March 10, 2022
Best Improv Podcasts
Are you looking for a show to make you laugh? How about one with an ongoing plot? A comedy fiction podcast fits the bill for both laughter and story. Here are some that I recommend:Mission to Zyxx
Do you love science fiction franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek? What if I told you that there is a podcast that uses common sci-fi tropes to create an awesome improv comedy? Mission to Zyxx is a hilarious sci-fi show telling the story of the crew on the Bargerean Jade, a sentient spaceship and former film star. In the first season, we meet Pleck Decksetter, Dar, C-53, and Bargie (the ship’s nickname) as they travel around the Zyxx quadrant on missions assigned by Nermut Bundaloy, the Junior Missions Operations Manager for the team. Their goal: try to restore diplomatic relations between the Federated Alliance and the planets within it after the Alliance took over as the galaxy’s government. The Federated Alliance is 100% not evil and definitely does not have any nefarious plans. You’ll be laughing through all the wild antics the crew get into while trying to be diplomatic.The show started in 2017 and will be finishing sometime this spring. With five seasons consisting of twenty episodes each, you’ll have plenty of content to listen to! Plus, many episodes feature guest comedians to play one-off characters who continue to affect the plot of the whole show. The main-cast voice actors play not only their own roles but a variety of side characters as well. Also, as the story progresses, we meet more characters who join the original crew on their journey (two of my favorites are ones who weren’t introduced to the plot until later). The combination of main characters, side characters, and the show’s excellent sound design truly immerses the listener in a hysterical sci-fi world like no other. You can find Mission to Zyxx on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitchers, and other podcast platforms. Hello From The Magic Tavern
Have you ever wanted to escape to a fantasy world the likes of Middle Earth or Narnia? The podcast improv comedy Hello From The Magic Tavern tell us exactly what would happen if, for example, you drove your Toyota Camry through a dimensional rift located in the back of a Burger King in Chicago. Our protagonist, Arnie Niekamp, did just that, finding himself in the magical land of Foon just outside the tavern the Vermillion Minotaur. Fortunately, Arnie had his podcasting equipment in the back of his car, and a weak wi-fi signal coming through the dimensional rift means that he can start a podcast (the obvious solution to his problem)! Each week, Arnie and his co-hosts, Chunt the shapeshifter and Usidore the Blue wizard, interview all types of folks and creatures in the strange and magical world.Hello From The Magic Tavern posts episodes each Monday and has done so since 2015. Most episodes feature a guest star (typically comedians, although there are other guests as well) playing fantasy characters like an elf who can’t shoot a bow, a runaway prince, and other wizards. Despite the show being mostly improvised, it still manages to have ongoing narratives like Usidore’s quest to defeat the Dark Lord or Chunt’s romance with a wizard named Twosidore (both characters are played by the same voice actor). I highly recommend this podcast for anyone looking for a good laugh while still getting a dose of high fantasy. Look for Hello From The Magic Tavern on Spotify, Apple Podcasts Stitcher, and other podcast platforms.
—Serenity Block, Podcasts Editor