Podcasts To Add To Your List: Staff Recommendations

Whether you have extra time off or you’re taking a break from Christmas music, the holidays are a great time for trying out new podcasts! The staff at CET and ThinkTV wanted to give you a few recommendations to check out over the holiday season, since enjoying podcasts is a hobby anyone can enjoy! Here they are:

Disclaimer: The podcasts mentioned in this episode are their own podcasts. CET and ThinkTV are NOT promoting nor endorsing any advertisements made in these podcasts and the views reflected in these podcasts may not align with stations’. This list was curated from staff member picks. 

Unlocking Us with Brené Brown
Favorited by Kellie May, Manager of Communications & Digital Initiatives 

Brené Brown’s Unlocking Us podcast is one my personal favorites because of the way she explores the universal experience of being human – from the bravest moments to the most brokenhearted days. Brown is a vulnerability researcher and #1 New York Times best-selling author. She also has a great leadership podcast if you’re interested! ~Kellie May

Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review
Favorited by Ann Rotolante, Producer 

I’m a big fan of Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review podcast. It’s essentially their drive-time Friday afternoon BBC Radio 5 talk show in the UK distributed in podcast form. Simon Mayo is a broadcaster and Mark Kermode is a film critic, and each brings a unique perspective to the topics they discuss, which range from pop culture to (obviously) film reviews. Their banter is hilarious and has me in tears just about every episode. It’s a great way for me (a film nerd) to find out about lesser known, interesting films that don’t get a splashy release in the US. ~Ann Rotolante 

Now & Then
Favorited by Mark Lammers, Director of Content, Education and Community Affairs

Dr. Heather Cox Richardson and Dr. Joanne Freeman talk American history, taking us all along for the ride! I love history, and this series takes you down some really interesting rabbit holes, tying together a lot of storylines from throughout our republic’s past to give us all a little bit of context on the present. We don’t always repeat the past, but we should reflect upon it. ~Mark Lammers

Murder with My Husband
Favorited by Kristen Teter, Communications Specialist 

Murder with My Husband is a great podcast series for all true crime lovers! The premise of the show is that the wife, Payton, loves true crime while her husband, Garrett, hates it. Every episode Payton tells listeners (and Garrett) a true crime story that has surprising twists and turns. What I love the most about this podcast series is that Payton and Garrett really make the cases about the victims and their families. ~Kristen Teter 

Under the Puppet with Grant Baciocco (The Jim Henson Company, Mystery Science Theatre 3000)
Favorited by Nikhita Bhatia, School Readiness Coordinator

Basically, the host interviews different puppeteers. What I absolutely LOVE in it is learning about people’s stories about how they became puppeteers. And what resonates with me the most is that most of them did not have a puppetry background. They were either pursuing something else or in the process of discovering themselves and eventually found their calling in puppetry. 

This concept is close to my heart because I’m myself passionate about puppetry and I grew up in a generation where children were told that they could either be doctors or engineers, but I craved my own path and found my calling and doing what I love the most. ~Nikhita Bhatia 

The Tech Guy with Leo Laporte
Favorited by Ricardo Ang, Education and Technology Coordinator 

From smartphones, computers, wearables, smart speakers, internet security, to digital cameras, gaming and home theater systems – Leo Laporte provides entertaining tech talk that appeals to the inner geek in us all. I’ve been a fan of Leo Laporte’s since Tech TV – for over 20 years! Leo inspired me in my love of everything tech – anything that has a microchip in it. I volunteer for 4-5 hours on Sundays, teaching technology and troubleshooting for senior citizens at a retirement community and a nursing home. ~Ricardo Ang 

Radio Rental
Favorited by Rebekah Shafer, Accounting Clerk 

My favorite podcast right now is Radio Rental. The episodes are the perfect blend of fiction and real life scary stories. Rainn Wilson is the voice of Terry Carnation; an eccentric video store owner from the 80’s… think Blockbuster Manager and Beetle Juice combined. Each episode consists of random, quirky commentary from the scripted Terry Carnation, but includes several true accounts of creepy encounters shared by anonymous individuals. Radio Rental provides a silly and scary listen during this spooky season. ~Rebekah Shafer 

The Plot Thickens
Favorited by Richard Nordstrom, Senior Videographer 

Description from the website says it best “The Plot Thickens is the award-winning documentary podcast from Turner Classic Movies. Since 1994, TCM has devoted itself to exploring every aspect of cinema and film history. Now, with The Plot Thickens, we’re sharing that passion in a whole new way.Our current season, Lucy, brings to life the incredible story of the most popular entertainer in Hollywood history, Lucille Ball. Be sure to also check out our previous seasons: in 2020 we released I’m Still Peter Bogdanovich, about the legendary director and raconteur whose life was as thrilling and dramatic as any movie. And in summer 2021 we launched our second season, The Devil’s Candy, which told the epic story of how The Bonfire of the Vanities went from bestseller to big-screen infamy.” ~Richard Nordstrom

For the Love of Edtech
Favorited by the Station and SOITA

This list wouldn’t be complete without a shoutout to our own podcast For the Love of EdTech! This podcast explores how educational technology can be used to improve students’ learning experience and easy ways educators can implement EdTech in their classrooms. Even if you aren’t an educator, it is still an extremely interesting listen! Hosted by Kara Hutchinson and Caryn Kelley, this podcast will introduce listeners to the wide and developing world of educational technology through expert advice, guest interviews, additional resources and much more!