i started listening to old time radio stuff after i heard a program on a radio station we have out here called WBAI- there's an old dude named 'max schmid' who does a 2 hour show every sunday of all different radio programs.
i think the first thing i heard was either something like suspense (which is just different random 'thriller' or 'mystery' or 'horror' plays) or an episode of jean shepherd's radio show (jean shepherd was this old guy who was popular out here 40 years ago- he's most famous now for being the writer / narrator of the movie 'a christmas story')
it's something that helps me pass the time at my place of employ, and also for like half the months out of the year i usually take long car rides on the weekend (i travel to a drive-in theater about 90 minutes away for most of their screenings)
as far as modern podcasts go, i like my brother my brother and me and all the other mcelroy content; they seem like genuinely nice people who are also super funny.
i actually listen to like a million podcasts so let me just break it down:
comedy:
the best show with tom scharpling - it's 3 hours long, it's super boring, it's the best show ever. the calls between tom and jon wurster are like the funniest thing ever. if you've never heard it, it was originally a radio show but it's basically tom being funny as hell, taking some calls, and hanging out. about once every episode a 'fake caller' calls in and does a really ridiculous routine with tom, and it's always the same guy doing different characters and it's the best
hollywood handbook - this one is weird, it's basically two guys in an improv contest to act the most stupid without blinking. nominally, it's an advice podcast about how to make it in this wild world we call 'showbiz'
the dollop - this one is not actually that funny most of the time but it's not stimulating enough to fit into any other category. it depends on what you find funny. in any case, it's two dudes talking about random stories from american history that are usually ridiculous or otherwise awful. i like the erik prince episode done recently.
chapo trap house - they say really awful dumb shit all the time but i still listen, i'm pretty starved of 'radical' content so i'll take basically anything
good brain podcasts-
citations needed - this one rules, it's two fellows going in-depth on PR bullshit and how very carefully, deliberate narratives are formed in the media. highly recommend, just pick an episode that sounds interesting
you must remember this - 'hollywood' history podcast by a really smart lady. tons of different topics. i recommend the manson series or the one about jane fonda / jean seberg
supporting characters - this one is small and just for film nerds but it's lengthy interviews with important subcultural figures in the 'genre film' scene. i recommend the tim lucas one, but only because i'm already a huge mario bava nerd
projection booth - for film nerds, this is probably the best film criticism podcast i've heard. it's not amazingly intellectual but they go out of their way to secure some really great interviews with people involved in productions
tabletop RPG:
the adventure zone - it's the mcelroy brothers playing board games (originally D&D, later others) with their dad; the first 'season' is something that i've listened to like 5 times (it's like 70+ hours long lol)
neoscum - a comedy / improv shadowrun podcast that is super embarrassing to recommend but i'm way into it. they have improv powers i've never witnessed
glass cannon podcast - fairly serious pathfinder podcast starring a friendly group of dudes, still lighthearted enough to not be a total slog
i also got big into audiobooks. i started listening to a bunch of genre stuff but i've branched out to non-fiction now. i've gotten through william gibson's sprawl trilogy (neuromancer fukken rules y'all), dune, snow crash (cool except for the awful """sex""" scene towards the end), tons of conan the barbarian short stories, etc. i'm finishing up the conquest of bread now.
i'm the podcast queen. i've listened to them all. i can recommend stuff if anyone is looking for anything