The 10 Best Comedy Podcasts of the Week
Welcome to the inaugural roundup of the 10 best comedy podcasts that we at Cracked have listened to this week. The rules for this roundup are simple: the show must be hosted by a comedian or be in the comedy genre, must have been released in the previous seven days, and we must find some value in it.
That value can be the most basic tenet of comedy – we actually laughed while listening. A podcast can be valuable because we learned something, or our thoughts were provoked, or we just really enjoyed the conversation. This job requires us to listen to, truly, an unreasonable number of comedy podcasts, from three-hour-long conversations on The Joe Rogan Experience to new Amy Poehler interviews on Good Hang. We'll do the work to help you distinguish between the unmissable and the skippable. This list, arranged in no particular order, features podcasts you can find on most platforms.
This article not your thing? Try these...
There are currently more than 600,000 active podcasts being produced worldwide. A not insignificant percentage of those are comedy podcasts. By pulling together 10 episodes we think are worth your time, we'll filter out the noise and recommend a few shows that offer added-value listening.
Good Hang with Amy Poehler, featuring June Squib
June Squib is an interesting woman with a full life to reflect on and unbelievable anecdotes to share. Come for her description of what it is like dating in her 80s: “Nobody came along that really excited me,” she quipped. Stay for her details about working with the late comedian Ruth Buzzi. Her discussion with Poehler is as sweet as it is charming. Listen here.
Scam Goddess with Laci Mosley, featuring Yvette Nicole Brown
If you want even more jokes and insight about the infamous Louvre heist, Laci Mosley’s podcast about scammers and fraudsters is can’t miss. She discusses the wild theft with Emmy-nominated actor Yvette Nicole Brown. Listen here.
My Favorite Lyrics with Devon Walker, featuring Nicole Byer
My Favorite Lyrics is, as SNL alum Devon Walker describes, a music podcast. The premise is pretty simple: the guest talks about their favorite song lyrics. It’s inevitably humorous, especially when the guest is someone like Nicole Byer. It's for anyone who likes their laughs with a side order of song recommendations. Listen here.
Comedy Bang! Bang! with Scott Aukerman, featuring Edgar Wright, Edi Patterson and Neil Campbell
The generally excellent Comedy Bang! Bang! kicked off this week’s episode with an interview featuring Running Man director Edgar Wright. After you get a healthy dose of behind-the-scenes insight about the now-in-theaters remake, listen for details about the dead-in-the-water Scooby Doo movie of the director’s dreams. Listen here.
So True with Caleb Hearon, featuring Laura Peek
Caleb Hearon is a guest on podcasts almost more frequently than he's the host on his own, but when he’s not in the hot seat, he’s getting guests to offer up gems. This week, it’s Laura Peek sharing a story about William Shatner stirring up chaos on a Delta flight. Listen here.
The Adam Friedland Show with Adam Friedland, featuring Lina Khan
The Adam Friedland Show recently racked up several high-profile write-ups following his vulnerable, highly contentious interview with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. This week, Friedland is talking with another politician, former Federal Trade Commissioner Lina Khan. She accepted a position with newly elected NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani this month, and spoke with Friedland about everything from progressive politics to fighting corporations with the support of Trump voters. Listen here.
The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi, featuring Hasan Piker
As Cracked told you earlier this week, Hasan Piker is becoming somewhat of a leftist comedy darling. He’s already made appearances on multiple comedy shows, including The Daily Show and Stavros Halkias’s podcast Stavvy’s World. In his interview with stand-up and host Gianmarco Soresi, he further cements his fledgling reputation as the “Joe Rogan for the left.” Listen here.
Las Culturistas with Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, featuring Sarah Paulson
It’s always fun to listen to an actor promote a show that absolutely tanked on Rotten Tomatoes. But even more enjoyable is Sarah Paulson’s “I Don’t Think So Honey.” The segment gives the guest one minute to state a strong opinion or declarative statement—and Paulson uses her time to passionately defend the rights of pigeons. Listen here.
The Zach Sang Show with Zach Sang, featuring Kathy Griffin
Described by Cracked’s Matt Solomon as “completely off the rails,” this is the episode to listen to if you love mess. Kathy Griffin is always a guarantee for jarring statements, but Sang helps her reach an impressive level of unfiltered when she breaks down her profane, long-running feud with Ellen DeGeneres. Listen here.
Working It Out with Mike Birbiglia featuring Todd Glass
Working It Out is for the true comedy geeks. The show centers on a comedian’s attempt to work through their own material, trying to get almost-there punchlines to land. It’s a great show if you’re trying to better understand the process of formulating jokes. This week, Todd Glass tackles a joke about peanut allergies. Listen here.