Best Rob Macfarlane Podcasts (2025)

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Presenting Hysterical’s Dan Taberski on Origin Stories

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3h ago

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Sharing a new podcast from Campside Media called Origin Stories, about the creative process and the craft of writing and reporting. Each episode drills down on a single work. What inspired it? How was it created, and why? What kind of challenges and hurdles cropped up along the way? And above all, what can the rest of us learn from the guest’s crea…

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Howie Mandel 1:14:50

3d ago1:14:50

1:14:50

Ted Danson and his old friend Howie Mandel are covering all the bases this week, from health concerns to personal finance! Howie shares about the origins of his glove bit, how comedy gave him a sense of belonging, his investments in new tech, and how his judging on “America’s Got Talent” has evolved over the years. Like watching your podcasts? Visi…

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The Fanatic (2019): Fred Durst, John Travolta & The Cult Classic You Didn’t Ask For 1:02:45

2d ago1:02:45

1:02:45

This week, Ben and Rob slam right into The Fanatic (2019), the bizarre thriller directed by Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst and starring John Travolta and Devon Sawa. It’s a fever dream of celebrity obsession, questionable choices, and Nu-Metal energy that has us all asking: why was this film even made? What on earth were Travolta and Sawa thinking…

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DEVO'S GERALD CASALE + ROB REINER + RADE ŠERBEDŽIJA 39:47

3d ago39:47

39:47

On the Saturday September 20, 2025 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we meet musician, songwriter, and director Gerald Casale. Best known as a co-founder, co-lead vocalist, and bassist of band DEVO. He was a key creative force behind DEVO’s satirical, art-driven sound and aesthetic, contributing to hits like “Whip It” and directing many of their i…

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Norway: Matt Hayes & Ann-Britt Bogen on the 2025 season & the future of the Gaula 1:11:16

9d ago1:11:16

1:11:16

Norway. The legendary land of the giant salmon has been struggling of late, not least in the face of so many salmon farms throttling its beautiful coastline, but fishery and lodge owners are fighting back, trying to do what they can to preserve the wild salmon in Norway. Ann-Britt Bogen from Gaula Fly Fishing Friends, and Matt Hayes, one of the UK’…

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Patton Oswalt 47:46

11d ago47:46

47:46

Patton Oswalt has a certain fearlessness, whether he’s doing standup for a sellout crowd or speaking his mind about what he sees in the world. He talks with Ted Danson about the role of comedy in dark times, why he loved Ted in “Body Heat” and “Damages,” his worries for the next generation, and what’s been giving him hope lately. Like watching your…

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Troll 2 (1990): Goblins, Growth & The Worst Movie Ever Made 56:52

13d ago56:52

56:52

This week, Ben and Rob chew their way through Troll 2 (1990), the infamous “worst movie of all time” that somehow became one of the great cult classics. Directed by Claudio Fragasso and billed as Italian horror, Troll 2 is a feast of wooden acting, baffling dialogue, and vegetarian goblins that has been confusing and delighting audiences for decade…

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Rob Reiner 1:19:19

18d ago1:19:19

1:19:19

Listen to this episode to find out how Rob Reiner made Ted Danson cry! The legendary director and writer talks with Ted about the little-known origins of Spinal Tap, the long-awaited sequel, learning the ropes from his father Carl Reiner, how “Stand by Me” changed his career arc, meeting his wife on the set of “When Harry Met Sally,” and how he bec…

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Cork’s Kevin McLoughlin on the good old days of salmon fishing 39:30

18d ago39:30

39:30

Kevin McLoughlin is a lifelong angler from Cork who joins us on this week’s Ireland on the Fly to talk about the good old days for salmon when the spring run was something to behold. Kevin talks about moving to Cobh, working in the fishing industry and even spending a year on the newly formed fisheries board in 1979. He has seen it all in Irish fis…

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Rickey Laurentiis : Death of the First Idea 1:59:56

18d ago1:59:56

1:59:56

Ten years in the making, poet Rickey Laurentiis joins us to talk about her much-anticipated remarkable new collection Death of the First Idea. “In the past decade, as Laurentiis has transitioned, her ideas of the lyric and poetry have transformed, as has the America in which she lives,” says the back copy on this book, whose poetry fittingly resist…

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The Toxic Avenger (1984): How Cult Cinema Took Over The World 57:04

16d ago57:04

57:04

Ben and Rob dive into The Toxic Avenger (1984), the gloriously trashy horror-comedy that turned an ordinary nerdy janitor into a mop-wielding mutant hero. Created by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, The Toxic Avenger is the ultimate mix of DIY guts, anarchic satire, and midnight-movie magic; the kind of cult classic that’s still shocking and oddly s…

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RICK MERCER + JOELLE KIDD 38:48

17d ago38:48

38:48

On the Saturday September 13, 2023 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we meet Rick Mercer. He needs no introduction, but here’s one anyway. Rick is a comedian, satirist, author and television host who co-created the groundbreaking CBC satire “This Hour Has 22 Minutes,” where his “Talking to Americans” segment became a cultural touchstone. As host o…

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Ben Goldsmith: Why rewilding must succeed 57:49

23d ago57:49

57:49

Rewilding. It’s about taking a step back and leaving nature alone. But, in the 21st century how can it be achieved? Ben Goldsmith certainly believes it can – and must be done - and he is one of its foremost champions. It was through tragedy however, after the death of his teenage daughter, Iris, when she was just 15, that, in grieving, Ben found so…

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Kate Mara 1:04:56

25d ago1:04:56

1:04:56

Ted Danson is grateful for any chance to reconnect with his dear friend, actor Kate Mara. Kate talks with Ted about the correct pronunciation of her last name, what it was like acting with her sister Rooney in a Werner Herzog film, growing up in an NFL family, how she and her husband Jamie Bell got together, and more. Like watching your podcasts? V…

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Event Horizon (1997): Gothic Sci-Fi Space-Hell Never Felt So Good 1:00:44

24d ago1:00:44

1:00:44

Ben and Rob board the Event Horizon this week, diving into Paul W.S. Anderson’s genre-bending science fiction horror that flopped hard at the box office; only to rise like a cosmic demon into cult classic territory. Featuring powerhouse performances from Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill, Event Horizon remixes haunted‑house tropes, cosmic dread, and…

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NARA GARBER + MELISSA MILLETT 38:41

24d ago38:41

38:41

On the Saturday September 6, 2025 edition of The Richard Crouse Show documentary filmmaker Nara Garber. Specializing in observational social issue documentaries, her work as a cinematographer has been featured in the Peabody Award winner Best Kept Secret, the Academy Award winner Alex Gibney’s “Finding Fela” and Emmy-nominated “End of the Line: The…

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LAUREN HOLLY + JAMES WEBB 38:38

25d ago38:38

38:38

On the Saturday August 30, 2025 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we meet Lauren Holly. You know her from television shows like “Picket Fences,” “NCIS” and “Motive,” among many others. On the big screen you’ve seen her as Mary Swanson, the wealthy but troubled heiress, in the comedy “Dumb and Dumber,” as trophy wife Cindy Rooney opposite Dennis Qu…

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Tony Hale 1:00:59

1M ago1:00:59

1:00:59

Ted Danson catches up with his pandemic buddy, the fantastic actor Tony Hale. Tony talks with Ted about his “Arrested Development” break, co-starring with D’Arcy Carden in the new film “Sketch,” his unique character type, dealing with anxiety on stage, what faith means to him, and more. Like watching your podcasts? Visit http://youtube.com/teamcoco…

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Richard Gorodecky, Throwing Feathers in the Wind 59:33

1M ago59:33

59:33

Throwing Feathers in the Wind is a new book out by Richard Gorodecky, a fly angler who moved full time to Ireland five years ago to be closer to the river fishing that he loves so much. Richard was a long-time visitor to these shores fishing all over the country before settling in south Munster but his obsession with fly fishing has also seen him f…

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Together (2025): Why We Couldn't Tear Our Eyes Off The Screen 1:02:03

1M ago1:02:03

1:02:03

This week, Ben and Rob dive into Together (2025), a tangled, self-aware horror-drama that asks big questions about love, identity, and whether two people can ever really exist as individuals or if they’re doomed to dissolve into one another. It’s part relationship study, part metatextual puzzle, and part… something else entirely. Is Together a sens…

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JOY FIELDING + RON SEXSMITH 39:25

1M ago39:25

39:25

On the Saturday August 23 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we meet New York Times bestselling author Joy Fielding. With a career spanning over four decades, she has eraned readers with her ability to weave intricate plots, complex characters, and emotional depth. Known for bestsellers like “See Jane Run,” “Don’t Cry Now,” and “Someone Is Watching…

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Stephan & Marina Dombaj: Risking it all for the salmon 41:44

1M ago41:44

41:44

Midst the doom and gloom about the future of wild salmon, we have to believe - and have faith - that our collective actions – be it through conservation efforts, awareness campaigns, political lobbying – can and will have an effect. And it is for the long term, for the next generation, that we really have to be thinking about wild salmon and for th…

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Laynie Browne : Apprentice to a Breathing Hand 1:49:46

1M ago1:49:46

1:49:46

What does it mean to write toward or under the aura of another poet one admires, to write in homage, as a celebration of another? What happens to language when it hovers between two writers, between how they each separately inhabit it? What does it say about the self, or is discovered about it—within the poem and in the world at large—when that sel…

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Charlie Day 1:09:44

1M ago1:09:44

1:09:44

Actor, writer, and director Charlie Day talks with Ted Danson about the process of creating “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” why he sometimes goes by “Charlie Trombone,” overcoming typecasting, meeting his wife Mary Elizabeth Ellis, his relationship with Guillermo del Toro, and working with Ethan Coen on the new film “Honey Don’t!” Like watchin…

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War Of The Worlds (2025): It's So Much Worse Than You Think 1:02:54

1M ago1:02:54

1:02:54

This week, Ben and Rob suffer through War of the Worlds (2025), a baffling “screen life” style disaster starring Ice Cube and directed by Rich Lee. It’s a modern retelling of the classic H.G. Wells War Of The Worlds; except instead of tension, thrills, or coherence, we get glitchy video calls, insane leaps of logic, and a lead performance that sugg…

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Grilse run update - from the bad to the sublime 54:01

1M ago54:01

54:01

We’re at the tail end of the grilse run now and with the summer conditions we’ve had, coming off the back of a poor spring run, we’ve been desperately looking for some good news on the salmon front. And we found it – or sort of – because this week Johnny Casey and Yamil Turcuman two passionate salmon anglers who we’ve spoken to before – join us to …

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PATRICK TARR + LIBERTY DEVITTO + BACK TO THE FUTURE 37:03

1M ago37:03

37:03

On the Saturday August 16, 2025 episode of The Richard Crouse Show we meet Patrick Tarr. He has over a decade of experience in the film and television world in Canada—currently he is the co-executive producer and writer of CBC’s “Saint-Pierre,” and he was the head writer and executive producer on CTV’s “Cardinal.” He’s also written for Saving Hope,…

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Judd Apatow 1:06:24

2M ago1:06:24

1:06:24

Judd Apatow has spent his life obsessed with the sweet science of being funny. He joins Ted Danson to talk about his upcoming book, working with Garry Shandling and Rip Torn, documenting the lives of his comedy heroes, executive producing “Freaks and Geeks,” and what it feels like coming up on the 20th anniversary of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” Like …

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Black Bear (2020): Aubrey Plaza And The Chambe(a)r of Secrets 59:55

2M ago59:55

59:55

Ben and Rob head deep into the woods with Black Bear (2020), Lawrence Michael Levine’s tense, layered meta-drama starring Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, and Sarah Gadon. It’s part relationship breakdown, part filmmaking fever dream and maybe part psychological horror told in a way that proves three might actually be the magic number. What does t…

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GILES BLUNT + KIESZA 39:17

2M ago39:17

39:17

On the Saturday August 9, 2025 edition of the Richard Crouse Show we’ll meet Giles Blunt, the author of the John Cardinal novels, which were the inspiration for the popular crime television series “Cardinal” starring Billy Campbell as police detective John Cardinal.Twice nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award, his novels have been co…

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Sprats, overfishing, heatwaves & ecosystems in danger of collapse 55:46

2M ago55:46

55:46

You may have seen the recent campaign and news stories about the disappearance of sprat from our coastal waters and the government’s unwillingness to do enough to protect our marine habitats – but what has it got to do with you if you're an angler and only interested in freshwater? Well in the current environmental climate, pretty much everything, …

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Will the Outer Hebrides be the UK's Salmon Stronghold? 57:51

2M ago57:51

57:51

We know salmon numbers are down and we know there’s an existential threat endangering their very future, but this week on the Last Salmon, Jim Murray finds out why the Outer Hebrides could be the UK’s salmon stronghold. Jim speaks to the chair of the Outer Hebrides Fisheries Trust, Richard Davies, who believes that their engagement with fish farms …

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Martha Anne Toll : Duet for One 1:54:02

2M ago1:54:02

1:54:02

Today’s guest is writer and critic Martha Anne Toll. Through a discussion of her latest novel Duet for One we explore the perennial mystery of writing and art-making, namely how to render something that lives beyond representation, and how words can become a vehicle to evoke what words themselves cannot adequately describe. In this case, we look at…

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Seth MacFarlane 1:10:36

2M ago1:10:36

1:10:36

This week Ted Danson is joined by his friend, the multi-talented Seth MacFarlane. Seth talks with Ted about the boarding school they have in common, how his college years inspired “Family Guy,” singing lost Sinatra material on his latest album, and why he thinks Hollywood can do better at storytelling. Like watching your podcasts? Visit http://yout…

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Warfare (2025): This Is Not A War Film, Let Us Tell You Why 57:28

2M ago57:28

57:28

Ben and Rob lock and load for Warfare (2025), the haunting, hyper-realistic war film co-directed by Alex Garland and former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza. Known for cerebral sci-fi like Ex Machina and Annihilation, Alex Garland shifts gears into combat territory—while quietly stepping back to share authorship in a way that feels as radical as the film itse…

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JEFF STINCO + DAVID SHORE 39:00

2M ago39:00

39:00

On the Saturday August 2, 2025 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we’ll meet Jeff Stinco, lead guitar player for Montreal’s own Simple Plan. Known for their pop-punk sound, Simple Plan have enjoyed international success with hits like "I'm Just a Kid", "Welcome to My Life", and "Perfect". They have six studio albums, two live albums, and have sold …

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Greg Kinnear 57:27

2M ago57:27

57:27

Oscar-nominated actor Greg Kinnear talks to Ted Danson about his pivot from talk show host to leading man, his expat years in Greece, their experience on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” why “Little Miss Sunshine” took him by surprise, acting on the Apple TV+ series “Smoke,” and more. Like watching your podcasts? Visit http://youtube.com/teamcoco to see ful…

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Introducing: The Sarah Silverman Podcast 46:49

2M ago46:49

46:49

This week we’re sharing a special episode from The Sarah Silverman Podcast, where Ted’s friend Sarah Silverman shares her unfiltered thoughts on everything from politics to pop culture. No topic is off limits, and your voicemails help shape the conversation—though Sarah’s always behind the wheel. In this episode, Sarah welcomes her very first guest…