Top 6 Podcasts to Make Any Activity Fun

Like many people I jumped on the podcast bandwagon during the time of Serial, and since then I have added many more podcasts to my rotation. I listen to podcasts pretty much all the time, I find them an excellent distraction while I’m cooking, cleaning or working on the blog, and also while I’m walking to work. There are podcasts out there covering pretty much every topic imaginable, but here are my current top 6 podcasts to make any activity fun!

Top 6 Podcasts to Make Any Activity Fun

1. The Osher Gunsberg Podcast

Yep, Osher Gunsberg, as in the host of Bachelor hosts a weekly podcast where he interviews someone he finds interesting or inspiring, and it’s most definitely worth a listen. Most of the time I haven’t heard of his guest, and often they are discussing topics that I wouldn’t have thought I was interested in, but I never fail to find them not only interesting but enlightening as well. Osher is a great interviewer and he’s also very open and honest with his audience, keeping them up to speed with his mental health and life generally, which makes you really feel connected to him and the podcast generally. He has a huge back catalogue now which you can find on his website so I highly recommend diving in and getting listening!

2. Meshel’s Nitty Gritty Committee

Meshel’s podcast is much newer than many others on this list, and she’s a bit less regular with her posting but when she does it’s always worth a listen. The audio quality has improved dramatically in her more recent podcasts and she’s not afraid to have deep, important conversations. Sometimes she’s talking to other well-known people, other times she’s tackling an issue that she thinks is important, and either way it’s always an excellent discussion. She’s warm, intelligent and not afraid to talk about things that she finds uncomfortable or upsetting. Her recent podcast on organ donation is an excellent place to start.

3. The Slow Home Podcast

The Slow Home podcast started as an offshoot of the fantastic Slow Your Home website, but now has become Brooke’s primary focus. There’s a new podcast each week, generally interviewing someone on an aspect of slow living covering everything from minimalism to permaculture and everything in between. Lots of Brooke’s guests have their own fantastic websites like Cybele at Blah Blah Magazine and Kelly Exeter so I find it really interesting to hear their chats and learning from them.

4. TOFOP

TOFOP (and its offshoot FOFOP which is in the same feed) is the podcast started by Wil Anderson and Charlie Clausen, but is now most commonly Wil and a guest host (hence the FOFOP alternative). It’s quite literally just them chatting and cracking jokes and more often than not it includes references to Batman and lost trains of thought but it never fails to make me laugh. In fact, I’ve got some weird looks walking to work due to walking along with a huge grin on my face! There’s a huge back catalogue of episodes (over 100 with Charlie and over 200 with guest Charlie’s) so there’s plenty of listening and laughing to be had! It’s a great way to find out about other comedians and their podcasts too!

5. The Cracked Podcast

I have only recently added Cracked to my podcast rotation thanks to a whole heap of people recommending it and I’m loving it already. In each episode they explore a pop culture trope or debunk a myth and always in an incredibly interesting and entertaining way. Lots of the episodes are about changing the way we look at particular movies or topics and I always come away really thinking about things which is an excellent way to make cleaning my apartment a whole lot more fun!

6. This American Life

If not for This American Life we never would have had Serial, so I couldn’t not include it on the list! The TAL podcast is a weekly podcast from the public radio show of the same name and each week is themed around a particular topic. They generally share 3 stories that are at least loosely based on the same theme and can cover everything from serious issues like police bias to discussing what it means to be a ‘good guy’. It’s one of the biggest podcasts in America and for good reason, it’s fantastic!

Bonuses!

So I know I said I’d share my top 6 podcasts, but here are a few more that I also love (although in some cases the might be a little more niche!)

Wilosophy

This is another Wil Anderson podcast, but one he doesn’t update quite so often! In a similar style to the Osher Gunsberg podcast, each episode Wil chats to someone about their life and philosophy and it’s always really interesting listening. The episode he did with Todd Sampson was particularly fantastic, so I’d start there if I was you!

Junktime AFL

This is a weekly podcast hosted by Adam Rozenbachs and Michael Chamberlin where they talk all about the previous weekend in football. It’s light and funny rather than an in-depth, serious dissection of AFL and as a big fan of both footy and comedy I do love listening to it on a Monday morning!

Crime Writers on Serial

This podcast was started by a group of true crime authors and they dissected Serial when it was being released, and since then get together occasionally to discuss updates to the case, as well as some of the other Serial related podcasts that have popped up. They have an interesting take on things, so I’m keen to see what they will do with the next series of Serial when it starts in a few months time, as it may well won’t be crime related!

Bros Watch PLL Too

This is a rather niche choice, but it’s a guilty pleasure of mine so I thought I’d add it to the list! This podcast is two guys who analyze each episode of the American TV series Pretty Little Liars, including at times interviews with people associated with the show. The tv show is by no means high-brow but I’m not ashamed to say I watch it, and this podcast makes it all the more fun!

Gilmore Guys

In a similar vein to the previous podcast, this one is two guys dissecting one of my all-time favourite TV shows, Gilmore Girls! In this instance one of them has seen the episodes before and the other is watching them for the first time so it’s really interesting to hear the different views, and how well things have (or haven’t!) held up with time. They also sometimes interview people involved with the show which is always excellent!

So there we have it, my top 6 podcasts (plus a few more!) I probably don’t have time to listen to any additional podcasts, but still, tell me your favourites too!

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8 Comments on Top 6 Podcasts to Make Any Activity Fun

    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      August 22, 2015 at 8:28 pm (9 years ago)

      Yep, I believe the next series will be out pretty soon, I wonder what they will look at this time!?

      Reply
  1. shannon @my2morrows
    August 22, 2015 at 3:37 pm (9 years ago)

    Really good list. I love Oshers podcast. Such a diverse bunch if people he chats to. I’m hanging out for the next serial. Cannot wait. In the meantime I’m listening to the problogger podcast by Darren Rowse. Xx
    shannon @my2morrows recently posted…The Ultimate Rabbit Hole #32

    Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      August 22, 2015 at 8:29 pm (9 years ago)

      Isn’t Osher a fantastic interviewer? Oh yes, I’ve been meaning to add that to my list – I shall subscribe right now, thanks!

      Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      August 22, 2015 at 8:29 pm (9 years ago)

      I hope you like it as much as I do!

      Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      September 6, 2015 at 11:22 am (9 years ago)

      I hope you find some new favourites in the mix Vicki!

      Reply

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