Audio Drama Comedy Gold!
I love many forms of audio drama, but after this year I needed shows with a bit less drama and far more laughs. And I was a little surprised to see how rare full-cast comedy podcasts were in the scheme of things. We don’t even know what to call the dang things: audio comedies? comedy for the ear? podcast sitcoms?
- Please note that I have included the show I work on in the larger list because this is my article and I own the Internet
- And I will call iTunes “Apple Podcasts” when Apple gets around to doing so on their own dang website (or they de-list my show in retaliation)
My Top Five New Podcast Sitcoms of 2017
#5:Deck the Halls 2!
Over three hours of shenanigans and the most loveable characters return to our ears with the long awaited Season 2 of Deck the Halls (with Matrimony!). This is a fast-paced, no-holds-barred romp through a wedding business, hostile takeover and one of the most memorable marriage proposals yet.
Note, whether you are just starting this series or just catching up, I recommend you re-listen to season 1 first.
#4: Attention HellMart Shoppers!
If you ever worked in retail, this is a MUST listen. And I say PFFFFT to any who argue that Thoreau Smiley voices all the characters and thus doesn’t qualify as a full-cast production. I can only admire his foresight to make recording day way less challenging without all those pesky actors getting into things and wandering off to the green room when they are supposed to be on deck. (This is a joke to any actors reading this and please report to studio ! pronto!)
#3: MarsCorp, The Martin Chronicles
More than once, I’ve considered building an altar to the The Definitely Human team. But there’s that whole worship thing and having to get up on Sunday mornings. Totally not worth it. And besides, hope is dead. MarCorp is one of my favourite shows of all time and in 2017 they released a mini-series that managed to humanize, sorry for the insult guys, one of the more erratic characters from the series: Martin. It was and is brilliant fun.
#2: Wooden Overcoats, Funn Fragments
We join the rest of civilization in our seemingly endless wait for the next season of Wooden Overcoats. Only this year we got a surprise, a series of Funn Fragments written by some of our favourite audio drama writers. And it did not disappoint.
#1: Victoriocity
This show is two parts Neverwhere, one part Sherlock and seven parts hysterical fun. I love the integrity of the characters and how this leads to some truly remarkable comedy. I want to quote this show endlessly!
My Comedy Gold Podcast Sitcoms
Here they are. My attempt at a comprehensive list of audio comedies that are guaranteed to help you avoid the drama of 2017. All of these shows gave us some much needed laughs this year.
Alba Salix, Royal Physician
Farloria’s Royal Physician has her work cut out for her. As head witch and the only regular staff member at the new House of Healing, Alba’s got an endless lineup of patients and a bickering King and Queen to please. Think Shrek meets House in a fairy-tale land. Be sure to check out the mini-series, “The Axe and Crown”.
Website | iTunes | Google Play
Attention HellMart Shoppers!
If you ever worked in retail, this is a MUST listen. And I say PFFFFT to any who argue that Thoreau Smiley voices all the characters and thus doesn’t qualify as a full-cast production. I also admire his move to make recording day way less challenging without all those pesky actors around getting into things and wandering off to the green room when they are supposed to be on deck.
Deck the Halls (with Matrimony!)
Over four and a half hours of shenanigans and the most loveable characters in the wedding business. This is a fast-paced, no-holds-barred romp through a wedding business in growth pains through to one of the most memorable marriage proposals ever.
EOS 10
A lovely medical comedy in space with a medical team that can’t quite keep themselves together and a deposed prince with some rather unusual ideas about humans.
Greater Boston
“Greater Boston is a bi-monthly full-cast audio drama set in the Boston metro area, blending the real and the unreal, the historical and the fantastical.” This show pushes the boundaries of full-cast storytelling into the surreal and wacky. I don’t know about you, but I’m totally getting myself a home on the Red Line, if they’ll have me.
Hadron Gospel Hour
One of the pioneers of the online audio comedy podcast world. You will never look the same way at moldy leftovers in your fridge. And always remember to look both ways before stepping into an unstable rift in the fabric of spacetime.
Hector vs The Future
A dark comedy about the world’s largest museum of obsolete technology that just happens to be across the street from the painstakingly modern Uptodateum. Each episode was recorded live in front of an audience of non-robotic origins.
Jim Robbie and the Wanderers
What happens when a group of musicians create a robot and tour around a world not-at-all like our own? Grab a seat and find out. Note: they are working to re-release all of season 1.
Just Press Playhouse
They had us with their first production of Flushed with Love and now they bring us a fantastical journey through time with Time Trip. It’s like getting to relive Hadron Gospel Hour crossed with a sci-fi radio show from the heigh of the radio era.
MarsCorp
Forget hope. This is about a future where things don’t pan out quite as we expected, but no matter the odds of impending death or dismemberment, these martians stay chipper and focused on doing their job, no matter how meaningless. This remains one of my all-time favourite dark comedy on the Internet.
Misadventure by Death
It’s the perfect job: groundskeeper for a recently opened manor in the Appalachians. It includes room and board and all the time in the world to watch movies. Only, the manor is haunted and Neil is anything but brave. And his boss is anything but understanding.
Radiation World
I can’t top their writeup, “An all original post-apocalyptic comedy audio series. In other words, everything you ever wanted.”
It is full of over the top situations, larger than life characters and the meaning of… I’ve said too much! I may or may not have listened to all of Season 2 in one weekend.
Saffron and Peri
This is one of the best fairy godmother concepts I’ve come across. Saffron is a fairy godmother and Peri, her best friend, runs the Magic Support Department. It’s like an IT desk for fairy godmothers. Brilliant. This is a young show and does suffer a bit from writing and production values in some places but I adore it and I love the characters!
A Scottish Podcast
Horror that will have you laughing! Strong language and mature themes as only the Scots can do justice. To anyone thinking of making it big as a “podcast host”, this is the show for you. Beware of your first sponsor!
The Monster Hunters
“Take a trip back to swinging London in the early 1970s and meet Roy Steel, ex — big game hunter, and Lorrimer Chesterfield, a brain in the shape of a man. Together they are The Monster Hunters. Their mission: to protect the country from vampires, werewolves and a whole pantheon of unmentionable terrors.”
Content warning: the characters play up the misogynist views of the upper class from the past though some might argue it continues to this day.
Victoriocity
This show is two parts Neverwhere, one part Sherlock and seven parts hysterical fun. I love the integrity of the characters and how this leads to some truly remarkable comedy. I want to quote this show endlessly!
Wooden Overcoats
“RUDYARD FUNN RUNS A FUNERAL HOME ON THE ISLAND OF PIFFLING.
It used to be the only one. It isn’t anymore.”
This show is one of the best written comedies on the Internet. And then they went and assembled a cast and crew that is untouchable. It’s enough to make a fellow creator break down in tears. One listen and you will be in tears too, only from laughing so hard you can’t breathe.
Wynabego Warrior
“A modern day old west tale, wrought with peril and danger, redemption, and renewal. the tale of a man determined to find the old west that he remembers from the silver screen of his youth.” This is a fun, tongue in cheek ride through the sprawling suburbia of the tamed and conquered west.
#eaglescreech forever!
Honourable Mentions
These shows don’t officially qualify as audio dramas, but I can’t stop listening to them and they are ridonc-ulously funny.
The Adventure Zone
I think I listened to all 59 episodes of this straight through the Obama-Said-It-First “Christmas” Holidays. Though my partner did make me take my headphones off for presents and family dinner. The bastard. I’m not sore about it. Really, I’m not.
Hello from the Magic Tavern
This is a show about Arnie (who fell through a magical dimensional portal behind a burger king in Chicago and found himself in the magical land of “Foon”) and his two co-hosts. It’s a late night talk show format with guests and larks and even a bit of a loosely defined and sometimes advancing story arc. I can’t explain my addiction, so back off!
The Infinite Bad
This is the play along RPG that got me back into role playing. It’s from the amazing folks at Definitely Human. I love that it’s more about wits and story than hack and slash.
Join the Party
A play along AD&D campaign designed from the ground up to be far more inclusive than most. I can not get enough of TR8c and the rest of the party. A truly fun time.
