9 Podcasts To Help You Kill Time Til 'Serial' Comes Back

I know, I'm probably several months late on this. In fact, I'm about 5 years late in thinking podcasts are cool. Whatever, do you want my suggestions or not? You don't, well here they are anyway:

1. WTF Podcast with Marc Maron

Via en.wikipedia.org

WTF is irreverent, funny, and surprisingly deep. I know, I was pleasantly surprised too. Maron does an excellent job of getting his guests to open up and talk in a way you haven't heard before. I'd highly recommend his interview with President Obama, and the episode with Jason Segel is also quite good.

2. TED Radio Hour

Via npr.org

Each week the NPR team, led by Guy Raz, interviews former TED speakers about subjects ranging from space to fighting cancer to why we lie. The Ted Radio Hour combines all the wonder and enchantment of TED talks with a narrative through line. This is by far the most uplifting, get-off-your-ass-and-do-something podcast you'll find on this list.

3. Undisclosed: The State Vs. Adnan Sayed

Via youtube.com

Started by Adnan's cousin Rabia and with the help of attorneys Colin Miller and Susan Simpson, 'Undisclosed' is the spiritual successor to 'Serial.' While they're very upfront about the pro-Adnan nature of 'Undisclosed,' somehow the charm of 'Serial' gets lost. While I don't love this podcast, I can definitely recommend it to any obsessed 'Serial' listeners out there.

4. Stuff You Should Know

Via stuffyoushouldknow.com

The perfect podcast for all information-junkies who care more about how something works than what the Westboro Baptists are up to this week. Examining subjects from citizens arrests, to hot air balloons, to that time Nazis invaded Florida, the 'Stuff You Should Know' crew posts twice a week. It will blow your mind.

5. The Thrilling Adventure Hour

Via podcasts.com

An excitingaudio-drama written in the style of old time radio. "The Thrilling Adventure Hour," started out as a play you could see once a month in New York and/or Los Angeles, but has recently gone all digital! Paul F. Tompkins and Paget Brewster are superb, and the guest stars they get will surprise you.

6. The Daily Show Podcast Without John Stewart

Via thecomedynetwork.ca

Okay, so this podcast is either dead or going to be renamed something with the words "Trevor Noah" in it. Still, it's a delightful romp where the cast & crew of 'The Daily Show' talk about subjects ranging from TV production to pizza to what it's like trying to run a comedy network in Egypt. 'TDWPW/OJS' holds up to the high comedic standard imposed by 'The Daily Show,' but lets itself have just a little bit more fun.

7. Hello From the Magic Tavern

Via hellofromthemagictavern.com

Part of the Chicago Podcast Co-op (seriously, that's a thing), 'Hello From the Magic Tavern' is a weekly real/fake podcast taped in the absurd, Narnia-like land of Foon. Definitely not for those of you with faint constitutions, but nonetheless laugh-out-loud funny. This is the perfect podcast for those who love comedic audio-dramas. Is that a lot of people? Probably not.

8. Nerdist Writers Panel

Via itunes.apple.com

An absolute must-listen for TV junkies. 'Nerdist Writers Panel' host Ben Blacker sits down with the writers, producers, and stars of some of the greatest shows in TV history every week. Blacker himself is a TV writer, so this podcast can get a little fanboy at times, but it delivers all the insight you could hope for on TV and more!

9. We're Alive

Via werealive.com

An oldie, but a goodie. 'We're Alive,' follows the survivors of the zombie apocalypse as they learn to navigate a world where humanity is no longer the apex-predator. For those familiar with the podcast, producer Grayson Stone is working on a companion series 'We're Alive: Lockdown' that should be out sometime in 2016.