Welcome to Epi94 of Succotash, the Comedy Podcast Podcast. This is the podcast where we feature clips of other comedy podcasts to help you to try and sort through the, literally, thousands of comedy podcasts you could be listening to when you fancy a comedy podcast or two.
Since I’m always skimming the podwaves, listening to what’s out there (I also review podcasts as part of This Week in Comedy Podcasts for Splitsider.com and on the Huffington Post as well – I know a number of podcasts have taken time out to mention the tragic death of Robin Williams in the past month. Joan Rivers, too. But Robin in particular seemed to touch a nerve across the board with his passing. I spoke about it a bit last episode.
I knew Robin some, having grown up in the same area – Marin County – as well as going to the same high school and junior college just a few years behind him. And I had the opportunity to do improv with him on stage a number of times as well as just hangout with him from time to time. So I’ve had my say, really. (Although, if you’d like to see something I’ve written on it, I have a remembrance of Robin and his connection to Marin County that's up on the blog for Marin Magazine here.)
Our associate producer Tyson Saner came up with a great idea and that is to give you a smattering of what some of the other podcasters have been saying about Robin. I said, “Go for it!” and he went out into Podcastland and clipped an even dozen different shows and that’s what our show this episode is going to be about. Tyson asked if I would relax our usual policy of playing only three to five minute long clips. I thought that was an appropriate request, given the nature of what we’re doing here. So some of these are pretty long. Hope you don’t mind (and I hope the hosts of the shows we’re playing these from don’t mind us taking a bit more of a liberty that usual…)
I know theres been a lot of about Robin's life – and his death – since his tragic suicide a month or so ago on August 11th. Maybe you’re tired of hearing about it. I can understand that, but he was a personal acquaintance of mine and a great friend to San Francisco comedy, not to mention a global icon. But if this sort of tribute is too heavy or not you cup of tea, I get it. Feel free to give this episode a pass if you want, but you’re going to miss some great words spoken about a comedian, actor, father, husband and friend who was truly beloved.
Also In This Episode
We still have our usual roundup of the stuff we like doing, like our Burst O’ Durst segment with comedian & social lampooner Will Durst (It's actually a double dose o' Durst this episode!), a classic Henderson’s Pants commercial, our Tweetsack segment, and an extra big clip mention/clip/message from the Chillpak Hollywood Hour with Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness. Plus our exclusive feature that we like to call…
The 10 Most Active Shows In Stitcher's Top 100 Comedy Podcast List
We're not satisfied just to look at the top 10 shows on the list of Top 100 comedy podcasts over at Stitcher - mostly because those rarely change. Instead, we like checking out the shows that are moving the most up OR down the charts. Here's how they looked this past week…
AT MOVED
39 The Cracked Podcast +11
42 Bertcast’s Podcast -10
47 SModcast >> Edumacation +18
60 The Brian & Jill Show - 7
69 The Champs with Neal Brennan & Moshe Kasher - 7
79 WMMR’s Preston & Steve Podcast - 7
83 Fernando & Greg’s Daily Podcast +38
91 Straight Outta Lo Cash + 7
96 The Mick Bettencourt Show - 8
98 NYC Crime Report w/Pat Dixon +12
Latest Podcast Reviews
This past week on Splitsider.com, as part of This Week In Comedy Podcasts, I reviewed The Louie Anderson Podcast Epi5, "Robin Williams: A Friend and Legend Remembered", which was chock full of comedians' remembrances of Robin. That same review appears on the Huffington Post.
World Premiere of 3 Still Standing
The documentary film that I've been mentioning on Succotash, entitled 3 Still Standing, is about to make its debut in the fairly prestigious Mill Valley Film Festival! I did a bit of bheind the scenes work, some consulting and even some on camera stuff for this movie, which take a look at the San Francisco comedy scene, from the early 1980s through present day. It does by examining the lives and careers of a trio of working comedians: Our own Will Durst, past guest Larry "Bubbles" Brown, and Johnny Steele.
The movie's premiere is set for Saturday, October 4th, 5 PM, at the Sequoia Theater in downtown Mill Valley, California. Then, at 8 PM, just down the street at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre, I will be hosting the 3 Still Standing Live On Stage comedy show with the three comics, the film's directors and producers, and more. If you're interested in tickets, hop on over to the film festival's online box office at http://MVFF.com
The Clips
The Christopher Titus Podcast
We start the clips off with a slice from the top of The Christopher Titus Podcast, the section Chris Titus calls “The Armageddon Update”. This was cut just two days after Robin moved along, and you can hear the emotion in Chris’ voice as he talks about his personal hero.
The Evil Teddy Bear Podcast
In the clips we have for this episode about Robin, there's only this one in which we hear from a woman. The host of The Evil Teddy Bear Podcast, Korey Epps, did his own Robin tribute and one of the people who spoke was actress Stephanie Erb. (We get a lot of Twitter love and support for our show from Korey, so thanks as always for passing the Succotash!)
The Nick Di Paolo Podcast
I like that we’re getting a chance to hear from some podcasts we’ve not had a chance to clip so far in the two and a half years that Succotash has been plying the podwaves. The Nick Di Paolo Podcast is one of those. Nick Di Paolo a great comic, a very real guy, and his Epi42 was entitled R.I.P. Robin Williams.
About Last Night
Nick Di Paolo’s not much of a Mrs. Doubtfire fan but someone who is? Adam Ray, co-host of the About Last Night podcast with Brad Williams. (BTW, I just met Brad for the first time a couple of weeks ago, at the first comedy show that was done after Robin’s death at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley. He's San Francisco-bound to take over morning drive duties on KITS 105.5 FM. Good luck, Brad!)
The Smartest Man In The World
Here are some wonderful remembrances from Greg Proops, host of The Smartest Man In The World podcast. I know Greg very well from being in an improv group with him in San Francisco before he got onto Whose Line Is It Anyway. And we’ve both done stage work with Robin, separately and together. This was recorded while Greg was over at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Nerd Poker
We have another tribute from some more of Robin's hometown boys. This was at the end of an episode of Nerd Poker with Brian Posehn & Friends. In this case, Brian Posehn, Blaine Capatch and Ken Daly, along with guest Dave Anthony, talk about their memories of Robin. Everyone chatting here except Ken really got their comedy chops in San Francisco and so crossed paths with Robin a number of times.
The Chong & Chong Show
One of the clips Tyson grabbed is from a podcast by a comedian who’s been in the game longer than Robin by more than half a decade. Tommy Chong, along with his son Paris Chong, hosts The Chong & Chong Show. And we have Tommy giving his perspective on Robin.
This Week with Larry Miller
Larry Miller, host of This Week with Larry Miller, prefaced his thoughts about Robin by talking about Lauren Bacall. Larry has got to be one of the classiest guys in comedy and he had a narrow brush with death himself a couple of years ago when he took a fall and smacked his head pretty badly. Here’s his take on Robin…
Stuck In The 80s
Here’s a clip from a show we’ve never featured before – Stuck In the 80’s. It’s all 80‘s stuff all the time – movie, TV, music, pop culture – and host Steve Spears and his rotating pool of co-hosts dive into the “Reagan Era” with gusto. Robin Williams is a personality who transcended 40 years of show business and our culture and the 80’s was a big chunk in the middle of that.
Harmontown
Dan Harmon, the creator of TV’s Community as well as Adult Swim’s Morty & Jack, is the mayor of Harmontown, a live podcast, aided by his Comptroller Jeff Davis. Harmon and Jeff had a few things to say about Robin recently.
The Todd Glass Show
Here’s some personal memories of running into Robin by Todd Glass on his The Todd Glass Show podcast, along with his guests Ian Karmel and Rob Gleeson.
Miller Time
The last Robin clip we have this episode is from Dennis Miller, who has been doing Miller Time, a daily radio show/podcast, for years now. As a major comedy fixture and trained observer of pop culture and society at large, his is a particularly moving reminiscence of Robin.
Thanks to all the hosts and guest of the podcasts we clipped this episode to make this special Rememberin' Robin episode happen. Our next episode we'll be back with an interview with The Amazing Johnathan, as well as clips from more comedy podcasts from around the internet!
Until, then, please remember to pass the Succotash!
— Marc Hershon
