Jemaine Clement in costume for his podcast, The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium
Jemaine Clement in costume for his podcast, The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium
Welcome to the Mid-Term Report. All this week the Herald's entertainment team will be highlighting the very best that 2017 has had to offer so far.
My Dad Wrote a Porno
Siena Yates: This podcast has just returned for a third season and it is already outstandingly epic. Alice, James and Jamie are back to just totally rip apart the third erotic novel penned by Jamie's dad (whose pen name is Rocky Flintstone) and they're back with guest stars, newfound fame (they're embarking on a world tour) and new material. Just a few episodes in and Belinda has already found herself "playing" the O2, and in some sort of strange estate mansion full of sex toys. This is one of the world's most popular podcasts and it's outrageously funny. Plus these guys are coming to New Zealand for a live show in August.
Chris Schulz: I love a good deep dive. If someone gets obsessed about something, I tend to join in on the fun. Like David Farrier's Tickled. Or The Jinx. Or Oak Island (Google it). A deep dive is exactly what Brian Reed does on S-Town, a lengthy, in-depth investigation that kicks off as a murder tip, then delves into something far bigger and more relevant. I lived and breathed this seven-episode series, falling asleep to it, then waking up to it, replaying key segments in my car. By the end, it had become an emotionally draining experience - one I still have mixed feelings about. Anyone who's heard it will know why. But I don't regret listening to it - even if I enjoyed the journey more than the actual destination.
The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium
Karl Puschmann: This ridiculously funny podcast stars Jemaine Clement, features all original music by Lawrence Arabia (who also voices a main character) and was written by the acclaimed novelist Duncan Sarkies. Really, what more convincing to listen to this do you need? This lavishly produced, epic-sized, comedy-adventure podcast is better compared to a very expensive radio play. Each pod tells a single chapter in its rollicking story, pulling you into its Victorian-era world thanks to its stellar voice work, multitude of effects and atmospheres. The show itself is about a botanist setting out on a quest to destroy pleasure. I, probably should explain that in the topsy-turvy world of Uncle Bertie's, botanists are aristocratic toffs who are filled with a pious religious fervour that strongly conflicts with their perverted desire to engage in very unwholesome activities with plants. Yes, it gets weird. But damn is it hilarious. Season one was the funniest thing I listened to back in 2015. So it's incredibly pleasing to say that the new season two is the funniest thing I've listened to this year.
Siobhan Keogh-Dwyer: In My Favorite Murder, two comedians and true crime fans talk about murder cases, survival stories and cats. Hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark are equal parts open, fascinating and funny as they talk through true crime cases they find interesting. They're also surprisingly sensitive and self-aware, given the subject matter. In a matter of weeks this podcast was at the top of the comedy charts, and has since built a Facebook following of more than 140,000 members - a crazy number for a podcast, especially in a closed Facebook group. If you've ever had a real-life discussion with someone about Ted Bundy or JonBenet, this podcast will be right up your alley. If you like it, they're coming to Auckland in September for a live show.
Crimetown
Rachel Bache: I am a true crime podcast junky. I am currently listening to around 10 different podcasts and all of them are amazing in their own way, but Crimetown stands out from the rest. The creators of HBO's The Jinx, Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier, delve into the underbelly of Providence, Rhode Island where corruption ran rampant - from the Patriarca crime family to unscrupulous Mayor, Buddy Cianci and everything in between. The podcast is flawlessly produced with captivating stories from both the shady "good guys" and the moral "bad guys". The first season wrapped in May, and a second season is in the works, so if you're looking for something great to binge-listen to, this is it.
Pod Save America
Dominic Corry: Donald Trump's election win has given rise to a raft of stellar American political podcasts (Slate's Trumpcast, The Washington Post's Can He Do That?, Politico's Nerdcast) that do a great job of making sense of the current quagmire, but Pod Save America distinguishes itself by being made up of Obama presidency staffers whose White House experience makes them uniquely qualified to comment. They readily admit their bias, but nevertheless provide sober analysis and practical, hopeful guidance in between articulate bursts of well-warranted outrage.
