Friday Follies

Back after a week on the road, and boy is my brain confused. What road trips are like, celebrity GPS, our evil heritage and the inside scoop! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sandwiching in a story about bread. We're already a few days into our month of Odd News PAC stories for the Dog Days of Podcasting, and today we're serving up something truly stale. But in a good way! In this edition, we're slicing into the baffling tale of a 5,000-year-old loaf of bread unearthed by archaeologists in Türkiye. And there's no doubt about it, this is one mysterious loaf. Who baked it? Why was it buried under the entrance to a house? Was it part of an ancient ritual? So many questions. You'll have to listen to find out what rye comments Clinton will make about this very odd discovery. But that's not all! As we continue to celebrate the Platinum Anniversary of comedy4cast, we're looking back at some of our favorite moments. This episode features a classic clip from 2006 with a skit that finds Clinton answering listener emails, with the help of fellow podcasters. It's a hilarious look back at a much simpler time in podcasting. So, why wheat? Press play and let us know: Would you try a slice of 5,000-year-old bread? Lending their voices in this episode are Steve Runner ("Phedippidations" podcast), Scott Johnson ("Frogpants Studios" family of podcasts) and Grant Baciocco ("Saturday Morning Media" family of fine podcasts). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we give our Madison a little rest on this last of her currently released shows, we see that while Madison has been in plenty of western gunfights, solved murder mysteries, traveled through space and faced monsters, she's never been in a romance! “The Theater of Romance” took romantic tales from novels, films and plays and turned them into thirty-minute radio stories. So join Madison as she steps into Jane Austen's “Pride & Prejudice” as Elizabeth Bennet giving poor Mr. Darcy an extremely hard time. Will love prevail? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host John Bell brings the funny with the Follies! This week we have Madison on the Air #65, comedy4cast: Turkiye, Load, and Tek Diff #216-Confusion Factor! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2nd part of the story picks up where it left off. And gets stranger. If that's possible... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The saga of the Seborga shambassy. In today's edition of Odd News PAC, we're inviting you along on a wild trip to some countries that are certainly off the beaten path. Sit back and learn about exotic places like Seborga, Ladonia, and Westartica. You'll think they sound too good to be true. But don't tell that to their ambassadors. In fact, they'll insist there's something for everyone in their tiny countries. Get ready to discover the bizarre world of micronations and an ambitious individual who built an entire business around them. Oh. Did we mention the story involves a new song by Clinton? Well, it does! Plus more classic comedy from the vault! Then, we carry on with our Platinum Anniversary of comedy4cast (PAC) series. Continuing through our 20 years of shows, we've found a great clip for you today. Get ready to revisit a hilarious moment from January 2006. You'll be introduced to Clinton's very expensive, very high-tech new digital camera, the Specular MS-B4500. And it turns out this camera has more than just a lens. It seems to have a mind of its own! You'll laugh as Clinton tries to navigate voice prompts, change annoying settings, and simply take a picture with this gabby gadget. So, buckle up for a journey into the ridiculous, from international intrigue to inanimate objects with attitude. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's our 5th Anniversary episode! Madison teams up with Sam Spade to investigate the case of the Maltese Falcon. Can they clear Sam's name for a murder rap and find the priceless statuette? Adapted from the radio plays of both “The Lux Radio Theater” and “The Academy Award Theater,” join us for the quintessential film noir by Dashiell Hammett! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host John rings in the Follies with Madison on the Air #64, comedy4cast: Diplomatic Dud, and Teknikal Diffikulties #215- Transit! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, it's yet another OTR tribute. And odds and ends of odds. And ends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ancient bottle, unexpected message, modern laughs! Get ready for another dose of the delightfully bizarre! In this edition of our month-long Odd News PAC series, we bring you a true story that proves reality is often stranger, and far funnier, than fiction. Imagine this – a faded glass bottle washes ashore, containing a message that could easily be from days long past. What secrets does it hold? A desperate plea? A historical revelation? Or something far more unexpectedly hilarious? Researchers are about to find out. Listen to "Bottle With A Message" to discover the surprising truth behind this curious find. Let's just say it involves a well-known spirit. And not the ghostly kind. Oh, and if you know your 1990's dance crazes, that might be a big help. This is one comedic unraveling you won't want to miss! Plus, we continue to celebrate 20 years of comedy4cast. In this episode, our Platinum Anniversary of comedy4cast (PAC) clip was first released in October of 2005. This one will transport you to a retro-futuristic world. Have you ever wondered what "tomorrow" looked like from a 1950s perspective? Prepare for a wonderfully misguided, incredibly funny journey through antiquated predictions of work, school, and even movie nights! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's New Year's Eve, 2020, and Madison is partying a bit more than her boyfriend, Jeff, would like. Left on her own, a freak accident will change the course of her — and Jeff's — lives for the future. Or is it the past? Take a journey with the Mysterious Traveler as we present the Madison origin story! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Easter! Line up for laughs with host John bringing you Madison on the Air #63, comedy4cast: Bottle with a Message, and Tek Diff #214-Weird Circle! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It starts about creationism and goes from there. Over the time limit. With bonus material. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A family takes pizza parties to the next level! It's August! And, once again we're diving deep into the Dog Days of Podcasting. Yup, comedy4cast is bringing you a daily dose of delightful strangeness with our Odd News PAC series! PAC? That's right. We're celebrating the Platinum Anniversary of comedy4cast (that's PAC for short!). Each episode of Odd News PAC will feature a bizarre-but-true odd news story, followed by a hilarious classic clip from from the 20-year archive of your scripted comedy podcast . Building your own Pizza Hut In today's edition, we're serving up a slice of pure nostalgia. This story will make you long for those glory days of pizza parlors! We head to London, Kentucky, to meet the Hubbard family. They've done what many of us only dream of: built their very own, incredibly authentic retro Pizza Hut in their garage! It's a heartwarming and wonderfully wacky tale of reliving simpler times, proving that some dreams are worth driving five hours for (just ask Chris about that pizza delivery car topper!). Upgrading that old Commodore 64 But wait, there's more! After you've had your fill of pizza parlors nostalgia, prepare for a trip even further back in time with a classic comedy4cast clip from August 27, 2005. In this vintage gem, you'll hear Clinton and his family, navigate the confusing world of early 2000s computer upgrades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madison thinks she's getting an easy gig covering for Archie Goodwin over the holidays. That is, until Santa Claus comes to Nero Wolfe — afraid he's going to be murdered! Madison will be the great detective's snow-boots on the ground as they take on “The Case of the Slaughtered Santas.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spring and banana peels! It's time for hilarity! Join host Clinton with Madison on the Air #62, comedy4cast": Home is where the Hut is, and Tek Diff #213- Uncreative! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wow. Even I'm not sure how this happened. Office meetings, Chad Blastermann, and a big talkdown... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prepare for a wild ride through the Summer movie season! Welcome back, comedy4cast faithful! Grab your snacks and prepare for a 2025 Summer movie experience unlike any other... as interpreted by our very own Danny Hillcrest! In this episode, Danny takes center stage, much to the dismay of Buzz "Scoop" Crackerjack Thomas. For two decades, you've known Danny for his boundless enthusiasm and, shall we say, unconventional approach to... well, everything. When it comes to movies, Danny's "reviews" are less about critical analysis and more about Danny making wild assumptions. He freely admits his insights come from trailers and random internet comments. This lead to his now-legendary "non-clip clips" which are audio snippets hilariously disconnected from anything in the actual films. Buzz, ever the professional, attempts to maintain order, but as you know, that's often a losing battle when Danny's around. Their dynamic is a cornerstone of comedy4cast, offering a delightful clash between chaos and journalistic integrity. In this Danny turn his unique lens on three major summer releases, "28 Years Later", "Superman", and "Fantastic Four: First Steps." In his "28 Years Later" preview, Danny goes down a truly unexpected rabbit hole, proving that even a zombie apocalypse can't escape his imaginative (and utterly misinformed) grasp. According to Danny, the Man of Steel faces his greatest challenge yet in "Superman". But it's a threat we're not sure even James Gunn could have seen coming. And Danny introduces us to the iconic Marvel team that stars in "Fantastic Four: First Steps". Kind of. Listen in as Danny Hillcrest once again proves that when it comes to movies, what you think you know is far less entertaining than what Danny imagines. In this episode, the roles of Tam and Sue Storm are played by Bonnie Kenerdine, and the roles of The Editor and Conspiracy Guy are played by Scott Morris, of the Disney, Indiana podcast, located at disneyindiana.com. And don't forget to consider supporting comedy4cast by becoming a Patreon patron. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The PINK Beetle fights for justice! Madison takes a special assignment to look into reports of a sea serpent terrorizing bathers in the tourist town of Breaker City. The beachfront hotels are losing business and the owners fear bankruptcy, but no one seems to be able to catch the mythical monster. Even the oceanic specialist, Professor Meredith, comes up empty. It will take a lady reporter, a rattlesnake catcher and a visit from the PINK Beetle to crack the case! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Relax into a good gut laugh with Clinton this week as he brings Madison on the Air #61, comedy4cast: Danny's 2025 Summer Movie Previews, and Tek Diff #212- Brain Chaos! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kids shows, tech support, Steve's other profession and a Copbeat return. Among other things... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Murder's on the menu for Detective Haartte. Hold onto your fedora! Detective Haartte is back with another true crime tale meant to test your sleuthing skills. It all begins as a routine investigation. But you know how HaartteStoppers work, right? Things quickly spirals into a whirlwind of peculiar details, questionable alibis, and, in this case, even a well-trained pet. Just stay focused. Remember your training. From strange home furnishings to unusual beverages, every piece of evidence gives you a chance to showcase peak private detective skills. The question is, can you crack this case? Or will you just crack up hearing about it? Let's face it, Detective Haartte is brilliant. After all, he tells us so all the time.. But this is your chance to shine and prove you have the right stuff! You've got this. Just one word of warning. Avoid butting heads with Haartte's his long-suffering police department nemesis, Sgt. Wilkins. Do that, and you'll be fine. Listen to this hilarious mystery now. It'll keep you guessing...and laughing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly 10 years before Hitchcock brought this thriller to the silver screen, the radio anthology series, “Escape,” adapted Daphne du Maurier's short story, “The Birds.” This adaptation is closer to the original story (Hitchcock took the concept and completely reworked it). Set in the rural seaside of Southern England, Deborah Hawkins and her two young children, along with hired governess, Madison, (okay, we reworked it, too) try to adapt to life away from London's high society. Deborah's husband makes few visits anymore, pushing Deborah into a fragile mental state. Oh, yeah, then outta no where, birds start attacking. Narrated by our favorite voice of horror, Edward October, join us for this chilling thriller classic! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the funnies! This week host Clinton brings us Madison on the Air #60, Comedy4Cast: HaartteStoppers: Death Became Her, and Tek Diff #211- Proverbial! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We interrupt this podcast for an emergency... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Giles faces a technological terror...with a familiar voice! What happens when Giles tries to embrace artificial intelligence? Let's just say his vision of a smooth, automated front desk experience doesn't quite pan out. Between an AI with a mind of its own (not to mention a voice that sounds suspiciously familiar) and the arrival of a certain enthusiastic resident, things go sideways in the most hilarious way possible. Can Giles get the kiosk working? Can AI make any sense out of the new information it is getting? And how does Miss Falmacher figure into all of this? Listen now to find out in an episode that proves sometimes the best technology is no technology at all (especially when Danny Hillcrest is around). This episode features a voice clone created specifically for use in this story. comedy4cast has been bringing listeners hilarious scripted comedy reminiscent of classic sitcoms and old-time radio for nearly two decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madison finally travels to “Ricky Ricardo's” Cuba! It's Havana circa 1951. There she joins up with hotel owner Slate Shannon. Shannon agrees to pilot a boat from Havana to Batabanó for a young couple to make some cash and so Madison can play tourist. But when they arrive in Batabanó, they find themselves the perfect patsies for a murder rap! Can Madison and Shannon get to the truth while the Batabanó Policía are closing in? It's some Hot Cuban Nights with a high-stakes heist, betrayal and murder! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 8 is great on the Follies! Host Clinton rings in the new with Madison on the Air #59, Comedy4Cast: A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and Tek Diff #210- Emegency! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stranger on a train. And all that kinds a stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Year, New Laughs with Derrick and Rory It's time to take another wild ride into the wonderfully weird world of Derrick and Rory. The two best friends visit the comedy4cast podcast studio and sit down to talk about the start of a new year. In no time at all they've switch gears to discuss everything from office furniture and lunch options to great on-the-go snacks and book deals. Rory even experiments with ASMR (with questionable results). Relatable? Perhaps. Absurd? You bet! If you're a fan of clever wordplay, this is the episode for you. So grab your headphones, settle in, and prepare for a dose of pure, unadulterated fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madison takes the train from Chicago to New York to fill in for Nikki Porter, the assistant to Ellery Queen. On the trip, a bank robber corners her in her compartment, demanding that she be a mule for his heist money. But when that robber ends up shot dead, Madison will be on the hook by the police for the murder. And to make things worse, the other robbers from the bank job think she has the missing dough! Can Ellery Queen figure out the truth? Can you? Just as in the original series, we will have a break in the action before the murderer is revealed to have fellow audio drama folks, Shannon Perry, Drew Frohmann and Sarah Golding make their guesses as the “armchair detectives.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wow what a week! Line up to laugh! As host John Bell brings us Madison on the Air #58, Comedy4Cast: A Bumpy Start to the New Year, and Tek Diff #209! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beyond the known returns. And then, well, things get weird. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Odd News we simply did not have the time to cover. On the last episode of Odd News+ for 2024, we talk about stories that we didn't talk about. Every year there are are more odd news stories than we can fit into 31 days of shows. But that's all the time we have during the Dog Days of Podcasting. So, as we have done in years past, we're taking time in this last episode to give you some idea of what other odd news was out there begging to be covered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madison and the entire town of Elk Point are in lockdown. The notorious bank robber, Stacy Gault, has been reported heading their way. Madison has been holding up at Ma Benson's rooming house when Britt Ponset, the easy going nomad of the West known for his justice and quick draw, stops by. Ma thinks he's the answer to the town's problems. Madison thinks he's hogging the potatoes. But when a handsome stranger comes knocking looking for a room, panic breaks out. What will Britt do? What will Madison do? The guy is totes hot. Join us for the Sex Shooter! I mean… the Six Shooter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The best ending of the week is a cool series of cutups! This week on the Follies host John brings us Madison on the Air #57, Comedy4Cast: And Then There Was One, and Tek Diff #208! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I take a little walking tour of the land beyond, beyond. All in good fun... or is it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sweden loves this particular pizza pairing. In the penultimate episode of Odd News+ for 2024, we travel to Sweden and bite into a strange pizza combination. Plus, your daily horoscope and a new attempt to compare apples and oranges. We've covered some strange pizza stories, but perhaps none so strange as what Sweden has done to the traditional pizza pie. If you're a Scorpio, today's daily horoscope is all about you! We've tried to compare apples and oranges before. But, this time, we're sending out lab mice to investigate this eternal conundrum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buck Rogers, a coal miner from 1919, finds himself in the future and quickly adapts to what the 1930s thought the 25th Century might be like. But neither century was expecting Madison. When a test rocket carrying new Martian technology mistakenly launches with Madison (and the evil criminal, Killer Kane!) aboard, will Buck Rogers be able to stop the villain from using a mad scientist's mind control ray on the population? And can he also stop Killer Kane? Tune in to the first ever science fiction old time radio show… Buck Rogers in the 25th Century! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What an exhausting week! Sit back and laugh with host John while he gives us Madison on the Air #56, Comedy4Cast- The Swedish Slice, and Tek Diff #207- Over the River! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 YEARS And away we go! It's the all new season! Episode 1. And in spite of a last minute screw up, I got it in on time and everything! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new challenge for a classic hair style. In this edition of Odd New+, we find a competition that tries to find the perfect hairstyle. Plus, the next generation of whole-body sprays and a unique way to avoid embarrassment this year when regifting presents. Mullets aren't just for partying. Or business. Find out how one competition seeks to fine the best of the best in hair helmets. If you're current whole-body spray doesn't do enough to make you the talk of the town, this new product is for you! A new service hopes to end regifting problems in the most complicated way possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices