THE JOURNAL
Messrs Max Olesker and Ivan Gonzalez in Fugitives. Photograph by Ms Idil Sukan, courtesy of Storyglass
Once safely confined to comedy clubs and TV channel Dave, these days, you can’t walk into the children’s section of Waterstones or log into Netflix without being confronted with a comedian. The place you’re most likely to encounter a professional gag merchant, however, is on a podcast, where they can be found mulling over all aspects of life or even, in the case of Ms Cariad Lloyd’s award-winning Griefcast, death.
“Podcasts and comedy are a perfect fit,” says Mr Max Olesker, one half of comedy duo Max & Ivan (you can guess which half). The pair have recently dipped their toes in the digital audio realm with their eight-part series Max & Ivan: Fugitives, which also features cameos from Ms Alice Lowe, Mr Stephen Mangan and Mr Adam Buxton. “It’s an intimate, incredibly convenient medium that allows for the creation of all manner of work, whether that’s exploring a treasure trove of your dad’s literary erotica, warm and meandering ramble-chats while out with your dog in East Anglia or committing to writing a carefully plotted geopolitical comedy thriller,” says Mr Olesker. “Full disclosure – that last one’s us. Why didn’t we just interview our mates like 98 per cent of the other podcasts out there?”
What is it about podcasting that makes it such a draw for people who are funny for a living? “Comedians, being natural self-promoters who crave attention above all else, have been swift to pounce on the possibilities of podcasting,” says Mr Olesker. “Technically speaking, all you need is a recording device and access to the internet. But what you really need is creativity, wit and the ability to communicate an idea, something that the best comedians have in spades. We may well have none of those things, but what we do have is a brilliant producer, who lovingly edited our fevered writings into a gripping eight-episode arc.”
Below, Mr Olesker picks his five favourite comedy podcasts that he isn’t involved with.
Dear Joan And Jericha
Image courtesy of Dot Dot Dot Productions
“We don’t deserve Joan and Jericha,” says Mr Olesker. “The world’s worst agony aunts, played by Julia Davis and Vicki Pepperdine in a joyous stream of improvised obscenity, it’s breathtakingly filthy and laugh-out-loud funny. Long live the two Js. And Jericha’s troubled daughter Cardinal. And the lovely Dr Mahmoud.”
Pappy’s Flatshare
Image courtesy of Pappy's Flatshare
“Anarchic sketch trio Pappy’s now produce a superb selection of weekly podcasts under the Flatshare banner. Our favourite has to be Slamdown, the chaotic panel show nominally set in ‘host and landlord’ Matthew Crosby’s flat, with Tom Parry and Ben Clark as the flatmates and team captains and a selection of brilliant guest comics. Expect brilliantly silly rounds, which are different each time, appalling puns, vivid and surreal digressions from Parry’s ‘John Grisham-style Deep South lawyer’ character, Fanshaw Standen.”
Gossipmongers
Image courtesy of Gossipmongers
“Joe Wilkinson, David Earl and Poppy Hillstead are a match made in heaven. They’ve also created a genius format in which they discuss completely unsubstantiated rumours and choose their favourite. Guest Ricky Gervais’s tale of the hardest lad at school, who allegedly headbutted someone on a bus – from the outside of the bus while running alongside it – is truly extraordinary.”
Off Menu
Image courtesy of Off Menu Podcast
“Each week, special guests are invited into a magical restaurant to choose their favourite starter, main, side dish, dessert and drink, and decide between bread or poppadoms. Yeah, it’s a foodie version of Desert Island Discs, but with Ed Gamble and genie-waiter James Acaster as hosts, it’s a hilarious meal. Also, Ivan particularly approves because they banned coriander very early on.”
Rule Of Three
Image courtesy of Great Big Owl
“The premise is simple: comedy writers Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris invite funny people onto their podcast to talk about a funny thing – everything from the entire back catalogue of Smash Hits magazine to a particular episode of Frasier, but also Chris Morris, Airplane! and much in the way of Monty Python. Phill Jupitus’ assessment of Chuck Jones’ Looney Tunes cartoons is nothing short of forensic.”
