It took quite a bit of research to uncover a good amount of these as I often try not to merely cater to the Spotify top ten and I’d like to extend some much given thanks to the audio drama subreddit for their excellent recommendations.

With a bit of assistance, I’ve found the new, the obscure, the scary, the silly, and the weird combinations of both. Here we have fifteen audio dramas that have caught my attention as of late all coming in a variety of tones, lengths, and genres spanning meaty, long-form mysteries, science fiction anthologies, or a short and sweet miniseries from the likes of newcomers and experienced vets.

As a note, all of these podcasts should be listened to from the beginning unless otherwise stated. Almost all of these podcasts are serialized stories with continuous narratives.

The Best Audio Drama Podcasts

Audio drama is certainly a subjective subject. What one person likes, another will hate. But we’ve gone to great lengths to ensure our picks for the best audio drama podcasts employ excellent storytelling, character development, and have the requisite plot twists that will keep you hooked.

So let’s look at the best audio drama podcasts the medium has to offer. At the end of the post we’ve included some bonus audio dramas that didn’t quite make the list of “best,” but are still pretty damned good and worth your time.

Without further adieu.

The Fourth Ambit

A slightly newer podcast debuting last spring of 2021, The Fourth Ambit is already a solid few hours in the length of their episodes and has got me hooked like malware on a hard drive. 

The Fourth Ambit is a dark, intelligently written sci-fi that weaves a fascinating futuristic landscape where the merging of advanced technology and the human condition take center stage. You won’t want to miss any of Gilles’ misadventures between virtual reality and reality-both of which seem to be equally dangerous.

Give Me Away

Give Me Away focuses on a crashed spaceship titled “The Ghosthouse” for the constant presence of ghastly screams from doomed extraterrestrial life trapped in its mainframe. The only way to end such eternal torment is to transfer their minds into willing human participants-permanently. 

This audio drama comes from the writers behind such favorites of The Message, Life/After, and Steal the Stars which ensures Give Me Away will be a gripping, methodical mystery built from the ground up on atmosphere and chilling discoveries.

It makes for a piece of amazing science fiction with a psychological core, dabbling into complex themes of identity and self worth. You’ll be deeply enamored with the journey of protagonist Graham Shapiro and an exploration into the value of one’s life, be it his own and those around him.

If you do like science fiction do check out some of the paranormal podcasts we’ve reviewed recently. Are they fact or fiction? Or a blend of audio drama?

The Program Audio Series

Joining my collection of favorite anthology series besides The Long Hallway and Theatre of Tomorrow is The Program Audio Series where we’re transported to a universe where Money, State, and God form into one entity governing over a future society. The Program Audio Series lets us into the lives of multiple strangers-some innocent, some not so much, all of them somehow affected by the might gonglamorith of technology. 

The Program audio series is an unapologetically cruel but undeniably creative collection of short stories about a terrifyingly possible future and a rapidly changing present.

PLEASURE MACHINE

It all starts when African American sound artist H gets a job offer from tech cooperation Librate–a once in a lifetime opportunity that wroughts on a number of personal conflicts. That’s the base plot of Colt Coeur’s PLEASURE MACHINE, a nine episode long thrill ride that’s a blend of Dear White People and Sorry to Bother You.

PLEASURE MACHINE’S writing is deeply provocative and smart yet simple in execution with its neat editing tricks, and atmospheric sound design that packs so much into so little time. Many struggling under the stress of freelance, social constructs, and societal pressures will adore this miniseries, these all being topics that PLEASURE MACHINE provides with a complex, adult perspective.

Margaret’s Garden

The Bloody Disgusting Podcast Network has carefully crafted the quaint American suburb of Everton, a picturesque suburban brimming with all-American charm, modern appliances, and opportunity…seventy years ago, that is. 

The American Dream becomes the American Nightmare in their show Margaret’s Garden, a suspenseful suburban audio drama fresh from the oven as of the fall of 2020. Margaret’s Garden is a nice blend of Greener Grass and 1989’s Parents, setting itself up as a piece of truly memorable and macabre Americana.

Greenhouse

Put your flower shop AU’s to bed because Atypical Artists’ Greenhouse is the kind of blooming romance you won’t want to miss. Cute, cozy, and awkwardly sweet, Greenhouse is To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before with deeper roots than your favorite Wattpad fic.

Watch from the shrubs as two wallflowers learn to overcome their fears and open up to each other one letter at a time. Our leads Abigail and Rose are as socially anxious as they are adorable and you’ll be ready for their love story to grow from the first “dear”.

Donald August Versus the Land of Flowers

Babysitting and bad gardening merge in this short audio drama comedy that packs plenty of personality (and pollen) in just under an hour. In this unlikely summer tale in Southern Florida we join twelve-year-old Donnie and his nanny Lex as they investigate the presence of a mysterious palm plant when their game of detective turns into a legitimate investigation.

At a brief five episode length, Donald August Versus the Land of Flowers is a simple, charming story with just the right amount of childhood innocence and the kind of summer fun that will lighten up any dreary day. 

Jack of All Trades

In search of work and a place to live, young and spry Jaclyn Seeglay, often known as Jack, gets hired at Fidus Achates as their new repairwoman, even if her own resume could use some tweaking in the truth department. 

Little to her knowledge, she’s signed up to be the company’s new paranormal hunter who must determine if the creaky floors and leaky faucets are the results of poor house planning or a poltergeist. 

Though I”m sold on the absolute disaster lesbian of a protagonist and her hilarious coworkers, Jack of All Trades comes with some surprisingly strong lore and unique takes on supernatural creatures that give its world immaculate depth.

What Can I Get Started For You?

What Can I Get Started For You? is a slice-of-life comedy mini-series that tells the story of four New York baristas passing by work days with hilarious banter and curating the perfect Spotify cue to survive the next lunch rush. 

Lucky Doll Productions has crafted the ultimate coffee shop story complete with seductive health inspector checkups and talent shows.

What Can I Get Started For You? gets by on the strength of its snappy writing, fun characters, and unique stage play framing that gives it the vibe of watching sitcom misadventures. Don’t even bother adding sugar to your coffee this morning, this show’s good vibes should be enough.

PodCube

No need to adjust your settings, PodCube is just as odd as it seems and the kind of alien experience you might be looking for if you have a taste for a weird workplace comedy. PodCube seems to be a semi-improvisation project though it might be the actors’ natural comedic flow with each other that’s got me recalling the Interdimensional Cable segments from Rick and Morty.

Despite its inherent weirdness, PodCube is a weirdly grounded look into the chaos of mainstream marketing and working under capitalistic restrictions. Between fake movie trailers and awkward press conferences, PodCube never once tries to explain itself. You should have been listening to this yesterday.

The Swashbuckling Ladies Debate Society

Now this is unfortunately a late arrival as The Swashbuckling Ladies Debate Society is on its third season as of this writing and as a fan of Barbie and The Three Musketeers I’m honestly a little sad no one told me about this sooner. 

Here we visit an alternate 20th century France in the seaside town of Massalia under the threat of brutal political corruption from a group that calls themselves The Six. It’ll take wits, cunning, and teamwork to fight the forces disturbing the peace and married lesbian couple Saffron and Zinnia are up for the challenge.

The Swashbuckling Ladies Debate Society is my greatest feminist fantasies come true complete with sword fights, fiery debates, and frilly outfits. It not only makes for some excellent historical fiction but has such contagious charisma and charm, it’ll have you rallying alongside these dashing heroines.

Maxine Miles

The newest brainchild of The Bright Sessions’ Lauren Shippen is Maxine Miles, a Nancy Drew by way of Clue audio drama with a choose your own adventure twist. Taking place in the late nineties of Hastings, New Hampshire in the eve of autumn, we join Maxine’s team in uncovering the mysteries of her town after the disappearance of one of her classmates. 

The uber-intelligent and precocious Maxine definitely has the wits to crack the case but will the secrets that plague her New England home be too much for one girl to handle? 

Maxine Miles proves to be wholesome fun with a twinge of suspense and intrigue that’ll have you nostalgic over tweenage mystery novels. You definitely won’t need a magnifying glass to see why this one is a gem.

Death by Dying

The life of an obituary writer isn’t exactly thrilling but in a world where the most unlikely of deaths come attached to haunted bicycles, evil farmers, and cats with a deadly appetite, it’s just one of few misadventures in the life of a rookie occult investigator.

Death by Dying is darkly entertaining in its bold writing choices and macabre yet hilarious subject matter, making it an excellent blend of Wooden Overcoats and Less is Morgue. You’ll enjoy Death by Dying’s smooth narration, solid comedic timing, and intriguingly insane mysteries. It’s grim yet uplifting, discusses the dead and is yet filled with life in each episode.

Hannahpocalypse

It’s the end of the world as we know it and Hannah is doing weirdly fine. From Red Fathom Entertainment comes Hannahpocalypse, a comedy/horror audio drama from the perspective of the world’s last unliving girl who has (un)survived a zombie apocalypse merged with a Terminator-style apocalypse.

Hannahpocalypse is a smartly written, tongue-in-cheek take on post apocalyptic tropes told from the perspective of the titular monster. Hannahpocalypse has weaved a funny and insanely charming piece of self aware comedy that’s a refreshing take on the usual piece of glum and gritty apocalypse fiction.

Who Killed Avril Lavigne: A Time-Traveling Pop Punk Podcast

Local teen edgelord Derek Walker has his head up in space and himself back in time when his substitute teacher sends him back to Warp Tour to investigate the disappearance of pop punk princess Avril Lavinge. From that premise alone, the best damn thing might be Who Killed Avril Lavigne: A Time-Traveling Pop Punk Podcast, a love letter to rock and the early 2000’s that will resonate with millennials and the average music fan. 

Who Killed Avril Lavigne is a nostalgic yet strangely modern piece of time-travel comedy that blends crackpot conspiracies and punk rock edge seamlessly. No reason to make things so complicated, you won’t find many things this stylistically gorgeous, absurd, and unbelievably original.

Bonus audio drama podcasts

These audio drama podcasts come from versions of this article past. We still recommend them! They remain some of the greats in audio drama podcasting.

Life With LEO(h)

The androids that don’t dream of electric sheep or are probably dreaming of long walks on the beach. From the same studio that brought you podcast darling The Bright Sessions comes Life With LEO(h), a lighthearted sci-fi comedy about the bond between girl and machine. 

In true rom-com fashion, it focuses on strict and serious Jeanine Bell whose active work life as a robotics intelligence lawyer has majorly crippled her chances at an active love life.

Luckily for her, she’s getting a relationship reboot if she wants it or not once she comes across the adorably dysfunctional, and highly illegal android LEO, Loving, Empathetic, Optimistic, and (only sorta) helpful. This show will never have you doubting if robots could ever know love. When Leo is involved, romance is always part of the equation.

Read more: Life with LEO(h): Atypical’s New Fiction Podcast About Living With a Sexy Robot 

Less is Morgue

Meet your fellow monster in this excellent comedy with a horror twist, Less is Morgue. Taking place in a fantastical Tallahassee, Florida where the supernatural is the norm, a grumpy ghoul named Riley and giddy ghost Evelyn host their own podcast from the comfort of their basement.

But this duo proves that being dead doesn’t make their days any less lively. 

Less is Morgue is smartly written, weird, and wonderfully charming with a great cast of characters, quotable dialogue, and some very solid chemistry from the main undead duo that makes every scene hauntingly hilarious.

Where The Stars Fell

From the creator of Inkwyrm comes a supernatural mystery audio drama written by Newt Schottelkotte of the always experimental Caldera Studios. It follows the not so average life of Dr. Edison Tucker, A.K.A. Ed, whose search for the paranormal might have to start with herself.

Where The Stars Fell is a story of truly biblical proportions twinged with all things existential, violent, and downright weird. Honestly, it might be best to go in blind to truly get the full experience yourself. Be not afraid and check it out. 

When Angels Visit Armadillo

Conspiracies ahoy in Christin Campbell’s When Angels Visit Armadillo. Get to know Magnolia Waters as she tells all through interviews and phone calls about a mysterious disappearance back in ‘88.

When Angels Visit Armadillo is an excellent piece of Americana, a deeply intriguing mystery with Southern flair and a sapphic story at its core. It’s a pleasant mixing pot of Alice Isn’t Dead and the previously mentioned Where The Stars Fell, and despite its short runtime, it’s got a real grit to its presentation that I can’t help but respect.

Spirit Box Radio

Set your stereos to supernatural with Spirit Box Radio, a weekly horror audio drama from Hanging Sloth Studios. When the original host, Madame Marie of Spirit Box Radio‘s Advice and Community Segment goes missing, plucky newcomer Sam Enfield will have to take her place.

But hosting a mystical radio show isn’t exactly a walk in the graveyard when the studio itself is host to terrifying secrets and its own history of hauntings. Spirit Box, with its interesting premise and wiccan vibes, should be a fun listen for anyone seeking out some new, lighthearted horror.

Seen and Not Heard

Our lead in this excellent audio drama is Bet Kline, a woman who is now legally deaf and must navigate herself around such an unexpected curveball. Seen and not Heard is a brutally honest look into living with disability that doesn’t spare a good sense of humor to get its message across.

Those who have struggled with anything be it mental health or hospital stays will find a lot of catharsis in the show’s sincerity and delicate yet bold approach. (Discloure: Caroline Mincks has written for Discover Pods.)

Read more: Seen and Not Heard: On Hearing, On Listening

Ronstadt

Spooky yet weirdly sentimental, mystical yet down to earth, cool as ice and yet hot as hell-that’s one of many ways to describe Ronstadt, a severely undepreciated supernatural noir comedy taking place in an alternative Los Angeles. Meet Rhett McLaughlin, AKA Ronstadt, a snarky, dysfunctional phone jockey thrown headfirst into the dark underbelly of L.A., here known less for its sandy beaches and overpriced coffees and instead it’s otherworldly events.

Combining the aesthetics of The Meat Blockade with the general, effortlessly cool vibe of a Juno Steel adventure, Ronstadt’s strong voice acting, crisp sound editing, and solid storytelling makes a great find for mystery and magic fans looking for that urban twist.

Only Sketches About Podcast

If you’re looking for a less linear podcast experience, you’ll definitely find it with the Only Sketches About Podcast, a grab bag of topics ranging from the mundane like camping trips and gift shops to the more abstract tales of UFO’s and clams. 

Only Sketches is always weird and always funny with a nice twinge of satire to boot. Regardless, Only Sketches is a delightfully unpredictable time with a small but strong cast delivering wonderfully weird stories in this collection of memorable skits.

The Luchador: 1000 Fights of El Fuego Fuerte

Do you ever read the title of something and immediately be sold on its premise? Well, that was the case with picking up The Luchador: 1000 Fights of El Fuego Fuerte, and luckily a pretty solid adventure comedy podcast happened to be attached to it. 

El Fuego Fuerte is a thoroughly original, bombastic joy ride filled to the gills with combat and camp you probably can’t find anywhere else. Creator Daniel Valero Fletcher shows a real love and passion for the art of masked wrestling and the series is pure passion from start to finish.

Mars’ Best Brisket/Midnight Burger

From your local restaurant comes Mars Best Brisket, a short and snacky sitcom by Ponders Productions. Join this eclectic couple as they create the first ever vegan restaurant on Mars, navigating food critics and new hires. Mars Best Brisket is cute, homey, and lovably original with strong writing and the unmistakable wholesome center of visiting a family diner to support its short runtime. 

In fact, why don’t we sandwich a similar recommendation into this with a heaping helping of Midnight Burger, the story of a seemingly normal Phoenix diner that’s actually a time bending, dimension hopping restaurant. Check out either one of these or maybe develop a craving for both. Regardless, you’re bound to leave here smiling and satisfied.

Patient 33

The podcast where the protagonist is in a coma. To be completely honest, that premise alone has sold me on Patient 33, a splice of comedy and medical drama that deconstructs the very nature of podcasts with its clever use of dissecting listener agency with this unorthodox but very creative choice of perspective.

Patient 33 is genuinely engaging with its ongoing plot and dysfunctional cast of characters, making Hope’s Memorial Hospital the hospital that never sleeps.

OBSIDIAN

Ever since checking out Adventures in New America from Night Vale Presents, I’ve been on the prowl for more afrofuturism. Luckily, speculative fiction podcast OBSIDIAN has seriously been scratching that itch for me lately in this truly excellent sci-fi anthology collection. 

OBSIDIAN is delightfully bizarre and insanely smart with inspired settings and one of a kind world building that dabbles into ideas of space travel to simulations, making for an intense, psychological romp that may spark only a minor existential breakdown.

Beautifully constructed from the ground up, OBSIDIAN is an easy yet engaging listen for anyone who wants to get lost for a while.

Kalila Stormfire’s Economical Magick Services

Fans of Alba Salix, Royal Physician will probably get a kick out of this ongoing lost gem from 2018, Kalila Stormfire’s Economical Magick Services. In this modern take on witches navigating the working world, local witch Kalila Stormfire makes a living as a one-stop shop for fixing magical (magickal?) mishaps. 

You won’t just get tarot card readings and healing crystals here because Economical Magick Services is conjuring up astral projection and speaking to the dead all at an adorable price. And, luckily for you, you can check out this excellent audio drama free of charge. 

We Fix Space Junk

A long time favorite of mine, We Fix Space Junk specifically appeals to my favorite brand of science fiction: the down on their luck, ragtag working class variety like you find in shoes like Wolf 359. 

Here we join repairwoman Kilner and her A.I. partner in crime as they take on any variety of odd jobs while narrowly avoiding being blown into space dust. We Fix Space Junk is a hilariously written, tongue-in-cheek satire that cinches its story with some great acting chops and editing all while being an impassioned love letter to the genre.

If you’re a fan of quirky space comedies like Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, you’re bound to enjoy this.

Community Cat News

Oh the things you’ll find if you dig just deep enough, and in this case, my journey concludes in the litter box. Community Cat News is exactly what it appears to be on the surface, an adorable glimpse into the minds of neighborhood cats and what makes them tick in their personal cuddly corner of the world. 

Composed entirely of short episodes, Community Cat News will make up only about five minutes or less of your day and with it sponsored by the prestigious Meow Meow Puffytail, Feline Rights Attorney, you know it’s bound to be a pur-fect entertainment for you and your own feline friend.

Brimstone Valley Mall

As a soda-chugging, pizza-munching, Twitter-account-owning degenerate who feels entitled to the kind of liveable wage a part time mall job simply can’t provide, a black comedy podcast about demons in a rock band working at a suburban shopping mall during the late nineties is a little too up my alley. 

Though my Goth phase is long past me, a show that encompasses Goth aesthetics is such a rare and incredibly welcomed facet to the considerably less Goth podcasts lying around. No time for prissy preps here, Brimstone Valley Mall is truly the epitome of what old people think rock music does to the youth-Satan worshipping and a sudden taste for leather included.

The Godshead Incidental

(Disclosure: Cole Burkhardt, who plays Lorem Ipsum, is a Discover Pods contributor.)

It usually doesn’t take much to impress me so The Godshead Incidental passing the test within a mere few seconds of its first episode is actually high praise. In this urban fantasy that’s a nice combination of The Wicked and The Divine and an episode of Parks and Recreation, comes one of the most unique takes on modernized mythology I’ve heard in years.

Get to know advice columnist Em as she tries to find her missing sister after a sudden run in with the God of Memory, throwing her into a risky partnership with the charmingly mysterious Lorem Ipsum. Witty dialogue, fantastic world building, and solid acting chops makes for a one of a kind experience. 

Read more: New Religion: “The Godshead Incidental” Review

The Magnus Archives 

As the kind of person who still gets startled by bread coming out of a toaster, I’m probably not the kind of person who should be getting personally invested in horror shows. Too bad The Magnus Archives has already sunk its teeth into me and hasn’t let go for the better half of last year. 

What starts as a loosely connected compilation of one-off horror stories becomes a densely personal psychological horror peppered with just the right amount of existential dread and body horror galore. If you can stomach what it has to offer, it’ll prove to be as satisfying as it is scary.

The Long Hallway

Perhaps blame my short attention span or growing fondness for Black Mirror, but there’s something I inevitably enjoy about anthologies. There’s definitely an art to be appreciated in the nature of a short story, how quickly we’re introduced to characters and ideas until we’re forced to jump to another one with the fate of our last gallery of heroes left completely abandoned. 

Anthology shows are in no short supply in audio drama but there’s just something about The Long Hallway that really caught my attention. Its methodical pace, its slightly eerie atmosphere, and its love for twists and subtle theming all packed in episodes that never go over eleven minutes makes it an excellent entry level podcast.

The Theatre of Tomorrow 

While still on the topic of anthologies, the first collection I found myself smitten by was easily 2017’s The Theatre of Tomorrow by Midnight Disease Productions. There’s just something so fun about shows that are wacky for wackiness sake and it takes a delicate hand to make these kinds of shows charming instead of obnoxious.

The Theatre of Tomorrow is silly but inspired by its love of retro, old-timey radio plays, granting it a sort of 1950’s aesthetic pleasantness. It’s random but never incoherent which is helped by some positively solid casting and editing, making it as hilarious as it is fabulously put together. Nothing quite tickles my fancy the way a good scripted comedy does and The Theatre of Tomorrow is a severely underappreciated relic.

Fuck Humans

Audio-fiction erotica is in itself quite a rare genre. Not that podcasts can’t talk about or include sex or sexually active charaters, but many of which can hardly call themselves legitimate smut. And for the lonely adults in the world in need of some more sizzly soundbytes comes Fuck Humans, a fantasy romance for the eighteen and older audience.

Fuck Humans manages the art of combining both smut and story and doing so with expert consistency. All around, it’s the kind of show you can enjoy with a bit of privacy…or out in the open if you’re into that sort of thing. What could have been a mere monster mash is a rather simple tale about overcoming prejudices with a sexy twist.

The Penumbra Podcast

Be it you’re tuning in for the suspenseful cyber noir of private eye Juno Steel or the medieval misadventures of many a dreamy knight at The Second Citadel, The Penumbra Podcast is one of the more popular selections to have come out in years but has certainly earned its position among the greats. Excellently crafted with great characters and even greater mysteries to uncover, any path you choose guarantees hours of wit, whimsy, and wonderful angst.

Read more: Plug in, Press Play: Reimagining Podcasts as Games

Dark Dice

I personally feel like I’m still barely toddling into the realm of DnD podcasts which is a shame given how incredibly popular they are. An easy format thanks to the improvised storytelling aspects and the wholesome company of good friends with wild imaginations, but it takes far more than just setting up some sound equipment in your mother’s basement to make a session podcast worthy.

That’s why I highly recommend Dark Dice, a grim fantasy adventure following a lovably flawed party banding together to find the missing children of a nearby village while being pursued by a shapeshifting monster. Fool and Scholar Productions creates a solid atmosphere with the kind of interesting creatures, mysterious lands, and high stakes you find in the likes of Thrilling Adventure Zone and Critical Role. So roll for initiative and check it out.

Rover Red: Alone in the Apocalypse 

As someone so hung up on their own nostalgia that they still have Adobe Flash installed on their computer purely out of spite, it’s no wonder I’m still not over Rover Red: Alone in the Apocalypse, a gloriously short-lived science fiction thriller that debuted in 2017 and, much like a sentient implant drilled into my ear canal, hasn’t left my mind since. 

In this rather intense show we follow the adventures of Leah as she navigates the ruined remains of a post-apocalyptic world with only an artificial intelligence and the motivation to find her brother pushing her through increasingly difficult trials that a mysterious council, i.e. listeners, were able to vote on.

Even if there’s only so few episodes to spare, it’s worth a peak regardless for its iron hard tension, excellent world building, and blend of psychological horror and science fiction adventure that makes Ender’s Game look like Little Einsteins.

THE INFINITE NOW

As far as non-linear, artsy shows go, THE INFINITE NOW  is a short and sweet but certainly fun little detour. To describe the show’s premise is a bit of a tall order as it’s more or less a random selection of spacy monologues narrated by the show’s creator Richard Penner. But if you have a taste for surrealism, existential horror, and some atmospheric music, it’s an excellent selection to backtrack your next blunt rotation with some close friends.

The Meat Blockade

High-brow surrealist comedy with singing pirate frogs and lamb scrotum isn’t the kind of thing you’d be bragging about in your next book club but somebody’s gotta break the ice, especially if you’re in the similar company of Kafka enthusiasts. 

The Meat Blockade by the Hennesy brothers is a thrillingly absurd look into the unlucky life of Karl Berenger as he desperately tries to crawl his way back home after one single choice lands him in the gaping maw of Nighttown. Gorgeously edited, fabulously acted, and never slacking in surprises, it’s a wonderfully bizarre romp that wears its inspiration on its sleeves.

SAYER

A favorite, always going to be a favorite, and is still a favorite to this day. SAYER is the science fiction horror audio drama debut of Adam Bash who has weaved a positively fascinating if terrifying futuristic dystopia. And it’s through the eyes of the titular SAYER, as well as a number of other equally dysfunctional artificial intelligences, that we learn about the dark secrets and darker tragedies befalling the citizens of Typhon.

Hadron Gospel Hour

Hadron Gospel Hour is the kind of show your dad would like, maybe even my dad would like, but that hasn’t stopped teenage me or adult me from being insanely fond of easily one of my favorite audio drama sci-fi comedies.

With its wacky dimension hopping, reality bending mishaps, and chaotic duo of a mad scientist and average joe, Hadron Gospel Hour was Rick and Morty before Rick and Morty was cool, so it’s worth a listen simply for that level of hipster street cred.

Return Home

Small towns with big secrets is common ground to tread for many fiction series with varying levels of success. There’s something just so oddly humble about the hidden secrets of an average community being brought to the forefront and it’s things like Return Home that reminds me of the potential they have to be fun, wonderfully bizarre experiences. 

Though it may not be for everyone, Return Home is one of those shows that has a little bit of everything: comedy, strange supernatural forces, and romance all wrapped up in a package that’s so unashamedly authentic.

With a loveable trio as the leads and an interesting slew of monsters to pick from, this long trip to Melancholy Falls is a nice blend of creative and campy.

Adventures in New America

Night Vale Presents is nothing short of a seal of quality around these parts so it’s no wonder that shows like Within the Wires and Alice Isn’t Dead are such beloved audio drama favorites that still have just the slightest DNA of our favorite desert town in its veins. And though those shows are darling to me, Adventures in New America feels like a truly unique entity.

Branching off from the more Americana-esque vibes of Night Vale Presents other works, this show decides to walk in the pond of political satire with a cyberpunk twist. In this “Afrofuturistic buddy comedy”, tag along with best friends IA and Simon Carr as they wind up in increasingly more absurd heist missions on the dangerous streets of New New York City for the deliberate goal of landing in jail for the benefit of free health insurance. 

Be it you’re in the mood for social commentary or foul mouthed and funny exchanges, you’re bound to be seeing things in neon after one listen.

Steal the Stars

Written by Mac Rogers, Steal the Stars is the story of Dakota “Dak” Prentiss, a government worker on a secret test site. She and her team are tasked with looking after Moss, the comatose body of an alien named for the moss-like substance growing on its body, and its baffling ship that emits deadly waves.

The project is so dangerous that Dak’s higher-ups have completely forbidden the team from becoming attached to each other. No friends. No confidants. And definitely no hookups–which becomes more difficult when the painfully attractive Matt Salem is hired. What starts as a pulpy romance slowly turns into a political intrigue thriller, a heist, and one of the most memorable final episodes in audio drama to date.

Harlem Queen

Audio drama is known for being heavy on the sci-fi and horror, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t great realistic fiction. Based on the true story of “Numbers Queen” Madame Stephanie St. Clair, mobster and gambler, Harlem Queen is a historical fiction podcast set during the Harlem Renaissance. Harlem Queen is jazzy, glamorous, and exciting–but it also doesn’t shy away from the realities of being black, and especially being a black woman, in the American 1920’s.

Wolf 359

Wolf 359 was an audio drama space opera, set in a massive space station orbiting the eponymous red dwarf star. What starts out as a lighthearted story about the lackadaisical protagonist Doug Eiffel being bored in space eventually becomes an action-packed, dramatic, heart-wrenching story about the cost of the greater good, the path to redemption, what it means to be human, and overcoming trauma. Wolf 359 concluded its four-season run at the end of 2017, making it a perfect completed story to listen to without worrying about staying current.

The Big Loop

The Big Loop is a somewhat sci-fi, somewhat magical realism anthology series created by Paul Bae of the well-known horror fiction podcast The Black Tapes. Each episode of The Big Loop is a different story, meaning you can skip around and jump in whenever you’d like. Each episode also feels like a different genre: “The Studio” is a sort of ghost story, “YOU” is about an astronaut and her AI, and “All God’s Children” is somewhere between comedy and Lovecraftian horror. If you’re in for a supernatural story with some heavy emotional punches, though, “Goodbye Mr. Adams” is a great place to start.

CARAVAN

A product of audio drama cornerstone The Whisperforge, CARAVAN is a buckwild journey into a story about demons, vampires, banshees, and the caravans that slay them. Protagonist Samir is a play on a typical nerdy everyman genre fiction hero, with the important differences that he’s queer, Desi, and explicitly not thin. As Samir falls into an otherworldly, weird west canyon, he teams up with a traveling group of demon hunters but winds up seeing how he can change their ways to be more ethical. CARAVAN plays with genre, the hero’s journey, and eroticism in one big, unabashed, thrilling bundle.

36 Questions

If you’re looking for a realistic fiction story you can get through in an afternoon and you’re not against the idea of musicals, 36 Questions is a great first foray into audio drama podcasts. This 3-part limited series is a full musical about a husband and wife who are recently separated and their attempts to rekindle their romance–or snuff it out for good. The songs are gorgeous and catchy with lyrics that balance profoundness with authenticity. It’s a fiction podcast you won’t be able to get out of your head, whether because of the songs or the incredible characters singing them.

Alba Salix, Royal Physician

Alba Salix is a comedy audio drama about a royal physician in a fantastical realm, trying her hardest to make her patients understand common sense. It’s one part Scrubs, one part Monty Python, one part Robin Hood: Men in Tights. It’s an easy listen even with an overarching plot that delivers fast-paced jokes and ridiculous characters. If you want to get an introduction to audio drama podcasts but maybe without so much drama, Alba Salix is delightfully whimsical, light-hearted, and hilarious.

The Amelia Project

The Amelia Project is a comedy audio drama about a company that helps clients fake their deaths and start anew, complete with faked identities. Each episode is a consultation with the prospective client to find out why they want their death faked, how they want it do be faked, and how they want to come back. The comedy is absurd and twisted without ever being to gritty or macabre. The level of creativity in The Amelia Project is already enough to make it a great listen, but the acting and sound design are both just as impressive.

For more on The Amelia Project, make sure to read Morgan Hines’s interview with its creators.

Greater Boston

Greater Boston feels like the Mike Schur equivalent in the podcast world. Like Brooklyn 99 or Parks and Recreation, Greater Boston takes place in a hyperbolic version of a real place. Like The Good Place, that level of hyperbole is sometimes brought to bizarre high-concept episodes with an almost supernatural feel. Greater Boston takes place after the world’s most boring man dies on a roller coaster, and the podcast only gets more surprising, hilarious, and intriguing from there.

Fan Wars: The Empire Claps Back

Rom-coms are finally returning to popular culture, including in podcasts. Fan Wars: The Empire Claps Back is a romantic dramedy about two fans on the opposite sides of many debates in the Star Wars discourse. It’s a classic setup: two hot-headed opponents make assumptions about each other, expect the worst from each other, and then consistently surprise themselves when they find common ground and maybe even common attraction. Wrap the premise up in some cosplay and give it a lightsaber and you’re in for a great listen.

Limetown

Limetown is an audio drama that straddles the line between science fiction and horror. Framed like an investigated journalism podcast a la Serial, Limetown follows a reporter trying to find out what happened to a town where everyone suddenly went missing ten years ago. Limetown packs so much character development into its first season, with most episodes following a specific interviewee, but it balances character with one of the most riveting plots I’ve ever heard. After several years, Limetown is returning with its second season on October 31st–yes, Halloween–2018, as well as releasing a prequel novel set when Limetown was founded.

The Bright Sessions

The Bright Sessions is a character-driven audio drama about people with superpowers going to therapy. Don’t shy away if you’re not a fan of big superhero blockbusters, though–The Bright Sessions is much more Friday Night Lights than The Avengers. It’s a gorgeous character study, but it also has a plot that focuses on government conspiracies, well-researched discussions of mental health, and some beautiful love stories. The Bright Sessions is also being adapted as a TV show and three spinoff novels, so make sure to catch up first.

Marsfall

Marsfall is a newer addition to the audio drama world, but it’s already being regarded as one of the best in the scene. This science fiction audio drama follows a different character’s perspective each episode as they land on Mars for an expedition. The changing point of view adds depth to each part of its somewhat large cast while also complicating the ethics so often discussed in the plot. Marsfall also proves that large-scale action sequences are not only possible in audio, but can also be beautiful.

Station to Station

Station to Station is a horror audio drama that turns the audio medium on its head. Plenty of audio drama podcasts give a reason for their story to take place in audio, but Station to Station subverts this with internal monolgues and changing perspectives. This fiction podcast follows a researcher on a massive ship whose research partner never showed up for the voyage–but did leave the protagonist some audio recordings. Station to Station is an audio drama that you could listen to casually, but it’s best when given the time and attention one might give Lost or Westworld, and it merits just as much theorizing.

The post 15 Audio Drama Podcasts to Get You Hooked on Fiction appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

Every podcast can be funny in there own way, with inside jokes and just upbeat conversation. Any enjoyable conversation or story includes some light notes of humor. However, these are shows that go out of their way to define themselves as comedy podcasts.

From comedians giving their takes on the news to scripted hijinks to improv comedy to just two pals talking about stuff, there are plenty of different comedy podcasts out there for you to try out. Here are just a selection of a few ones that I recommend!

As a note, this list has several audio dramas (or fiction podcasts). Make sure you start these all from the beginning! Each podcast that isn’t an audio drama has a recommended first episode or two linked in its blurb.

Note: This is a rotating list, which will be refreshed every few months with a slate of brand new comedy podcasts. Entries from previous lists are still kept down below–they’re still great listens for you to check out!

The 10 Best Comedy Podcasts

The Bugle

The Bugle is an international satire weekly news show covering current events both big and small. The show has been hosted by Andy Zaltzman for over a decade, and was originally co-hosted by little known comedian John Oliver before he got too busy being in The Smurfs or something. Ever since 2016, Zaltzman has brought on a number of rotating co-hosts from all around the world, such as Hari Kondabolu, Alice Fraser, Nish Kumar, Helen Zaltzman and more.

All of the hosts have a great energy together, regardless of the combination. From the elaborately clever “pun runs” to the scalding hot takes, The Bugle is one of the best ways to keep up with current events in spite of how bad they might be. 

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | RSS

Life With Leo(h)

Life With Leo(h) is a romantic comedy about a career-driven lawyer being gifted an illegally intelligent android who is programmed to love her.  The show is hilarious and about love the same way all these sort of rom coms are, but also explores issues of free will and consent when it comes to someone literally made to love you.

One of my favorite things about this show is how it goes out of its way not just to show how the main couple’s relationship develops, but also how the two develop fun relationships with the other supporting characters. For example, one of Jeanine’s coworkers serves as a point to a potential love triangle with LEO(h), but he and LEO(h) actually have a pretty fun dynamic.

Treat yourself to the first season of this rom-com-sit-com audio drama and keep an eye on your feed for when more comes out!

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | RSS | Transcripts

Read more: Life with LEO(h): Atypical’s New Fiction Podcast About Living With a Sexy Robot

Hey Riddle Riddle

Hey Riddle Riddle is one of those comedy podcasts with a premise everyone can get behind. It’s about riddles and puzzles hosted by people who, after three years of doing this show, still hate riddles. Fire.

Every week, Chicago improvisers Adal Rifai, Erin Keif and John Patrick Coan suffer through as many riddles and word puzzles they can do per episode without getting distracted.

As they tackle these riddles, at the drop of a hat they’ll call from improv scenes sometimes based on the riddle or whatever they’re talking about, or sometimes out of nowhere. The Clue Crew is great at keeping things fun and snappy even when a riddle feels like it’s dragging them along. Hey Riddle Riddle is one of the best improv comedy podcasts out there and also, I have to assume, one of the best riddle podcasts as well. 

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | RSS

The Vanishing Act

The Vanishing Act is a genre-blending globe-trotting adventure following Augie Eckhart, a 1930’s German theater artist looking to recreate a stage act that caused the disappearance of an entire audience. As Augie puts off actually solving this mystery, his egotistic and prickly personality clashes with a colorful cast of characters, including a conman with a fluid backstory, an unfortunately-named mechanical engineer, a man so perfect he wraps back around to being the worst and a narrator who is just so done with Augie’s bullshit.

There’s also a duck.

A nice thing about this show is that it’s done, making it a nice enjoyable package of hilarity and hijinks. If you’re looking for a period piece bleak absurdist comedy mystery drama set during the rise of fascism in the 1930’s that touches on so many different genres that some of them could be considered spoilers, then this is the show for your very specific tastes. As comedy podcasts go, it may be an acquired taste, but it’s one worth sampling.

Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Website | RSS | Transcripts

Fake The Nation

Fake The Nation is the comedy news show for people who get worn down keeping up with current events. Every week, Negin Farsad brings on a rotating roster of comedians and public figures to talk about news, culture, and other big current events.

The show doesn’t shy away from the harshness of the modern world, but takes strides to keep things light with charming and breezy conversation. It’s the kind of show where you find yourself smiling while listening to it, and then later realize you learned something from it. 

Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Website | RSS

Dungeons And Daddies

Dungeons and Daddies is an actual play Dungeons and Dragons podcast following the adventures of four dads from our world flung into The Forgotten Realms on a quest to rescue their sons. The show features Matt Arnold as stay at home sports dad Darryl Wilson, Will Campos as crunchy opinionated hippy dad Henry Oak, Beth May as the platonic ideal of a weirdo step-dad Ron Stampler, and Freddie Wong as rock and roll cover band dad Glenn Close, with Anthony Burch as the dungeon master.

Come for the dad jokes and raunchy comedy, stay for the comedic ways the shows bends and breaks the mechanics of D&D and, eventually, actual play shows as a whole. That’s incredibly lofty praise for a show that has a long running gag about a dad being stinky. It makes for one of the best comedy podcasts, and maybe parenting podcasts as well… in its own way.

Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Website | RSS

I’m Sorry

The thing about public apologies is that, most of the time, they aren’t so much an apology as they are covering for their public relations. They are also often the least they can do. In I’m Sorry, comedians Hoja Lopez, Mohanad Elshieky, and Kiki Monique tackle the most recent public apology and the series of events that lead to it.

We’ve all seen random apologetic posts or videos in the wild, out of context. The I’m Sorry crew will take your hand and guide you down the rabbit hole that brought us to these apologies. If you enjoy deep dives into the latest drama dominating the headlines, check out their back catalog. All you need to know about any of these stories is that somebody somewhere is sorry. 

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Website | RSS  

Why Won’t You Date Me

Nicole Byer has, as of when I’m writing this article, at least three different comedy podcasts and for good reason. Byer is incredibly upbeat and peppy while also being refreshingly blunt and self aware without being mean. Why Won’t You Date Me explores Byer’s ongoing dating struggles, as well as any issues her guests have been running into when it comes to romance.

I started listening to the show after enjoying Byer’s most recent standup special Big Beautiful Weirdo, which is a good showing of her overall vibe. Byer and her guests get into the relatable weirdness of the modern dating world, while sometimes touching upon the additional weirdness of doing so while famous. Check out this show if you’re looking for comedy podcasts that feels like having drinks with your friends after they went on a weird date.

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | RSS 

The Read

Sometimes you just really need someone to cut into the wired and wild drama of pop culture, and that’s where The Read steps in. Every week on The Read, hosts Kid Fury and Crissle discuss the latest news following pop culture’s most trying personalities.

From Hollywood to hip hop to the occasional sports drama updates, the hosts bounce off of each other sorting out what’s happening and why it matters. I’m not really one for keeping up with celebrity drama, but The Read’s humorous approach to catty stories keeps things fun and engaging.

Add them to your collection of celebrity podcasts and comedy podcasts, or pick them out as a fun glance into a side of stardom you might not otherwise keep track of. 

Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Website 

Anime Sickos

Despite the title, Anime Sickos isn’t really about anime. Each episode, hosts Tom Harrison and Joe Anderson break down “the four pillars of modern misery: anime, gaming, posting and jobs.” The show is whatever The Sickos feel passionate about talking about each episode.

This can range from Joe interrogating Tom about why he watches Food Wars, the horrors of different work stories (including an episode where guest Tom McHenry talks about a coworker who only spoke in babytalk), reflecting on great moments in posting history or talk about their Crime Gameboys.

They even once did a fully produced audio drama play The Tragedy of Modesty City, an incredibly made parody of the classic fiction podcast Pleasuretown. When I started listening to the show, after hearing a few recent episodes, I jumped to the first episode of the podcast and listened to the entire back catalog, which I believe is a huge compliment to one of the many comedy podcasts that’s ultimately just two dudes chatting. If you’re looking for somewhere to start, check out this recommendation page.

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | RSS

Bonus Comedy Podcasts

These comedy podcasts are from lists past. They’re still some of the greats of comedy podcasts, and we still recommend giving them a listen!

Scam Goddess

Everyone loves a good crime story, either because the criminal gets away with it in a cool, swift, smart way or they parade through a cavalcade of screw ups. In Scam Goddess, host and self-declared “scam goddess” Laci Mosley takes her guest and the listeners on a tour of some of history’s greatest hoodwinks and the charlatans who performed them. Mosley will have you rolling on the floor in laughter as she cheers on hucksters who really stick it to the man and laughs at the demise of folks who were just real monsters. Hop into the most recent episode, or find one with a guest you know or a story you’ve heard about!

Rude Tales of Magic

Polaris University has vanished without a trace. The only survivors will stop at nothing to find their school. And by “stop at nothing,” I mean, “get distracted by the wonderful and weird obstacles thrown in front of them.” Rude Tales of Magic is an actual play podcast starring a group of artists, writers and comedians using the game Dungeons and Dragons as a framework to spin a hilarious and magical yarn.

If actual play podcasts scare you due to the rules of D&D, you’ll still enjoy Rude Tales. The show is more improv and comedy focused than mechanics focused, pushing through the number crunching to get to the fun stuff. Fans of actual play shows such as The Adventure Zone or Dimension 20, or fans of fantasy improv shows like Hello From The Magic Tavern will get a kick out of this nasty time!

Read more: The 69 Nicest Actual Play Podcast Highlights of 2020

Bad Romance Podcast

It might be a bit weird to have comedy podcasts about comedy movies on this now meta list of comedy podcasts, but Bad Romance Podcast earns it’s spot. Every week, hosts Jourdain Searles and Bronwyn Ariel Isaac select a romantic movie, often a romcom, and talk through it. They joke about the weird jumps that these movies take in fictional romance compared to how real actual humans deal with romance.

There is a lot of genuine, well thought out film critique in this show, and you’ll find yourself laughing along with the hosts. If you like shows like How Did This Get Made or other comedy rewatch podcasts,  check this show out! Search their feed for some of your favorite (or least favorite) movies to get started!

Dead Eyes

Comedian and actor Connor Radcliff was cast in a minor role in the 2001 HBO series Band of Brothers, only to be fired by director Tom Hanks for having “dead eyes.” Years later, Radcliff embarks on a journey to find out why. Dead Eyes is mostly about Ratliff trying to solve the mystery of this experience through intense investigation (re: finding as many people as he can who are tangentially connected to this minor event and scratching their memories to see if they have anything).

It’s also a show about rejection and show business, and how the littlest interactions, even the ones you weren’t really hurt by, can have some lasting meaningful impact.  The show has a true crime documentary-like format investigating something that isn’t a crime but is a solvable mystery, a nice change in how comedy podcasts typically follow a conversational format.

If you liked shows like The McElroy Brothers Will Be In Trolls World Tour, jump right into the first episode!

Review Revue

“Reading things people wrote on the internet and making fun of them” is probably one of the most used premises for comedy podcasts out there. These podcasts live and die by the chemistry of the hosts, and that is where Review Revue shines. Each week, hosts Reilly Anspaugh and Geoffrey James choose a topic of interest and cherry pick a few reviews.

They riff on the review and launch into improv scenes based on them. Internet reviews are a great jumping off point for improv scenes, especially for the strange topics chosen for this show, because the reasons they write reviews are often wild.

If you want a good place to jump into the show, check out their two “Best of 2020” episodes, where they clip together some fan-favorite reviews and scenes from 2020. 

Urgent Care

The important difference between an actual advice show and an advice comedy podcast is that the advice comedy podcasts give isn’t always trying to help you, but rather riff about your question and may deal out some wisdom if they know how to help. On Urgent Care, hosts Joel Kim Booster and Mitra Jouhari take in listener submitted issues, often about dating but sometimes a sprinkling of other life issues, and do what they can to help out.

The chemistry between the hosts is chaotically electric with jokes that just pull you out of whatever funk you might be in. You should be able to jump into the most recent episode of this weekly podcast!

Let’s Make A Music

Ever want to have a fun time listening to people make good music? Well, now you can! Join Brian David Gilbert, known for Polygon’s Unraveled series and some steller Youtube content, Karen Han, a Slate writer who’s had work appear all over the place, and Laura Kathryn Gilbert, star of this video explaining her relationship to Brian, as they create songs based off of audience suggestions. 

They present the audience with a word, like “gravity” or “spiritual” and collect suggested song title ideas, exploring the vibe and feeling of the titles, to come together to make a song that feels like that word. The show hits a weird yet specifically relatable kind of comedy that other song creation podcasts might not have. You should be able to jump into any episode!

Read more: 10 Offbeat Podcasts for Music Lovers

The Amelia Project

Have circumstances lead you to a place where the most viable option for you would be to fake your own death and disappear, but you have no idea how to do it? Well, worry not! The Amelia Project will orchestrate your death and get you settled into a new life of your choosing!

The Amelia Project follows the titular secret organization as they meet unique and quirky clients who are all looking to fake their deaths. The show is grounded in it’s own logic, but is also able to get phenomenally off the rails. Even as the plot and world of the show expand to a globe-trotting adventure, the formula of “interview, faking death, payment” remains consistent.

This award winning comedy will keep you engrossed for hours, and just thinking about it will make you want to drive a knife into your closest friend for a nice cup of hot cocoa.

(Editor’s note: Please be advised that the first episode of The Amelia Project includes transphobia.)

Margaritas and Donuts

Romantic comedies are a somewhat underrepresented category of audio dramas, let alone good ones. It’s also rare for there to be black-lead romcoms about people dating in their 40’s. Margarita and Donuts is a limited run series that covers this underfed subcategory of a popular genre.

You’ll be rooting for Josephine and Malik as they overcome personal obstacles to make their relationship work. This is one of the more grounded options on this list, since it’s a healthy balance of romance and comedy, but that just means that you can find yourself relating to the situations the characters find themselves in.

If you like romcoms and also want to listen to something that isn’t a huge commitment, check out one of the best romcoms to come out in the last few years!

Latinos Out Loud

Latinos Out Loud feels like a good old fashioned radio variety show. Every week, hosts Rachel La Loca, Juan Bago, JFernz and Frank Nibbs chat about the latest news, perform improv, do pranks, interviews, and character segments. The established chemistry and history between the hosts helps each part of the show shine. It’s fun, high energy, and proudly Latino.

They’ve been doing the show for years, so there is a healthy backlog if you want to get really into it. You can also jump into the most recent episode of this show, although, as a musical theater nerd, I’d recommend their recent dive into the In The Heights movie. 

The McElroys Will Be In “Trolls World Tour”

The McElroy brothers have become increasingly famous over the years between their terrible advice podcast, My Brother, My Brother and Me. which was made into a show for Seeso/VRV; their massively popular actual play podcast, The Adventure Zone, which is being adapted as graphic novels; or their successes over on YouTube.

But did you know that they will be in Trolls World Tour, or, as they originally called it, Trolls 2? Neither did the creators of Trolls 2.

This documentary follows the process of the brothers deciding that they want to be in the cinematic sequel to children’s movie Trolls, and then trying everything under the son to actually be cast. It’s a practice in absolute absurdity, especially for their poor, poor manager. This is one of those comedy podcasts that requires listening in order for full dramatic effect.

Alba Salix, Royal Physician

Alba Salix, Royal Physician is a comedy audio drama about the eponymous royal physician and her plight to look after her patients: the rulers of a magical realm. Alba Salix is the perfect mix of comedy and plotting: it feels more comedy-forward than most current sitcoms without losing plot or character.

It’s filled with rapidfire jokes and hijinks, mixing up Alba’s frustration and resignation (think Amy Sedaris as Bojack Horseman‘s Princess Carolyn) with the absolute ineptitude of her apprentice, Magnus, or most of her patients. Mix in high-fantasy political intrigue, inter-personal drama, and a good dose of fantasy, and you’ve got a serialized podcast that you’ll only stop binging because you’re laughing so hard you have to pause.

For those who are interesting in Dungeons and Dragons podcasts like the aforementioned The Adventure Zone, be sure to check out this team’s The End of Time and Other Bothers, an actual play set in the same universe, too. Both of these projects are hilariously written and supported by incredible performances and sound design.

Spirits

Spirits is “a boozy podcast about mythology, legends, and lore.” In each episode, hosts Julia and Amanda discuss a legend or story, whether it be about the Japanese story of the Yuki-onna, Hollywood urban legends, or the listeners’ stories about their local folklore and spooky encounters.

While Spirits is fundamentally about the stories that matter to cultures, it’s also fundamentally about two hilarious lifelong friends getting tipsy and talking about things they love. Julia Schifini (also of What’s the Frequency, Tides, and others) plays the part of the expert with her encyclopedic knowledge of mythology and copious amounts of pre-recording research, her fortes both her knowledge and her dry, sardonic comedic timing.

Meanwhile, Amanda (also of Join the Party) plays the part of often-uninformed enthusiast, her fortes the giddily-delivered puns as well as her quick-witted connections between the discussion topic and modern life.

Punch Up the Jam

Hosted by two champions of Vine (rest in peace), Demi Adejuyigbe and Miel Breduow, Punch Up the Jam takes an iconic song, goes into its history, analyzes it moment by moment, and then aims to make something . . . “better.” Adejuyingbe and Breduow are shockingly impressive musicians, which makes their “punch ups,” the parodies and covers at the end of each episode, both more impressive and more ridiculous.

Punch Up the Jam is best started by listening to an episode on a song you already know (but maybe not one you unironically love), but once you’re hooked, you’ll find yourself listening to the back catalog whether or not you’ve ever heard the original songs before.

(Update 1/27/22: This podcast is now hosted by The Gregory Brothers of “Autotune the News” fame past. I fully have not listened to any of those episodes–two white dudes? in MY Punch Up the Jam?–but the backlog with Breduow, Adejuyigbe, and other rotating hosts past Adejuyigbe’s tenure are still solid as hell. Highly recommend the ultra chaotic energy of the episodes featuring Chris Fleming. –Editor Wil)

Wooden Overcoats

If your preferred brand of humor is a little less The Office and a little more Blackadder, you may find your comedy podcast soulmate in Wooden Overcoats. This acclaimed comedy audio drama centers on the story of Rudyard and Antigone Funn, the owners of Funn Funerals, once the only funeral home in their small island town.

When a competitor, Eric Chapman, opens a funeral home across the street, the Funn siblings hatch plan after plan to take him down–while Antigone tries to deny her attraction to him. Wooden Overcoats is the epitome of a podcast sitcom: it’s episodic, so each new chapter has its own story arc that’s started and completed within about half an hour, but it also has an overarching narrative that dives deeper into each character season by season.

Song Salad

In Song Salad, hosts Shannon and Scott pick one randomized musical genre and one random Wikipedia article. First, they go into the music genre, explaining its history, its key features, its most prominent musicians, and its place in the overall music landscape. Next, they read the Wikipedia article out loud, commenting along on the way.

Then, they do the next natural step: they combine the two, making a short song in the randomized musical genre about that Wikipedia article. This results in some hilarious combinations like a jingle about a tree or an Austropop song about Jesus cleansing a leper.

If the premise alone somehow isn’t enough to win you over, Song Salad isn’t just its setup: it’s also a funny podcast hosted by two of the most loveable, goofy hosts in the medium.

Gay Future

Gay Future is a fiction podcast mini-series inspired by the unrelased young adult fiction manuscript by Mike Pence–yes, Mike Pence–about a future in which everyone is gay, and the hero is straight. Gay Future parodies everything about this concept, turning it into a hyperbolic satire that’s hilarious and genuinely riveting.

If the title and concept worries you, rest assured that the podcast parodies the concept and Mike Pence, not the actual LGBT+ community, and the jokes land so solidly that it’s not just funny, it’s also cathartic.

HORSE

HORSE is the best basketball podcast about everything but the sport. I don’t know anything at basketball–I grew up in a family that was more stoked about operas than any sporting events–but HORSE is still one of the funniest podcasts I’ve ever heard, without ever making me feel lost in jargon or who’s who.

HORSE focuses on the behind-the-scenes of the NBA and basketball culture, both of which are genuinely buckwild. Hosts Eric Silver (disclosure: Silver has written for Discover Pods) and Mike Schubert have an energetic, goofy dynamic that makes every episode as much about basketball as it is these two nerds riffing.

StarTripper!!

When I sat down to talk with writer and creator Julian Mundy about his upcoming project StarTripper!!, I was already excited–but the early episodes have already more than exceeded my expectations. This sci-fi comedy audio drama follows Feston Pyxis, an excitable and impulsive once-was desk job worker, now intergalactic explorer. 

StarTripper!!feels like a combination of Futurama, Galaxy Quest, and Cowboy Bebop; it’s high-energy, hilarious, and feels like a fully-imagined world even with how ridiculous it is. If you like your sci-fi silly and your comedy whimsical, StarTripper!! is a great escape.

Because it’s a newer release with just a few episodes out while writing this, it’s also easy to catch up on–but Mundy has also been sure to let prospective listeners know that they’ll be able to jump in at any point without having to worry about getting through the backlog to enjoy the most recent episodes.

Fall of the House of Sunshine

Fall of the House of Sunshine is a musical comedy horror audio drama about the ages-old war between a cult of dentists and their natural enemies, puppets, following the murder of a children’s TV show host via bullet shot through a rift in spacetime.

All of those words were chosen on purpose and are accurate. It is the strangest thing I have ever listened to, and few things have made me laugh as hard or as often. If you’re looking for something off-the-wall and totally innovative, Fall of the House of Sunshine will deliver all of that and more–while also bringing character arcs, a shocking amount of cohesive world building, and killer songs along the way.

You’ll want to listen to this many times over, both because you’ll want to hear all the jokes you missed the first time around and because it’s just that good.

Comedy Podcasts Are a Subjective Beast

So that’s our list for now. We know that comedy podcasts aren’t going to be a hit every time for every listener, which is why we listen to so many funny podcasts. Call it a perk of the job. I mean, can you say that your job lets you listen to comedy podcasts all day long?

If not, you should probably talk to HR about that. Seriously.

The post The 10 Funniest Comedy Podcasts (You Might Not Be Listening To Yet) appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

Life with LEO(h) follows Jeanine Bell (voiced by series creator Octavia Bray), a no-nonsense lawyer specializing in robotics intelligence kept on retainer for Penelope Lane (Beth Eyre), owner of Lane Robotics. The first episode opens with a court case in which Bell flawlessly destroys the case of the plaintiff attempting to sue Lane Robotics for releasing a dangerous unit. We learn this far future has strict laws governing what androids can and cannot do, that Lane plays fast and loose with those laws, and Bell continues to work for Lane regardless because the pay rocks. A protagonist in a rom-com who hyper-focuses on their career at the expense of a fulfilling personal life?

Buckle up folks, methinks there’s endearing character growth on the menu. 

Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Website | RSS | Transcripts

The true hook of the show kicks in when Jeanine finds LEO(h) (Maximilian Koger), a Loving, Empathetic, Optimistic, and (h)elpful android companion prototype in her apartment. He turns out to be a gift from Penelope, sent as thanks for the recent court victory and to spice things up for Jeanine. Apparently Lane Robotics discovered the special sauce to making the perfect robotic romantic partner was the inclusion of free will. A super illegal thing to do.

Staying true to a long tradition upheld by romcom films (back before Gerard Butler killed studio romcoms in 2009), Bray sets up a juicy premise with a potentially dangerous twist: can a programmed being give consent? While most movies play with questions of consent so carelessly one has to say “it was a different time” and turn off the DVD, Life with LEO(h) puts the problem front-row center: What do you do when the person in love with you is programmed to love you? 

This new show has a veritable aural Avengers assembled behind the scenes by Atypical Artists. As any number of sad teens on Tumblr can attest: executive producer, editor, and engineer Lauren Shippen knows her way around handling characters in complicated relationships. The project’s sound designer is podcast veteran Julia Schifini, fresh off creating underwater terrors in Primordial Deep. Then there’s director Shenee Howard’s own work with the phenomenal Fan Wars: The Empire Claps Back, which has had me excited for every Patreon notification since pledging in mid-2019 to get more TECB.

 Read more: The Case for a Star Wars Audio Drama

LEO(h) himself is the key to everything. The show lives or dies by whether the audience falls in love with him, and Maximilian Koger nails delivering loveable LEO(h). His performance walks a razor’s edge between being charming and intentionally tweaking his delivery just enough to mimic the flatness of Google Translate-style artificial speech. All while delivering Bray’s script, which gives LEO(h) the perfect lines to make him hot as hell. He’s smooth as oil when speaking, unfailingly affectionate, and he can’t be left alone for two seconds. The lights are on but nobody’s home.  If you’re in the market for a new fictional crush with the energy of Kronk from The Emperor’s New Groove, do I have an android for you. I’ll even be bold enough to say all signs point to there being explicitly horny fanart and/or AO3 posts about LEO(h) before July. 

The one place Life with LEO(h) comes up short is purely due to it being recorded during quarantine. Quality at-home recordings are quite common, as even evidenced by many characters in episode one. But most of those characters are voiced by VAs like Felix Trench, Julia Schifini, or Josh Rubino who’ve refined their setups over many many gigs before and during lockdown. For all the work Schifini’s sound design does to make the actors sound like they belong in that scene, Bray’s audio for Jeanine does not pass muster on anything other than a car stereo that destroys all nuance with bass and tire noise.

Jeanine has that classic muffled recorded-in-a-box sound heard on many an indie podcast. If anything, the quality of sound design highlights the fact her audio isn’t as crisp as the other actors she’s interacting with. 

A cruel irony for it to happen to the biggest human character in the show, given muffled audio can easily be masked if it’s meant for a synthetic character. As things currently stand, Bray’s performance is great even if her audio is meh. If you listen on a decent pair of headphones or have experience making podcasts, you’ll notice the juxtaposition of her character having reverb added in a larger room while simultaneously sounding like she’s in a closet. It doesn’t damn the show by any means, but if Life with LEO(h) sees a positive enough response to greenlight further production I’d love to see a remastered season one with Bray’s lines re-recorded in a better space. 

Read more: An Atypical Love Story: Lauren Shippen’s “The Infinite Noise”

Audio hiccups aside, the first episode is littered with fantastic performances that should not be missed. Even side characters as simple as a robot android can steal a scene. Near the end of the first episode LEO(h) accidentally claims to know Jeanine’s favorite cocktail, similarly to how he was pre-programmed to know her favorite foods. He doesn’t and makes the next logical move: sample one of every possible cocktail available at the open bar. All the while he vents to Bardroid, a robot bartender stuffed full of preprogrammed generic bartender-responses. It perfectly highlights just how new an android like LEO(h) is to this world while simultaneously playing with the classic “down in the dumps at a bar” trope of, well, most movies ever, let alone romcoms. Bardroid’s cowboy-adjacent drawl with a sprinkling of Schifini’s sound design magic adding a synthesized layer to his voice dares the listener to realize he’s voiced by quarantine pub quiz host and Wooden Overcoats star Felix Trench. 

Life with LEO(h) has a staggeringly good first episode. So good I almost wish it’d eschewed the standard audio fiction-as-television weekly format. I want more of LEO(h), and I want it now. There’s only so many times one can re-listen to the supercut of Margaritas & Donuts without taking a break. I missed out on Octavia Bray’s writing by letting The AM Archives slip by while it was locked in Luminary’s yellow walled garden, but I am automatically on board for whatever podcasting work she pursues after curtains drop on Life with LEO(h)’s final episode. Hopefully in which LEO(h) gets a happy ending. (Note: The AM Archives is now available for free on any podcatcher.)

No, not like that, Atypical Artist’s press kit for the show stresses LWL is safe-for-work and will only delve into “clean but mature jokes.” Unlike me. 

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