My 20 Favorite Podcasts of 2020
“This is good rock and roll, uh… music.”
2020 was a rocky year for the creative work of many. Albums were delayed to favor concerts and tours. Television productions were halted outright. Movies were postponed to years in the future. Podcasts, however? They chugged along as they always have. In fact, we received more podcasts in 2020 than we might have had there not been a pandemic. Still, I’d rather not have a pandemic. But we have to take the checks in the win column wherever we can find them.
Marc Maron took WTF out of the garage and onto the Internet, making his best strides with interviews featuring Succession stars like Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook. StarTalk Radio turned its science from the stars to the microscopes. Shea Serrano and Jason Concepcion championed the short-lived The Connect (which lovingly tackled The Martian), Bill Simmons re-upped his Book of Basketball 2.0 podcast for pyramid-centric episodes and re-drafts. (He also continued his main feed in a quality manner from a remote lens.) Alan Alda took the opportunity to reunite with his M*A*S*H pals on Clear and Vivid. Dave Chang, Mina Kimes, Katie Nolan, and more built entertaining weekly listens around their own delightful personalities. The podcasting industry was all the better for their efforts.
Some honorable mentions are due, of course. The Good Place: The Podcast came to an end with a stellar, lengthy conversation with creator Michael Schur about the series finale. Scriptnotes hosted the legendary Greta Gerwig to discuss her writing process for Little Women. And over on Filmspotting, hosts Josh Larsen and Adam Kempenaar kept up their traditions with a series on Christopher Nolan and a series on eight movies from 1984.
Lastly, I would be remiss to not mention some podcasts that resonate from a personal standpoint.
Goodbye Mello Brick Road: a top five podcast that covered topics like Television Shows, Mamma Mia! Songs, and Fast Food Restaurants in 2020. I was lucky enough to guest on it.
Anatomy of a Trading Card: a podcast about the history of Brian Downing’s 1977 baseball card. This was created by me with the help of a friend of mine!
Spoilers!: this podcast also featured a guest appearance from a friend of mine, as he dished about Mulan and Lovecraft Country with the main crew. They are currently embarking on a Two Towers revisit and their episodes are as delightful as ever.
Film Frauds: this is another podcast hosted by some friends of mine. On this one, they talk about movies from the past and present. But I’m sure the future is right around the corner!
Try Again: lastly, this podcast is also hosted by a friend! It only has one episode so far, but I’m holding out hope for more.
I didn’t want to include these in the main list because I’d obviously have some bias, but I recommend them highly! That being said, here’s the top twenty.
20. The Weekly Planet
There may not have been a whole lot of comic book movie news for Nick Mason and Mr. Sunday Movies to discuss this year. But they made up for it by having as much fun as ever. Plus, this ended up being the best year for recurring jokes on The Weekly Planet, from the jumbled up replacement titles for No Time to Die to Westworld slip-ins during the “What Are We Reading?” theme song to some colorful commentary on DC’s Fandome event. Naturally, The Weekly Planet was also buoyed by its “Caravan of Garbage” sub-series, which lovingly covered the Santa Clause series.
19. The /Filmcast
The /Filmcast benefited in comparison to The Weekly Planet, as hosts Dave Chen, Jeff Cannata, and Devindra Hardawar ventured beyond the blockbuster landscape to cover all sorts of films. They delved into some under-the-radar gems, debated the cinematic relevance of Hamilton, and even took a week to cover the lovable television series, Ted Lasso. On top of it all, they still managed to cover major movie news, as I can still vividly remember their confusion about No Time to Die’s seven-month delay and their heated discussion on Warner Brothers’ decision to dump their 2021 slate onto HBO Max. Add in the best theme song in podcasts and you’ve got an undeniable favorite to check in with each week. They feel like friends!
18. You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes
Last year, Demi Adejuyigbe’s episode of You Made It Weird singlehandedly vaulted the podcast into my number one position. This year, I didn’t feel that any interviews quite hit that height, but Pete Holmes is still a dynamite listen on Wednesdays. Justin Long was a fun conversation, Adam Sandler was a big get. Pete Holmes even managed to rope in Phoebe Bridgers before she exploded throughout the zeitgeist. On top of it all, though, my favorite installments were his chat with a bemused, interested B.J. Novak and a reconnect with one of his former teachers. Leave it to Pete to innovate in new directions this year!
17. Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald
The one theme song for a podcast that gives The /Filmcast a challenging run is the tune constructed for Fake Doctors, Real Friends. Zach Braff and Donald Faison harmonize so brilliantly that I anticipate it almost as much as I anticipate their guests throughout their Scrubs rewatch (which include Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, Ken Jenkins, John C. McGinley, Brendan Fraser, Bill Lawrence, and more). Ultimately, the fun comes in the dynamic between Braff and Faison, as well as their producers, Joelle Monique and Danl Goodman, who have become embedded in the fabric of the tangent-defined series.
16. This Is Branchburg
Season two of Cory Snearowski and Brendan O’Hare’s podcast, This Is Branchburg, was even funnier than the first. The two were in top-tier form as they channeled their dry brand of comedy into the goings-on of a New Jersey community David Lynch wishes he could dream up. Plus, their stories were buoyed by fun guest spots from comedians like Nicholas Braun, Aidy Bryant, and Ellie Kemper. This Is Branchburg has the power to change the world.
15. FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast
When Joe Biden was finally announced as the 2020 election victor over Donald Trump, it was almost as satisfying to hear joy emanate from Pod Save America, after all this time. While their camaraderie over on Crooked Media can be a fun time, I found the best political analysis in this tumultuous year came from FiveThirtyEight. Their politics podcast was a guiding light throughout the year and it helped me reason out why the math rarely supported Trump’s chances of re-election. While it still sucks that Clare Malone was fired by higher-ups, she had an enormous presence on the show in 2020 and is a major reason why it cracked the top fifteen.
14. Oh, Hello: the P’dcast
Before the pandemic began in earnest over here in the United States, John Mulaney and Nick Kroll already planned to take the stars of their Oh, Hello Broadway show to the podcasting medium. The result was a nonsense mess every Friday from the aging comedic talents of George St. Geegland and Gil Faizon (charmed, I’m sure). It’s easy to decry established talents wrestling their way into a medium that supports independent creators (even more so now that the Obamas and Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle have inked deals with Spotify), but Mulaney and Kroll fit right in.
13. Pop Culture Happy Hour
Big news came from Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR’s flagship roundtable culture podcast, in 2020. The show expanded to five times a week (rather than just two) and added a new host to the standard trio of Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, and Stephen Thompson. Aisha Harris joined the fray and she was an obscenely welcome presence on the pod! Harris brings a valuable insight and a love of Disney to the show (which enabled PCHH to cover the twenty-year anniversary of The Emperor’s New Groove, also supported by the daily releases). With this new identity in tow, 2021 promises to be even better for Pop Culture Happy Hour.
12. Can’t Wait for Christmas
The first week of January can often be pretty depressing with the realization that Christmastime is on life support until November 1 rolls around. Fortunately, thanks to the earnest enthusiasm and sweet cheerfulness of Tim Babb, we can have a dash of the Christmas spirit the whole year ‘round! Monthly, on the twenty-fifth of each month, Babb re-enters our podcast feeds to discuss the latest goings-on in the world of Christmas lovers. This year, I keenly remember loving his celebration of new Jonas Brothers Christmas music and the long-adored “Ber” months. He’s the clear pillar of the Christmas podcast network.
11. The Poscast
Similar to Pop Culture Happy Hour, The Poscast made a big change in 2020. It used to be a podcast that would have new episodes whenever Joe Posnanski and Michael Schur felt like it. However, when Posnanski inked a deal with The Athletic, he agreed to turn his podcast into a weekly affair, even if Schur could only manage to appear monthly. This allowed him to reconnect with Poscast stalwarts — like Alan Sepinwall and Brandon McCarthy — throughout the year, host more episodes with Ellen Adair, still chat about funny names with Schur, and even book big guests like Joey Votto. It was a banner year for The Poscast under its new identity, but the old reliables are the standouts. After all, my favorite episode was their Holiday Movies draft, which united Posnanski with Schur, Sepinwall, McCarthy, Adair, Nick Offerman, Linda Holmes, Mike DiCenzo, and Jason Kander. It was one of the best episodes in all of podcasting in 2020.
10. Binge Mode: Marvel
Before Jason Concepcion departed The Ringer for Crooked Media, he began the fourth installment of the Binge Mode podcast series with Mallory Rubin, who remains at Simmons’ new Spotify subsidiary. In the past, Binge Mode covered Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. In 2020, though, they began their journey throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By the end of 2020, phase three was kicking off. Considering it’s Marvel’s best phase, Mallory and Jason are in good shape for the denouement of their podcast series. But it’s best to just enjoy the ride of their deep (deep!) dives and impeccable analysis of the stories that keep us the most earnest company.
9. Office Ladies
Scrubs (and, while we’re at it, The Sopranos, which just revisited “Pine Barrens”) was not the only show to maintain a stellar rewatch podcast in 2020. Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey continued their binge of The Office with another great year of Office Ladies. They’ve arrived now in season four, but their coverage of the third arc was everything an Office diehard could hope for, including appearances from Mindy Kaling, John Krasinski, B.J. Novak, Greg Daniels, and more from the greater universe of Dunder Mifflin. Come for the reunions of classic NBC sitcom legends, stay for the endless barrage of catchphrases and chemistry between the two friendly hosts. (Plus, it’s awesome to hear them gush over Fischer’s performance in “The Job,” which is still an all-timer.)
8. Comedy Bang Bang
It might have seemed like the pandemic (and, consequentially, Scott Aukerman being forced to record Comedy Bang Bang episodes remotely) might have sucked the energy out of the greatest improv podcast in history. Instead, it seemed to only fuel the participants, who were game to partake in shenanigans every Monday. Sometimes, we still missed that in-the-studio feel. But an all-time plugs theme remix, multiple appearances from Jon Gabrus’ iconic Gino character, the return of Neil Campbell’s Time Keeper, and an underrated turn from Australian sketch group Aunty Donna made this year of CBB one of the greats! A C+ season for sure and, as Aukerman mentioned in his Best Ofs (with Paul F. Tompkins), so much credit is due to the Earwolf producers and engineers.
7. Harry Potter and the Sacred Text
Harry Potter and the Sacred Text has always been one of the most wholesome, caring, and inclusive podcasts in the extensive library of shows vying for your downloads and streams. This year, they proved that exponentially by responding to J.K. Rowling’s transphobia with the nuance and protection of transgender folks needed in a tough moment. On top of that, Vanessa Zoltan and Casper ter Kuile also finally made it to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in their “one chapter a week” revisit. It’s my personal favorite book in the series and I’ve been loving their analysis of it!
6. The Big Picture
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins had to pivot twice in 2020 on The Big Picture. Once when the movie theater industry closed and the theatrical releases were shuttered off to the ether and again when the Oscars were postponed to April 2021, delaying their awards analysis abilities by some time. Impossibly, they more than rose to the challenge and created Big Picture episodes as good as any of their movie review tenures throughout past years. They unpacked the Halls of Fame for filmmakers like Nancy Meyers and George Clooney, celebrated the “Month of Amanda,” questioned if the industry was dead, and invited Chris Ryan on for Movie Drafts. Find me a better moment in 2020 podcasting than when C.R. selected Iron Man 3 with his first overall pick in the 2013 movie draft. It’s one of the best pivots within a pivot I’ve ever heard.
5. The WDW Radio Show
It can be tricky with lists like these, as some of my favorite podcasts dominate the list year after year. But in most cases, there’s a reason why. In the case of The WDW Radio Show, it’s because it is the podcast I am the giddiest to see enter my feed every week. It wasn’t necessarily easy for Lou Mongello to maintain his steady stream of Disney Parks connections in 2020, considering the parks were closed for a good portion of the year. However, his heartwarming sense of community, passion, and (put those two together) compassion saw the podcast boast yet another banner year. Admittedly, I’m a total theme park nerd, but this is the best travel podcast around. In 2020, he introduced the “Resort Report” series, interviewed Don Hahn, and began to chronicle the importance of music across the parks in a multi-part series. These are just a few of the moments in a year of WDW Radio episodes I love so deeply that they might as well be my babies. Thank you for all you do, Lou!
4. The Rewatchables
The Rewatchables is always an excellent podcast. It was the show I always hoped The Ringer would make and it endlessly lives up to the promise that arose back in 2017 when they first covered A Few Good Men. This year, they opened up their rotation of hosts to even more beloved orators (Van Lathan, Mina Kimes, and Liz Kelly joined the fray. And yes, the Country Strong episode was great and anyone who hates on it is lame!). They also opened up their movie roster to all sorts of genres. Toy Story broke the bias against animation, Home Alone brought the holidays to The Rewatchables, and Cast Away saw Bill Simmons tackle the movie all on his own. Not to mention, their “Flawed Rewatchables” series featured Ocean’s Twelve, they discussed Once Upon a Time in Hollywood live, and they finally got to all-time classics like Groundhog Day, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Back to the Future. Of course, if you know me, then you know there is one episode that was my unchallenged favorite. Simmons, Fennessey, Ryan, and Lathan gathered to discuss The Martian, the episode I’ve been hoping for throughout the entire existence of the podcast! It was even taught in some classes! That’s quality podcasting!
3. U Talkin’ Talking Heads 2 My Talking Head
Back in 2018, R U Talkin’ R.E.M. Re: Me? was my favorite podcast of the year. Throughout the entire 2010s, U Talkin’ U2 to Me? was my favorite podcast of the decade. So it should be no surprise that the third installment of Adam Scott Aukerman’s discography dive series ranks so highly on my list! Their endeavor began as a Red Hot Chili Peppers celebration, which I was stoked for. But I also enjoyed their trip through the Talking Heads, as it allowed for fun guests to pop by, like Demi Adejuyigbe, David Wain, and Busy Phillips. As always, though, the highlight of these music podcasts is the chemistry between Adam Scott and Scott Aukerman. Their sometimes hour-long riff sessions at the top of the shows is the key to setting this apart from the more self-serious version of what this could be. That version is also much less fun and contains fewer stories of Adam Scott getting called out by Dennis Miller.
2. Tea Time
Technically, the Ringer Dish podcast feed contains many podcasts. However, my favorite is clearly Tea Time. Hosted by Liz Kelly, Kate Halliwell, and Amelia Wedemeyer (and produced by Kaya McMullen), Tea Time is such a fun listen. I don’t often know a whole lot about pop culture drama, but I’m able to learn about it more through Tea Time, which is a calming and entertaining presence in my life. In 2020, they began their “Cringe Mode” sessions, which tackled series like High School Musical, Camp Rock, and Garry Marshall’s holiday movies. They also cleared the lane for Nora Princiotti multiple times, whenever Taylor Swift dropped earth-shattering news, like a new album or a new Disney Ploooos movie. Plus, they introduced me to the engaging Deux Moi Instagram feed, all while maintaining a high-quality Instagram profile themselves. Tea Time is the coolest podcast around.
1. The Watch
It’s time. The Watch has always been a contender on these lists and it even flirted with the top spot after finishing second in 2018. But now, it’s time to anoint The Watch to where it rightfully belongs: the number one position. The cultural grab bag podcast (also from The Ringer and also produced by Kaya McMullen (hmm…)) is hosted by Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald and it has become my favorite podcast in every conceivable way. They dish on television, movies, music, podcasts, and books, yes, but they also unearth the truth behind wet chicken recipes, bear attacks, GQ profiles, French cinema, and Frozen II. In 2020, they may have skirted some of my favorite shows I wished they would cover, like Ted Lasso, Fargo, and Lovecraft Country (often giving up on them early), but I never truly minded because it was just as fun to listen to them talk about shows I didn’t even watch, like The Undoing (which also helped them interview Hugh Grant). It doesn’t matter what they’re talking about or who they’re talking about it with (from Sam Esmail to Kaya herself), it’s just fun to hear two friends with a hysterical rapport and history with one another engaging twice a week on the stories we love the most. Not to mention, Greenwald got about a quarter of the year devoted to Briarpatch, a show he created for USA! The Watch went beyond criticism then; they managed to venture behind the scenes about what it’s like to make and market a series. It was awesome all around and it’s such a special podcast. Long live The Watch and long live podcasts!
More from the Best of 2020 series:
My 20 Favorite Books I Read in 2020
See also:
My 20 Favorite Podcast Episodes of 2017
(#1 was The Poscast)
My 15 Favorite Podcasts of 2018
(#1 was R U Talkin’ R.E.M. Re: Me?)
My 35 Favorite Podcasts of the Decade
(#1 was U Talkin’ U2 to Me?)
My 20 Favorite Podcast Episodes of 2019
(#1 was You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes)
