Podcast Review – The Countdown: Movies & TV Reviews
Episodes Reviewed: 99 – 109
Average Episode Length: 1 hour 20 minutes
Release Schedule: Weekly
Formats: Audio Only
The Countdown, by Aussie duo Paul & Wayne, is a Movies & TV Review show that features a top 10 countdown each episode. What are the 10 best films of 1996? The 10 best unintentionally funny movies? Or even, what is the 10 best Musicals… actually, scratch that last one; Paul hates Musicals. A good premise that makes for an often-hilarious podcast.
Paul & Wayne have clearly been friends for a long time, they know one another well and so the banter between them is exactly what you’d expect from a pair of “best friends” – abusive, but in a nice way. Each gives as good as they get and both are left chuckling at the good-natured ribbing. Some of the best moments in the podcast come from the disagreements created by the picking of the lists. I recommend that you listen to Episode 100 where they count down the 10 most controversial picks they’ve ever made on the podcast. It is a great introduction and will tell you all you need to know about our hosts and the kind of show they provide.
Audience participation is a big part of their show, The Recount is a regular segment where listeners send in their feedback on the picks made in the previous episode, one listener even live tweets as he listens each week and usually gets a mention in this segment. They engage well with their audience and given how subjective a top 10 list is, there are no shortage of people willing to write in and tell them they are idiots for forgetting to even mention a film.
Full disclosure, Movies are not my passion. But even listening to Paul & Wayne list off a top 10 full of films I haven’t seen the show held my interest. They have plenty of interesting things to say about the films they mention and can articulate what they liked and disliked very well. Much better than I ever could when it comes to Movies. It says a lot about the chemistry between them and the quality of the podcast that this is the case.
The other main segment is the movie review. Usually both, Wayne & Paul, will have seen a new/recently released film so they can give their thoughts on it. They do a good job of avoiding spoilers and talking in more general terms. However, my personal suggestion is to avoid an episode that features a review of a film you don’t want spoiled for you. It’s entirely up to you and how sensitive you are to spoilers. I’m very sensitive about it for films I’m really interested in, such as the Star Wars films. Though, it is up to your personal preference.
Overall, then, we have a brilliant podcast full of laughter and the occasional controversy. Start with episode 100 to get a feel for the show like I suggested earlier and enjoy! I know I will continue to enjoy the show long into the future.
Links
Website: http://thecountdownmoviesandtv.podomatic.com/
Twitter: @thecountdownpc
iTunes: https://t.co/0GCukai0xG
