2020 Superlatives Day 1
The Top 10 Podcasts of 2020
#1 Hear the Bern / Bad Faith
During the primary, Bernie Sanders had an official podcast produced by his national press secretary, Briahna Joy Gray, and it was astoundingly good. She consistently had phenomenal guests on and covered substantive issues in ways that the mainstream media refused. The fact that the podcast died with the campaign was a gut punch when I was already as low as I could be.
It was some consolation that Briahna would go on to start a new podcast with co-host Virgil Texas. Bad Faith takes what she started with Hear the Bern and extends it to cover more topics while focused largely on how the left can move forward and fight for change from outside the political establishment. Free from the constraints of having to play nice because of the campaign, this show has ruffled feathers in all the right ways and is a must-listen.
#2 Play, Watch, Listen
Four intelligent and fascinating people who work in the games industry capitalize on their unique chemistry and have wildly expansive conversations that only occasionally stay focused on anything related to video games.
#3 Staying In with Kumail and Emily
An incredibly charming showbiz couple made an essential pandemic podcast.
#4 Useful Idiots
Come for the incisive political commentary and interviews. Stay for the necrophilia jokes.
#5 Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out
An excellent comedian/writer /director invites other creative folks on to work out new material.
#6 Sans Pants Radio…
An Australian podcast network featuring a variety of very entertaining podcasts. Including…
Thumb Cramps
A video game review podcast where the reviews are almost an afterthought.
BigSoftTitty.png
Comedians Demi Lardner and Tom Walker talk about utter nonsense.
Plumbing the Death Star
The panel answers pop-culture themed hypothetical questions.
We Have No Strong Feelings About Harry Potter
Demi Lardner and Tom Walker watch the Harry Potter films, about 15 minutes at a time.
why am I sad?
Friends discuss their mental health and dole out advice to one another and listeners.
The Ladies Guide to Dude Cinema
Two ladies watch and review all the movies dudes told them they had to see.
Total Reboot
A couple of guys review films and their remakes.
#7 Intercepted with Jeremy Scahill
Some of the best deep dive investigative journalism around.
https://theintercept.com/podcasts/intercepted/
#8 Economic Update
A very progressive and intelligent take on current events and the economy, all explained in an exceedingly accessible manner.
#9 Deconstructed
Political coverage that was good with Mehdi Hasan hosting, but is even better now with Ryan Grim.
https://theintercept.com/podcasts/deconstructed/
#10 Scriptnotes
A long-running podcast about screenwriting and things that interest screenwriters.
