#and also my last trivia set because other people have ruined the format for me

[alivingfire]

Ohmygod I love podcasts!!! Can you rec me some? It's hard to find good ones sometimes.

YES! I CAN! 

i’ve been knee deep in podcasts for about three months now, and i have, apparently, wide and varying interests, so i’ll put a little descriptor of each. also, i listen to podcasts on the Stitcher app, but i think all of these are on itunes if you prefer that, and i linked the websites if you want more info. 

DARK STUFF

my favorite murder - this is 100% my favorite podcast now, but the first time i listened to it, i had to switch it off. start from the newest episodes, get a feel for it, and then you can go back and start at episode one, which is still interesting but before the hosts really find their footing. basically, karen and georgia are two friends who love true crime, so they talk about their favorite weird murders and mysteries. it’s dark, but it’s also really funny (they’re both comedians) and i think they learned to really strike a balance between jokes and the serious stuff. they’re also super feminist – their sign-off at the end of each episode is “stay sexy, don’t get murdered.” 

someone knows something - canadian investigative journalist david ridgen tackles unsolved mysteries, one story per season. if you like documentaries, you’ll like how this podcast is set up. ridgen interviews witnesses, friends, families, police officers – basically everyone around the cases he’s looking into. it unfolds like a story and you really feel like you’re right in the middle of it. you don’t have to start at season one, but definitely start at episode one of whichever season you pick, because these are episodic and won’t make sense if you go backwards. 

lore - this podcast is SO GOOD, and it’s actually just been turned into a short miniseries on amazon prime that is incredibly creepy and well done. lore is written by a horror author, aaron mahnke, who takes you through the scariest stories and legends, and how they came to be part of our world. the first episode is about vampires, and it legitimately has such a twist ending that i screamed. if you like spooky, mythology and legend and history-based stuff, this is the best. 

LEARN STUFF

literature and history - think about your favorite dorky teacher who makes ridiculous jokes and is so. genuine about learning and teaching that you get interested in the subject because he’s so interested in the subject. now imagine that guy was a harvard professor who totally knows his shit and he starts a podcast. starting from the beginning of history, this guy takes you through the pieces of writing that have changed the world. he’s super soothing and i’ve already read a couple of books he recommended. definitely start at episode one for this one, chronology is important and he builds on each episode. 

no such thing as a fish - if you like dry british humor and trivia, this is the one you’ll want. the writers of the super famous british panel show QI (the show stephen fry hosted) talk about their favorite random facts that they discovered and researched that week. super funny, and you’re still learning. 

good night stories for rebel girls - if you are a strong woman or love strong women or want to someday be a strong woman, listen to this podcast. this is still relatively new, but the format is amazing: the writers and hosts turned the stories of real women throughout history into fairytales. incredibly inspiring, and you get to learn about awesome women you might have only vaguely heard of. 

nancy - the best lgbtq podcast you could ask for. lgbtq people, stories, histories, pop culture, and interviews that will absolutely have you bawling. this is an NPR podcast, so it’s interview-heavy, but the subjects are handled well and there’s no queer tragedy here, it’s all very hopeful and realistic without being pessimistic. 

ENTERTAINMENT STUFF

ID10T - this used to be called nerdist, and it’s hosted by chris hardwick, the guy who used to host @midnight on comedy central. basically, hardwick and either his cohosts or a famous person – as of this post, the last guest was antonio banderas – talk about ~~nerd things of the week: movies, comics, video games, tv shows, etc. etc. it’s basically just pop culture, at this point (because video games aren’t just for nerds anymore, kiddos), but what’s fun about it is that hardwick is incredibly unapologetic about absolutely loving the things he loves. it’s more fun to listen to this guy geek out about stuff than listening to other people find ways to criticize the things you love, i promise.  

gilmore guys - pretty much what it says on the tin - two guys watch gilmore girls and talk about each episode. you’re probably wondering why you would want to listen to some random guys talking about a show you (presumably) love, but they’re really careful to stay away from anything mansplain-y or judgmental. one of the guys, kevin, is a huge gilmore girls fan, and the other host, demi, is watching for the first time, so it’s interesting to hear their discussions, especially regarding race, homophobia, and a lot of other issues that the the show writers tiptoe around. definitely don’t start at season one for this show – it’s super rough and there’s even a little minute-long intro on the very first episode that says so. start at about season three, there’s not a lot you’ll miss and they’ve got a rhythm down by that point. 

STRAIGHT UP STORIES 

welcome to night vale - if you’ve been anywhere near podcasts or, tbh, tumblr, for the last few years, you’re probably at least slightly aware of WTNV. in all honesty, it lives up to the hype. it’s not scary so much as unsettling, very southwest gothic and supernatural. WNTV is the story of a strange town in the middle of the desert, told to you by cecil, the town’s local radio broadcaster. cecil tells you all about what’s going on in night vale, from the shadowy city council who sends monsters after people they disagree with, to the radio station’s cat floating in the bathroom, to old woman josie’s angels that hang out in her house. it’s interesting because, underneath all the unsettling creepiness, it’s super feminist, super pro-lgbtq rights, and super anti-authority/anti-establishment. if nothing else, cecil’s voice is one of the most soothing of all the podcast voices, and the quality of the writing and acting is superb from episode one. 

wooden overcoats - hands down one of the funniest dramedies i’ve ever seen or listened to. wooden overcoats is the story of a tiny british island, where brother and sister rudyard and antigone funn run the island’s only funeral home, at least until a guy named eric chapman moves his own funeral home in right across the street and ruins everything for them. everyone, from the mayor down to antigone herself, falls head over heels for chapman, and rudyard has to find a way to keep the family business running even though he’s not very good at his job and would prefer to do as little as possible. the voice acting is SUPERB, and i genuinely mean it’s hilarious, with lots of gallows humor and funny timing. 

the penumbra podcast - the penumbra is a hotel in the middle of nowhere, and every person staying there has a story. some of the stories are one-offs, and some of them, like the story of juno steel, space private eye, are recurring. it’s very old-timey radio style, lots of noir monologues and humphrey bogart-esque one-liners. some of the early episodes are rough, but they’ve actually gone back and re-recorded the juno steel ones, so they’ll be the best to start with. 

the bright sessions - do you like superheroes? do you like the dark side of superhero stories, where people with powers have to deal with being different and strange and emotional all while trying not to accidentally time travel or read someone else’s mind? this one’s for you. the bright sessions are therapy sessions between dr. bright and her patients, who are atypicals, or, basically, superheroes without the spandex. dr. bright helps her patients work on controlling their powers, all while a shady secret government organization watches overhead. you’ll want to start from episode one on this story, but you’ll probably immediately have a favorite patient. 

the bridge - another not so creepy, but more unsettling podcast. set in a slightly-different alternate universe where there’s a hundreds-of-miles-long bridge that stretches across the atlantic ocean from the united states to europe, you join a bored traffic reporter as she tells stories from other watch towers and stations along the bridge, which, after decades of use, is mostly abandoned. all the while, creepy stuff starts happening on her watch, and she and the other bridge employees have to figure out if they’re really in danger, or if they’ve been at sea too long. 

the truth - a lot like the penumbra podcast, the truth is a collection of short stories, acted out like actual movies. the first one caught and hooked me – what would’ve happened if apollo 11 didn’t land on the moon, and instead became the first space tragedy? the stories are (again, i have a pattern) dark but funny, and they’re incredibly creative. 

PODCASTS I HAVEN’T STARTED, BUT THAT ARE ON MY LIST: 

you must remember this - classic stories from the classic hollywood era, from marilyn monroe to charles manson and a lot more early stars we’ve completely forgotten about. 

wolf 359 - stories set in a space station floating out in the middle of nowhere, the crew of wolf 359 search for alien life and try not to die lightyears away from home. 

alice isn’t dead - made by the creators of welcome to night vale, so i’m sure this is good. alice is a truck driver who has to road trip around the country (and beyond) to find her missing wife.

the podcast history of our world - a lot like literature & history, this guy is just so excited to teach that he makes you excited to learn. he’s also really good about covering underrepresented people, which is more interesting than learning yet again about history from the side of colonizers.

EOS 10 - i have at least listed to the first episode of this, so i can confirm what everyone says: this is basically the show scrubs, set in space. a lot of doctors who think they know what they’re doing but are really on their own with no clue what to do.

heaven’s gate - more true crime! heaven’s gate was a cult that committed mass suicide in 1997. the host dives into the lives of the cult members to prove that anyone could’ve been caught up in the story.

if anyone has any recs, i’m happy to add to my list!

[aion-rsa]

Jeopardy! Star Brad Rutter on The Chase and Why Alex Trebek is Irreplaceable

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2020 was a big year for trivia. Starting in January with Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time tournament, continuing with AMC’s excellent Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? scandal miniseries Quiz, and concluding with an impassioned response to the tragic passing of Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, this was a year that highlighted Western society’s fascination with competitive knowledge-sharing. And at the center of much of it, as he often seems to be, was Brad Rutter. 

If there ever was a trivia competition Hall-of-Famer, it’s Rutter. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania-born former Quiz Bowler has been a staple of competitive trivia for years. Rutter has had one of the most impressive Jeopardy! careers of all time having been a five-time champion (the show used to cap contestants at five wins), winner of the 2001 Tournament of Champions, the Million Dollar Masters, the Ultimate Tournament of Champions, the Battle of the Decades Tournament, and last year’s All-Star Games, all good for over $5 million in lifetime earnings. He also faced off against Ken Jennings, and James Holzhauer in the aforementioned Jeopardy! GOAT tournament, but he probably wants you to forget about that particular performance.

Now Rutter and his two Jeopardy! GOAT compatriots Jennings and Holzhauer are set to get 2021 off to a strong trivia start with ABC’s The Chase. The Chase is hosted by Sara Haines based on a British program of the same name and will feature Rutter, Jennings, and Holzhauer as in-house quiz show experts dead set on ruining the contestants’ days. The series previously had an American pilot attempt at Fox in 2012 and a successful American adaptation run for Game Show Network from 2013 to 2015. When the show premieres on ABC on Jan. 7 at 9 p.m. ET, however, it will be the first attempt to bring the popular format to primetime American audiences. 

We spoke with Rutter about the trivia year that was, what it meant to work with Alex Trebek, what can be expected from The Chase, and of course: his Philadelphia Eagles.

Den of Geek: What was the process of you, Ken, and James agreeing to do The Chase together? Did you guys have like a group text chat going?

Brad Rutter: There was a little bit of that. There was talk of, “We’ve got to figure out a way to get you guys back on TV,” just because Jeopardy GOAT! was such a ratings bonanza. And I immediately thought, “Oh, you know, maybe The Chase. We’d be pretty good as chasers.” But I didn’t have any inside info on that. That’s sort of how it ended up coming together.

How were you familiar with The Chase originally? Had you watched the British version?

I had. I actually was also the American Chaser in the original pilot for Fox back in 2012. There was a regime change over there right after we shot the pilot. It ended up getting picked up on GSN with Mark Labbett, “The Beast.” And they didn’t end up using me. But yeah, I was quite familiar.

What was it like getting Sara Haines to join up as host?

Fantastic. I’m obviously not The View‘s target demo, so I wasn’t super familiar with her, but we went out to dinner the night before we started shooting and really right from bat, I knew that the chemistry was going to be there. She just absolutely clicked with all three of us. I think that’s a really important thing to have in a show like this, because it’s all about the banter. She’s really great facilitating that and sort of sparring with us and also with the contestants a little bit. We had an absolute blast shooting it and I really think that’s going to come through on the air.

I went back and watched a little bit of the Jeopardy! GOAT tournament and some of the interviews they cut with you. One thing that you said was studying probably doesn’t even help that much when it comes to Jeopardy!, but it’s like an emotional armor to wear. Do you do much studying prior to Chase episodes? And do you still kind of feel that way – that it’s more of an emotional armor?

Less so for The Chase than for Jeopardy!, actually, because I think Jeopardy! has more of a defined canon. They can conceivably ask you about anything, but you know that presidents are going to come up a lot, Shakespeare is going to come up a lot, world capitals are going to come up a lot. So I generally try to stay in shape with that type of stuff. 

With this, I wouldn’t study to the extent that I would with Jeopardy! just because you don’t know what’s going to come up. This is a brand new show, so you weren’t quite sure. If we do a season two though, I’m going to study the Billboard Top 40 … to give you a little clue about where the stew of the questions might be going.

Jeopardy! famously films many episodes in advance. What’s the filming schedule like for The Chase and how long ago did you lock these episodes?

I think it was November 13 through 20, and we did two a day, except only one on the last day. The 13th was a Friday, so I guess nobody was superstitious. I didn’t even realize that until now. Jeopardy! can get away with shooting five a day because A, it’s only half an hour and B, they’ve been doing it for 35 years, so it’s kind of a well-oiled machine. 

With a new game show, there’s all the standards and practices stuff and the legal things where you really have to get things right. One little hiccup can end up causing huge delays, but fortunately that didn’t really happen here. I was actually pleasantly surprised, because for first time shows, there’s usually going to be hiccups. 

That’s interesting too because you’ve only done this show under COVID protocols then. Did it seem kind of different from a usual production due to the environment right now?

Yes and no. I think it would be fun with an audience. So knock on wood, season two we can make that happen. But yeah, otherwise it was a lot like a normal production just with everybody masked up and trying to stay away from each other. 

How has your, James’s, and Ken’s relationship evolved through the GOAT tournament and then going into The Chase?

We’ve gotten to know each other pretty well, which is nice. And we do have a group text. We send stuff back and forth when we think it’s appropriate and sort of like something comes up that we had a question on in the GOAT tournament or something like that. I actually just texted them about something I saw that was a question on The Chase, which I can’t divulge right now. But that’s the kind of stuff we do when we’re having fun. Spotting the promos and stuff like that, and talking about people we know getting in touch with us because they saw us on Monday Night Football. That kind of thing.

We talked earlier about how strange and awful 2020 has been at times. Obviously we all just had to recently deal with the tragedy of Alex Trebek’s passing. You’ve already spoken about your experience with him beautifully on social media. Is there anything else you’d like to talk about in regards to spending time with him?

Well, I think that he actually ended up having an impact on my life just watching him work and getting to know him a little bit. It comes through watching the last few episodes that he did shoot that he was really proud of the show and it was his life’s work. He really put a lot of effort into something that he was very proud of. He had very high standards for himself and the show, and was always trying to live up to that. But at the same time, he was always having so much fun with it. Just watching Alex go about his business on Jeopardy!, I realized that’s a really great blueprint for how to live your life: care about something, strive for excellence, and have a good time doing it. If you’re picking three rules for life, I think you could do a lot worse than that. He’s inspired me for a long time, but even more so lately.

Do you have a take on who should host the show next?

Alex. But we can’t do it, unfortunately. That’s one of the terrible things about it. I can’t even really imagine what it’s going to be like. That’s all I can say about it.

I’ll just switch to a happier topic real quick at the end here. I like the notion of you, Ken, and James texting back and forth about Monday Night Football. How do you feel about the Jalen Hurts era for your Philadelphia Eagles?

Encouraging. Encouraging start. The poise is what I really noticed and coolness under pressure. I, for the life of me, can’t figure out what the Saints’ defensive game plan was about. It was almost as if they were preparing for Carson Wentz and then Hurts could just trample and run all over them.

You would’ve thought that they would have expected a little bit more of that. I am interested to see how he does now that there’s some tape out there on him. We’ll see how he does there. But it’s a giant mess anyway, because they can’t get rid of Wentz because of this contract. And they might have to try to trade one of them and who knows? [EDITOR’S NOTE: This interview was conducted following the Eagles’ victory over the New Orleans Saints. In the subsequent three weeks, Rutter’s Eagles went 0-3, missed the playoffs, and quarterback Jalen Hurts was benched in the final game. So uh…whoops].

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Quarterback uncertainty is not something I would wish on anybody. But I’m a Browns fan. So…sorry for trading you that second pick that became Carson Wentz.

Well it looked like he was going to work out great. And maybe he still will, I don’t know. It’s 2020. Who knows what’s in the water over there.

The Chase premieres Jan. 7 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

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