The Office (The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History) book — and we have another positive anecdote to add to the collection.

On the latest episode of Office Ladies, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 5 episode, "Blood Drive." They also spoke with Katie Aselton who played "Glove Girl" aka the woman who had a meet cute with Michael during the blood drive. In addition to sharing thoughts on her character and time the show, Aselton gave listeners an utterly delightful Carell anecdote.

"I didn't do any research for this role, but I didn't need to because my character was just nervous and pleasant, and I didn't have to dig super deep to access those emotions," Aselton said. "I do have a very funny anecdote about being nervous — or my character being nervous. It's that my first line was me just laughing nervously and saying, 'I'm so sorry, I'm so nervous.' And Steve kept cutting, and he would be like, 'Oh no, it's OK. We'll go again. We'll go again.' And finally, I was just like, 'I think it's my line. I think that's what I'm supposed to say.' But that has always made me laugh."

SEE ALSO: The Best TV soundbars

"I love that story about Steve," Fischer said, "because he was such a caretaker like that. He would want our guest actors to feel really comfortable."

Aselton also shared she was "over the moon" because she got to work with Steve, though she wishes her character had the chance to return for additional episodes.

"Oh, man, you guys. So here is the thing about my experience is that when I auditioned, it was with the caveat that it was a possible recurring character," Aselton explained. "And so all I wanted was to perform well and to impress and to be asked back. And it didn't happen. It didn't happen. And I'm sure they had their creative reasons, but oh boy, I wanted nothing more. But I'm happy with the time I got, that's for sure."

Fischer and Kinsey discussed how fans of the show were very excited by the possibility of a Michael and Glove Girl romance after the episode aired, but ultimately the writers decided to keep Michael single a bit longer.

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"It was not because we were not completely charmed by Katie and her performance," Fischer said. "...They were toying with this idea. But really, it was just for Michael to feel like he could connect with someone again. But ultimately, they're going to keep him on this trajectory toward Holly."

Because of Glove Girl, however, Fischer said she thinks Michael felt a little less broken. :')

Be sure to listen to the full podcast to learn more delightful behind-the-scenes stories from filming "Blood Drive."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

It is your birthday.

Those four words, plus a pathetic display of neutral-colored decorations, set the scene for one of the biggest laughing fits on The Office set.

On the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the cast breaking in the Season 5 episode, "Lecture Circuit: Part 1." Well, not the entire cast. It was mostly Mindy Kaling, Rainn Wilson, and John Krasinski who couldn't get through their lines.

For those who need a refresher, the two-part episode finds Dwight and Jim taking over as heads of the Party Planning Committee and committing a grave offense. They forget Kelly's birthday.

In an effort to make it up to her the two men confronted Kelly, which didn't go well for the characters or the actors.

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"Jim and Dwight are... going to try to apologize to Kelly. They want to make it up to her, and she does this great passive aggressive thing that we know she doesn't mean where she says, 'You know what? All I want is for this to never happen to another person,' Fischer explained.

"They barely got through this scene," Kinsey said. "I don't know how they got a useful take, and then they continue breaking throughout the whole rest of the script."

The hosts played some of the bloopers out loud and Fischer explained, "I can tell from listening to John laugh that he's crying and he's bent over."

Fischer went on to share that one of the hardest times she ever laughed on set was during a scene with Kaling and Wison, because "when you put Mindy and Rainn together nobody is in control. The two of them are a mess, they're the hardest people to do scenes with, they laugh the most…"

The three eventually got a useable apology take, but filming the conference room decoration scene proved to be even tougher for Wilson and Krasinski.

Picture it: Dwight has decorated the conference room for Kelly’s belated birthday party. He's scattered partially-inflated brown, silver, and gray balloons and attached pitiful-looking streamers to the ceiling with masking tape. A banner on the wall simply reads, "IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY." Jim enters the room and Angela Martin stands outside to keep a watchful eye on the decorating disaster.

According to Fischer and Kinsey, this was one of the funniest scenes in Office history to film.

"So I watched theses two grown men disintegrate into tears of laughter. I don't know how, again, we got any useable footage. They laughed so hard Jenna, we had to pause," Kinsey explained.

She then proceeded to read the following passages from Wilson's book, The Bassoon King:

The longest inappropriate laughter was doing the episode 'Lecture Circuit' when Dwight and Jim are put in charge of the Party Planning Committee and Dwight hangs tiny brown and gray balloons and a banner that reads 'It is your birthday.'

John and I literally could not stop laughing. We laughed until we cried. Production needed to be shut down for a 20 minute break while we gathered ourselves and then we returned to film the scene.

"Just the way John picks up the sad balloon from the conference room table, I don’t know how they spoke after that," Fischer said.

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Since Kinsey had observed the laugh fest firsthand, she shared which part of the scene really caused the actors to crumble.

"I want to tell you, the part I remember them laughing at is Dwight says 'Are you trying to hurt my feelings?' and he throws the balloon, but it didn't have enough weight to travel in the air and so the balloon with the sad streamer attached just kind of [falls] in the air. He was trying to throw it at John and it just didn’t travel," she said. "You can see Rainn starting to break, because I think he broke every time."

Be sure to rewatch the episode and keep an eye out for Kaling, Krasinski, and Wilson breaking. And listen to the full podcast to learn more delightful behind-the-scenes stories from filming "Lecture Circuit: Part 1."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Remember when Jack Black, Jessica Alba, and absolute legend Cloris Leachman were on The Office?

The three didn't interact with any Dunder Mifflin employees on screen, but they did star in Mrs. Albert Hannaday, a chaotic (fictional) film that Jim, Pam, and Andy watched together in the break room.

Turns out the star-studded fake film almost featured another other big name, too. But several stars, including Zac Efron, reportedly turned down the role.

On the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey continued to chat about the Season 5 episode, "Stress Relief," which needed to be extra good because it had the post-Super Bowl slot in 2009. We already learned behind-the-scenes details about the fire drill cold open and the hilarious CPR scene, but this time the podcast hosts dished on Mrs. Albert Hannaday, unpacked the film's surprise twist ending, and revealed which stars were almost cast in the film.

For those who need a refresher, Mrs. Albert Hannaday was a deeply strange film that kicked off with Sophie (Alba) introducing her boyfriend Sam (Black) to her grandmother, Lily (Leachman). Sam eventually fell in love with Lily, but the film ended with her making out with another young man and breaking Sam's heart. Rough stuff.

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As revealed on the podcast, the young man kissing Leachman (who died at age 94 in January 2021) at the end of the film was Nate Federman, a writer's assistant on The Office. Kinsey and Fischer reached out to Federman to learn how he'd been cast in the role, and boy is it a story.

"I was one of the writer's assistants on 'Stress Relief; and I got to make out with Cloris Leachman," Federman began. "This is my story."

"Originally, my part was supposed to be for Zac Efron and there were actual lines, but he turned it down and so did Corbin Bleu and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. And the day before it was supposed to shoot, they hadn't cast it and all the lines had been cut. And they really just needed somebody who was young looking to make out with Cloris Leachman," he explained. "They didn't have to be handsome or famous. So enter me. Paul Lieberstein and Jeff Blitz, who is directing the episode, pulled me aside at work and asked me if I was interested in doing the part. And I'm not an actor. The last time I performed was in fifth grade. I was Motel the tailor in Fiddler on the Roof, and I froze in the middle of ['Miracle of Miracles'] and the audience laughed at me and it was scarring. But I was really excited to earn five hundred bucks and residuals. So I said, 'Sure, I'll do it.'"

"At the time I was so terrified of letting the show down. It was working with all these incredible actors and actresses who actually knew what they were doing, and I just didn't want to screw things up for everybody," Federman continued. "So I went home that night and I told my girlfriend, now my wife, about what I was going to have to do. And I was really scared."

After practicing all night, Federman went to set the next morning and met Leachman.

"I'm in hair and makeup and they're doing my hair, and all of a sudden I feel these hands running through my hair and I hear this voice go, 'I hear that you and I are going to be doing some kissing later.' And I turn around and it's Cloris Leachman and she's smiling at me. And I'm like, 'Yeah, we're going to be doing the scene together.'"

Federman rode to set with Leachman, Black, and Alba, it then it was time for the big kissing scene.

"We're positioned on the couch and [Leachman is] sitting on my lap and I have my arms around her and we're talking and it's very pleasant and she's very nice and she's telling me about her children," he said. "But then right before we do the actual take, she gets real serious. You know, she's getting into character and she looks me in the eye and I'll never forget this. She goes, 'When they call action, I want you to grab my ass and really get up in the crack.' So when they called action, I grabbed her ass and I really got up in that crack. And we did the scene. We shot it many times. They had to get it from a lot of different angles. So we ended up making out quite a bit."

"She did say a variety of other pretty raunchy things. She's an expert at dirty talk, but it was an amazing experience," Federman said. "And I'm incredibly grateful that my five seconds of fame were spent with an absolute legend like Cloris Leachman. And it's something that I always get a kick out of when I get to tell people."

"I mean, what an amazing story," Kinsey said.

"Amazing. 'Hey, Nate. Zac Efron isn't available. What are you doing tomorrow? Can you do something for me real quick?... It's just that scene where you make out with Cloris Leachman'" Fischer joked. No big deal!

Be sure to listen to the full podcast to learn more delightful behind-the-scenes stories from filming "Stress Relief: Part 2."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Stanley Hudson is stayin' alive, people.

In the memorable cold open of the Season 5 episode, "Stress Relief," fans saw how Dwight's fake fire drill led to Stanley's collapse. But after the smoke cleared and Stanley returned to work, Michael made it his mission to ensure if Stanley was ever in need of medical assistance again his co-workers could assist.

How? They all had to attend CPR training, which led to one of the funniest scenes in the history of the show.

On the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey unpacked that glorious CPR scene, which featured a trainer (played by Robin Lynch), a CPR dummy, and an impromptu sing/dance along to "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees.

Here are some glorious tidbits you may not know about the beloved "Stress Relief" CPR scene:

The amazing CPR trainer

"I reached out to Allison Jones [Office casting director] and she said she found Robin through just a general casting call, and that Robin was by far the best person that they saw for the role," Fischer said.

"She just plays it so perfectly straight. She's there to teach CPR. This office goes off the rails and she just tries to stay the course," Kinsey added, explaining she tried to slide into Lynch's Instagram DMs to chat but never heard back.

Pitching a fake CPR scene that helped save real lives

A fan wrote in to ask Fischer and Kinsey if any part of the hilarious scene was improvised, and Fischer said, "No, guys. This whole thing, all the singing, the dancing, it was all scripted. And we followed this scene pretty much as written."

She then explained she found out who pitched the idea: writer Jen Celotta.

"This whole 'Staying Alive' CPR idea came from her. She said that she had heard it was true. She looked it up and cross checked it. She said she cross checked it again because she didn't want to put it on TV unless it was true," Fischer said.

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"And then she shared with me that before The Office she had been a writer's assistant on Home Improvement and that the writers had done an episode where the Jonathan Taylor Thomas' character found a lump on his throat. And it turned out that it was a thyroid issue in the episode. And Jen said that she was later in charge of opening the mail. And they got letters from all of these families that said after watching that episode, it helped save their children's lives because their children had thyroid lumps. And because of the episode, they got it checked out," Fishcer continued.

Since the "Stress Relief" episode aired, there have been reports of people who used CPR skills learned from The Office to save lives.

Dwight vs. the dummy

The scene is all fun and games until Dwight takes things too far and cut's the face off of the CPR dummy and wears it as a mask.

"I know for sure Rainn really did cut into it because we watched him do it," Kinsey said.

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"Randy [Cordray, line producer] said we used three CPR mannequins in total," Fischer added. "Now, in a minute, David Wallace is going to say that they cost thirty five hundred dollars each. But Randy said that was a little exaggerated. He said there are some top-end dummies that come with very sophisticated features like articulating heads and heartbeat simulators. Those cost, at the time, around $1,000 dollars each. But we used one that cost about $750 each."

That may seem like a lot of money, but it's nothing compared to the $12,000 fake cat that Angela tossed into the ceiling during the cold open.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast to learn more delightful behind-the-scenes stories from filming "Stress Relief: Part 1."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

OK it's happening. Everybody stay calm!

After more than 80 episodes, the Office Ladies podcast finally reached the two-part Season 5 episode, "Stress Relief." In a laugh-packed retelling, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about what Kinsey refers to as the "the cold open to end cold opens": Dwight's chaotic fire drill that leads to Stanley's heart attack.

Before we break down the cold open that Kinsey once told Mashable was her favorite opening of the entire series, let's run through a few facts about the episode, which was written by Paul Lieberstein and directed by Jeff Blitz.

Fans who watched the live in 2009 may recall that "Stress Relief" received the coveted post-Super Bowl slot. It was the most viewed Office episode ever (a whopping 22.9 million people tuned in) and Kinsey and Fischer revealed a ton of planning went into the story. The special slot meant that pressure was on from the network. Everyone knew they didn't just need a quality episode, but something that could appeal to fans and first-time viewers alike. And perhaps most importantly, they needed a captivating intro.

"So Greg had this idea: What if an office weirdo who wanted people to listen to his safety ideas actually caused a fire emergency? He was like, 'You don't have to know who's who, it has a lot of energy, and a lot of physical comedy," Fischer said.

That's how the idea for the "Stress Relief" cold open was born. Now buckle in to learn how the masterful, sidesplitting scene came together.

The planning

Kinsey and Fischer chatted with line producer Randy Cordray who explained they had several planning sessions with all the department heads prior to filming the cold open.

"We had our director Jeff Blitz, cinematographer Randall Einhorn — they had to walk through this whole dance that we did with the camera stunts, animal trainers, script supervisor, Veda [Semarne] like tracking the continuity. And then our rock star first [assistant director], Kelly Cantley, she then broke it down into smaller moments," Kinsey said.

"Dean Holland, our editor who edited this sequence, told me he was also brought in on those planning sessions. He said he got so much footage, but that it was actually really, really well organized and pretty easy to edit because they planned so well," Fischer added.

The cold open alone took the entirety of Dec. 11, 2008 to film, and it was shot out of order for safety reasons.

Dwight kicking things off with a blow torch

Both Fischer and Kinsey recalled the cast and crew had to attend a bunch of safety meeting before filming. I guess all that prep made sense, since they did things like hand Rainn Wilson a real blow torch and lit cigarette.

For anyone wondering, Rainn really did start some fires in this episode.

"It was a real live blow torch. It was not a CGI flame," Wilson told the podcast. "They had a lot of safety officers there — you know, a fire marshal is there and a special effects coordinator. And the [door] handles actually did get very hot. You know, nowadays they'd probably do CGI and maybe even make the door handle a little red with the CGI. But that was all completely real."

"It was an actual cigarette that I smoked and lit and I threw it in the garbage can with the paper," Wilson continued. "But I think they, like, ran in the second that camera panned away and tossed in some water and put it out."

The menacing fire fans see in the trash can was created using special effects, as was the smoke that billowed through the door and filled the room.

Via Giphy

Accidentally running over a camera man

Back in 2020, Kinsey told Mashable one of her favorite things about the "Stress Relief" cold open was that the cast accidentally knocked down camera operator Randall Einhorn.

"I remember when I was running backwards through the break room and Brian Baumgartner, who plays Kevin, was running at me because he's frantically trying to get out of there. And he just kept running and running and gaining on me and gaining on me. And I'm running backwards with the camera. And he just got so close," Einhorn told the podcast. "And I think he hit me and I hit the ground. I went down. But my camera assist, Chris Workman, who's a really strong guy, just caught me [and the camera] with one arm and put me back on my feet."

Baumgartner, who led the pack into Einhorn that day, also weighed in.

"I mean, look, I had people running behind me, OK? So I had to run over whatever was in front of me or I would have gotten run over myself," Baumgartner said. "...Like the pro that you are, well, you just kept filming. I'm so happy that it made it into the cut."

"Save Bandit!"

While the "Stress Relief" cold open has a number of perfect components, it's nothing without Angela screaming "Save Bandit!" and tossing her cat into the ceiling.

"'Save Bandit' was the last thing on our call sheet for the day, all the rest of us had gone home. I know they did this because it was so complicated. They wanted you to have the set to yourself," Fischer said.

Kinsey confirmed and shared the details behind her real cat training, a fake cat, her stunt double, and a ceiling trick. (If any diehard "Save Bandit!" fans are reading this, we urge you to listen to the episode for the full, delightful story.)

"Jeff Blitz fought really hard to have the moment where the cat goes up in the ceiling and then out a different part of the ceiling. That was the thing he fought for. He said to do this, though, it would involve a pair of matching cats and two trainers in the ceiling, one to catch Bandit one and one to drop Bandit two through a different ceiling panel," Kinsey explained.

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Ultimately, they couldn't toss the stunt cat into the ceiling, so they brought in a $12,000 creepy fake cat (NBD!) for Angela to toss up, and then in the rafters a trainer gently released the real cat onto her desk a few feet below. 

For those worried about the real cat's safety, Kinsey shared that Cordray went a step further and got a giant inflatable airbag to catch the falling cat.

"It was fine. The cat wasn't traumatized at all," Kinsey said. "They hid this airbag in the corner of my accounting desk with like papers and stuff. But there was a cat airbag on my desk, OK? And the ceiling panel had breakaway foam rubber. So it was all very cushy cushy."

Save Oscar, too!

Bandit wasn't the only one in the ceiling during that fire drill. Remember Oscar hopped up there to escape? That was a real production.

"Randy told us that that part of the stunt — getting Oscar up into the ceiling — was the other most challenging part because there was nothing to climb..." Fischer said. "...So he said in the weeks prior to filming this, our production designer Michael Gallenberg and construction coordinator Tim James had to completely reengineer the ceiling."

"And it had to be enough to support not just Oscar, but all of the stunt personnel. He said on the day there were two stunt coordinators, the animal people, Oscar, Oscar's stunt double, and an NBC Universal Safety Coordinator all up in the ceiling," Fischer continued.

For those wondering if Oscar Nunez, who played Oscar Martinez on the show, did his own scene work, the answer is yes and no.

"I had a stuntman... He was he was I think it was from Morocco. He was from Cirque du Soleil," Nunez said, explaining he did half of the stunt and his stunt double "did the really hard part."

"It was a very funny scene — very complicated. I remember in one of the shots I made Steve laugh because one of the ways that I was coming down from the roof... They had a big a bar up there and it lowered me slowly through the hole. And that was a funny way to come down. And when I made eye contact with Steve, just hanging there with a straight face, of course, he laughed," Nunez said. "Then they figured out another way to bring me down, which was the leap down."

"If Steve broke, you know, it looked ridiculous," Kinsey said.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast to learn more delightful behind-the-scenes stories from filming "Stress Relief: Part 1."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

A good food podcast can feel like a sous chef by your side, ready to help in the kitchen or keep you entertained during a long commute.

We've rounded up the 10 best podcasts to listen to if you love cooking. One list could never possibly capture the full breadth of the food podcast genre, so take this with... a grain of salt. But what you'll find here are shows selected for their capacity to inform, inspire, and challenge.

1. The Splendid Table

Starting out as a public radio program all the way back in 1997, The Splendid Table is the OG of food podcasts. Every week, host Francis Lam digs into the topic of food as it intersects with culture, sustainability, history, and pretty much anything else.

Explore the intersection of food and everything else with Francis Lam Credit: the splendid table

2. Home Cooking

Co-hosts Hrishikesh Hirway and Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat started the podcast to guide people on what to cook during the lockdown. Episodes featured recipes built around pantry staples that people undoubtedly panic-bought in bulk. Although it started as a way to soothe listeners during a dark time, the content of each episode is timeless.

Learn to elevate pantry staples with Home Cooking Credit: home cooking

3. The Sporkful

The show's tagline says it all: "It's not for foodies. It's for eaters," and its relatable and humorous approach to the food world has won The Sporkful numerous accolades, including a James Beard Award. Thanks to the show, we now know answers to questions like why actors never really eat in movies and whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich (actually, that one is still up for debate.)

4. Recipe Club

Each episode, chef Dave Chang and Chris Ying choose a dish or ingredient, cook it using three different recipes and discuss. The format is irresistibly catchy, but the show really shines because of Chang, Ying, and their guests' entertaining commentary and impressive food knowledge.

One dish, three different ways in the Recipe Club Credit: the Ringer

5. Gravy

Created by the Southern Foodways Alliance, Gravy is a podcast that explores the history and evolution of food culture in the American South. From Georgia peach farmers adapting to climate change, to the African diaspora's influence on southern cuisine, each episode of Gravy shows the south's unique intersection of race, religion, culture, and climate.

6. Christopher Kimball's Milk Street Radio

Produced by Boston's public radio station, WGBH, Milk Street Radio is all about seeking answers. Whether it's taking listener questions about cooking that range from common to complicated, or interviewing world-renowned chefs and experts, this informative podcast will always leave you with new knowledge to digest.

Christopher Kimball answers any and all culinary questions Credit: Milk Street

7. Toasted Sister

Toasted Sister podcast is about much more than just indigenous cuisine. With food as its anchor, Andi Murphy, who is a member of the Navajo Nation, presents something new each episode — like the history of Thanksgiving, or an interview with Native American owners of a craft brewery. With this wide-ranging approach, it illuminates the past, present, and future of Native American cultures.

8. Green Eggs and Dan

Comedian and self-described "amateur chef" Dan Ahdoot is all about bringing the way we talk about food down to earth. Through interviews with celebrity guests in which nothing is too small or esoteric — topics include what's in their fridge, and which supermarket hummus is the best — Ahdoot reminds us that food truly is the great equalizer.

Find out what's in celebrities' fridges with Dan Ahdoot Credit: the podglomerate

9. Gastropod

Ever wondered about the origin of the bouillon cube? What's the connection between glass bakeware and child labor? Co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley delve into the fascinating answers behind these questions and more on their quest to explain "food through the lens of science and history."

10. Tanya's Table

Top Chef alum Tanya Holland, brings her star power, over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, and passion for French and southern cuisine to the proverbial table. Holland's guests come from all walks of life — chefs, athletes, activists, artists, etc. but each has a unique connection to food and a story worth telling.

Join Top Chef alum Tanya Holland at the table Credit: muddhouse media

The "Prince Family Paper" episode of The Office proves that not all of Jim Halpert's pranks got the praise they deserved.

In the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 5 episode, which kicks off with Dwight finding a new, mysterious red wire hooked up to his computer.

Dwight, who becomes deeply concerned after noticing no other office computers have similar wires, attempts to follow the wire's trail and locate its source. He makes his way around the office, through the building, and across the parking lot, while it's revealed in a talking head that Jim bought 500 feet of wire for $20 at a flea market and planted it as a prank.

While Jim's explaining his great deal on the wire to the cameras, we see Dwight outside, still following the wire and scaling a telephone pole.

"Oh. He'll be fine. I made it up there," Jim says. That's dedication.

As far as all time great Jim pranks go, the red wire prank is low on the list. But perhaps it's time to reevaluate. I mean, he taped 500 feet of wire and then scaled a telephone pole? That's some serious effort. Not to mention, the scene took quite a bit of work to shoot.

"I reached out to Randy [Cordray, line producer] to find out how we did this stunt of Rainn up on this telephone pole," Fischer said.

"Right. He can't climb a telephone pole. That's not safe," Kinsey said about Wilson. (Readers: Don't be like Dwight. Please do not climb telephone poles, it's very dangerous!)

"No, because what [Cordray] told me was that the pole over Jim's shoulder really is an actual working utility pole that's embedded in our sidewalk. You know, right out there," Fischer said. "It carried high voltage electricity. They couldn't even have a stunt person dressed as Dwight climb that pole. So our production designer, Michael Gallenberg, and his construction team rented a matching utility pole. You can do that, I guess." 

"I mean, seriously, how do they know these things? This is the crazy part of Hollywood magic," Kinsey said. "'Oh, you know what I'm going to do today? I'm going to rent a fakey telephone pole.' That's huge!"

"Huge. Well, they put it up in our parking lot between the two sound stages, and they put like a green padded platform around it [to catch people who fell]" Fischer said. "And they put up a big green screen behind the whole thing. And then they brought Rainn out along with like a stunt coordinator and a safety officer, and they had Rainn climb up. It was only a few feet that he had to climb. And then in post-production, they had their visual effects team digitally add Rainn to the real pole over Jim's shoulder."

Damn. What a process.

"Even though Rainn was really only a little bit off the ground, they could, like, hike it up so it looked like he was like halfway up the pole," Fischer said. "Yeah, that's movie magic, folks."

"That is some good movie magic," Kinsey replied.

"But here's the thing that gets me about that," Fischer continued. "That's like real special effects, kind of like stunty stuff for our little TV show about a paper company. Like I never really thought hard about how much work it took to do that gag until we went to break it down. Right? Like, it's such a quick little blip. And you're like that was like two weeks of figuring that out."

"I feel like every week we are learning how much Michael Gallenberg, Kyle Alexander, Phil Shea, our wardrobe department and set designers, how they all made these little moments happen and made it seamless," Kinsey said. "It's amazing." 

Be sure to listen to the full podcast to learn more behind-the-scenes stories from filming "Prince Family Paper."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

So, you've decided to get into podcasting but aren't quite sure where to start.

You'll need a microphone and a pair of headphones, but what else? Obviously, there's software you need, but what?

That's where this list will come in handy. As a long-time podcaster, I've used dozens of apps over the years. Knowing how difficult it can be just get started, I've tried to mostly include free-to-use software.

Here's what every podcast beginner needs to kickstart their show:

Audacity

So, you're starting your podcast. First things first: you need an app to record your audio.

Enter Audacity, a free, open-source audio recording and editing software.

The Audacity UI Credit: SCREENSHOT: Audacity

Audacity is easily one of the industry standard podcast creation tools. Yes, even though it's free, many professional podcasters use it. While there are more advanced things you can do with the app if you're an experienced audio producer, it's also extremely simple and straightforward for the basics. Simply connect your microphone – if you're beginning it's likely going to be a USB mic – and select the model from the drop-down menu. Start a new track and click record. Podcasters can also drag and drop audio files right into the app and do all of the podcast creation right there.

While expensive software like ProTools and Logic are great for recording and editing, Audacity has all the tools needed to record a podcast, and best of all it is free.

Skype or Zoom

If you're looking to record a show with a guest, you can't go wrong with using a service like Skype or Zoom. While Zoom does have a time limit for free chats, Skype is free regardless of call length as long as you're calling another Skype user and not a landline or mobile number.

Make your call, hit record, have your conversation, and then drag the file right into Audacity for editing.

Ecamm Skype Recorder

However, if you'd like to up your audio quality with an easy-to-use, one-time purchase ($39.95 Mac app, I highly recommend buying Ecamm Skype Recorder.

What does it do? It'll record up to four users on a call, but with each on a separate audio track. This makes audio editing and other post-production work, like fixing sound levels and background noise for one particular guest, a breeze.

Anchor

Once your podcast show is edited and exported, you're going to need to upload it so people can find it.

There are quite a number of podcast hosting services online: Libsyn, Buzzsprout, Simplecast, Podbean...the list goes on. These are all monthly subscription services.

You need one of these platforms not just to host your new episodes, but also to continue hosting your archive of podcast episodes. These podcast services basically ensure the entire library of your show — new and old — are available online. Each has their own positives and negatives. I highly recommend looking into one yourself as there's really no one-size-fits-all solution here for everyone.

Use Anchor.FM to host your podcast for free. Credit: Anchor

However, if you're just starting out and don't want to put any financial commitment into your new endeavor quite yet, Anchor is a good option. It's owned by Spotify and absolutely free. You can create your entire podcast within the platform and skip all the above apps if you want something extremely simple with limited options. But, even if you don't edit on the platform, you can still just host your podcast through Anchor. The service also provides a simple distribution feature that automatically puts your show on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and other popular podcast directories.

Forecast

This free little Mac app is by Overcast, a popular iOS podcast player. Forecast takes your uncompressed audio file that you export from your audio editor, such as a .WAV file, and encodes it into a smaller .MP3 file.

The free Forecast by Overcast app for Mac. Credit: overcast

In addition, it is ridiculously easy to add metadata to your audio file, such as podcast title, show title, and description via Forecast. The app also allows you to add chapter markers to timecodes within the file, making it easy for your listeners to find specific content within the show. As an added bonus, Forecast will also let you know where there are large gaps of silence within your podcast.

RateThisPodcast

The newest app on this list is easily RateThisPodcast. Getting listeners to review your podcast on different directories such as Apple Podcasts and Podchaser are actually pretty important in growing your subscription base. These directories often use a combination of downloads and positive reviews (as well as other data) to rank your podcast on listeners' charts as well as make recommendations to other users.

RateThisPodcast makes it easy for listeners to find where to review your show. Credit: RateThisPodcast

RateThisPodcast makes asking listeners to leave a review a breeze. Simply sign up – there's a limited free tier – and RateThisPodcast will automatically create a page with links to your podcast on various podcast directories. The service will even let you know via an email notification when someone leaves a new review for your podcast on one of the directories.

Patreon or Ko-fi

Listen, I know you've just started your podcast, but have you considered monetizing it from the get-go? If you don't already have a built-in following, you're not going to get rich, but you might have a handful of early fans who want to support your show. Making some side income is certainly a pretty big incentive to keep podcasting on a regular basis.

Patreon is a great platform if you're looking to sign up members with a recurring monthly fee. The platform makes providing paying subscribers with bonus material very easy. You simply upload an exclusive audio file and choose what subscriber tier(s) to "unlock" it for. Then, only those users can listen to or download the file.

Ko-fi is another option. While the platform now also provides Patreon-like features, where it really stands out is how it started: A place where listeners can quickly and easily make a one-time donation to their favorite creators if they're not looking to sign up for a recurring subscription.

Headliner

You're going to want to promote your new podcast, right? Headliner is the app to use to do just that.

Headliner will help you create social media friendly audiograms to promote your podcast. Credit: headliner

Have you ever seen those square video graphics posted by your favorite podcasters on social media? The one that plays a snippet of the podcast alongside a cool waveform? Headliner will create those audiograms for you so you can easily share short teasers of your show on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or wherever else people can find you online. It'll also transcribe your clip and add captions. There's a free tier too!

OBS / Ecamm Live

These aren't technically podcasting apps, however, I'm a big proponent of getting the most out of your content. If you're already recording an audio version of your show, why not just set up even a simple webcam and record video of yourself as well. This will make for much more engaging content that can be used to distribute your podcast on platforms like YouTube as well.

OBS and Ecamm Live are both video streaming programs, but you can use them to just record locally on your computer without going live as well. OBS is a free multiplatform open-source app. Ecamm Live requires a paid subscription ($20 a month) and is only available for Mac.

Now get podcasting!

If we had a list of most underrated cold opens from The Office, the opening of "The Duel" would absolutely make the cut.

In the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 5 episode, which opens with the cast racing each other in front of a speed radar sign on the street.

Yes, "The Duel" is also the episode where Michael set out to tell Andy about Angela's affair with Dwight, Andy and Dwight duel in the parking lot, and Andy pins Dwight to a fence with a Prius. But right now it's cold open time.

The episode opens with Pam taking a call at her desk before explaining, "Angela made several 911 calls about cars going too fast in front of the building. So the police put up a radar gun. It's actually caused a bit of a traffic hazard."

In the middle of the work day we see Michael outside, running and screaming in the street. Why? He's measuring his own speed by sprinting past the speed radar sign meant to record the speed of vehicles.

Michael runs 12 miles per hour only for Dwight to top him by running 13 miles per hour in front of everyone. Michael then runs 31 miles per hour, a "humanly impossible" speed (as Oscar puts it) that would have been impressive had Michael not been drafting a moving car.

"The Duel" gives viewers a quintessential Office cold open. It's simple, it's weird, it's hilarious, and it's not so outlandish that it couldn't happen in real life. We know this last part because Fischer and Kinsey revealed that the scene was actually inspired by a real experience one of the writers had at his former workplace. Amazing.

The inspiration behind "The Duel" speedometer cold open

To get the inside scoop on the cold open, Fischer spoke with line producer Randy Cordray, who explained that the memorable scene was inspired by one of The Office writers' life experiences. So naturally, Kinsey chatted with the writer.

"Yes, Aaron Shure, you guys, Aaron Shure's like always coming up with these great cold opens. And I talked with him. He's so hilarious to me, Jenna, because he's like, 'I guess my real life is just weird enough that it translates into a great cold open,'" Kinsey said. "Prior to working on The Office, Aaron had been working on The New Adventures of Old Christine. It was a show on CBS." 

"They filmed on the Warner Brothers lot and he said on the Warner Brothers lot there was this radar gun and he was walking back from lunch...with some of the other writers, and as he walked past the radar gun, it said zero," Kinsey said. "So he was like, 'Oh, yeah?' So he set his lunch down, backed up, and he ran as fast as he could by it. Surprisingly, it clocked 20 miles per hour."

Via Giphy

"What? No!" Fischer said.

"That's his memory. That is his memory," Kinsey said, laughing. "He said other writers were like, 'Wait, I want to try this.' They backed up and they started running past it as well. And he said it was a very sweaty writer's room that afternoon."

"So [Shure] told this story when he came to the office, and they were like, 'Oh, my gosh. Like, this is something Dwight and Michael would do,'" she said. 

The challenges of shooting the hilarious cold open

Though Cordray told Fischer that the speed radar machine worked seamlessly and clocked people's real running speeds and the real car speed, filming the cold open was still a bit of a challenge.

"...This was a really hard scene to shoot," Fischer said. "Dean [Holland, episode director] told me that we had to shoot this in two different places. So anything that you see out the window of Michael running, we had to shoot that from Paul Lieberstein's office, because that was the window that looked outside onto our parking lot and onto our street. But of course, everything else that was indoors we had to shoot inside Dunder Mifflin."

"So he shot Pam, pulled back into Michael's office, and then he whipped to a window that just had like a scrim behind it, because that's what Michael's office really has," Fischer said. "Then he went up to Paul Lieberstein's office. He did another whip, and then had Steve run by outside, and he did that thing where he cut in the whip and put it together." 

"That's movie magic, guys," Kinsey said.

Via Giphy

Shooting and editing weren't the only challenges this cold open presented. It was also 90 degrees that day and the men were running in suits.

"Jenna, do you notice how we're all just like, we're so cold, and we're like, shivering. But truly, the guys are like sweating their butts off," Kinsey said.

"Randy told me that not only was it over 90 degrees that day, but we had to schedule this scene to shoot right after lunch," Fischer added.

"Oh, gross. So we all had these full bellies and like the sun was right directly over us," Kinsey noted.

"Yeah. But he said luckily it only took a couple of hours to shoot," Fischer said. Oh. ONLY a couple of hours! NBD, men!

The (IRL cold open) injury

Filming, editing, and running in the California heat may have been grueling, but no one suffered as a result of this cold open more than writer Ryan Koh.

Fischer explained that after they were done filming the cold open, the speed meter was moved onto the parking lot near the show's catering area, where it remained for the entire week of production.

"Well, I guess it was too tempting to ignore," she told Kinsey. "Randy said that one day during lunch, a bunch of the writers went down and they started sprinting past it."

It was some wholesome Dunder Mifflin fun until writer Ryan Koh — who wrote "Business Ethics" and "Heavy Competition" — had an accident. Rather than tell the story herself, Fischer reached out to Koh to have him recall his memorable mishap.

"I was like a staff writer in Season 4 and still felt insecure about being there in Season 5, and this was my chance to prove to everyone that I was at least the fastest," Koh, who ran track in high school and was sixth in his school's division, recalled.

"I re-watched the cold open this morning, and so, like, both Steve and Rainn ran like 12 and 13 miles an hour," he explained. "A couple of writers ran and they all got like 12 miles an hour. And then I was like, 'Oh, I can beat that.'"

Koh was wearing his work attire — corduroy pants and Chuck Taylors — when he stepped up to the challenge that day. And let's just say, it didn't go well.

"I like, really laced up. I mean, they're sort of loose-fitting Chucks, and that's sort of like a slip-on shoe. But anyway, I laced them up really tight. And then I started running and I have this memory, like it was yesterday, of — I don't know if you ever had this experience, where you're running fast and then there's no ground beneath your feet and you're just sort of windmilling your feet with no ground underneath it. And then I very clearly remember seeing...like 17 or 18 miles an hour before I, like, sort of flew into the air, which, for reference is like getting thrown out of a golf cart. So it's not too bad," he said.

But before Koh knew it, his pants were shredded off his legs and he'd landed on his elbows and forearms. Ouch.

Koh explained that a medic came to wrap his wounds in gauze until he was "mummified," but then he had to go straight to his cousin's wedding.

"...I got on the plane, and then when I arrived in Portland I went into the drugstore and bought a ton of like nonstick gauze and stuff. And then I had seen that all the scabs had formed, like in the bandage," Koh said. "So I stood in the shower for like an hour just unwrapping my mummified arms and sort of like yelling in pain."

"You won! You got the fastest speed. So there's that," Kinsey said.

"I don't think anyone would call me the winner, but I do believe — I will definitely vouch for the fact that I got the fastest speed," Koh said.

After Koh's fall, the set packed up the radar machine for good. And though he still has scars, at least he can have a good hearty laugh at the real cold open.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast to learn more behind-the-scenes stories from filming "The Duel."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the office, not a creature was stirring, except for Meredith Palmer, because her hair was on fire.

Yes, that's right, Office fans. In the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 5 episode, "Moroccan Christmas," aka the episode when Meredith's hair catches on fire in the conference room. Ah, what memories.

Kim M. Ferry, a hairstylist who worked as a member of The Office's hair and makeup crew for eight seasons, told Mashable in 2020, the show had some pretty wild hair moments. But if you've always wondered what went into this particular fiery stunt, you're in luck.

Fischer and Kinsey, along with producer Randy Corday and actor Kate Flannery (Meredith), broke down what it was like to film this scorching hot scene. Spoiler alert: It included a stunt double, a smelly wig, and the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Sending Meredith up in flames

To kick off the deep dive, Fischer recalled the scene for listeners: "Meredith is dancing up a storm in the conference room and she sets her hair on fire. Dwight has to rush in and put it out with a fire extinguisher."

"We have a lot to share with you because this is one of the biggest stunts I think we ever did in the bullpen," Kinsey said.

"For sure. A person was on fire," Fischer confirmed.

As we learned from the Office Ladies episode where the cast chatted about Meredith getting hit by a car, Flannery often did her own stunts on the show. But for this particular stunt Flannery used a stunt double.

"First of all, we did use a stunt double for Kate. Her name was Marie Fink. Our stunt coordinator that day was Scott Leva. And he had to do a bunch of prep for this. He had to send a whole plan in to NBC Universal Safety Department explaining how exactly we would do this safely. We had safety officers on set. We had a special effects crew on set, and we had the [Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD)] on set," Fischer said.

"Kate said there were so many people from the fire department there that they like took up a whole wall," Kinsey replied.

"Now, Paul Feig [director and producer] specifically staged this scene so that Meredith was dancing alone in the conference room and this was done to make it safer," Fischer revealed. "And they dressed the stunt double, Marie, in this full fireproof body suit. It's called like a Nomex. And she wore like a head stocking that was flameproof and then she put on Kate's wardrobe. I guess these Nomex suits are what race car drivers wear when they're racing, you know, in case their car burst into flames."

Then, Ferry, the hairstylist we mentioned earlier, created a bunch of different wigs for the stunt. Unfortunately for Flannery, she had to wear a burnt one to film the rest of the episode.

"Kate shared about these wigs, you guys. Kate said, 'Ange, they were natural hair. And then they actually burned the wigs with fire.' And she said, 'I had to wear the stinkiest wig the whole rest of the week because, you know, when you burn hair, you know the smell,'" Kinsey said.

Via Giphy

In addition to the fireproof head stocking and and full body suit, Fischer explained that they put a flammable gel all over the stunt double's body and hair. Then, she used a real candle in the conference room to set her hair on fire.

"I guess they did have a stunt double dressed as Dwight. His name was Shawn Crowder. But in the end, it was actually Rainn. Rainn ran in and put out the stunt double with an actual fire extinguisher," Fischer said. 

"I know. No pressure, Rainn," Kinsey joked. "But Kate said he did it. And then Kate said for continuity they had to take Marie out. And Kate stepped back in with the burnt wig, right?"

"The smelly burnt wig kind of assumed the same position Marie was in, and then Rainn had to spray Kate with the real fire extinguisher. So Kate got hosed as well," she continued.

The scene was reportedly shot in a single take, which was ideal for everyone involved. And while Flannery and her stunt double didn't share the screen, they did collaborate on something very important: Meredith's smoking hot dance moves.

"Randy told me that Kate and Marie got together and planned out the dance moves," Fischer said. "— So that Marie could look exactly like Kate in her movements. Yes," Kinsey chimed in.

"[It's] amazing to me because it looks like completely spontaneous dancing, but they really planned it so that it would coordinate. So they were doing the same thing," Fischer said.

A truly masterful execution, Merediths.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast and read about more behind-the-scenes stories from filming "Moroccan Christmas."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

The Office presented its fair share of romantic drama over the course of nine seasons, but Dwight, Angela, and Andy will always remain a fan favorite love triangle.

In the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 5 episode, "The Surplus," which features a memorable (kind of nauseating) kiss between Angela and Andy.

For those who need a refresher, Angela (Kinsey), Andy (Ed Helms), and Dwight (Rainn Wilson) spent the majority of this episode together at Schrute Farms. They were supposed to be prepping for Angela and Andy's wedding, but when Dwight tricked Angela into marrying him right before Andy's eyes with a little help from minister who spoke German, things understandably spiraled.

Angela tried to get back at Dwight by showing Andy some serious public affection in the office, so she marched over to him and planted a big old smooch on his lips. The only issue? Andy was in the middle of eating a tuna fish sandwich, which, gross. Blech. No!

In honor of rewatching the kiss, Kinsey shared what her tuna fish PDA experience with Ed Helms was really like, and she compared it to kissing her frequent scene partner, Rainn Wilson.

Behind the fishy kiss

After Fischer revealed that the stage direction for the kiss was, "Angela kisses Andy with a passion we haven't seen since Jim and Pam in 'Casino Night,'" Kinsey said that the tuna fish aspect was intentionally meant to disgust people.

"That was part of the joke. Lee [Eisenberg] and Gene [Stupnitsky], who wrote this episode, they thought it would be very funny if Andy was eating something gross when I had to go kiss him. And that's why he has that line, 'Look, Tuna — tuna fish sandwich just like you!' Because they really wanted to make sure the audience knew he was eating this smelly tuna fish sandwich," Kinsey said. "And I was supposed to go over and we're supposed to have this huge kiss while he has tuna fish in his mouth. And then you see me get up and I wipe my mouth."

The kiss sounds absolutely hideous, but Kinsey shared that Helms really made an effort to shield her from the tuna fish.

"Ed was so sweet. He said, 'Angela, I am going to hold my lips together. I'm going to take a deep breath. I'm going to take a bite of the tuna fish sandwich, and then I am going to purse my lips together and not open them at all, because I don't want you to get any of this tuna fish,'" Kinsey recalled. 'I was like, 'Oh Ed, that is so sweet.' And so we literally did, you know, what we call like grandparent kissing. Where you just like, mmmmm."

"He did not open his lips for a second. And they really wanted me to sort of have this long kiss, right?" she continued. "And I was in control. I was the one that grabbed him, and then I was the one that released him. And I remember one time they're like, 'Can you sell it a little bit more? Can you make it a little bit bigger of a moment?' And poor Ed, the minute we broke apart, he [gasped]."

"Oh, because he hadn't been breathing?" Fischer asked.

"He was holding his breath with a big bite of tuna fish sandwich in his mouth," Kinsey confirmed. "...But Ed was a true gentleman. He kept his mouth closed. I didn't get any tuna fish on my person. And you guys, when my character stands up and says, 'And now I have a legal issue to attend to.' I actually had a big speech that got deleted."

Kinsey shared that she was so nervous about her big speech, because it was a moment where all eyes would be on her (and also after a nasty kiss).

"Everyone watches with disgust. Dwight's eyes go wide, Angela pulls away, Andy continues to chew and then swallows the bite. Angela wipes her mouth," she explained. "And here's the speech: 'I would marry you during an earthquake in the middle of a tornado. I would marry you in the front row of an Elton John concert. I don't care how terrible a place it is. I just want to be with you. Now I have a legal matter to clear up.'"

Ultimately, the speech got cut, which Kinsey feels was a good edit, because truly, that kiss said it all.

"That was enough of like shoving it in Dwight's face. I don't need to make the speech. But yes. No tuna. Thank you, Ed," she concluded.

Kissing Dwight was always surprising

The two actors have chatted about this on the podcast before, but Fischer was quick to chime in with and note that Kinsey's kiss with Helms was much different from a kiss with Wilson. 

According to Kinsey, Wilson would "actually [be] eating tuna in real life."

"Backstage for no reason at all, before a kissing scene," Fischer added.

"Yes. That or drinking coffee while eating like an everything bagel that had onions on it," Kinsey said. "Very different."

Yuck! C'mon, Dwight.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast and read about more behind-the-scenes stories and funniest scenes to film in "The Surplus."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

It's time for another look at the funniest moments on The Office set.

If you think watching nine seasons of episodes through your TV screen is hilarious, just imagine how hard it was to keep a straight face on set while filming some of those super awkward, uncomfortable, outrageously funny scenes.

On the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about an underrated Season 5 episode, "The Surplus," which was packed with scenes that were almost too funny to successfully shoot.

We've talked about scenes in the "Branch Wars," "Women's Appreciation," and "Money" episodes that made cast members break, but as Fischer and Kinsey revealed, "The Surplus" was filled with a seemingly never ending string of comedic gold and actors could barely keep it together in front of the camera.

Here are five scenes from "The Surplus" that were almost too funny to bear.

1. Dwight giving directions to Angela and Andy

For those who need a refresher, Angela, Andy, and Dwight spent the majority of this episode at Schrute Farms doing wedding prep, while the rest of the office tried to decide if Michael should spend leftover cash from the yearly budget on a new copier or new chairs.

It was a fun change of pace to not only see the Andy/Dwight/Angela love triangle thrown together so often, but to also see them away from the office out in the world. For Kinsey, however, the scenes were almost too funny to handle. It all started when Dwight gave them directions to the farm.

"...At 3:56 is a scene, Jenna, that I didn't think I was going to get through. I didn't think we would have any usable takes," Kinsey explained. "Last week you talked about that clown painting on the wall in Jim's parents' house that you guys could not get through — you were laughing. This scene with Dwight giving directions to Andy and Angela, that was it for me."

"Ed [Helms] and I, we could not get through it. Like, truly, we could not stop laughing. It's in the bloopers..." Kinsey continued before playing audio from the scene.

Andy can be heard telling Dwight, "I feel like some of these directions to Schrute Farms are a little weird. I mean, like 156 paces from the light red mailbox, make a left, walk until you hear the beehive, and make a right?" And Kinsey explains that in the script, the only directions listed were the 156 paces from mailbox and one about a bear. The rest are what they call "candy bag alts."

"Were they just handing [Ed] pieces of paper with, like, funny directions?" Fischer asked.

"They literally did. They handed him a whole paper that were extra directions. And that's why he was like, 'I almost had it.'" Kinsey said. "...I watched the scene and all I could see is me sniffling and trying not to laugh."

2. The butter sculpture scene

In another scene at Schrute Farms, Angela and Dwight wind up arguing over which butter sculpture she should choose for her wedding.

"Lady, this scene was so much longer. It actually started with Andy signing a ton of paperwork, because he was actually signing as a witness to the wedding, but he didn't know," Kinsey explained. 

"Dwight said it was all these insurance forms so that they could get married at Schrute Farms. And during this scene, Mose enters and there's a really awkward moment with Mose where Angela hisses at him. And then Dwight goes, 'Why do you have to do that? It's not necessary. He loves you.' And then Andy's like, 'How does he love her? How does he know her?' And then it's like, 'Oh, Mose loves everybody. He's a people person,'" she said. "And it's so much longer. And then it ends with us arguing about the butter sculptures. And once again, we could not get through it. We were laughing so hard."

Luckily, you can find the long version of this scene in the deleted scenes on the Season 5 DVD. And Kinsey also promised to share it on Instagram so everyone could see her break.

"...I had to cover my face. I pull a Mindy," Kinsey said. "You can see me laughing with my hands over my face. But yes, then they get into this ridiculous argument about the sculpture and that's what made it in the actual episode."

3. Andy's car singing

Another deleted scene from "The Surplus" featured Andy, Angela, and Dwight driving home from the farm.

"This was in the shooting script. It's not on the DVD. It's out there somewhere in the world. You guys, it was so amazing," Kinsey said. "Angela is driving home furious. Dwight's in the front passenger seat. Andy is in the back leaning between the two of them. And they start out the car ride, and Andy's like, 'We did it!' He's so happy. And he starts singing at the top of his lungs, ["What's Up?" by 4 Non Blondes.]"

Kinsey explained that Angela was so annoyed by Andy's singing that she turned off the radio, but in true Nard Dog fashion he kept belting out the song.

"In the script, it says, 'Angela looks like she might drive the car into a tree. Dwight is stealing glances at Angela. Andy, oblivious, is singing 4 Non Blondes,'" she said. 

"Wow. How did you get through that with Ed singing in the backseat, though? How did you keep a straight face?" Fischer asked.

"I'm telling you, we laughed through this whole episode. Every single thing was funny to me," Kinsey confirmed. 

4. The Hank scene

Another memorable scene to film was the one where Hank — played by actor Hugh Dane, who died at age 75 in 2018 — came up to the office to try and settle the great new copier/new chairs debate.

"This next scene is the one that I could not get through," Fischer said.

"I don't know how you did. It's one of my favorite scenes of the whole episode," Kinsey revealed, to which Fischer said, "It's one of my favorite scenes of the whole series." 

"So Michael, who can't make a decision, has decided to call Hank from security, who, as he explains, hustled up the stairs because he thought it was an actual emergency," Fisher said. "So Hank arrives. And I just want to say this was one of those scenes that was set at the reception desk, and I'm in the shot, and I wanted to edge myself out of the shot because I was ruining it, because I was laughing." 

"From the minute Hugh walks in — the minute he takes a few of the candies and starts eating them — I was like, I wouldn't make it," Kinsey said.

"That was an improvisation. And the first time he did it, I laughed because it was so brilliant," Fischer added.

Once Hank arrives, Michael tells everyone that he's going to decide between a new copier or new chairs. Hank winds up taking the decision process a bit too seriously though, and Michael banishes him. 

Let's all take a moment to remember the best of Hank, shall we?

5. Michael trying to prove that the copier and chairs were fine

That leaves Michael — who just learned that any boss who comes in under budget will receive 15 percent of the office's surplus — to decide. Naturally, he tries to prove to everyone that both the crappy copier and the crappy chairs are fine and don't need replacing so he can make some bank.

"Michael walks out of his office and he announces that he doesn't think they need a new copier or new chairs. He demonstrates that the copier works perfectly and then he's going to demonstrate how great Pam's chair really is," Fischer said.

"Two things. First of all, in the bloopers, Jenna, when Steve tries to use the copier, that copier actually was really crappy," Kinsey said. "It was really old and crappy. And half the time would not work in real life... And it would eat paper. It would like make noises. And he says, 'This copier works fine,' and he hits the button. And in real life it went ahhhhhhhhh. And you guys all started laughing."

"It was so funny," Fischer said. "[Director] Paul Feig sent us an audio clip because this was one of his favorite memories from shooting this episode."

Here's what he had to say:

"There was so many fun things in Season 5, but weirdly, one of my favorite episodes that we did was 'The Surplus.' And it's an episode the people don't talk about as much. And I just think it's got some of the funniest stuff in it. I think I laughed hardest during that.

My favorite gag, one of my favorite gags that I ever got to do on The Office was when Michael's trying to convince everybody that they don't need a new copier and all the chairs are good. And we have that gag, Jenna, where he comes behind the desk and just tries to prove that your chair is not broken. And I had them rig up this things because the whole joke is supposed to be he sits on your chair and it just sinks down below the desk. And so I worked really hard to have them rigged this chair up that sunk so slowly that Steve just got in it and is just talking like, 'See, there's nothing wrong with this.' And it takes you a few seconds to realize that he's just very slowly sinking down behind the desk. And Steve just destroyed me. Not only is he down low, but he won't admit it. And then the way he has to stand up. It's like, oh it takes such effort for him to get out of the very low chair. So that was a real favorite gag of mine."

Fischer also shared that every time Steve Carell would get out of the chair, he would make a different hilarious grunting noise that would make her crack up.

"If you watch my face in the scene, I have this really like over-exaggerated furrowed brow. I was having to make a very strong acting choice because I couldn't do blank. I couldn't do it. I had to do something with my face," Fischer explained. 

"Right. I had completely forgotten about this scene. And when I rewatched it, because it has been a long time since I've seen this episode, I was like, wait, is his chair sinking? Oh my god, his chair is sinking. And it was so funny. It was so funny and it's so subtle. It's such a small moment," Kinsey said.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode for more behind-the-scenes stories from filming "The Surplus."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

NO! GOD! NO, GOD, PLEASE, NO! NO! NO! NOOOOO!

Unfortunately, yes. Sorry, Michael. Toby is back and he's boring as ever.

On the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 5 episode, "Framing Toby," which features Toby's memorable return from Costa Rica and Michael's dramatic reaction, which has since been turned into a glorious meme.

For those who need a refresher, this episode begins with brownies in the conference room. Everyone (except Angela and Dwight) is blissfully chowing down on the pastry cubes made of sugar and fat, until Kelly grabs two brownies and announces that one is for Toby.

How could that be? We know Toby left for Costa Rica because everyone (especially Michael) made a huge freaking deal about his departure. And yet, Kelly and Jim swear he's sitting at his old desk back in the annex. As a joke, Michael walks back to Toby's old office space, and much to his dismay sets eyes on his arch rival. In response to seeing this "evil snail" again, Michael screams, "NO! GOD! NO, GOD, PLEASE, NO! NO! NO! NOOOOO!"

The moment has gone on to become one of the most popular Office reaction GIFs to date, and fans have Steve Carell's improv skills to thank.

Kinsey and Fischer revealed that while they have a special place in their heart for the scene of Michael screaming, they do wish one Toby line that got cut remained in the final edit.

"I want you guys to know at 1:23, as Michael turns to see Toby and he has that look of horror in his face, if you look at the wall behind him, you will see that there are three framed sort of things on the wall for Toby," Kinsey said. "There is an award for Toby Flenderson, a certificate of achievement, and a diploma from the California Coastal College. So Jenna, he had been back long enough to hang up his framed items. And in the script, Toby had a talking head where he said this: 'I've been back for six days. I think I've even talked to him.'" 

"I wish that stayed in," Fischer said.

"Me too," Kinsey agreed.

As for Michael's iconic scream, Office Ladies listeners were eager to learn one thing: Was the moment improvised?

Yes and no. But mostly yes.

"People wanted to know if Michael screaming 'NO' and all of that was improvised or if it was in the script," Fischer said. "In the script, it just says 'Michael turns and screams in all caps.'" 

The script didn't give any specifics, which means everything that came out of Michael's mouth was all Steve Carell.

"That was Steve's interpretation of that script note," Fischer said.

"And how funny was that?" Kinsey replied. "You guys, if you read that you scream, I think most of us would just be like, 'Ahhhhh,' right? But Steve made a meal out of that moment." 

"In the best way," Fischer said.

"He's a comedy genius," Kinsey concluded, noting that she's seen so many people use the reaction GIF of Michael screaming over the years.

Via Giphy

Thank you, Steve Carell, for creating yet another beloved moment in Office history.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode for more behind-the-scenes stories from "Framing Toby."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Everyone knows that The Office had a phenomenal main cast, but never forget that the series featured a number of truly impressive guest stars as well.

One of those guest stars was Rich Sommer, who played Pam's art school friend, Alex, in two Season 5 episodes of the show. You may know Sommer as Harry Crane on Mad Men, too. And he's also the latest guest on the Office Ladies podcast.

Sommer spoke with Office Ladies co-hosts Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey about Mad Men, the "Business Trip" episode of The Office, how he got hired on the workplace comedy, and more.

How Rich got into art school on The Office

Fischer and Kinsey love asking podcast guests how they first started working on the show, and Sommer had a particularly interesting casting story. He got the part of Alex thanks to writer and actor Mindy Kaling.

"To my recollection Mindy and I met at the SAG Awards when you guys and the Mad Men cast were nominated," Sommer explained. "Mindy was a fan of Mad Men and came up to me, and I was so excited to meet her... but she came up to me and said, 'Hey I'm writing a part with you in mind on the show. Would that be OK?' And I was like, 'Yes!' because, you know, like everyone else, The Office was one of my favorite shows on TV..."

Sommer explained that someone from The Office reached out and offered him the role of Alex after they'd written the part, and he accepted immediately. He also revealed that he'd auditioned for the show once or twice before, but didn't get those roles. Thankfully, it all worked out in the end.

Strictly friends or something more?

In their quest to determine whether or not Alex was meant to be a full-on love interest for Pam or really just a friend from art school, the co-hosts asked Sommer how the role was pitched to him.

"Well, this is the meaty part of the conversation I suppose," he said. "The way it was pitched to me was... 'We think this is a character who's going to be [here] throughout this season. We think it's a character that's gonna be kind of like Rashida's character, where it might be another road bump for Jim and Pam.'"

Aha! Jim knew it.

"So when it started that was definitely what was in my mind. But we filmed scenes that didn't make it into the show, and I started to kind of put it together that the response from the audience," Sommer continued. "They were not pleased. And who could blame them after what they'd been through for four seasons?"

Several riskier Pam and Alex storylines wound up getting cut from final edits but live on today in deleted scenes reels. Ultimately, Sommer feels Alex's storyline was "aborted," but he totally gets why and agreed that him coming between Jim and Pam would have been "too much."

"I remain delighted that I had the parts that I had," Sommer reflected. "How I feel about it is that it's a very funny interesting way to have been part of The Office legacy."

Filming wasn't all laughs

Though The Office is a delightful comedy, it turns out filming wasn't all laughs for Sommer.

One of the episodes that Alex was in, "Customer Survey," was directed by Stephen Merchant, the genius who co-created the original British version of The Office with Ricky Gervais. Needless to say, there was some added pressure on set.

"Did you crap your pants when you found out Stephen Merchant was directing?" Fischer asked.

"Yes. It was upsetting," Sommer laughed.

Sommer then revealed that he had "a mole" on the set of The Office who sent him an original version of the "Customer Survey" script, in which his character Alex professed his love to Pam.

The lines were obviously changed later on, but Sommer wasn't able to shake the original Alex vibe, and it ended up messing with his head during shooting.

"I couldn't get it out of my head because everything we'd been playing is that Alex had crush on Pam," Sommer said. "…In the moment I couldn't find the right level of demonstrative that Stephen wanted. And the level that Stephen wanted was zero, and the level that I was continually pumping out was more in the neighborhood of like 75 percent demonstrative."

"I couldn't reel it in, and in fact, Jenna, to your question of pooping my pants when I found out it was Stephen Merchant, that was just a little jitter compared to how I felt when Stephen came up to me after a take and said these words, the words that have haunted me as an actor forever," he continued.

"[Merchant] came up to me and said: 'I don't know why you're not getting this," Sommer explained. "It was awful. He was, by the way, 100 percent right. I just couldn't do it. So looking at Jenna Fischer standing across from me, John Krasinski is crumpled up into a ball under a table in that room reading his lines for the Bluetooth...and I'm just like mortified. Like, 'This is it! I'm never acting again, obviously!'"

Though Sommer may have had a stressful day on set, Fischer and Kinsey stressed how much the cast loved him and his performance. And he lived to act again, and again, and again. A happy ending!

Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode for more behind-the-scenes stories about Rich Sommer, the friendships between The Office and Mad Men casts, and the "Business Trip" episode.

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

Avoid the frustration of your podcasts cutting out when you lose service by learning how to download them right to your phone.

Podcasts are digital audio series sort of like a radio show that tend to focus on a certain theme or topic. Interest in podcasts are seemingly at an all time high, and there are podcasts about anything and everything, from educational podcasts to something a little bit more relaxing.

To access podcasts you need to be connected to the internet, so it is helpful to know how to download them for those times when you are disconnected. There are lots of podcast apps out there, but we are going to show you how to download podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

If you're heading out of service, but you need the constant chatter of a podcast to keep you sane, you've come to the right place. Below you will find how to download podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

How to download podcasts on Apple Podcasts:

1. Open Apple Podcasts

2. Find the episode you want to download

3. Tap the three gray dots in the right hand corner of the podcast episode.

Select the three gray dots to download your podcast. Credit: screenshot: apple

4. Select "Download Episode"

Select "Download Episode" to download your podcast episode. Credit: screenshot: Apple

You will know that the podcast episode has downloaded when a small upside down arrow appears next to the three gray dots.

You know your podcast episode has downloaded when the upside down arrow appears. Credit: screenshot: apple

Once your episode has downloaded it can be found in your library under the "Downloaded" tab.

Tap "Downloaded" to access all your downloaded podcast episodes. Credit: Screenshot: apple

How to download podcasts on Spotify:

1. Open the Spotify app

2. Find the episode you want to download

3. Tap the three gray dots.

Click the three gray dots to download your podcast episode. Credit: Screenshot: Spotify

4. Select download

Tap "Download" to download your podcast episode. Credit: screenshot: spotify

You will know that the podcast has downloaded when the upside down arrow below the episode becomes green.

The upside down green arrow indicates a podcast episode is downloaded. Credit: screenshot: Spotify

Once your episode has downloaded it can be found in your library in "Your Episodes."

You can find your downloaded podcast episodes in "My Episodes." Credit: Screenshot: Spotify

Now you know how to listen to all your favorite podcasts offline!

If you want to walk freely around your house listening to your podcasts on all your Alexa-enabled devices, we've got you covered.

Alexa is Amazon's voice-operated virtual personal assistant that can perform a wide range of functions from reminding you of an appointment to checking the weather or listening to music on Spotify. It is an ideal tool for hands-free listening and playing a variety of content on Alexa-enabled devices.

In order to listen to podcasts on your Amazon Alexa, you first have to link your podcast service to your Alexa. Here is how to link your podcast service to your Alexa:

1. Open Alexa app

2. Tap "More" (the three lines icon)

3. Select "Settings"

4. Scroll down to select "Music and Podcasts"

5. Select "Link New Service"

6. Select the service you want to listen to a podcast on

7. Select "Enable to Use." Depending on the service you may have to login to your account to link it.

Once you have linked your podcast service to your Alexa you can ask Alexa to play your desired podcast by saying "Alexa, play RadioLab on Spotify."

Happy listening!

For more than 15 years fans of The Office have debated which version of the workplace comedy is superior. Is it the original UK version or the U.S. adaptation?

You likely have a strong opinion, but on the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey (two stars of the American version) teamed up with Stephen Merchant (the genius who co-created the original British version of The Office with Ricky Gervais) to remind us all that both versions of the show are fantastic.

In this enlightening episode, Merchant compared and reflected on the two versions, shared how he first met Gervais, talked about filming and editing tricks, and explained how he ended up directing the Season 5 episode, "Customer Survey."

It's a must-listen episode for any fan of either version of The Office, but we'll give you a taste of what's in store here.

A vision for the office

For those who need a refresher, the original British version of The Office started in 2001 and ran for two short seasons. Each season had six episodes, and there was a two-part Christmas special to finish things off. Much to the concern of UK Office fans, the series was later adapted into an American version by Greg Daniels. The U.S. version premiered in 2005, ran nine seasons, and gave viewers an impressive 201 episodes.

While Merchant obviously has a special place in his heart for the original, he genuinely adores the American version as well, and he was proud to see it become such a phenomenon. In fact, he called into the podcast repping both versions of the show.

"I don't know if you've noticed in honor of both the British and the U.S. versions of The Office, I am wearing my my Wernham Hogg baseball cap, which is the Dunder Mifflin of the UK. And I have my Dunder Mifflin mug, which I believe was a gift for my cup of tea," he told Fischer and Kinsey. "So, you know, I'm just trying to pay homage to both both sides of the Atlantic and both shows."

After talking about meeting the second half of his dynamic duo, Ricky Gervais, Merchant reminisced on the early days of creating the British version of the workplace comedy.

"...We always wanted our version of The Office to feel like a documentary that had sort of been made and then everyone forgot about it, and it was just on a shelf somewhere at the BBC for like ten years and someone dusted off and was like, 'Put this on TV,'" he explained. "So we wanted the whole thing to feel tired. The office should feel tired — the people, the clothes. We always were very excited when the plants that we had on the set were slightly dying. We liked that idea. It's that British approach. You know, you reflect the weather by just making shows that are depressing."

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 14: Executive producers Ricky Gervais (L) and Stephen Merchant of "The Ricky Gervais Show" speak during the HBO portion of the 2010 Television Critics Association Press Tour at the Langham Hotel on January 14, 2010 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) Credit: Getty Images

From Wernham Hogg to Dunder Mifflin

Like many, Merchant remembers the intense scrutiny surrounding a potential American adaptation of The Office.

"...I remember that when that when it was first being discussed, as you say, there were a lot of things about 'Oh, America going to ruin the show.' And then when your show started airing in the UK, it was kind of, 'Oh, it's not as good as the British version,'" he said. But over the years that sentiment changed.

"And then over time, it's become 'The American version is far superior to the British version,'" he explained. "This is the British. This is the way we do things here, you know, I mean, we like we kind of build you up and then we knock you down. So, yeah. Now we're very much — the American version is kind of the much-loved version, even by the British press. And Ricky and I are seen as kind of, 'Oh, those guys, we're tired of those guys.'" 

Merchant went on to explain that he and Gervais always tried to be supportive of the American version, and Kinsey and Fischer shared that the U.S. cast and crew loved their involvement and visits to set.

"We were we were just abuzz about having you guys on the set," Kinsey said. "...I just want to say thank you. I mean, I feel like everyone in our cast was just humbled that we got this job. We all felt like we won the lottery and you gave us that lottery ticket, you know? You and Ricky. And you forever changed our lives."

"I will never be able to say thank you enough. So thank you," Kinsey continued.

Merchant, who was touched by Kinsey's words, once again reflected on the different, yet inextricably linked success of the two versions. But he did admit that the American version of the show was truly something special.

"...I think we can all feel very proud of our version, but also of the American version. I think for me, I grew up watching and loving American shows and I was hooked on, you know, M*A*S*H and then Cheers and then Roseanne. And then the idea of having my fingerprints on a show like yours, which stands in the lineage of those shows and is now as beloved by audiences as that as those shows, it's just incredible," he said. "And that's a testament to you guys and all the cast and all the crew and all the writers. It's far it's gone way beyond what Ricky and I did."

He went on to compare The Office to Frankenstein's monster, saying, "We kind of created this thing in the lab and it went off and rampaged around the world on its own without us. And and the idea that this show is having this sort of whole second life and, you know, audiences [are] finding it again, I just think it's it's such a thrill and an honor to be to be associated with it. So thank you."

Boy do we stan the UK and U.S. Office creators and cast members stanning each other. All is right in The Office universe today.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode for more from Stephen Merchant and additional behind-the-scenes stories from "Customer Survey."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

After over a year of isolation, wanderlust is swirling in the air, as many seek safe ways to re-emerge into the world with much-needed vacation or reunion trips. Whatever that re-emergence looks like for you, there's definitely a podcast that can help heighten the experience.

But make no mistake: mid 2021 is certainly not the wholesale Back To Normal we might've hoped for, especially in countries and communities with low vaccination rates. The delta variant of COVID-19 is a real threat for the unvaccinated. The only way to move toward a true return to life before the pandemic is to increase vaccination rates around the globe.

With the right safety measures, though, vaccinated folks are now being given the green light to travel and reconnect with each other in person again. That also means you're going to need travel-friendly entertainment to keep you company along the way.

As an audio-only medium that doesn't require eyeballs or even WiFi to enjoy, podcasts make for ideal travel companions. Whether you're getting to your destination via road trip, train, or airplane ride, a great podcast can make the boring parts of going on vacation more exciting. Even if you're just taking time off to go on a local stay-cation or far-off hiking trail, you'll have some free time to kill.

Whatever your travel plans may be, these podcasts can help you kick back, relax, and explore the big wide world. Just be sure to remember to pack your AirPods.

1. Atlas Obscura

What it is: This 15-minute daily travel podcast is home to all the world's strangest, most unbelievable wonders. Host Dylan Thuras and other Atlas Obscura field reporters transport you to a variety of incredible places around the globe, be it a museum or ancient monument. Listen to the people, stories, and histories that make these amazing destinations ideal spots for the curious traveler.

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: Regain that sense of wanderlust that reminds us why every corner of the globe has a unique adventure worth exploring.

2. Stuff You Should Know

What it is: A favorite of many podcast listeners, the long-running Stuff You Should Know was so popular it spawned its own dedicated network (including other daily podcasts in a similar vein, like Stuff You Missed in History Class.) Since it covers everything under the sun, it's important to note that hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant admit to not being experts on all these topics. Some with deep knowledge of certain subjects might even find their summaries frustratingly surface level. But they do a great job of at least sparking interest in a lot of important things we should all know about, which hopefully inspires listeners to research beyond what can be tackled in only an hour. [From our Best Daily Podcasts roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: With an extensive and sweeping backlog, there's a good chance they've covered a topic relevant to wherever you're traveling to.

3. The Experiment

The American experiment, often repackaged as the American dream, is one of the biggest sources of miseducation in our country. In this WNYC Studios and Atlantic collaboration, host Julia Longoria applies the ideals of America's past that were held to be self-evident, then measures them up against our current reality. Bringing the high ideals of this country's founding to everyday experiences, The Experiment can even find lessons in trash reality TV shows like 90 Day Fiancé. [From our Best Educational Podcasts roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: Even if you're a resident of the country you're traveling through, there's still so much to learn about the place we call home.

4. Blood Ties

What it is: Fiction podcasts are going through something of a renaissance lately, with Blood Ties as a great example of the genre's evolution in the mainstream. While it isn't "true" crime, the wildly popular mini-series scratches that same itch for an engrossing story. Follow Eleanore Richland (voiced by Community's Gillian Jacobs) as her annual family vacation turns to catastrophe after her parents' plane crashes under mysterious circumstances. While the story itself may not be real, the themes certainly apply to the real world, as Eleanore uncovers family secrets that test her ability to stay true to her morals even when it hurts her loved ones.

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: It's like a great crime thriller beach read, but for your ears.

5. Haunted Places

What it is: Each week Parcast's Haunted Places takes you to the most cursed locations around the globe. From the White House to the Stanley Hotel, episodes begin with a cold-open narrative reenactment that grounds you in an experience of the haunting. After grabbing your attention, the host then steps back to explain the place's history and the chilling tale of the notorious paranormal activity. Some weeks even additionally explore an urban legend, applying that same format for a deep dive into the scary stories we all grew up hearing. [From our Best Podcasts for Horror Fans roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: For those interested in exploring the darker parts of the world, this podcast will be your ultimate audio guide.

6. The Habitat

What it is: This is for those who want to escape to a different planet without getting too far away from home. At its essence, The Habitat is like if NASA did a season of Big Brother. Six contestants (aka volunteers) elect to participate in an experiment where they play the part of a crew of astronauts living on Mars. For a full year, these six strangers share very close quarters while simulating a space mission that's actually stationed on a remote mountain in Hawaii. Host Lynn Levy takes us through their experiences using the audio diaries each had to log daily. It's a mix of existential contemplations and some good-old-fashioned reality TV human drama. [From our Best Podcasts to Binge roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: Because sometimes going on vacation to an earthly destination isn't enough, and you need to visit a whole new planet instead.

7. Ringer Dish (Jam Session and Tea Time)

What it is: These two separate Ringer Network podcasts share the same feed because they cover similar territories, but each has a unique approach to covering the week's celebrity and pop culture news. On Fridays, Tea Time hosts Liz Kelly, Kate Halliwell, and Amelia Wedemeyer catch you up on all the hottest goss gripping the web, whether in the form of relationship news or internet drama involving the rich and famous. Meanwhile Wednesdays are Jam Session's time to shine, with Ringer veterans Juliet Litman and Amanda Dobbins offering their deep dive analysis on more inside baseball news from the entertainment industry, royal family, and celebrity culture.

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: If you enjoy reading celebrity gossip magazines on the beach or by the pool, these podcasts are like a much better, audio-only version of that.

8. Imaginary Worlds

What it is: Ironically, Eric Molinsky's Imaginary Worlds — exploring fantasy and science fiction storytelling across all mediums — is one of the podcasts most firmly grounded in our real world. But that's exactly what makes it so great. By diving into the real-world forces that underpin our most beloved fictional universes, Molinsky helps us grapple with crucial social issues ranging from fascism to racism. But it's all done from the safe distance of make-believe. Escapism, he proves, is hardly ever about turning away from our harsh realities. If anything, it's about seeing them from a different perspective, so we can learn something about our world, ourselves, and each other in the process." [From our Best Podcasts for Escaping Reality roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: Fueling your imagination is an essential part of having a great time off from work or school.

9. Here Be Monsters

What it is: Hosts Jeff Emtman and Bethany Denton immerse you in the strange and unseen parts of our unknowable world. While most episodes are grounded in reality, each is a sumptuous soundscape of auditory hallucinations exploring the thin line between what's real and imagined. [From our Best Podcasts to Fall Asleep To roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: Getting lost in your own sense of wonder for the world's many marvels, both small and large.

10. Podcast But Outside

What it is: The title is pretty self-explanatory, but the random strangers plucked from the streets to guest interview on this podcast are still usually very confused about what the hell they've gotten themselves into. LA-based comedians Andrew Michaan and Cole Hersch (who is a friend) bring the typically solitary indoor medium of podcasting into the great outdoors — or rather, a bunch of crowded city streets and one time even a wedding. It's an improv comedy podcast that truly embraces chaos, as the hosts offer literally anyone who walks by $1 to sit down and chat about whatever. While it is indeed a podcast, there's also a YouTube version and Instagram clips (some of which you might've caught on your TikTok For You Page), adding a great visual component to its internet humor vibe.

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: An ambient improv comedy podcast that's perfect for anyone whose forgotten why the unpredictability of being outdoors with a bunch of strangers can be fun.

11. Astonishing Legends

What it is: Covering everything from the paranormal to the historic, Astonishing Legends' Scott Philbrook and Forest Burgess feel like listening to your dad excitedly babble about some weird new thing he just got into. Long-winded and heart-warmingly earnest, their multi-part deep dives create a safe space for your mind to half-listen to thoroughly researched topics you'd never bother learning about on your own. [From our Best Podcasts to Fall Asleep To roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: A cross between the supernatural and historical, it's a great way to educate yourself about local legends that are worth checking out in person.

12. Lore

What it is: From the first tinkling piano chords of this podcast's intro music, you know you're in good hands. Andrew Menke built a career around reviving and revisiting fables and legends, reminding listeners about the power of the oral storytelling tradition. [From our Best Podcasts to Fall Asleep To roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: One of the best ways to learn about a culture is through the folklore and stories that its people passed down generation after generation.

13. Sidedoor

What it is: Not everyone can make it out to Washington, D.C. to visit one of America's most renowned museums. Sidedoor is the podcast making the Smithsonian's treasure trove of 154 million wonders more accessible than ever. Host Lizzie Peabody gives listeners behind-the-scenes peeks into the museums vaults, interviewing scientists, archaeologists, and historians on why these items and artifacts matter.

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: No matter where you're going, the Smithsonian is sure to have at least one piece of the place you're visiting.

14. Heavyweight

What it is: We all have that one regret — that one chance, moment, or act — that might've changed everything. But we just didn't take it. Gimlet's Jonathan Goldstein podcast is on a mission to chase down those "what if's" in peoples lives, to help them get some closure if not definitive answers. From estranged family reunions to bumpy roads less traveled, each episode of Heavyweight follows one person's journey in looking back with the hopes of moving forward. [From our Best Podcasts for Escaping Reality roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: A reminder of our common humanity that many of us probably need as we set out to reconnect with family and friends.

15. Root of Evil

What it is: This jaw-dropping and uniquely personal podcast investigates one of the most infamous murders in American history. Despite being a connoisseur of grisly true crime, I've never encountered anything like Root of Evil before. It left this murder aficionado both audibly gasping and uncontrollably weeping. Root of Evil is as much a first-hand account of devastating generational family trauma as it is a riveting investigation into the infamous Black Dahlia murder that rocked Los Angeles in 1947. Sisters Rasha Pecoraro and Yvette Gentile take us along on their journey to unravel the web of fatal lies and horrifying abuses that has haunted their family for decades. At the center of it all is George Hodel, with questions of not only his own evil but what being born into evil means for the innocent people raised by him. Don't worry if you find the first couple of episodes hard to follow, because it's all part of experiencing this disorienting family saga. [From our Best Podcasts to Binge roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: It's not only an amazing true crime thriller, but also wades into the complex territory of coming home to family and revisiting your shared traumas.

16. Traveling the Greenbook

What it is: If your knowledge of the historic Green Book travel guide begins and ends with the 2019 Oscar-winning film, then buckle up for some much-needed education. If, on the other hand, you're someone with the lived experiences of being Black while traveling across America, Driving the Green Book offers just as much essential insight. Join broadcaster Alvin Hall and social justice activist Janée Woods Weber on their road trip capturing the legacies and stories of Black travelers and the safe havens from the Negro Motorist's Green Book, which helped so many navigate segregation-era America safely. Filled with uplifting celebrations and solemn tributes in equal measure, each episode explores a different avenue to understanding the history and legacy of the Black American traveler's spirit.

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: Remembering shared history, and the privilege of being able to travel safely across America's most treacherous paths.

17. Everything is Alive

What it is: As the title suggests, in this podcast everything — literally every thing — leads a fascinating life. In each 15-20 minute episode, host Ian Chillag interviews a different inanimate object about their existence. You'd think there wouldn't be much to learn from a grain of sand or Sharpie. But with the help of talented guests improvising the sentience of said inanimate items, you leave every interview with a deep sense of the simultaneous absurdity and beauty of being alive in this world. [From our Best Podcasts for Escaping Reality roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: A touching yet still often hilarious exercise in seeing the humanity in everything.

18. Comedy Bang Bang

"If you're looking for a classic comedy podcast with good improv, Comedy Bang Bang is the podcast for you. It began airing in 2009 and the podcast remains one of today's great hubs where improv comedians can come and flex their skills. Host Scott Aukerman talks with an ever-rotating cast of talented improv comedians doing ridiculous characters, so you never know what might happen in any given episode. And Comedy Bang Bang is also a great way to learn about other amusing podcasts, so you it might help you find your next listen." [From our Best Comedy Podcasts roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: Laughs are guaranteed, even if you're tuning in and out.

19. Spotify Original Audiobooks: Hear the Classics

What it is: Let's be real: Many of us skipped the reading when we were in school, only to regret it later on. That's why Spotify's list of original audiobooks, some even voiced by A-list actors like Hilary Swank, is a great treasure trove of educational audio. Currently, it offers many of the classics for free, like Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and the memoir Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. They even have a separate podcast for unpacking the literature called Sitting with the Classics. You can check out the full collection here. [From our Best Educational Podcasts roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: Catching up on your summer reading.

20. Erotic Audio

What it is: Erotic Audio

What it is: Short, 10-minute excerpts of audio erotica stories for women.

Why it's great: We here at Mashable love audio porn. But if you're not in a place where you can afford subscription-based audio erotica apps like Quinn or Dipsea, we highly recommend the short, free samples of sexy stories on Erotic Audio. They're geared toward women and couples, narrated by British actors and often told from a first or second-person POV. However be warned that these are roughly 10-minute excerpts best used to learn whether audio erotica works for you and what you specifically like. You'll have to go to Audiodesires website and pay for the full finish. [From our Best Sex Podcasts roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: Kick off your Hot Vax Summer 2021 with some self-love explorations.

21. Coffee Break Spanish (or other languages)

What it is: Not everyone vibes with language learning apps like Duolingo. Alternatively, what's great about podcasts like Coffee Break from Radio Lingua Network is just how casual it feels — digestible enough to compliment your coffee break (as the name suggests). The lesson plans in each successive season increase in difficulty, with Season 1 being for true beginners. But the podcast really sings in its travel log episodes, applying those lessons to a conversational grasp of the language. There's also versions in French, Italian, German, Chinese, and Swedish available too." [From our Best Educational Podcasts roundup]

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: Learning even the basics of a local language is the least tourists can do while visiting a foreign culture.

22. Armchair Explorer

What it is: There are a lot of reasons to travel, but stories are often at the center of what makes an enduring adventure last beyond just one lifetime. In Armchair Explorer, travel journalist Aaron Millar interviews a variety of different world-class adventurers every week, putting together thrilling documentary-style audio logs that immerse you in the most incredible feats of human history and exploration.

Why it’s great for vacation or travel: Transporting you to the most exciting places and moments a traveler could ever hope for.

Remember when Dwight dressed as the Joker for Halloween in an episode of The Office? Then Kevin dressed as the Joker for Halloween? Then Creed dressed as the Joker for Halloween, too?

That genuinely put a smile on my face.

In the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, Office stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the Season 5 episode, "Employee Transfer," which features the memorable Halloween-themed cold open in which all three Jokers appear.

Curious why the cold open was all-in on Halloween but the rest of the episode wasn't, however, Fischer and Kinsey reached out to episode writer Anthony Ferrell to get the inside scoop.

What's up with the Halloween teaser?

"The show was initially — the entire episode was supposed to be Halloween. So everyone was in their costumes for the entire episode. Andy was a kitten initially, I think. And the whole B-story with Dwight being in the Cornell sweater, that was his costume — an accidental costume, initially. And that's where that story came from," Ferrell explained.

"So costume-wise, we had a thing where once we decided we were going to just put the Halloween stuff in the cold open, we rewrote the cold open. And that was mostly led by [writers] Lee [Eisenberg] and Gene [Stupnitsky]. And that's where the idea for the three Jokers came from."

Ferrell shared that the Joker was a super popular Halloween costume in 2008. TBT. And while the Joker trio was brilliant, in the DVD commentary Ferrell explained that the writers felt the costumes would distract from the episode's storylines, so that's why they're only seen up top.

In case you wanted a costume refresher, Kinsey gave a gorgeous rundown.

"So per the script, here are some details: Stanley, in the script, is wearing a Creature from the Black Lagoon rubber mask with his regular suit. Creed, per the script, is an amazing Joker from Batman, whereas Kevin is a 'lame Joker.' And in the script it says Dwight is also a Joker," Kinsey explained.

"Kelly is Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City. Ryan is Gordon Gekko from Wall Street... Oscar is Uncle Sam. Meredith, a cheerleader. Phyllis is Raggedy Ann. Andy, per the script, it says he's dressed as a cat with whiskers on his face. [And] Angela has brought back her cat costume," Kinsey continued.

Who does that leave? Jim, who's simply wearing a name tag that says "Dave." And Pam, who's at corporate dressed as Charlie Chaplin. 

OK. OK. Back to the three Jokers. 

To take things a step further Fischer reached out to the show's new wardrobe designer, Alicia Raycraft, who took over for Carey Bennett in Season 5.

"She said that with this episode, she had to really ride the line of designing wardrobe, but also making sure that the costumes look like things that we could have put together ourselves," Fischer explained. "The script said that Creed's joker was supposed to be the best version of the Joker. Kevin's was supposed to be lame."

"And they're The Dark Knight Joker," Kinsey confirmed.

Fischer said that to prepare, Raycraft made a shopping list and set out to get Creed a killer, accurate costume, and to buy Kevin some regular-looking clothes that had light Joker vibes.

"But for Dwight, she said they went with a nod to the Jack Nicholson version of the Joker," Fischer said.

Though there wasn't much Halloween in this Halloween episode, you have to admit, the cold open really raised the bar for TV costumes.

Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode for more behind-the-scenes stories from "Employee Transfer."

You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.

For centuries and across many cultures, humans looked up at the stars and planets for guidance. The contemporary stargazer is no different, really — only now, there's a lot more information to wade through in their search for astrological knowledge.

Since podcasting is a modern medium grounded in other ancient practices like oral storytelling, it can be a great guide into these vast, ever-expanding practices of divine planetary exploration. Whether you're into astrology, magic, divination, tarot, or another form of cosmic spirituality, there is undoubtedly a show that's right for you.

With the advent of technology, there's never been more access to these previously esoteric practices. That can be both a blessing and a curse for many reasons, like a higher potential to appropriate other people's culture. That's why we're here to help point you in the right direction to the podcast that unlocks what the stars and planets have in store for you.

1. The Luminaries with David Odyssey

An unabashedly and fabulously queer podcast, The Luminaries perfectly blends pop culture analysis with astrology and tarot. From Sailor Moon characters to Britney Spears, host David Odyssey is joined by a litany of equally great guests who apply their cosmic knowledge to gain further insights into our modern icons. Described as a dive into the "waters of queer consciousness," it also addresses concerns many have about the heteronormativity that's been baked into traditional astrology teachings. For all those who find themselves straddled in the Venn diagram of magical and LGBTQ communities, this is a podcast you can call home.

2. Ghost of a Podcast

A big part of what attracts folks to astrology is the idea of getting personal life advice from the universe at large. But host Jessica Lanyadoo isn't just some vague, mealy-mouthed horoscope slapped onto the back pages of a Cosmo. She brings twenty years of experience as an astrologer and psychic medium (along with a great sense of humor) to her podcast, with no-bullshit advice on all of life's greatest questions that intersect with the cosmic.

Unlike many other approaches to astrology, Lanyadoo isn't here to tell you how to live. Instead, she providers the insights needed to figure it out for yourself. Through in-depth answers to listener questions, she tackles everything from the queering of astrology to its application to our professional work, offering a deeper understanding of both yourself and the practice at large.

3. What's Your Sign

If you enjoy casually talking astrology shop with friends, then What's Your Sign? is definitely the podcast for you. As a conversational comedy podcast, there are lengthy intros and asides diving into the personal and mundane rather than just the cosmic. But that's kind of the point, as co-hosts Julia Loken, Stevie Anderson, and Lisa Chanoux bring their knowledge of the zodiacs and astrology into their everyday lives.

4. Horoscope Today

From Aquarius to Sagittarius, these twelve horoscope podcasts by Parcast provide readings for each individual astrological sign every day of the week. The super brief, minutes-long episodes fit in perfectly with other daily podcasts that might be part of your morning routine. Pair your horoscope with a daily news (like What A Day) or pop culture podcast (like The Daily Zeitgeist) and you can even recreate the experience of a print magazine, which often ended each issue with a look at what was in store for each sign's relationships, creativity, and professional life.

5. The Astrology Podcast

You can't have an astrology podcast roundup without mentioning one of the OGs, with a name that tells you exactly what it is. While a lot more technical, dry, and in-the-weeds than others on this list, host Chris Brennan calls himself a professional astrologer for a reason. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his practice, whether he's interpreting the movement of the planets and stars with his monthly horoscopes or bringing on guests for discussions. Beginners should check out a recent episode (embedded above), where he interviews the co-hosts of the Camp ReEducation comedy podcast to address common questions from astrology skeptics.

6. Your Magic

While not exclusively about astrology, Your Magic is the new Spotify Original podcast that those who are down with all things mystical absolutely cannot miss out on. Hosted by author and poet Michelle Tea, it explores personal journeys through the lens of cosmic spirituality — but also, it's far less pompous than all that. One of the most beginner-friendly shows on our list, every episode centers around a celebrity guest interview, with folks like Phoebe Bridgers coming on to discuss their magical practices as well as a tarot reading that digs into whatever they're currently going through. But each week also offers one lucky listener their own tarot reading from Tea, and also offers a spell, affirmation, or manifestations you can try out yourself.

7. Stars Like Us with Aliza Kelly

The stars, whether human or celestial, are just like us! At least that's the idea behind the Stars Like Us podcast, which is answers the question of, "What if late night talk show, but for people who love crystals?" Aliza Kelly describes herself as a celebrity astrologer, bringing on a host of other well-known names in the mystical and/or alt creator communities to explore a variety of out-of-this-world topics. With a focus on astrology, all topics of cosmic curiosity are welcomed and explored thoroughly.

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The Office has one of the most beloved, catchy, unique theme songs in TV history. But did you know that the opening credits were almost set to a popular '70s hit?