TURNER Staff List: 10 Podcasts That Are Keeping Us Sane

During this time of social distancing, you might find yourself missing some of the standard office chatter and water cooler interaction. Podcasts are a good way to get a dose of the human voice, in addition to exposing us to fresh experiences and unique narratives. They can also be very funny. Here are a few podcast recommendations from the TURNER team …

The Moth

“We tell ourselves stories in order to live,” Joan Didion famously wrote. And The Moth is a podcast devoted to exploring the art and craft of storytelling. “ The Moth is true stories, told live and without notes,” write the founders. “We celebrate the ability of true, personal storytelling to illuminate both the diversity and commonality of human experience.” Bringing together a wide range of storytellers from all walks of life, it’s a podcast packed with empathy and inspiration. Listen

How Did This Get Made?

Have you ever seen a movie so bad that you wondered “How did this get made?” This podcast tries to get to the bottom of that question, with often hilarious results. Hosted by comedian/actors Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas and June Diane Raphael, How Did This Get Made? is a wild ride to the bottom of the movie industry. Start with the infamous Drop Dead Fred ep. Listen

Up First

We all want to stay up to date with the latest news of the day. But you’d be forgiven if you didn’t want to stay too up to date. NPR’s Up First is the ideal middle ground. Every morning, you’ll get the three biggest stories of the day, with reporting and analysis from NPR News — all in just 10 minutes. Listen

Armchair Expert

Dax Shepard and Monica Padman host this eclectic podcast that celebrates “the messiness of being human.” The duo brings a host of big stars onboard to help them out, but it’s not your standard celebrity fluff. Instead, Armchair Expert’s longform conversations dig deep into what makes us tick. Listen

Sporkful

The tagline for this one is “It’s not for foodies; it’s for eaters.” And that un-fussy attitude pervades every episode of Sporkful. Hosted by Dan Pashman (you may recognize him from the Cooking Channel's  You're Eating It Wrong), the podcast uses humor and humanity to talk about food from every conceivable angle. Entertaining, insightful and educational! Listen

The Doctor’s Farmacy

Health, wellness, food and politics – The Doctor’s Farmacy tackles all these tricky topics and more. Host Dr. Mark Hyman is a practicing family physician and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate in the field of Functional Medicine. So not only does he know his stuff, he’s able to make it all (no pun intended) digestible for the average listener. Listen

Science of Happiness

Is there a science of happiness? Award-winning psychologist Dacher Keltner attempts to find out in this illuminating podcast. She shares research-tested strategies that you can put into practice today. A happier life might be simpler than you think. Listen

Simply Human

Just like happiness, health might not be as complicated as it seems on the surface. The Simply Human podcast explores this concept. Every episode is packed with tips that will help you eat, sleep, move and simply live like a human. In this changing time, Simply Human is a necessary listen. Listen

Everything Iconic

For pop culture junkies, there may be no better podcast than Everything Iconic. Hosted by comedian/actor/writer Danny Pellegrino, each episode breaks down iconic moments in iconic pop culture history, often with celebrity guests adding their own two cents to the mix. A welcome distraction in this day and age! Listen

Scattered

Chris Garcia is an LA-based comedian. But his Scattered podcast is as likely to make you cry as it is to make you laugh. It follows Chris’ investigation into the murky corners of his late father’s life, from labor camps in Cuba to Boeing Aerospace in southern California. Scattered is a heart wrenching journey, but extremely funny, too – especially when Chris’ mom takes center stage. Listen