Jon Hickman and Mark Steadman seek to better understand and shape the world around them. Each week they assign each-other a piece of homework designed to help their counterpart live a better life, or take one more step along the journey to fully winning at life and conquering the Internet.They also…
Jon unboxes the results of previous homework, Mark goes to the BBC and interrupts a lady possibly having a wee but probably changing a baby, and Jon needs a new phone.
Jon had a birthday and got rained on indoors, and Mark has to explain his bent laptop to a man in a blue t-shirt.
Mark and Jon compare guitar notes, Jon's been to the monster trucks, and Mark thinks Lounges is a boutique string of independent cafés (that all serve the same food).
The one where Mark and Jon teach each-other music theory.
The pair discuss House, Dracula, The Office (UK and US), Bond, Friends, and other things from screens.
Mark and Jon talk about their holidays, review genres of phone call, and compare IMDb listings. Also Mark tells Jon a story.
This is a full and (mostly) unedited edition of a podcast List Envy, that Mark makes with a special guest each week.
The pair discuss music videos, the John Lewis ad (again) and the history of the PlayStation, and celebrate their six year Facebook "friend(i)versary".
Jon and Mark talk Peter Kay, that guy from Barenaked Ladies, their new charity single, and musical anxiety.
Jon talks about steak from a bag, Mark is a name-abbreviation ally, and there is a discussion on the phrase "I got this".
Mark is wrong about food, but right about webrings. Jon uncovers mountweazels and trap streets and wants a pudding that's too big.
Jon and Mark go through their stack of subject matter and topics, narrowly avoiding anything of substance. On offer this week is Terry Pratchett, the new telly from the Horrible Histories team, and more 90s nostalgia content.
Jon and Mark decide whether they consent to an exchange of information, Mark spoils Counterpart, Jon trashes Whiplash and demands to know where Charles Dickens was from, and Mark wants to play with vacuum tubes.
This episode is mostly Line of Duty content, interspersed with discussions on pausing for the ads when home-taping from the TV, Jeremy Kyle's stint in local radio, and solving spoiler culture.
The lads are back, and talking gammon, bacon, books, bent coppers, and the brain.
Mark takes Jon on a journey through the work of Jed Mercurio and Mike Oldfield, and Jon has things to say about Bodyguard and a book about women putting bottles up them.
Mark wants Jon to hear lots of clips of things from the Internet, and he has some news that will probably make Jon shake is head. Also there's a big discussion on nauthgy comedians.
Mark's got a diet and a morning routine, and Jon's got a dirty drive and a tight ten for the club circuit.
In a continuation of last week's conversation, Jon and Mark discuss a better love story than Twilight, Mark makes a joke, Jon hacks a University and they complain about various people and things.
Mark starts off hot by talking about a censored word in an instrumental cover of an Amy Winehouse song, and really the episode goes downhill from there. The chaps discuss swearing in other songs, funeral songs, key changes, player-pianos and more.
This week, Jon and Mark complain about their stories being polluted by talk of TV shows no-one outside of their country watches, discuss a number of obscure items of British content, and Mark talks about not being on Twitter for what feels like the seventh time. Also, have you checked your Google+ lately?
Jon and Mark are back off of Christmas, Jon got a new desk and Mark got a jumper. Also we discuss that Buzzfeed article that's been doing the rounds.
In this, what passes for our Christmas special episode, Mark craps on about a TV show from a commercial television corporation (as opposed to one of our state-funded ones). Jon also talks about r-versioning of US content for international markets, and then Mark goes back to talking about forgettable reality TV. Our guest Danny talks about cruelty vs comfort in the production of reality TV, and Jon tells us about waking up with his sides splitting.
In this episode, it's better to burn out than fade away, Jon abandons a shopping cart and Mark falls over and accidentally calls the police on his space watch. Also, Beware of the Leopard is back, so listen to that. Also subscribe to You Don't Look Like a Runner in time to hear Jon crib Mark's Apple Watch running story.
Jon and Mark follow up on their chat from Canvas Conference, and how endings relate to their projects. Mark chooses some curtain poles and Jon's back hurts a lot.
Jon and Mark are at an Internet product conference. It’s a shorter Thread because of a tech fail, but it features small plates, the gig economy, diversity in hiring and other topics that aren’t just the two of them doing bits at each-other.
Mark and Jon engage in a discussion on flirting, jokes beyond-the-pale, scollops, loss-leaders, and lock-ins.
Jon and Mark are back on their bullshit. They recount their summers, talk buffets at funerals and how internment relates to broadband provision, and steal the format of another show. Also Mark makes an idiotic supposition and we hear the return of Jon’s deaf cat.
Mark is in the office and Jon is working from home. This week they ask the big questions, like "why do UK comics introduce themselves before they come on stage?" and "who was that American guy who was in that thing?"
Jon and Mark are outdoors, in person, on one Zoom recorder. The Zoom recorder fell over, and Mark neglected to put a windsock over the mics, so it’s a very windy recording. It’s also quite funny and there are bits about sandwiches, what to call things, and saying “phone” when you meant “watch”, so listen if you like.
Mark and John talk wheelchairs, expensive water bottles, books and jackets. They said lots of other things but most of them didn't make it to the tape because of technology.
Jon is in Sweden, and Mark is in his shorts (with no shirt on). They talk about words, weird bars, travel and the Birmingham Podcast Festival.
Mark is trying to close all his rings, Jon is getting ready to move house, and they're both still attempting to put on a podcast festival. Also, Mark shares his Thread of the Week, and Jon drops some knowledge.
Jon and Mark are keeping it tight this week, following freaks on film, silly names, and a little productivity.
Mark and Jon return to their bullshit, talking text adventures, marathon running, the Birmingham Podcast Festival, moustaches and memes.
The pair go deep into the forest, back to a time when they weren't talking about putting on a bloody podcast festival.
Mark and Jon are joined by the Internet's Jon Bounds, to discuss Jon's thread of the week, the whole This is America video thing, and cans of pop that come in large multipacks from Amazon.
Jon is in some kind of Catholic guilt room and Mark has just bought some stick-on photo tiles. Also there's Jon's Thread of the Week.
Mark and Jon discuss Kickstarter in the wake of their podcast festival plans, and they discuss the etimology of "radio buttons" in Jon's Thread of the Week, which is a segment they do now.
Mark manages to talk about GDPR without getting upset, so Jon tries to break Mark's spirit by sharing a tweet from someone who thinks they run the Internet. Will Jon succeed?
Jon interrupts a record of Bitrate with Mark and Brendan, to talk about the word "podcast", community radio and more. Then Jon and Mark huddle in their own corner to talk their usual nonsense, and to follow up on Jon's Spanish streak.
Jon is happy in Norfolk (which is not in Dorset), and Mark is grumbling about... well, everything, really. Last week's homework Jon was to spend time on Duo Lingo Mark was to launch Bitrate
Jon and Mark run down everything a curious listener needs to know about Jon and Mark.
A brief chat about starting podcasts, secret places in Birmingham and things on the TV.
Jon had a pointless exit interview and Mark had an intervention.
Jon has some exciting news, and Mark has some (very slightly) upsetting news.
Mark puts app developers on blast for shitty accessibility cuteness, and Jon reviews Macaw. The right one, though; not the wrong one. All will become clear. MACAW!
Mark goes off on one of his patented rants, and Jon tries to explain to Alexa what a tapenade is.
Mark and Jon finally figured out what their homework should be, and so did their homework. They also talk bananas, how to pronounce "via" and why Adobe might be making life tricky for students.
Jon and Mark go way into the weeds about running a web business, TV they like, and try and understand the homework they've assigned themselves.