This is a photo of me and Sunny taken by the Google Earth folks. A neighbor alerted me to it. Throughout the series, I’m oblivious to the camera–no doubt absorbed in a podcast–but Sunny is looking straight at it. I think we’ve identified the ham in the family.
I haven’t had as much time to dollhouse lately. With up to four hours a day invested in walking the dog (with Sunny, four hours will get you four miles), I have spent more time listening to podcasts than building tiny structures.
Because I have so many hours to invest, I go through a lot of podcasts. I have a few daily shows that I enjoy, but I’m really a fan of the long-form, documentary type. I have a broad range of interests, even though my go-to is true crime. Nevertheless, I like health, politics, social commentary, pretty much anything as long as the story is interesting and it’s told well.
I sample a lot of shows. Some face a fast elimination. If I stuck around longer, I might find I really enjoyed them because there is a “learning curve” in adjusting to a host or hosts’ delivery and format. But I rarely have that kind of patience. Oftentimes, it’s the voice that makes or breaks it for me. A few turn-offs: giggling, random cursing, and espousing political commentary in non-political shows.
Creators seem to like the 10-episode format. If it’s a compelling story, I don’t want it to end, so that’s fine. But sometimes I feel like the podcaster is just dragging out a narrative that could be told more tightly in five or six episodes. I’ve been known to stop as late as the ninth show of a 10-episode series because I’ve lost track of the plot, and with it, interest in the outcome. This is one reason I like older shows. All of the episodes have been released, so I can binge the series in a couple of sittings.
Here are a few long-form favorites in no particular order:
- Dr. Death (Seasons 1, 2, 3)
- Death Of A Starlet
- Bad Blood: The Final Chapter
- Fallen Angel
- The Plot Thickens (Seasons 1, 2, 3)
- Sweet Bobby
- The Shrink Next Door
- Over My Dead Body (Season 2)
- Dirty John
- The Just Enough Family
- Death In Ice Valley
- Broken Harts
- Your Own Backyard
- Billionaire Boys Club
- West Cork
- Grim Tide: Hunting The Long Island Serial Killer
- Firebug
- Bad Bad Thing
- Chamelion: The Hollywood Con Queen
- The Apology Line
- I’m Not a Monster
- Hunting Warhead
- Queen of the Con: The Irish Heiress
- The Agent
I know there are a ton more, and I’ll update this list as they come to mind. In the meantime, if you’ve got any suggestions, or you’re a creator and want a little free promotion on this ridiculously popular and well-visited blog, send links my way!