The first reason was the brilliance of Kobe. From the first day I moved to California, I saw fields of ‘24’ jerseys, talked to people who knew the best spots for a Kobe sighting, and listened to callers on LA sports talk radio—edgy, but optimistic—assess just how good Bryant’s upcoming season would be. I followed Kobe’s fourteenth professional season closely, and saw him play through injuries and deflect the criticisms that he was past his prime. I stood transfixed outside of a Rainforest Café in South Coast Plaza, about an hour from Staples Center without traffic, watching an early Lakers playoff game in the final quarter. By the time the game had entered its final minutes, at least sixty others crowded around the exterior of the restaurant. No one, not even the littlest kids, seemed distracted by the roars of lions or the simulated rain showers; everyone’s attention was on the game. As Kobe hit shot after shot, people cheered. The Lakers put the game away, and everyone dispersed. It was then I realized that Kobe was a legend the likes of which hadn’t existed in New York since Ewing, and everyone knows there was always an undercurrent of disappointment when rooting for Patrick.

The second reason for my Lakers empathy has to be the 710 AM radio show “LA Sports Live,” hosted by Andrew Siciliano and Mychal Thompson. This four-hour show airs locally from 10 AM – 2PM daily, and combines the talents of Siciliano, the sarcastic straight man, and Thompson, the jocular star.

The free-spirited Mychal Thompson, born in the Bahamas, has been a popular LA personality for years. In 1978, Mychal was a #1 pick in the NBA draft. In 1987, he joined the Lakers for two memorable championship wins. On those famous “Showtime” teams, Thompson fit right in with the swagger and excellent fundamentals that Pat Riley preached to his players. Even when Thompson first came to LA, he was not afraid of sharing the spotlight with Laker legends.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d9jXKvOAPo

Today, Mychal’s tuneful voice is featured on both LA Sports Live and Lakers broadcasts, where he serves as color commentator. Mychal is prone to recite Laker poems, such as “What It Means to Be a Laker” and “Kobe, The Poem,” an unparalleled work of doggerel, which includes the lines: “You are loved from LA to the Bahamas / You even had breakfast with fans named the Obamas.” On a recent show, Mychal quipped: “If Wilt [Chamberlain] played on this Lakers team, he wouldn’t score many points because he’d never get the ball. He’d be Tree Rollins.” And when discussing the Van Gundy brothers, Mychal called Jeff Van Gundy someone he’d seen “in his younger days on the Soul Train, hanging out near the front of the stage,” with Stan Van Gundy “hanging out in the background, Jeff being more the partier, the dancer.”

Loyal listeners to LA Sports Live will also know that Mychal is a devotee of free food. There’s usually a lot of pastrami, etc. around, thanks to Langer’s Deli, the LA lunch spot that sponsors a noon daily point-counterpoint between Andrew and Mychal. The debate regularly involves Andrew whining, “Mychal,” as if at wit’s end with Mychal’s unorthodox opinions. Their greatest conflict may have occurred when Mychal offended Andrew by putting hot sauce on his free potato latkes instead of apple sauce.

Look, even with the appeal of latke debates on LA Sports Live and Kobe-mania, I am still a loyal Knicks fan. One of my favorite sports underdog moments remains the time when Chris Dudley stood up to Shaq, throwing the ball at him from 50 feet away (one of the ironies being that Dudley, the same player who would air ball free throws regularly, was able to peg Shaq squarely in the ass on national TV). But it’s hard to ignore the attention the Lakers receive on the LA airwaves. For instance, Andrew devoted entire segments of a show in mid-January to Phil Jackson’s mid-season reading list. Jackson chooses a book for each player to read. On LA Sports Live, Mychal and Andrew discussed who would benefit more from reading The Catcher in the Rye—the iconoclast Ron Artest or the reserved leader, Kobe?

I listened in to the whole program on May 25^th, when the Lakers led the Conference Finals against Phoenix two games to one, with Game 4—which the Lakers eventually went on to lose—scheduled for that evening. The Lakers came back in Game 5 to win on a last second tip by Ron Artest, and Kobe & co. wrapped up the series handily in Game 6 to make it to the finals. On the 25^th, Mychal and Andrew touched on nearly every Lakers issue imaginable. I’ve highlighted some of the more memorable moments from the day’s program plus a few of the topics that come up most often on LA sports radio. The number one topic—where does Kobe stand in the all-time greatest player discussion?—surprisingly did not surface that day.

So here’s a taste of LA Sports Live, with hopes that Knicks fans will forgive my foray into the purple and gold.

Mychal describes the Ideal Athlete: In the “Langer’s High Noon Showdown,” Drew Belzer, the show’s producer, discusses high school basketball player Sim Bhullar, who is seven-foot-four, two-hundred eighty pounds, and his baby bro, Tanveer Bhullar, who is seven-foot-two. They are Canadian born, of Indian descent, and live in Pennsylvania. But even given their amazing size at such a young age, they still have miles to go before becoming premier athletes. Belzer asks: what characteristics make up the ideal athlete?

Mychal asks for his “music”—a smooth jazz groove that he often reads his basketball poems to—and proceeds to share his vision. Mychal would want his athlete to have the endurance of marathon runner Haile Gebrselassie, the confidence of Floyd Mayweather, the speed of Usain Bolt, the heart of Kobe, the IQ of Steve Nash, the physique of Adrian Peterson, the face of Cristiano Renaldo, the fluidity of Roger Federer, the charisma of Ali, the class of Jeter, the leadership and accessibility of Derek Fisher. “This is the perfect athlete and the perfect person…He’d play any sport he wanted to.”

Confidence: For followers of a franchise that has missed the playoffs only four times since moving to LA from Minnesota in 1960, confidence in their success is par for the course. Andrew and Mychal’s May 25^th program was no exception. Eighteen minutes in, Mychal predicts the impending “16^th Championship” for the Lakers. Minutes later he boldly states: “[Coach Phil Jackson] is not going…they’re not going to entice him to leave this team. [The Lakers] will win the NBA championship this year. Can possibly win three in a row.”

LeBron to LA: Mychal brings up his LeBron to LA scheme once again, asking the Chicago sportswriter Sam Smith, “Aren’t we right that LeBron would make most sense with the Lakers?” Smith replies affirmatively, “If LeBron James really cared about winning.” Laker fans begin drooling when Smith adds that “the place where LeBron James would make most sense would be LA” in part because “[LeBron] wants to make a movie.” Mychal boasts, “We’re right.”

Mychal and the game: For all of Mychal’s charisma, he’s no clown. His insights into basketball are reminiscent in style and content to those of his former coach, Dr. Jack Ramsey. At 11:20, after a long commercial break, Andrew asks Mychal what defensive advice he plans to give Pau Gasol on the bus to the game. Mychal says: “Keep rebounding…Amar’e [Stoudamire] has a quick first step. Move your feet, make him flatten out and go to the corners. Hands straight up in the air to get [Amar’e to take] a high level of difficulty shot.” At 12:45, Andrew asks if he could pick Mychal’s brain—as a former NBA big man—about Andrew Bynum’s failure to live up to expectations.

Andrew: How long did it take you to learn body control in defending the post?

Mychal: In high school….avoiding conflict, moving your feet, moving people to places they’re not comfortable at…taking away their power moves. [Today’s young players] don’t think the game.

Basketball town, no baseball: At 12:32, they begin a segment on Dodgers’ outfielder, Andre Ethier. Andrew is mildly outraged that Ethier, close to the lead in all triple crown batting categories, is fourth in NL outfielder voting. This four-minute segment is the extent of baseball talk for the day’s show. Guess I’m not listening to New York sports talk.

In February, HBO premiered the animated series, The Ricky Gervais Show, one of the most notable podcasts to find its way onto television. The program originated from a Guardian podcast, which itself began as a radio show on London’s Xfm. The podcast consisted of the writing duo Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant mercilessly ribbing the pitiable Karl Pilkington. HBO bought the audio—a winning display of existential Q&A and comedic bullying—and added the minimal animation. The result? Not only a hilarious show, but also a new model for television production.

While audio podcasts and vodcasts continue to reach larger and more demographically diverse audiences, many still fly under the radar, giving podcasts the same kind of underground clout that was afforded to cable TV in its early days. How much does TV stand to gain from tapping into this creative resource? With the imminent launch of 3D TV, the continuous search for cheap production alternatives, and the growing expectations for viewer-audience interactivity, I think, clearly, a lot. So I present to you three ideas for TV shows that could be adapted from current podcasts. Maybe an injection of spirit from the podcasting world can spark a new movement in network and cable TV programming.

Ask A Ninja

Ask A Ninja has been making its way around on the vodcast world since November 2005. It has a simple premise: a pretend martial arts master answers viewer mail in a less-than-intimidating tough-guy accent. The humor—inane, punny, rant-heavy—is a mix of Homestar Runner’s Strong Bad Email and those over the edge, old school WWF monologues. Thanks to careful editing that accentuates the ninja’s awkwardness, the ninja’s performances appear pitch-perfect in their imperfection.

Originally intended as a cartoon, the show soon found its way to the net. Ask a Ninja was able to pick up corporate sponsorship along the way, and has been featured in many television and web-based segments in the entertainment arena. While watching the Ninja interview Jon Heder and Will Ferrell on an old press junket for Blades of Glory, it was hard for me not to be reminded of the Cartoon Network classic Space Ghost Coast to Coast. The video segments would fit comfortably alongside interviews, skits, or other disjointed material in a half-hour program, particularly because the Ninja shares Space Ghost’s bumbling attempts to uphold his superhero reputation. If Ask A Ninja ever finds its way to your television, The Cartoon Network may be a natural home. However Spike TV or Comedy Central could also work for this badass transplanted vodcast.

Bwana.org Radio

Hosted by computer professional and guru of all things technology, Bwana McCall, the BDOR podcast (Bwana.org Radio) is one of the most enjoyable tech podcasts around. BDOR, a 2009 finalist for “People’s Choice Podcast Award for Best Technology/Science Podcast,” features informative and funny run-downs of the week in technology news.

For over five years, Bwana has also operated Bwana.tv, which specializes in tech entertainment. On the site, you can also find detailed product reviews, how-to guides, video game live streams (which attract a loyal following), and a blog. Bwana, who has an extensive techie résumé and currently works for Hewlett Packard, broadcasts with a personal touch. He gives off an image of trusted computer analyst, but with a quirky side. For example, in his bio, Bwana describes himself as “a gamer, movie lover, faithful husband, and certifiably crazy.”

In the transition to cable TV—maybe G4?—technology-specific broadcasting could look to capitalize off the 3D TV momentum. With an expert like Bwana as our tech guide, product demonstrations could hit a new level of excitement for the techie and non-techie alike. After all, what better content to help inaugurate the 3D TV revolution than a leading tech show that could show off the capabilities of 3D?

[Insert your favorite fan podcast here]

Being a fan of your favorite television show has never come with more benefits than it does now. Websites and corresponding podcasts offer copious amounts of fan fiction, theories, complete series wikis, song parodies, insider information, and interviews.

And yet, there are few, if any, nights on television reserved for fan feedback, except for maybe the occasional series wrap or a Survivor season finale reunion in front of a live audience. But what if the format and content of the fancast occasionally served as an hour-long lead-in or wrap-up of a night of prime-time television programming, either at 8 PM or 10 PM?

The model for this kind of programming is not unprecedented. Consider the early days of MTV, when an iconic group of veejays (including Adam Curry who was also one of the earliest independent podcasters) were there on the ground floor, cheering on and hyping the music and musicians. What if instead of veejays introducing music videos, we had podcasters introducing TV shows? That rough-around-the-edges, groundbreaking spirit was part of what MTV bosses and veejays tapped into back in the day. In the digital age, the podcast has the potential to bring that spirit back.

I’ve got a problem. I can’t stop watching Mike Francesa YouTube videos. It’s been going on for months. Things have gotten so bad of late that Mike Francesa’s radio show and TV simulcast, “Mike’d Up,” has started to influence my behavior. When solicitors call me on the phone and waste my time, I go Mike Francesa on them and ask: “Whattsa matter, is your cartoon not on today, do you have nothing better to do?” If I’m at a new restaurant that I’ve heard a lot about, I’ll tell the waiter, “first-time, long-time,” much to my wife’s dismay. When about to finish up a conversation with a friend, rather than politely saying I have to go, I give a handwave. The scariest part: in my dreams, I hear John Minko doing twenty-twenty updates on loop.

I blame this unhealthy fascination with Mike Francesa’s show in part on the untimely end of the “Mike and The Mad Dog” program. Mike Francesa and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo hosted their legendary program on WFAN from 1989 to 2008, a simulcast of which aired on cable for the last few years of the show. It was perhaps the most important sports-radio program in the history of broadcasting, and one of the first shows on a station dedicated solely to sports-radio that garnered national attention. The show was also an afternoon soundtrack for many of us who lived within 400 miles of New York—WFAN carries fairly clearly as far north as Canada and as far south as Virginia—until Chris Russo left terrestrial radio for Sirius XM in the summer of ‘08. In Queens, for those nineteen years, “Mike and the Mad Dog” seemed to be permanently playing at pizzerias, barber shops, ballparks, and corner-stores, in addition to all of the walkmans and car radios that were surely tuned to 660 AM.

Maybe the break-up of the legendary duo left me longing for that kind of sports-radio omnipresence I enjoyed as a kid, and maybe that longing led me to YouTube for some nostalgic goodness. If you think I’m going overboard on the emotional scope of the break-up of Mike and the Mad Dog, I am; though I’ll remind you that Mike and Chris themselves, during a segment taped the day after Chris left the show, compared their break-up to the break-up of The Beatles. Mike and Chris’s tendency for self-aggrandizing aside, a disharmony in the universe did seem to register after their break-up. Hearing Mike’s voice without the high-pitched squealing of the Mad Dog did take some getting used to.

Mike Francesa’s solo show, “Mike’d Up,” airs daily on radio and TV, and usually goes for five and a half hours in drive-time, 1 to 6:30 PM Eastern. Francesa does interviews, reads spots, and takes calls, for the greater part of thirty hours a week, eleven months a year, in addition to hosting a Sunday morning NFL program, and a late-night Sunday wrap-up show. How do I know about his difficult schedule? He whines and boasts about it a lot.

While many of the callers are fairly complimentary of the host, an equal number take on Francesa and his know-it-all attitude, trying to get a rise out of him. They often do. There are gobs of Mike Francesa blogs and strangely popular and wildly fanatical message boards that seem to present an image of Mike being universally disliked. However, there is a passion behind the dislike that belies a kind of deep respect. Example: one guy who prank calls often goes to great lengths says how much he enjoys listening to WFAN, and how he considers it the greatest station in sports. Watching this love-hate relationship play out is addictive.

So here are the best of the Mike Francesa YouTubes. Even if you’re not a long-time listener or a fan of sports or talk-radio at all, these clips will, I hope, serve as a theater of the intersection of the indignant and the mundane.

Eruptions

In these selections, Mike gets mad and throws fits. Sweating the small stuff makes for great TV/Radio simulcasts.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR3RbiidXJ4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI5xJfYH7NI

“Wait a Second!”

This compilation of “Mike’d Up” moments, put together by an even more devoted fan of the show than myself, is pure poetry.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPYD1cPXhxE

Co-Hosts

Since Mike and Chris broke up, many replacements for Mad Dog have been thrown around, including Kim Jones, Joe Benigno, Max Kellerman, Sid Rosenberg, and Bill Simmons. Here is one clip of a classic “Mike and the Mad Dog” feud, followed by one with Mike’s most recent “co-host,” his son Jack, who picked the Jets to win against the Chargers later in the show.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eft3Q_zO6NE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1NAOAiurmE

Movies and Oddsmaking

Mike and the Mad Dog used to talk about movies nonstop. Less so on Mike’d Up, but you still hear it now and then. Here’s a hysterical clip of Mike and Chris reviewing the Oscar Odds in a bizarre and systematic way.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIAwaIqCTAU

Prank Calls

There are too many Francesa pranks to share here, and some are better than others. This is my favorite. The prank call is pulled off by a guy who seems to do a lot of these, often going by the name “Anthony” or “T.J.” (some of his others involve “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Joe Pesci, and “Tony Uncle T.K.”) This prank caller even called back after he made this call and asked Mike if he’d seen it on YouTube.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaF87XEz4m8

“We’re Watching This Car Chase”

Mike watches a car chase on one of his monitors and describes it to the audience.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0abeznPlUW4

While October annually brings ample amounts of Halloween-themed songs, bone-chilling stories, and spooky sound effects to radio airwaves, with November comes the sudden end of this ghoulish programming. No more howling, no more monster mashes. No more crypts creaking open or tales of bobbing for brains. The stations ready themselves for holiday music; the year goes on.

Lucky for us, the podcast world has year-round pleasure to offer in the fright department. To ease the pain of Halloween withdrawal that might set in soon, here are five scary podcasts that promise Halloween-themed frights, paranormal occurrences, and many laughs along the way. The podcasts reviewed below vary in content and purpose; one is made by a team of Tennessee ghost hunters, another by an archivist of old time radio. But regardless of format, these frightcasts are scary enough to—as SCTV’s legendary Count Floyd would say—give you goose bumps on your goose bumps.

The Horror (Old Time Radio)

Say what you will about Vincent Price, legendary character actor Peter Lorre is a master narrator of the occult. For the episode, “The Hollow Footsteps,” archivist podcast creators of “The Horror” track down a fantastic recording that first aired on radio in 1953 or 1954. Lorre tells a chilling ghost story with overwrought and frequent interludes that are made wonderfully peculiar by Lorre’s voice: “A man…being followed,” “trapped…in a living nightmare,” and my personal favorite, “Something happened to Jeff Martin…Not the normal unhappinesses…oh no…” The broadcasts from “The Horror” rely on simple but compelling tropes like voices from the dead, or mysterious footsteps without anyone present—but these relics still speak to us today. “Cyndi S.” who submitted a listener review on iTunes put it best: “There is nothing like sitting by your computer in the dark listening to this podcast.”

SEPS Paranormal Podcast

Paul Cagel runs an apparition-hunting group in Chattanooga, TN, and this podcast is hosted by Cagel and his team of ghost-finders. Each episode, the squad selects a topic or two for conversation, varying from hauntings at hospitals, to demons, to misadventures while ghost-hunting. In episode 44, the group dissects the question of why certain in-between or “crossroads” spaces, like covered bridges, railroads, and ponds, are often at the center of ghost tales. The hosts are laid back and upbeat, which is important for a podcast that often deals with macabre subject matter. Also in episode 44, the team discusses how certain ghost stories function to remind the present inhabitants of a place of past horrors. The home-spun theorizing and advice on how to debunk false claims of ghost sightings make for an entertaining show, and may force you to reconsider going out for that midnight stroll past the pond.

Jim Harold’s Paranormal Podcast

Jim Harold, host of this popular podcast on all matters mystical and mysterious, recently conducted a fascinating interview with Brad Steiger, a prolific writer of over a hundred books about paranormal experiences. The interview is an eye-opening discussion of how vampires have been perceived throughout the ages. Notably, Steiger finds it unfortunate that, due to the Twilight series, Edward Cullen is the current face of the vampire; and that while vampires used to elicit “screams of terror,” they now elicit “screams of lust.” People shouldn’t be “playing Halloween,” he cautions, when the real creatures—vampires—walk among us. So how should we best protect ourselves against vampires? Harold asks. “Stay in the light,” Steiger advises. “Focus on goodness.” The interview takes the listener on other journeys as well, including a discussion about the real-life community of people who practice Vampirism. Steiger makes sure to point out that, while he has been in contact with some of them and consulted with them before writing his latest book, they are neither dangerous nor are they real vampires. Believe it or don’t believe it, but Steiger is an undeniable expert in the fields of folklore and paranormal activity.

Jim Harold’s Campfire

Jim Harold also hosts a new podcast devoted to listeners’ testimony of their paranormal experiences. Harold is a welcoming presence, and plays the role of camp director well, passing the proverbial flashlight around the campfire while callers share their tales. In episode 7, a caller who identifies himself as Brian recounts seeing a face in a tree near a naval base in Florida. The twist? Instead of the tree frightening Brian, Brian accidentally “scared the crud out of [the tree].” Here, callers are the obvious stars of the show, but the quality of each episode depends also on what kinds of follow-up questions Harold asks. For instance, Harold’s follow-up to Brian—asking if his conversion to Wicca had anything to do with his heightened sensitivity to tree spirits—demonstrates that Harold is really listening and trying to make sense of his callers’ visions. Other episodes involve alien abduction, falling rats, and Bigfoot.

Scared Stiff Horror Cinema

The “Scared Stiff Horror Cinema” podcast is comprised of audio from old horror films, via an outfit known as the “Radio Nostalgia Network.” Their intent? To show “how horror films portray society’s fears, varying according to the age.” Any of the episodes on this podcast are worth a listen, but the 1973 Watergate-inspired flick Werewolf of Washington, starring Dean Stockwell, stands out. In the film, a Washington insider starts terrorizing the city during full moons, even though he has been, up until that point, an upstanding citizen. The Werewolf of Washington podcast would make an exceptional soundtrack for a Halloween party. The screams, shrieks, yells, and cries, not to mention Stockwell’s monologues, burst with hysteria, and the sonically rich and imposing orchestral score is elaborate and compelling.  Uneasiness, suspense, and werewolf noises abound, and this podcast serves as a reminder that real horror—that which shows us what we are afraid of, and maybe even why—does not go away on November 1^st.

Replete with its own category in annual best-of lists, fan podcasting is an art far more nuanced than collective gushing. Anyone who listens probably also understands its dual nature: fan podcasts are comfortable forums for fans to share their thoughts, as well as free and valuable marketing for networks. Time will tell how much regulation and network interference will be placed upon podcasts. For now, though, most remain under-the-radar and, more importantly, fresh, honest, and incredibly fun to listen to.

After listening to a lot of what’s out there, I’ve come up with the crème de la crème of the new FlashForward podcasts. For those new to the show though, some quick background first. The premise, based on Robert Sawyer’s 1999 novel Flashforward, is classic sci-fi: during a worldwide blackout, people experience a two minute seventeen second flash-forward of their lives six months in the future. They wake up haunted by these visions, not to mention the question of who or what caused them.

ABC is clearly attempting to forge a close relationship between the program and Lost as FlashForward stars current Lost cast member Sonya Walger and former Lostie, Dominic Monaghan. Joseph Fiennes is part Jack Shepherd as the post-crisis jefe, part Jack Bauer in FBI agent panic mode, with a long-faced physical resemblance to Dr. House. Does ABC’s new darling hold promise? These folks think so, and I’m tempted to trust them.

The Wamcast

Wyatt and Mackin host this youthful podcast. The Wamcast boasts a dorm-room feel and these two talented young ‘casters write many musical ditties to accompany their show recaps. The show is a bit raw, but Wyatt and Mackin are attentive viewers, catching slip-ups, such as when the character of Olivia does not wear a mask during surgery. During one episode, the young gentlemen have some extended difficulty reading their notes. Their self-deprecating style produces such comments like, “Sorry if this is annoying.” Ah, but this is the fun of podcasting in its early days where earnestness still wins over gloss.

2 Min 17 Sec

“Theo” is the mysterious host of this mysterious podcast. Theo has a deep, distinct baritone voice. This podcast is different from many others in that Theo doesn’t try to sound like “one of the guys.” Instead he sounds kind of like a superhero. His intro is painstakingly produced with clips from the show, and then he enters with the booming and drawn-out, “Hello. I am Theo.” As he theorizes, galactic-sounding music plays in the background, as if he is podcasting from the queue of Space Mountain. Style aside, his criticism of the show is first-rate and he is invested a lot in the characters. He also covers the progress of “Truthhack,” an ABC website that is attempting to build up the mythology of FlashForward. Another nice touch from the 2 Min 17 Sec podcast is when Theo played clips from the audiobook of the Flashforward novel. Overall Theo helps to build up the eerie world that the show creates.

FlashForcast

On their website, the FlashForcast guys proclaim: “And YES you heard right, we have our very own Australian!” Keith, who does have a pretty impressive Australian accent, shares the podcasting duties with creative consultant Eric and the likeable emcee Dave. The gang has fantastic rapport and the show is a gem. It is consistently funny, with a hysterical recounting of the young Charlie’s interactions with the other kids at school during episode 2. The structure of the show also works well, with an awesome clip summary, exclusive interviews, and offbeat segments such as the weekly apology “We’re sorry” and “What did you see?” devoted to listener-observed Easter eggs. Other highlights include Keith’s weekly Australian update, where he has discussed the latest in vegemite news and made comparisons between the Wisconsin Dells and the Land Down Under. All in all, a very complete listening experience.

The Flash Forward Podcast with Heath Solo and Ms. Wendy

Veteran ‘Lost and X Files casters, Heath and Ms. Wendy have laid back personalities and with a measured pace, few tangents, and the occasional Dr. Demento-style sound effect, they work to create a classic radio show feel. They are good critics, not afraid to call out the show for perceived flaws, such as too many clips of the first episode in later episodes, and for the second episode’s somewhat out-of-place and forced “FBI comedy hour.” Ms. Wendy has a great sense of humor and is listener-friendly as she goes through emails from fans of the show. It is also a very nice touch to give a final shout-out at the end of the show to the listeners whose questions were read on the air. In another enjoyable ongoing bit, Heath and Ms. Wendy tinker with their send-off message at the end of each show. They have ranged from “Stay flash forward” to “Flashin’ outta here baby.”

FlashForward Cast

Jay and Jack, the seasoned, hilarious, father-and-son duo are trend-setters in podcasting. With a hit Lost podcast for four years running and an annual panel at Comic-Con, their FlashForward Cast similarly shines. Each week Jay and Jack run through seven pivotal moments of an episode and intersperse their podcast with catchy musical intros (Jay is currently a college student majoring in music). After listening to their “crackpot theories” and amusing recaps, it is abundantly clear that Jay and Jack respect the craft of creating good television. On one FlashForward cast, Jack suggested that the FlashForward writers consider cultivating more of an everyman character to keep the viewer more invested in the show. Their TV expertise can also be heard when they deftly alluded to the Twilight Zone episode “A Kind of Stopwatch” during a discussion of FlashForward’s pilot. The combination of Jay’s good cheer and Jack’s sarcasm is priceless, as they dissect each show with intelligent gab. Simply put, Jay and Jack make enchanting podcasts, and their FlashForward Cast is no exception.